1g manual difficult to learn how to drive?

[fastasleep]

Ill keep it short. Im getting a '91 Galant VR4 on saturday and I have only recently learned how to drive stick, and Ill be driving it home to VA from san antonio. I learned on a mercury mystique which is an easy car to drive, but I tried driving my fathers '00 corolla yesterday and found it infinitely more difficult than the mystique. My friend has an n/a 1g eclipse and he said that his car is easy to drive compared to bmw's that he has driven. Im hoping the GVR4 will be easy to pick up as it has an identical transmission to my friends 1g eclipse, correct? Will the GVR4 be an easy transmission to learn on?

[MNGSX]

First gear is'nt as different in ratio as compared to two as a DSM.. 1-2 synch rpms match easier all things equal but I'm sure that year used a single synchro like the DSM's that year.

Drain the lube put in GM or penzoil synchorshift (synchromesh)..... It will give the synchros some more grip...

Take it easy, get used to it Then do spirited driving.... The shift cable bearing mods.. etc and some of the other effective tricks around here will help but it is still a single synchro 1-2 trans.

Fast 1-2 lift off the gas like crack a whip fast and tap the clutch the same... Once you learn the trans you wont have to engage the clutch as far but to start out exagerate and granny shift.

[awdornowd]

Well the vr-4 being awd the trannys aren't indentical to n/a fwd but have a simular feel when shifting. If you have some experiance driving stick then you should be able to learn as you drive. Thats how I learned on a 92' 1.8 Eclipse. I bought the car and just started driving it. You'll have a long drive so i'm sure you'll get it by the time you get home.


Justin

[WombatTSi]

should be really easy to pick up. Try learning to drive a stick on a 1g AWD with an ACT 2600 and a fidanza. thats a fun experience. :thumbdown

[fastasleep]

Originally Posted by MNGSX

Drain the lube put in GM or penzoil synchorshift (synchromesh)..... It will give the synchros some more grip...

what lube? transmission fluid?

[Defiant]

^ ^ ^ Yeah. Don't worry about that, yet.

You found a Corolla tough to shift? Whew. You'll be okay in a DSM, just don't try to rush it. Pretend it's hooked to a baseball bat pointed right at your own anus (unless you're into that sort of thing, then make it a cactus... and if you're into that, well, this isn't the DS+M forum :eek: )). Without a lot of lube.
Push the clutch all the way to the floor, every time, and give yourself a few months before trying anything clever. Skip downshifting for now, especially into second.
You should be fine. Don't read any posts that have anything to do with "launching".

[fastasleep]

Originally Posted by Defiant

^ ^ ^ Yeah. Don't worry about that, yet.

You found a Corolla tough to shift? Whew. You'll be okay in a DSM, just don't try to rush it. Pretend it's hooked to a baseball bat pointed right at your own anus (unless you're into that sort of thing, then make it a cactus... and if you're into that, well, this isn't the DS+M forum :eek: )). Without a lot of lube.
Push the clutch all the way to the floor, every time, and give yourself a few months before trying anything clever. Skip downshifting for now, especially into second.
You should be fine. Don't read any posts that have anything to do with "launching".

:laugh: I got a kick out of the cactus joke. Ive told myself that I wont rush into anything, but its gonna try my patience. Hopefully the boxy 4-door sedan look will keep tame me. As for the launching threads, Ive already read them, but I plan on destroying the clutch when I have a kit to replace it.

OT: Thoughts on rims for a black GVR4? Ideally, Id like black ssr professors with a polished lip or a set of gold volk TE37s, but wouldnt we all... I just cant justify spending that kind of money on something thats largely aesthetic.

[Spyder FX]

Just feather the throttle when letting the clutch out. I learned to drive (period, not just stick) on an 88 Toyota Camry All-Trac. It's been said on dsmtalk a while back that learning to drive stick on a 5 speed AWD car is the hardest out of all of them.

[foreverinvayne]

Alls i gots to say is that I used to own an E36 BMW 318 and that was WAY easier to drive than my DSM or my integra i used to have. The shifting was so smooth and it was just like butter! lol. Best shifting I've had in a used car. Now pretty much ANY new stick you get is gonna be great compared to anything old lol. (well, it can be a lil tough ### they can be so touchy tho, but when you get used to em, they're way easier then)

[falcone4g63]

Originally Posted by fastasleep

As for the launching threads, Ive already read them, but I plan on destroying the clutch when I have a kit to replace it.

but what you dont plan on is needing a new trans too, after you toast it trying to "destroy the clutch".

[fastasleep]

Originally Posted by falcone4g63

but what you dont plan on is needing a new trans too, after you toast it trying to "destroy the clutch".

nevermind then. got a question though. after how much modding should i look into beefing up the tranny?

ok, i was excited about the car and im leaving tomorrow to go get it, so i threw together a list of projected mods. this list spans several years and i want to get a some feedback on it. please let me know if im way off somewhere, if i dont know what im talking about, if my prices are off target, if i should do something in a different order, or money would be better spent on something else. and be nice, i need help!

Modification Plan List

STEP 1:
- Defi d-series boost gauge $105.
- Defi d-series a/f ratio gauge $105.
- Housing pillar $40.
- Turbo XS mbc $75.
o TOTAL $325.

STEP 2:
- K&N 3” air filter $40.
- DSM intake pipe $100.
- GReddy Type S bov $195.
o TOTAL $335.

STEP 3:
- A’PEX-i 3” cat-back exhaust $500.
- A’PEX-i N1 downpipe $205.
- EVO III O2 sensor housing $150.
- DN Performance exhaust manifold $500.
o TOTAL $1,355.

STEP 4:
- Walbro 190lph fuel pump $110.
- Extreme PSI fmic kit $875.
o TOTAL $995.

STEP 5:
- Eibach sportline springs $250.
- KYB AGX adjustable shocks $470.
- Intrax sway bar $200.
- 17” SSR Professor SP1 wheels $1,300.
- Bridgestone Potenza 225/45/27 tires $510.
o TOTAL $2,730.

STEP 6:
- Stoptech 1G dsm brake kit $1,785. x2
- 2 slotted rotors
- 4-piston calipers
- Braided stainless steel brake lines
- Axxis ultimate brake pads
o TOTAL $3,570.

[falcone4g63]

i would buy cheaper gauges, you probly dont need the greddy bov, test pipe or hi flow cat?, get the o2 ported and dont know what the dn manifold is but you could just get a 2g or evo3 ported for like 275, and i dont see a turbo in there - at least port the stock one. but most important make sure the maintinance is done before the mods. have fun with the vr4!

[kyledykstra]

Originally Posted by Spyder FX

Just feather the throttle when letting the clutch out. I learned to drive (period, not just stick) on an 88 Toyota Camry All-Trac. It's been said on dsmtalk a while back that learning to drive stick on a 5 speed AWD car is the hardest out of all of them.

Nah, I had a harder time driving a stock '89 Mustang GT without either burning out or stalling than with my DSM. Driving a stock DSM isn't bad at all, I taught a couple people to drive a manual trans in mine. While it can be easier to stall, the nice thing is if you're a little rough on the clutch, you won't spin/chirp the tires, so no one else will know. The one thing I noticed when people first drove it, they would try and baby the clutch too much, and take forever to let it out; by the time they got it engaged, boost was building, and the car just rocketed off.

[fastasleep]

Originally Posted by falcone4g63

i would buy cheaper gauges, you probly dont need the greddy bov, test pipe or hi flow cat?, get the o2 ported and dont know what the dn manifold is but you could just get a 2g or evo3 ported for like 275, and i dont see a turbo in there - at least port the stock one. but most important make sure the maintinance is done before the mods. have fun with the vr4!

thanks, i forgot the test pipe and hi flow cat. i wish i could go catless, but stafford county, va emissions own me. eventually id like a bigger turbo, but along with that goes a lot of internal work, right? rods, pistons, etc. ive read that the vr4 stock block can handle a decent amount of hp, but how much bigger of a snail can i get without risking serious damage to the stock engine?

[project94tsi]

Originally Posted by fastasleep

thanks, i forgot the test pipe and hi flow cat. i wish i could go catless, but stafford county, va emissions own me. eventually id like a bigger turbo, but along with that goes a lot of internal work, right? rods, pistons, etc. ive read that the vr4 stock block can handle a decent amount of hp, but how much bigger of a snail can i get without risking serious damage to the stock engine?

I think you are getting way too ahead of yourself, first thing you should do is a complete tune up including timing belt and water pump if you dont know the last time they were done. You also have alot of pricey upgrades in your wish list you can get away with cheaper parts that are just as effective, There are lots of people running huge turbos on stock internals. Enjoy the new car