"Do not stand in front of the car when they do this" good point ;)
....Neil
----- Original Message -----
From: "William Moyer" <William.Moyer@millersville.edu>
To: <healeys@autox.team.net>
Sent: Saturday, May 21, 2005 9:53 AM
Subject: RE: not directly Healey- teaching kids the clutch
>I can understand that not everyone will want to do this, but I taught both
> my kids to drive the Healey when they reached 18. In the Healey. I
> didn't
> have another stick shift car but I don't think I would have used it
> anyway.
> First they had to listen to a lecture on the car's mechanics and what was
> happening when they pressed pedals and moved levers. Then we went to the
> car and I had them watch the action of the pedals and levers. We popped
> the bonnet and watched the rods move to the carbs. If they don't
> understand
> what's happening, it's magic and we're not magicians. Then it was
> dry-drive
> time. In the car and practice the shift pattern until they could go into
> any gear as I said the numbers randomly. The car was started and kept in
> neutral with the hand brake on while they once again went through the
> numbers. Then learn the acclerator pedal. How far does it go before
> anything happens? It's more responsive than most cars and that's why they
> hiccough down the road so much when learning. Put it in second gear
> (again,
> with brake on) and slowly let the clutch out to feel where you begin to
> transfer power. Do not stand in front of the car when they do this.
> Finally, following the suggestion of someone on the list, I had them begin
> on a small downhill stretch so the initial inertia of getting the car
> moving
> was diminished. Luckily we live in a cul-de-sac at the bottom of such a
> hill. From there we went to a large flat space without light poles. Get
> it
> into second gear without grinding. Pull back slowly on the shift lever,
> acclerate just a bit and feel when it wants to move in.
>
> Now, did they stall it out? Yeah, a few times. Did they go hop-hop-hop
> down the street a couple of times? Yeah. Did they split their faces open
> smiling? Yeah. Do they still drive it today with the same clutch? Yes
> again, same smiles.
>
> You can start them on another car, but the transfer of skill isn't going
> to
> be complete and some time they'll have to unlearn the "ease" of shifting a
> modern transmission and start paying attention to what the Healey is
> telling
> them. You'll be just as nervous then as you would be starting them in
> what
> they're actually going to drive in the first place. The Healey is tougher
> than we think, We just spend so much time and money maintaining them that
> we
> start to baby them a bit. To each his own, but it can be done to start
> with
> in the Healey and then you'll hardly ever see the car again. Except when
> the fuel pump dies or the radiator hose blows. Then it's "DAD!!!!"
>
> Bill Moyer, BJ7
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