Cars, Stick Shifts, and $500

gamer2 · Post by **gamer2** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 6:29 pm

I have been on a quest to get a car, insure it, and plate it before September 5th, as that is the day school starts. I have only found 3 cars with in my price range, the problem is that they are all Stick shifts. I do not know how to drive stick. I have only $500 to spend

Can anyone help me, like give me pointers on how to drive stick?

The cars are
a GMC Black truck-$500
A 1988 Mercury-$400 (with a battery problem)
a 1992 Mercury-$500

Please help me

Joes2Silly · Post by **Joes2Silly** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 6:48 pm

I dont no squat about a stick-shift but I would buy the GMC truck mostly because mercury cars are not that classy (old lady type cars)

daguuy · Post by **daguuy** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 6:50 pm

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Transwiki: ... _technique
there's a nice wiki page about it.

sam fisher · Post by **sam fisher** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 6:53 pm

What is it with people and this? I have never driven a car before and I can drive a manual, well as well as I can drive an auto.

Post by **SpongeBuell** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 6:56 pm

Trust me sam, it's a lot different when you actually drive it. I thought I had it all figured out when I drove a stick for the first time, and I did for the most part. But I still killed the engine a few times when I first got going. It takes a little getting used to, but it's not too bad.

Like I said in AIM, go for it... even if it is a manual. Also, stay away from the truck. Good mileage = good to have (coming from a guy that is stuck with a 1985 Jeep Wagoneer, which gets 12MPG street, 16 highway)

toby dawg · Post by **toby dawg** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 7:00 pm

so you have always driven a automatic (or what you have had practice with) well a manual is not hard, the hardest part for you is going to be getting used to using a clutch. just push it down put it in gear, rev the engine (verry little so it wont stall....and let the clutch out slowlly) always start in gear one and when up shifting just while moving push the clutch shift to the next gear and let it out (dont have to let it out slowlly this time) and continue till you have gone through all the gears or have reached the desired gear. to down shift just push the brakes a bit while pushing the clutch and shift down... practice a little and you will get it. see if you can practice in an empty parking lot or field if avalable. i would say to get the truck but it depends if its a long box with an extended cab then that might not really help from the size.

gamer2 · Post by **gamer2** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 7:03 pm

Its a Small, SMALL truck. I call it a pocket truck, couse its so small.

toby dawg · Post by **toby dawg** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 7:07 pm

well yes that sounds great to learn with/easy to drive... i say make sure its in good (enough) running order and i would go for it, but get the vehicle that suits you the best

Post by **bicostp** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 7:07 pm

My answer is simple: save up and get something better.

Don't get the '88 Mercury. That's pretty old for a non-restoration daily driver. Plus, the "battery problem" is most likely a failing alternator, so that $100 you "save" will go back into it as parts (and labor if you don't know how to install parts in an engine).

I wouldn't get the truck, either. If you're as broke as you say you are, fuel will be a killer. My dad used to have a '95 GMC Sierra (single cab, long bed, 5-speed, 3.5l V6 or something), and it only got 12 MPG. Not only that, but every month he would have to put in a half-quart of oil. Same with my uncle's old '93 Sierra. If you want a truck that bad, look for a Sonoma (S10) or a Dodge Ram 50. And don't get those net tailgate replacements, believe it or not it will screw up the aerodynamics of the vehicle and increase fuel consumption (If you saw that episode of Mythbusters you'd understand better). Also get a bedliner for it if it doesn't already have one. It's worth it, believe me.

If anything, go for the '92 Mercury, but don't get it if it has a crazy-arse number of miles on it. Divide the car's age (14 years) by however many miles it has on it. You will get the number of miles it was driven per year on average. That should be between 10 and 20 thousand per year. Avoid it if it has more than 170k miles on it, that's still 70k more before a car is, in my opinion, "used up".

Car inspection tips:

- Don't kick the tires. That doesn't do anything but make your foot tired.
- Check the tire tread to make sure the tires are OK. If you stick a penny into the treads, heads-side to you and upside down. If you see the top of Lincoln's head, they're already worn out.
- Ask to bring the car for a test drive around the block. Make sure there aren't any strange knocking, ticking, or rattling sounds. (My car rattles a bit, but the previous owners replaced the head unit themselves and didn't put it together right...)
- Check underneath to make sure it's not completely rusted out.
- If a pickup truck has a bedliner, pull it up and look underneath to make sure the bed isn't rusted out.

Now, if you get these things, do all this:

- If you have a pressure washer, use it to clean the engine. (Don't do this in the yard; petroleum products can kill grass)
- Flush and refill the colling system
- Replace the fan belt
- Replace the oil and filter
- Replace the air filter if the existing one looks more than a little dirty
- Rotate the tires if it looks like they need it
- Replace the spark plugs, and the wires if they're cracked.
- When you fill the tank, use some DryGas to drive any moisture out of the fuel system. Then, on the next tankful, add some fuel injector cleaner.
- Replace the interior air filter (if the vehicle is so equipped)
- Replace the brake, power steering, and transmission fluids

This may seem like a bunch of pain-in-the-rear stuff to do, but it will help the car's fuel economy and it will run smoother.

I think buying any car that is less than a grand is not a good idea. It's either completely worn out, or there is some sort of problem with it. My main quip about that is the price for insurance. You want to get something that doesn't cost less than the annual insurance payment (which in screwed-up-Mass-Land is $1,400 for a teen driver).

When you do get insurance for any of those cars, don't have them give you collision coverage. It's not worth it on an inexpensive used-up car. Just get injury coverage.

Ask yourself: do you really <i>need</i> a car? Are you getting it just to drive to school? Or are you going to college? Who's going to pay for insurance, fuel, and parts?

As for driving stick:

- it's not fun and it takes a lot of practice to do well.
- You will grind the gears until you get used to it.
- Let the clutch out slowly when you're starting off. If you let it out too fast you will stall the engine.
- You can press the cluch in and let it out faster with other gears.
- Starting from a stop uphill is a bugger; you almost need 3 feet for this. Keep your right foot on the brake, and keep the clutch pressed in with your left foot. (Really you should always leave your left foot ready to press the clutch.) Shift into gear, and easily let the clutch out as you let go of the brake and hit the gas. Once again, this is NOT EASY.
- When parking, turn off the motor, depress the clutch, and put the vehicle in forst gear. Then set the parking brake.

gamer2 · Post by **gamer2** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 7:11 pm

Bic, i understand what your saying but i dont have any time. i need one Insured and Plated by Tuesday.

toby dawg · Post by **toby dawg** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 7:15 pm

12 mpg?. holy. My dad has a 88 gmc seirra long box extended cab....auto with a v8 350 and he gets like 23mpg...

Gamer 2 says its just a little truck i cant see it being to bad on gas like an s10 model... naw...could it? ...im not 100%

Post by **bicostp** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 7:16 pm

Good luck. It took me longer than that to get my car through that maze of red tape and regulations that is the registry of motor vehicles. You still need to:

- Buy the vehicle
- Transfer the title (the new one comes in the mail, I waited 2 weeks or so)
- Get insurance
- Go to the DMV and register the vehicle (this may take all your time if it's an old-school DMV

)
- Put the plates on the vehicle and have it inspected (probably $50)

After that it should be fine, as long as it passes the safety and emissions standards.

toby dawg: Yeah, it was in the low double digits. And it burned oil since we bought it new (we put in a quart every couple months). It's still not as bad as the civilian Hummer, which can go about 270 miles on 30 gallonsof fuel (9 MPG, both city and highway!

)

gamer2 · Post by **gamer2** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 7:21 pm

What state do you live in? here we can buy the car, insure it, and plate it all in one day.

toby dawg · Post by **toby dawg** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 7:31 pm

it doesent take that long here in saskatchewan either....

teraflop122 · Post by **teraflop122** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 7:33 pm

If you think you NEED a car by Tuesday, you should probably not get a car.

Why, exactly, do you believe that you NEED a car by Tuesday?