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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Sit in the car in the garage and practice shifting up and down and up and down.
1 - 2 - 3 - 4 -3 -2 -3 -2 -3 -4 -3- 2 -3 - 4 -3 -4 -3 -2. 
1 -2 -3 
1 - 2 -3
1 -2 -3
etc.

Don't need to have the engine running. Just close your eyes and feel the pedals and the gears.

Once you feel comfortable with that, then you can find a quiet parking lot to practice the stop - 1 -2.  Stop. 1 - 2. Stop 1 - 2.

Once you feel comfortable with that, you can find a quiet road to practice going up through the gears and back down. Practice downshifting smoothly and matching the revs for the lower gear.  (For example, if 40mph in 4th gear is 3000RPM, in 3rd gear its' probably 4500 or something. So clutch in -> add gas to get RPMs to 4500 -> shifter to 3rd -> clutch out.)

Once you feel comfortable with that, you'll be better than most people on the road.

Get REALLY good at it and you can shift without even using the clutch! Because when there's no load on the clutch, you'll just slide the shifter out of gear.  (So, previous example, just the *tiniest* amount of gas in 4th and you can just slide the shifter into neutral. Throttle *exactly* to 4500RPM and you can just slide the shifter into 3rd without even using the clutch.) Note the above is not really useful for most day-to-day driving, but an excellent way to feel good about yourself and how well you know the car and gears. :)

GOOD LUCK!  I MISS HAVING A MANUAL.[/quote]

This is great advice. Yes, step one is to develop "muscle memory" which above poster is suggesting you do. The shifting practice with use of clutch pedal, do that every day for 10 mins while the car is turned off for a week or so before trying to drive, will be easier

Signed, manual-only driver past 28 yrs.[/quote]

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