I bought an '82 Toyota Tercel SR5. My father drove it home for me. I taught myself by driving forward and back in the driveway. Once I got good at working the clutch, I drove around the block a few times. That was how I learned to drive a stick.

 

I learned on a GMC Tracker. Drove it twice in parking lot, then got the tiburon and learned real quick.

 

lol... I pulled the Tib's automatic at my cousin's garage on a Friday night, installed the manual on Saturday, figured it out on my way home. Drove around the neighborhood with him showing me for 15 minutes and then "figured it out" on the 30 mile interstate drive home. Aside from the 30 times in his neighborhood, I didn't stall until I tried going into my driveway (incline)

 

I was 14, and the truck was a 1947 military Jeep. Straight H, fuel pump had to be worked by hand, and the gas tank was directly under the drivers seat!

 

Learned in a friends 1st gen Supra. The clutch was starting to go on it, and before he installed the new one...he took me out and taught me how to drive a 5 speed. He figured if I destroyed the clutch even more, it didnt matter since he was gonna replace it. *lol* I picked it up pretty quickly, all within 5 minutes of driving the car. Been hooked ever since and just about every vehicle I've ever owned, had a standard transmission.

 

I first learned when I was 15 after my step-dad gave me his 1998 Ford Ranger 4cyl 5spd for christmas. That day he took me down the street to an empty Bi-Lo parking lot where I stalled out a couple times getting used to it.

The car just sat there for months, at least until I finally got my license. Once I did, it was summer and no one was home. So I hopped in the truck and just drove. Drove all over town stalling a couple times. Including one time where I was turning left crossing lanes and stalled out mid-turn. So I was stuck sideways taking up 2 lanes with on coming traffic on it's way. I was so nervous and jittery it took my 3 tries to finally pull away after the people had to wait a couple seconds. lol

Ever since I vowed to never own an automatic. And once my Ranger died last summer I picked up the Tib, which was one of the only manual cars available in the price range.

 

"How did you first learn to drive a stick?"

Porno.

 

None of my friends had 5spd cars and neither did my parents. The way I learned was when I bought 89 mustang gt. That car had a heavy clutch pedal and it took awhile to learn not to stall it out. The ford motorsport clutch that was in it was more like on or off and no in between. I did learn how to speed shift with that car and how to drag race a stick car. The trans and clutch did take a beating but it held up to my learning curve.lol.

 

My worst experience was maybe on the 3rd day of driving stick. I went to work and the road I would normally take was closed because of an accident, so they redirected traffic to another street. There was a pile up. Bumper to bumper traffic and it was crossing over a bridge (incline). So I had to learn to not let it roll back and hit the car behind me, not stall, and not too much gas and hit car in front of me. Was very tense 5 minutes.

 

I bought my 98 Tib off a guy wanting to learn to drive a stick. I was 16-17 when I learned. Learned how to drive it 2 days after. Took it out with my dad the first day in a parking lot, then a closed off hill. Learned that day a decent amount, then went out the next day of a 2 hour road trip mastering it. Best 2 days of my life. Driving a stick is the best thing ever, all my buddies are jealus. I will never drive an automatic ever, i hate driving my parents cars :-)