Auto to manual update

[pilotnick1203]

Well folks, it's time to finally decide. I've only driven manual once, stalled a lot but still liked it. I have a choice now to swap, and it's one I have to live with for a long time. I want to learn manual badly, but I don't know if I should swap it yet. I'm driving to school now, and that's an adventure in it's self with kids darting at you. Is the manual on the ZHP easy for a beginner in traffic and in general? I drove a 325 Xi and was messing that up. Can SMGs be put in a ZHP? Are they a good trans too?

[gmurphy]

I enjoy driving a manual. You won't get use to it unless you get out and drive it. I don't mind it in traffic. I would NOT touch an SMG.

[brettbimmer]

I enjoy driving a manual. You won't get use to it unless you get out and drive it. I don't mind it in traffic. I would NOT touch an SMG.

+1. No SMG! Manual is great fun and allows for precision control of your car which is why I really enjoy it. No automatic lethargy to wait for/deal with - pop the car in the correct gear and you have power NOW. Manual trans is far less complex then an automatic and far more reliable, so that should also give you peace of mind too for long-term ownership.

[pilotnick1203]

I enjoy driving a manual. You won't get use to it unless you get out and drive it. I don't mind it in traffic. I would NOT touch an SMG.

Therein lies the problem. We do not own a manual car that I can drive all the time, and I don't want to burn up somebody's clutch... I would enjoy manual however.

[ELCID86]

Learn to clutch it. It doesn't take long to get the hang of. School parking lot on the weekend is a great place to practice.

[pilotnick1203]

+1. No SMG! Manual is great fun and allows for precision control of your car which is why I really enjoy it. No automatic lethargy to wait for/deal with - pop the car in the correct gear and you have power NOW. Manual trans is far less complex then an automatic and far more reliable, so that should also give you peace of mind too for long-term ownership.

That is what I liked about the manual. I just really need to drive one a lot and we don't have a car to be able to do that :(

[pilotnick1203]

Learn to clutch it. It doesn't take long to get the hang of. School parking lot on the weekend is a great place to practice.

+1 I only got about 45 min of driving it.

[johnrando]

Don't do SMG. If you want a manual, then do it. I spazzed for several times learning on a very picky 70's Ford Fiesta. The zhp manual is much easier to drive. You can let out the clutch and move forward w/o even pressing on the gas. So, just go for it, you'll learn quick enough, and it's not likely you'll screw the clutch up, they are a solid piece of mechanics.

[pilotnick1203]

And where I live people are always on your bumper, I don't want to roll back and buy someone a bumper.

[johnrando]

Yup. You'll learn how to drive manual, and then you'll learn how to use the emergency brake to hold the car in place while you begin to move foward, even on the worst hills. It's actually kinda cool/fun once you learn how.

[pilotnick1203]

Thanks. I really want to learn regardless. Even if I do not swap, I may look into Spec e46 racing.

[alexandre]

The OEM clutch has more than enough grip to hold the car still in steep hills without stalling. I hardly ever use the ebrake (albeit I get a lot of practice as I have a mountain to cross through on my commute)

[Avetiso]

Dude, stop making threads and go practice. You are making a big deal out of it. When I got my first manual car, I sat down and stalled a ton of times but I forced myself to learn.

Don't take this the wrong way, but it sounds like you are making excuses. Trust me, the ZHP clutch can take a ton of abuse, FAR more than what could be used during a learning process.

Go get it!

Also, no SMG. It sucks.

[Newjack]

Dude, stop making threads and go practice. You are making a big deal out of it. When I got my first manual car, I sat down and stalled a ton of times but I forced myself to learn.

Don't take this the wrong way, but it sounds like you are making excuses. Trust me, the ZHP clutch can take a ton of abuse, FAR more than what could be used during a learning process.

Go get it!

Also, no SMG. It sucks.
I bought my ZHP never having driven a manual transmission in my life. I learned how to drive it within a day and was comfortable after about a week. Its not hard if you are willing to learn.

[llll1l1ll]

Manual is crazy easy to drive. I live up here in Baltimore and used to live in the D.C. area. Traffic, although one of the worst things in the world that I could ever fathom and sometimes question whether or not I'm actually dead and in hell when I'm stuck in traffic, is not that bad with a stick. It gets tiring, sure, but that's after an hour and a half of crawling in traffic.

Go for it!

[pilotnick1203]

Sure thing guys. I will let you know. My dad thinks if I get 15 more min in a parking lot I will be able to do it. I fly airplanes, I can drive a stick LOL

[pilotnick1203]

Dude, stop making threads and go practice. You are making a big deal out of it. When I got my first manual car, I sat down and stalled a ton of times but I forced myself to learn.

Don't take this the wrong way, but it sounds like you are making excuses. Trust me, the ZHP clutch can take a ton of abuse, FAR more than what could be used during a learning process.

Go get it!

Also, no SMG. It sucks.

;) I will try. I am going to DIY it, I have to find time between the school schedule. The local BMW club said they are more than happy to help.

[TWong1200]

I also say go for it. They are incredibly easy to learn to drive. And yep, if you can fly a plane, you can drive a manual transmission!

Definitely no to SMG.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[kakashi169]

Do the swap and post pictures...

[Smilez]

Learn where the clutch engages. Put it in first slowly release clutch (without pushing gas) you will "feel" it engage. The rest is muscle/brain memory.

[NoVAphotog]

The only way to truly learn is to drive/practice. I'm teaching my gf the basics on my ZHP and she is slowly getting the hang of it, but I've told her and many others you won't really learn unless you OWN a manual car and NEED to drive it to get where you are going.

I still remember the day when I got stuck in the left turn lane on a steep hill in my '96 Volvo 850 with a nasty light that would only stay green for 1 second...my calf muscle locked up and was shaking uncontrollably, I was sweating buckets, a mini-van had pulled up RIGHT behind me, and I was forced to CRAWL up this hill after only driving a manual for a week and a half. Once I finally made it up and took the left I knew it was over, if I could do that I knew I had learned how to drive a manual. I'm not advocating trial by fire, but practice in a parking lot until you feel comfortable going on the roads, and then just use the car as you normally would.

Also, protip, the objective is smooth. You want passengers to not know you are driving a manual. That is the eventual goal to have in mind. Forget racing and hard shifts, focus on slow is smooth, smooth is fast. Kind of like shooting a gun... :shift

[pilotnick1203]

+1 guys... keep you posted. May be a bit, but I will eventually swap the car.

[johnrando]

I learned part time on my parents car. Great to have your own, and the more clutch time the better, but it can be done w/o owing your own.

[TomTomTuning]

I wish my car was manual but there's times that I love that it's auto.

[WOLFN8TR]

I wish my car was manual but there's times that I love that it's auto.

Me too...

[pilotnick1203]

Me too...

Traffic?

[Johnmadd]

Traffic?

It doesn't matter "In my rock voice". You can dew eeet! I learned in 3 passes down a parking lot lane.

[pilotnick1203]

It doesn't matter "In my rock voice". You can dew eeet! I learned in 3 passes down a parking lot lane.

I'm feelin it

[Johnmadd]

I'm feelin it

As you should.

[OtterEffect]

Learn to clutch it. It doesn't take long to get the hang of. School parking lot on the weekend is a great place to practice.

Ha, been there done that! When I was getting my permit, my parents forced me to learn on a manual, it sucked a couple times when I repeatedly stalled in big intersections but now I cannot thank them enough! Plus, I've heard that manual cars are less susceptible to theft :p

[ELCID86]

Just got home from a 10 hour trek bring home my latest ZHP. Terrible traffic in NYC and here in VA on I-95S as well as a bad wreck/delay on the NJ TP. The ball of my left foot is sore and there were times when I wish I had an Auto, but in the end I am enjoying the stick! Hopefully I'll get a callus soon ;-)

[Johnmadd]

Just got home from a 10 hour trek bring home my latest ZHP. Terrible traffic in NYC and here in VA on I-95S as well as a bad wreck/delay on the NJ TP. The ball of my left foot is sore and there were times when I wish I had an Auto, but in the end I am enjoying the stick! Hopefully I'll get a callus soon ;-)

Took me 6 hours from Richmond to bimmerfest on that Friday before, I was worried that my knee would start to click/hurt. It was all good though :)

[pilotnick1203]

Agree, can't replace the feeling of a manual though. Gotta love it.

[johnrando]

Just got home from a 10 hour trek bring home my latest ZHP. Terrible traffic in NYC and here in VA on I-95S as well as a bad wreck/delay on the NJ TP. The ball of my left foot is sore and there were times when I wish I had an Auto, but in the end I am enjoying the stick! Hopefully I'll get a callus soon ;-)

Awesome. Who's car is that going to be?

[az3579]

Awesome. Who's car is that going to be?

His own. :)

[Mike V]

Therein lies the problem. We do not own a manual car that I can drive all the time, and I don't want to burn up somebody's clutch... I would enjoy manual however.

You won't burn up a clutch if you have a good teacher, and if you're listening to what that teacher tells you. The biggest challenge is getting started on hills.

[WOLFN8TR]

Traffic?

Agree, can't replace the feeling of a Manual though. Gotta love it.

It's true you can't replace the Manual feeling but I must admit having an Auto in traffic is waaaay better than Manual. Plus I can drink and drive, eat and drive, text and drive! :headbang....LoL

Seriously thou I was in the same boat as you about a year ago. I should of bought a Manual ZHP. But I really love my car, plus I think of all the time and work I've done to it I just can't justify selling it to get a Manual ZHP.

[az3579]

Plus I can drink and drive, eat and drive, text and drive! :headbang....LoL

:foottap

[WOLFN8TR]

:mwah

[ELCID86]

Awesome. Who's car is that going to be?

BP is right. Mostly mine. I don't feel bad about letting my 17 yo daughter drive it though since it didn't cost me that much. She did say she wanted to help me work on it so this could be a good daddy-daughter project car!

[pilotnick1203]

It's true you can't replace the Manual feeling but I must admit having an Auto in traffic is waaaay better than Manual. Plus I can drink and drive, eat and drive, text and drive! :headbang....LoL

Seriously thou I was in the same boat as you about a year ago. I should of bought a Manual ZHP. But I really love my car, plus I think of all the time and work I've done to it I just can't justify selling it to get a Manual ZHP.

Lol :)