Coatl_Ruu wrote:Joy: A Lego store opened up about 20 minutes away from my house!
...
I'm resisting a strong urge to go "squee" at this point.
Edit: Sorrow: Apparently, I really,
really suck at the stick shift. It got to the point where I stalled out, and had random people calling for me to give it more gas. And then it somehow went downhill from there.
...
Yeah, I think I'm going to go curl up in a corner and die now.

Joy: Being here to assist someone on how to drive a stick shift car better!
Oh hush, dont go die in a corner, you will get it!!! Stick is all touch and feel. I was pretty bad at first. Im sure someone is teaching you how to do it their way, but the way I learned to do it is to get a feel for where the clutch engages, and remember the position. Being a mechanic, I drive many different cars with different feeling clutches all the time. I go about learning where the clutch engages like this: (be careful, I dont want to be held accountable for accidents!) hold the brake down as hard as possible, dont even touch the gas, and
super slowly release the clutch. Dont release the clutch all the way, and keep holding the brake. Listen to the engine, when you start to hear the engine idle drop and slow down , (keep your foot on the clutch in that spot and slightly before it so it doesn't stall.) that is where your clutch starts to engage. (Dont do this for a long time, you'll wear the clutch disc. Its like rubbing your hand over a desk, it gets hot fast from the friction and wears the clutch like a brake pad.) When you find that spot, you now have a feel of how far you have of free play in the clutch untill you can actually release the brake on a hill so you dont roll backwards. So, when you are on a hill, simply go onto the hill, and remember where the clutch engages. keep your foot on the brake, and start raising the clutch. When you start to feel where the clutch engages, release the brake there, and press the gass lightly. Once your car starts moving, continue to slowly release the clutch untill you are completely off the tension. (Relax! if you will be like all jerky and get nervous. dont be, your car will roll back a little. If you stall, just push the brake and clutch and try again. Who cares if they guy behind you gets mad and honks.) You shouldn't want to have the engine over 1500 to 2000 RPMs though, any more really isnt needed, and will wear the clutch. I would reccomend feeling how hard you need to puch the gas to reach that rpm range.
Anyways, good luck man, and I hope I helped you out!
And back on topic now... AHEM... *cough*