Preparation

Obviously, you will need a stick-shift car. Your best bet is a car that is not new, nor one that has had the clutch recently replaced. Clutches are much "stickier" when new, and this makes learning more difficult. It's also better to learn in a smaller car, with a smaller engine. They are much easier to get going and to stop. Finally, choose a car with a floor-mount stick shift. Don't try to learn on a car that has the shifter on the steering column. Floor mounted stick shifts are more intuitive and easier to use.

You'll also want a couple good, safe places to practice. The first should be a large FLAT parking lot, preferably one with few lamp-posts so you don't have to concentrate so much on the "where you're going" while you are getting comfortable with shifting. The second should be a long straight section of low traffic roadway.

Practice on a a day where neither bad weather nor darkness are going to cause problems. If you are borrowing the car and the owner wants to come along, work out in advance that you might ask them questions, but your intent is to learn, and that you will be learning from a few mistakes along the way. In other words, they should keep quiet unless you ask for help. (I wish my grandfather followed those rules when he was trying to teach me to bowl!)

Let your friend (you don't think they're really going to let you borrow their car to learn without coming along do you?) drive the car to the middle of the parking lot, and have them shut it off in first with the parking brake on. Trade places and climb into the driver's seat.

The drivers seat - Getting a feel for the pedals

Three pedals and a stick shift. And a parking brake. We'll get to the parking brake later - let's concentrate on the pedals and stick shift.

You already know two of the pedals - the gas and the brake. They work the same as they do in an automatic. So let's skip to the clutch. What the clutch pedal (far left) does is control the distance between two discs or "plates." One plate is connected to the engine, and has a big, flat surface. The other plate is connected to the transmission and is made of a material like fine sandpaper. The clutch pulls them apart when you press it in, and lets them touch each other when the pedal is up. So when you press in the clutch you separate the engine from the transmission. Since the pedal is not an on-off switch, you can control how quickly the two come together, letting one slip against the other for a bit, as you let the clutch pedal up. This "letting out the clutch" is the key to getting the car moving from a stop.

So, with the car still turned off, put your right foot on the brake pedal, and with your left, push the clutch to the floor. On some cars it is hard to press in, but most modern cars have a "light" clutch. A light clutch is usually what you want, because you're going to be pressing it in and slowly letting it out a lot. Practice pressing it to the floor somewhat quickly, then letting it back up slowly. It's not that hard to get used to.

Watch your hands - the gearshift

Now check out the gearshift. In general, the gears are laid out like an H, with first in the upper left, second directly below it, third is to the right of first, fourth below it, and if there is a fifth, it is up to the right of third. Reverse is usually on the left side of the H, sometimes up, sometimes down. Usually you have to push the gear lever down into the floor before it will let you go into reverse. The pattern is usually marked on the top of the knob as well.

Now, with the car still off, your foot on the brake only, and the gearshift in first, try to pull it straight down into second. It probably won't budge. This is because when the clutch pedal is up, there is usually internal pressure against the gears that keep you from taking it out of a gear, as well as putting it in a gear. While we're on the topic, why did I suggest leaving the car in first gear when it was turned off at the beginning? The answer is that manual transmission cars don't have a "Park" gear. Instead, you leave the car in first gear, and the fact that the transmission is connected to the engine means that it can't turn while the engine is off. First gear is the best gear to do this in because higher gears could let the car move a bit if the engine turns just a tiny bit - first gear creates the greatest resistance. You may also ask why you need the parking brake as well? If you ever watched the Tom Cruise movie Risky Business, you'll know. Yes, in spite of all I've said above, it is possible to knock the lever out of first and into neutral, at which point the car can roll away. Down a hill. Out a dock. Into the lake. Very expensive.

Alright, let's get a bit more productive. Ignition turned off, right foot on the brake, push in the clutch and try moving the stick shift through the pattern, one gear at a time until you get to fifth, then back down again. Now try to find reverse. It is often hard to find. If you've been quiet so far, now might be the time to finally ask the owner something like "How the &*&$% do I get it into reverse?" They will tell you the secret, which depending on the make and model may involve a modified golf or bowling grip.