Alright I just got my 2002 Z06 a couple of days ago and this is the first manual car i've owner/driven every day.
I can drive a stick but am by no means good at it. I still feel very uncomfortable getting going from first but I've only killed it twice. I fear burning the clutch.
Anyone got any tips for driving? Also my upshifts at times can give me a jerk or two. Is that from shifting too soon, too late, or not clutching right?
The Z06 is probably not the best car to learn on. The clutch locks pretty fast. That's why you "jerking". You'll figure it out long before you ruin the clutch. Practice practice practice.
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"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to
escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane."
Marcus Aurelius
First; congratulations on the Z and welcome to
I know you're not a beginner, but thinking like one helps smooth shifting. Loop an imaginary string from your belt to your right "go" foot and your left clutch foot... push right, release left. You'll get the feel of where the clutch "bites" and a feel for rolling on the power thru the shift ... then you work on matching the revs for smooth shifts. Then work on matching revs on downshifts.
As ^^^^^ practice ...
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^VIR Turn 3 '08^-MungoZ06-'03 QS/ModRed - NCCC, NASA NCM Member - Z06 Fest IV,V,VI,VII
You are probably thinking about it too much too. Go find a big empty parking lot and practice. I don't mean to practice at high speeds, just starting and maybe shifting into second. If you do it enough in a place where you are not worried about stalling and having the driver behind get pissed, you will learn very quickly. I have taught many people to drive a clutch this way and it works. I am not a driving instructor, it is just common sense to remove the nervous nature of being around other cars.
I learned how to drive on a manual car. It wasnt a Z06 but I just slowly let the clutch out until the car started to roll, then I slowly applied the gas as I finished letting the clutch out.
Congratulations on the Z and welcome to the site.
Jim
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'03 Torch Red Z06 462rwhp/408rwtq
One difference I've found with the Z is when starting
out on flat ground you don't need to give any gas.
In fact at Bragg-Smith they had us go out and practice
starting by just letting out the clutch. They started doing
that because the students were wearing out the clutches
way too soon. I've almost killed it starting out once in a
while, but it was because I wasn't in first. I'd gotten sloppy
and downshifted from second to third as I stopped at a light.
Mel
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'When you are in a hole, Stop digging!'
In college I learned by practice -- a 30 mile city drive from where I bought the car to home. It was a low reving, low hp no torque 4 banger. It was a real learning experience.
Just like a motorcycle, think about "rolling" the gas on as you release the clutch. With all the Z's torque, stalling is the least of your launching issues.
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03 Zo6, Black, Mod Red Interior
03 Ultra Classic Anniversary, Silver/Black
04 Escalade Black/Slate
Practice Makes Perfect and in no time you will be an Expert
In the very beginning always drive with AH/TC on. The Z06 is a very powerful car and it can get away from you. After you feel very comfortable you can turn Traction Control off (Comp Mode), but always leave Active Handling on.
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Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level then beat you with experience.
thanks for the tips guys. One thing I've kept reading and reading in many different threads is matching revs. Can I get that explained alittle more?
I have driven sticks all of my life. The combination of engine torque, fast clutch and light weight of the car make it the most difficult to drive smoothly - of all the ones I have owned.
Having said that, the more you practice the smoother you will get (I wouldn't think about rev matching too much - it will just happen, but you can blip the throttle a little on downshifts and a good driving school will teach you the heel-toe technique) and it is all good since the more you practice the more you get to drive the Z.
Also, as you become more comfortable with the car, remember that if you start driving it fast, you need to be smooth on the gas, the brakes AND the steering. These cars can go extremely fast, but if not driven smoothly, they will also go in the weeds extremely fast - and don't turn off the active handling!
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What happened to my pic??? 2002 Blk/Blk LS2 402, STS Twin Turbo, Spec V, HPTuners 2Bar Speed Density Tune by RalphP
thanks for the tips guys. One thing I've kept reading and reading in many different threads is matching revs. Can I get that explained alittle more?
Rev-matching is the process of changing the rpms of the engine to the speed required for gear you are shifting into. This way when you let out the clutch it does not disrupt the balance of the car.
When you upshift and pause for a split second to allow the rpms to drop to match the next gear this is a form of rev-matching. when you get it right you can let out the clutch as fast as you want without upsetting the car.
On downshifting it is a little trickier. What you do is blip the throttle to raise the rpms while the clutch is pressed in to raise engine rpms to that of the next lower gear. Done right you can let out the clutch as fast as you want without upsetting the car.
This revmatching is 1/2 of the heel to maneuver. Once you have the rev-matching down the next step is to combine with braking.
When to use: I use it all of the time on the street to provide a smoother drive and put less stress on the drivetrain. Plus it is like training for the track where I heel-toe. Some claim to heel to on the street but I find it hard to do if I am not braking hard.
If you want to try: start by driving down a high way in 6th gear try going from 6th to 5th as smooth as possible. A blindfolded passenger should not know you shifted. Once you get this down try to go from 5th to 4th 4th to 3rd at different speeds at different rpms. It takes a while but is quite rewarding when done right.
I've been driving stick since I started driving, 3 years now. The Z06 was by far the hardest for me to get use to. I went from an '03 Cobra which was a breeze. It took about two weeks for me to stop bouncing when getting off the line. I feels it's because the grab point starts so high up, and it's fully engaged very soon after it starts grabbing. Like everyone said... PRACTICE. That's the only way you'll get used to it. There really isn't much one can say besides just to go out and keep practicing.
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2003 Silver Z06... Intake, LG Headers
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