Is learning to drive manual in a RHD car a bad idea?

[shabusen]

Everyone should have to learn to drive manual. Much better focus on driving and actually engaging with driving and not surfing a couch with a steering wheel.

Right or left makes no real difference. Though I initially put my fist into the door a couple of times and learned quickly as a result

[68style]

Originally Posted by Berzerker

I used to race motorbikes so I knew the correlation between between clutch and throttle and gear shifting. I picked up driving manual cars super fast. I've seen others .... not get it.

Berz out.

Hahaha I hope you didn't slip the clutch the same way on your car as you did on your wet clutch sportbike LOL

[hud 91gt]

Originally Posted by Berzerker

I used to race motorbikes so I knew the correlation between between clutch and throttle and gear shifting. I picked up driving manual cars super fast. I've seen others .... not get it.

Berz out.

People should know they’re own abilities and weakness’.


So ask yourself? Can you do it? Or is driving in general an issue? Lol


If your really stressed about it. Drive home at midnight. The hardest part about learning to drive a standard transmission is being rushed (or being on a big ass hill, while rushed). If you have no time pressures it certainly won’t be an issue.

[underscore]

Originally Posted by AzNightmare

Not going to lie, you may also be a danger to public traffic for a while if you jump into actual traffic too early. Cause it sounds like you're going to be learning quite a few things at once.

When you think about it, isn't every new driver learning quite a few things at once? If you already know the main stuff learning two new things at once isn't too bad by comparison.

[AzNightmare]

Originally Posted by underscore

When you think about it, isn't every new driver learning quite a few things at once? If you already know the main stuff learning two new things at once isn't too bad by comparison.

Well that's why I was wondering if this is an experienced driver or a newbie. Apart from the technical aspect, there are things like reading the traffic better that comes with experience, irrelevant to auto or manual, LHD/RHD. It's just an extra thing to add on the plate if he's new.

But like Berz said, it's actually easier to learn new from scratch than break old habits, so if he is a newbie, it could work to his advantage.

Ultimately, this is a tough question that no one can really answer for OP.

Some people pick up manual in a few days, some people still can't drive an automatic properly after a year. lol

[SpeedStars]

Regarding OPs first post about getting a manual car home without knowing how to operate manual... I didn't know how to drive manual and my first car was manual. stalled at every light on the way home but I still managed. I would highly recommend researching how to operate manual via YouTube first though.

Regarding RHD, I recently drove an S15 in Japan and the only major difference I would say is that in LHD cars we use our left mirror more and on RHD cars you'd need to focus more on your right mirror. The wiper stalk being on the other side took me like 5 mins to get used to.

[fliptuner]

Originally Posted by shabusen

Everyone should have to learn to drive manual. Much better focus on driving and actually engaging with driving and not surfing a couch with a steering wheel.
l

Everyone should learn to ride a motorcycle. You're forced to ride defensively, anticipate what other drivers are doing and actually focus on your surroundings.

Matter of fact, they should shorten the graduated system for motorcycle riders.

[moova]

Originally Posted by BIC_BAWS

And then every time, they'll ask you why isn't the VIN valid and if you're gonna sell it stateside. Expect to be stopped for about 5 mins, even with Nexus.

I go through the boarder with my JDM MR2 at least twice a month and I've had zero issues. Never wait more than normal.

I got asked for my insurance papers going down the second time, handed them right back and sent me on my way.

[Manic!]

Post an ad on RS/Facebook/craigslist and pay someone to drive it home for you.

[twitchyzero]

Originally Posted by Akinari

My first experience driving a RHD car was actually in Tokyo

driving a RHD in its native market where roads were built for them is quite different than driving it on a road built for LHD

the only thing driving in Aus/Japan etc in my exp that messes with you at first is entering traffic circle to the left

Originally Posted by Berzerker

If you're learning to drive what difference does it make what side the car is? For me driving a RHD is fucky. Everything is backassward. The pedals are the same but the signals and all that shit are backwards.

most people tend to screw up the blinkers/wipers or misshift...so what? none of those are hardly dangerous/fatal mistakes

all it takes is muscle memory after enough repetition

Originally Posted by 68style

You can literally tell which people in this thread don't drive manual... the ones who give answers thinking he's asking about the pitfalls of driving in a right hand drive car/learning to drive in general... not the fact he's actually wondering if it's okay to learn shifting with the other hand.

yeahh no

he's not coming from an existing RHD auto asking if it's easy to pick up manual...i presume he's has a few years of driving at best in a regular LHD

if you start learning juggling you start with 2 maybe 3 balls...not 5 knives...could you pull it off, yeah eventually

some suck at multi-tasking focusing on foreign things/actions simultaneously and can already be stressful enough just driving RHD or manual for the first time

others are better at feet-hand coordination like picking up playing the drum set

there's no right/wrong answer

[UnknownJinX]

Have never driven an RHD, but have driven manuals for more than 2 years now.

I have heard this phrase before, and I agree with it:

Driving a manual is 90% footwork, 8% knowing when to shift, and 2% of actually moving the shifter.

Since the pedal configuration is the same on an RHD, that won't really be a huge challenge if you already know how to perform the footwork in an LHD. Shift logic, so to speak, is also the same. This leaves moving the shifter, which is actually a fairly small part of the whole equation. I can see one adjusting to it relatively quickly, provided if they know how to drive a stick shift LHD already.

If you are new to it, well then it can be more challenging. I would play it safe and learn the basics of a manual car first, which can help you focus on the changes needed to drive an RHD in Canada.

How about asking the seller to bring the car to an empty back road, then get a feel for it?

Originally Posted by shabusen

Everyone should have to learn to drive manual. Much better focus on driving and actually engaging with driving and not surfing a couch with a steering wheel.

IMO one of the nice things about driving a stick is that it adds a layer of safety before you do something. Not that I still really have to think about how to get moving or downshift, but the added steps to perform them make me think about whether or not I should accelerate more thoroughly, versus just stomp on the gas.

[jbsali]

Originally Posted by evanz.h

I've been eyeing some JDM cars with manual transmissions on CL lately but I've never driven neither RHD nor manual transmission before. I'm wondering if it would be too steep of a learning curve to do both at once. I'm familiar with how a manual transmission works, just never got the chance to drive one before.

The bigger question is whether you're a new driver (L/N)? If you are, I would strongly suggest you get a LHD Manual and stay away from RHD until you've gained road experience.

If you're not a new driver, I would still suggest learn on a LHD but this is just my $0.02

I've been driving manual for over 15 years and the only way I would ever buy a RHD Vehicle is if I had a DD including my spouse's vehicle. Don't get me wrong, I would buy a Hakosuka in a second If the right one came around at the right price and I had a DD.

Another con is maintenance and rarity/ restrictions of parts (for most RHD vehicles). I was 18 once, and didn't want to take the advice of anyone that opposed RHD cars; I grew up and realized these vehicles are not the most "practical."

[hud 91gt]

Originally Posted by fliptuner

Everyone should learn to ride a motorcycle. You're forced to ride defensively, anticipate what other drivers are doing and actually focus on your surroundings.

Matter of fact, they should shorten the graduated system for motorcycle riders.

I agree. It would also thin out the heard and get rid of the weak. Lol.

[Klondike]

Before I learned to drive LHD manual, I watched a bunch of youtube vids and sunk a bunch of quarters into Battle Gear 4