Rinty

General Yeager's admonition comes to mind: "Don't look for trouble!"

Our teenager learned in an automatic from an instructer, and then I taught her stick in a Golf diesel. I think it has the best motor / transmission combination for teaching, because you can walk it off the line with no throttle input, and the transmission is bomb proof. So the kids aren't under any pressure.

She now drives my 993 with aplomb, but not unaccompanied, of course.

Rinty

irie1029

I took my wife out months ago and many therapy sessions later I still hide the keys.

Paul523

I say let the kid learn in the 911.

I learned to drive a stick in a rear-engined '68 VW Squareback. My father threw me the keys one day when I was around 14 yrs old. Our house out in the boonies had a driveway about 100 yards long, so I simultaneously learned how to feather clutch and how to maneuver in reverse by repeated back and forths up long driveway. Great memory that.

jwasbury

+1 for teaching in the 911. My buddy learned stick in his dad's 930. C'mon people, its not that big of a deal. If the kid is a total mess and can't get it together and you're worried about the car, you can just stop him and end the training session.

irobertson

I have a Jetta TDI and I plan on using that when it's my daughters time to learn. The nice thing is that the computer tries to maintain idle so it helps you along.
I can actually make the car go though all five gears without touching the accelerator at all.

I wouldn't want to teach someone in my 911.
Rather do it in a rental. (or the Jetta)

I would also go through a lesson that covers mechanically just how the clutch works. It was a great help for me to be able to visualize what was happening when I let off the pedal.

dshepp806

Wouldn't use mine as a training device, no way,..no how.

Use a different auto for the training. Once he's up to speed, then give him a go.

Best,

Doyle'

VroomGrrl

I will chime in here. You say you hardly drive the car and this will motivate you to get it on the road. You say you are planning to replace the clutch & gearbox at your next service anyway. Given those two things, I don't see a down side. It will get your car out of the garage, and give a young driver an incredible experience and a useful skill. JUST DO IT And also, make a video and post it for us to see!

Woody

Umm, It's a Car. It has a Manual. What's the big deal, if that’s what you have, use it and have some fun. They are not that fragile.

JRRSA

I agree with Ed, try to find him a car to learn on where you won't be cringing when the clutch is sliding at 4,000 RPMS, the car is bucking wildly or when 2nd goes back to first or 3rd goes to 2nd. I just taught a friend who is 33 years old and let me tell you, the first 20 minutes or so was ROUGH! Now he is doing great and doesn't want another automatic.

I must say, it's a bit depressing to hear how many young kids and even adults these days that can't operate a three pedal car. It's especially depressing to see a kid in a highly modified Civic leave a light with exhaust, lowered etc only to hear the automatic shift from 1st to second.

WitchDoctor

Am I supposed to be rev-matching?

I mean, I've just naturally started trying to do this, but I didn't know I was supposed to. :-/

I like the rent-a-mazda idea, til he gets the idea down, then he'll be less in clined to stress the 911, and appreciate the experience of the thing all the more.

Quite a kindness you're extending to the kid.

Putting this situation aside, would I ever teach someone on my 911? Only if she is sure to be worth it!

Brent

JRRSA

Rev matching is a natural necessity especially with a 915 and just futher adds fun to the journey. I always matched on downshift and many times on upshift with my old 86. The 87 G50 doesn't need it as much, however, I do it anyway most of the time. Good stuff!

Dan Cobb

Great points folks. All of them.
I am planning on getting a new battery this week and then a good cleaning. I think I'll drive it for a week or so to remind myself how great the car is.
Once I get that smile back on my face, I'm sure I'll feel the need to share it.

I'm not too worried about the car. I mean, I drive it like it is happy to get out of the driveway, so what could he possibly do besides smoke the clutch or nick a couple of gears?
I don't expect him to be learning ont he freeway, or at accelerated speeds, so crashing the car is not that likely.
These cars a re pretty tough, in fact, I think they are probably more robust than many of us imagine.
He'll surely remember learning in a 911 for the rest of his life, and like I said before....

It would probably help my karma a bit to give something with little or nothing expected in return.

I think it's a "GO" for '911.101'.

I'll keep you guys posted if anything 'interesting' happens.
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Ed Hughes

Um, most 915's are suffering from some wear. A couple of good grinds could put one over the top, and then the slope gets steep quickly.

Search what it costs now to rebuild a tranny correctly, and you'll see how big a deal it can be. You can buy a nice beater with a stick for a lot less $ than a 911 trans rebuild to teach the young ones on. Then, as I stated earlier give 'em a treat and then let him drive the 911.

Dan Cobb

Ed, while I completely agree that a couple of bad grinding incidents might be enough to be the last ones before a rebuild.... I suggest that a gearbox of this nature was going to need a rebuild anyway, thus the impact is NO different in cost, just timing.

Don't get me wrong, I know a new clutch/gearbox rebuild is in my future. (regardless!)

JMO
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hebrewhomeboy

You know, I was originally thinking "no effing way", however I thought of it from a different angle: Teaching him on your 911 could possibly have a dramatic influence on him, and create a new Porsche fan. Maybe it'll stick with him, and down the road he'll be that guy to save a 45 year old SC and restore it. Just a thought. I gave a neighborhood kid (about 10 years old) a ride in my car for that reason.