Driving Lessons!

[AUAlum2000]

There is a first for everything.

It says something about the strength of our marriage that the first lesson on a 6-speed manual was actually fun for both of us.

Anybody have any experience teaching a spouse to drive stick? Did your Jeep survive? Any tips?

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[Kevin_D]

I taught my wife to drive a manual transmission, but in a Chevette.
I had to replace the clutch disk afterwards...
She enjoyed learning!
The only tip I can offer is LOTS of practice!

Kevin

 

[4xjeepr]

I instructed my ex in a 2008 manual Dodge 4x4 pickup. I had to replace a mailbox and post! I got lucky, the owner wasn't home so I left a note. Turns out it was an old and very good friend of my mother's. Replaced the box and post with better than my ex took out.

Lots of patience and an open field. How I taught all my ex sisters in law. Put them out there and let them go wild until they learn the operation of the vehicle. Streets come afterwards.

 

[Axeman]

I sort of taught my wife. I bought her a 5spd civic and threw her to the wolves! I tried to explain how a clutch operates with a pressure plate and flywheel from a mechanical standpoint and she just wasn't getting it. She found a few helpful youtube videos and pretty much taught herself. That was 10 years ago and now she won't give up the civic because she doesn't want an automatic...

 

[JTBurns]

My wife taught me in a 1983 Toyota Corolla. In 2010 she got it off her grandmother with only 30k miles on it. It was a fun little car to zip around in, and people would regularly leave her notes asking to buy it. I beleive they were super easy to modify so I guess that's why

Also, you'll have to get her on a hill once she starts getting more comfortable. Once she gets it into gear there, it's a lot easier everywhere else

 

[BlackBear]

My only attempt to teach my wife was quick, and ended in failure.

No, not a crash.

I was using my 2007 Jeep Wrangler.
My wife is so short that even with the seat all the way forward she could not disengage the clutch.

 

[Jeepguy002]

Not a spouse, because she has driven a stick since before we met, but taught both my son and daughter how to drive a stick in my old TJ.

 

[Chance575]

Used a Miata to teach my wife, went to a parking lot and did an hours worth of starts and stops. She know how to drive, just the starting and stopping that need learned .

 

[ColoFreeJeeper]

I got lucky. When I met her she already knew how how drive a manual which was good because I drove a 2005 TJ 6spd. After 4 months of dating we went on a National Parks tour (12 of them) through western CO, southern UT, and northern AZ and she drove half the distance. Needless to say we got married two months after that, LOL.

 

[CerOf]

Not my spouse, but I used to have 3 kids.

 

[A 2]

The gladiator wasn’t around back then. I taught my wife in a 1991 Toyota Supra.

 

[foo.c]

My kids are learning to drive in our JT. Not a manual though.

 

[aprez27]

Screw that, my wife already knows how to drive a manual. Still didn't let her drive my JLUR when I had it.

 

[brianinca]

They are rear wheel drive, which makes them hilarious to drive. Source: bought an '81 Corolla 5spd from my Uncle right out of school in 1992. $200, 210K and the AC worked. My new wife (now ex) made me donate it in 1998 with 246K and a working AC.

My wife taught me in a 1983 Toyota Corolla. In 2010 she got it off her grandmother with only 30k miles on it. It was a fun little car to zip around in, and people would regularly leave her notes asking to buy it. I beleive they were super easy to modify so I guess that's why

Also, you'll have to get her on a hill once she starts getting more comfortable. Once she gets it into gear there, it's a lot easier everywhere else

 

[JTBurns]

They are rear wheel drive, which makes them hilarious to drive. Source: bought an '81 Corolla 5spd from my Uncle right out of school in 1992. $200, 210K and the AC worked. My new wife (now ex) made me donate it in 1998 with 246K and a working AC.

Yep, the RWD was fun. My wife's was silver and we called it the DaLoreon. We traded it at about 100k, and I'm pretty sure someone in that service dept went home with it that day

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