Anyone teaching/taught their kid to drive in their CJ?

[gr8dain]

My son is learning to drive. He takes the behind the wheel class next week. He has been driving our JKU (stick) and our audi (auto). He is not comfortable on stick yet. Today I took him out for lessons in the Scrambler. He did really well until he had to stop on a hill. That took a while and a lot of stalls. Oh well. He will get it.

 

[mriplaybass]

Many years ago, I taught my daughter to drive stick in our 1983 J10. Her stepson has his learners permit, and I told him that I would teach him how to drive stick in our 1979 CJ7 .

 

[shum8]

Stopping on a hill is the WORST part of their learning to drive a stick. If you can find a very shallow grade to start him on that will help a great deal. He'll still get the rearward motion when he lets off the brake, but it won't be so bad he panics. Once he gets that down, increase the grade. After gettin the hang of the shallow stuff, the rest will come fast.


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[Hedgehog]

One thing I like to do is start by teaching them in a BIG flat parking lot to start ... without using the gas pedal. Slow and smooth, listen or feel the engine, control the clutch all the way to the top.

 

[gr8dain]

One thing I like to do is start by teaching them in a BIG flat parking lot to start ... without using the gas pedal. Slow and smooth, listen or feel the engine, control the clutch all the way to the top.

I use the big lot. I will try the "no gas" method.

 

[Hedgehog]

The only catch is that you've got to show them that it works first. If you can do it they can. This helps when on a hill. It shows them that they can hold the car still on a hill without using the gas. Naturally if done to excess this can be hard on the clutch. Also, at first you can drop it in low range. Practically anybody can start moving a CJ in low range.

 

[jdcaples]

One thing I like to do is start by teaching them in a BIG flat parking lot to start ... without using the gas pedal. Slow and smooth, listen or feel the engine, control the clutch all the way to the top.

I do that too. It works well. As for hills, Seattle has plenty of paved inclines in parking lots, which are low risk in off-business hours. It also doesn't take too many minutes to find unpaved inclines outside the city limits.

-Jon

 

[Peanut Butter]

I was a real dork in high school. But, I knew how to drive a stick. All the guys with the cool chicks didn't have the time to teach their girlfriends how to drive a stick. So I got the job. Probably the best part of high school for me. That being said my boys had a hard time with it. If it doesn't come smoothly now it will on down the road.

 

[gr8dain]

Yeah. I am sure he will get it. He is in behind the wheel class now and should get his license next week. But that is the auto he is going to test on. But he only has a stick to drive on at the house, so if he wants to get to work next week, it will be in a stick. So he will have to get used to it quickly.

I was happy to hear my 19 year old daughter say that she felt weird driving the rental she got for a trip recently as she did not know what to do with her left foot and right hand. She kept trying to shift the auto. I guess stick is natural to her now.

 

[Lilredwagon]

I used to drive when I was itty bitty on my dad's jeep lap. His still had the machine gun mount in the back which was cool. When I turned 16 my mom and I flew to Fairbanks, Alaska. We picked up his land cruiser and I learned to handle a stick driving every leg from there to California. Who breaks a kid in on the Alkan lol?! My parents are hardcore. Of course I'm one of like three girls on this site so they must have done something right.

 

[gert]

I used to drive when I was itty bitty on my dad's jeep lap. His still had the machine gun mount in the back which was cool. When I turned 16 my mom and I flew to Fairbanks, Alaska. We picked up his land cruiser and I learned to handle a stick driving every leg from there to California. Who breaks a kid in on the Alkan lol?! My parents are hardcore. Of course I'm one of like three girls on this site so they must have done something right.

Jealous.... That must have been awesome

 

[gert]

Yeah. I am sure he will get it. He is in behind the wheel class now and should get his license next week. But that is the auto he is going to test on. But he only has a stick to drive on at the house, so if he wants to get to work next week, it will be in a stick. So he will have to get used to it quickly.

I was happy to hear my 19 year old daughter say that she felt weird driving the rental she got for a trip recently as she did not know what to do with her left foot and right hand. She kept trying to shift the auto. I guess stick is natural to her now.

lol our oldest daughter had to have a MINI and for some unknown reason the wife said yes(what a HUGE mistake) so I told her it was going to be a manual Transmission she couldn't stand that so I told her to help look for a good condition auto.... so we got her a really clean manual and taught her to drive it that first night in a school parking lot.. no gas at first to learn the clutch after she got first gear down it was a piece of cake after that. every vehicle we own is a manual as well when the little ones get old enough they will learn to drive the Jeep

 

[gr8dain]

Don't know if I mentioned, but my daughter learned on a Mini S convertible. We recently sold is as my son thought it was a "chic car".

By the way, my son is doing great with stick. He is currently driving the 2015 JKU like a pro. This is until we get the "new to is" 67 Impala SS checked out and reliable as a DD. Unfortunately that is an Auto. But I was happy to hear my son ask if we can swap it to a manual. I guess that means he likes stick shift cars now.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

Have owned my jeep for 31+ yrs. Taught my son & daughter to drive a 'stick' in it, and now 2 granddaughters have learned.
Wife drives it all the time.
LG

 

[jdcaples]

Man, some people had it so good... parents teaching you... I didn't drive a stick until I was in my 30s... 2001 or 2002, on a job in Norwich, England.

I landed at Heathrow. The rental car company didn't have any vehicles with an automatic Transmission .

Fortunately I knew how a manual Transmission worked, I just had to negotiate the interface. I do remember thinking, "Jon, you play drums, moving your hands and feet in choreographed independence. This is nothing."

Surprisingly, not only did I never accidentally drive on the wrong side of the road, but I don't remember grinding any gears after I got out of the parking lot.

Maybe I blocked out some grind 'em 'til you find 'em moments

-Jon

 

[shum8]

I figure in gonna be included in the "kid's section" of this thread...... My last manual Transmission was an old Mazda RX7 probly 15 years ago. Spent the time after that in a 78 Bronco with an auto. Once the Jeep gets back together I'll be learning myself to drive a stick on hills all over again LOL


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[mtnwhlr]

I would not teach a kid to drive in a high profile Jeep. When we were teaching our youngest daughter to drive she spun our Rivera. No big deal in a car but could have deadly in a CJ. And afterwards the wife would no longer ride with her.

 

[gr8dain]

Payton is now driving the JKU until he gets the Impala SS road ready

 

[Lumpy Grits]

I would not teach a kid to drive in a high profile Jeep. When we were teaching our youngest daughter to drive she spun our Rivera. No big deal in a car but could have deadly in a CJ. And afterwards the wife would no longer ride with her.

When I taught my kids to drive the Jeep. They already knew how to 'drive' a car. I agree with the 'overload' a student driver would have if they had no driving expertise and you put'em in you Jeep.
LG

 

[Agent915]

I taught both our daughters to drive in my wife's Accord. Both are excellent drivers! My oldest was never too interested in learning to drive a stick, even though we had a very sharp Silverado with a 5 speed. I was talking with my youngest daughter one afternoon about the Silverado. We lost it to an idiot making a "country turn." He hit me and basically tore the left side out of it. She commented that she would have loved to learn to drive it. Unknown to her, I'd been talking to a guy about a CJ7 . I had a picture on my phone that he'd emailed me. I pulled out my phone and opened the photo and asked, "How would you like to learn on this?" Her eyes lit up! I told her that this was TOP SECRET! In other words, If I want mom to know, I'll tell her! You know what I'm saying, don't pretend otherwise!! Anyway, that deal feel through and we found a '78 CJ5 with a AMC 304 and a 4 speed conversion. We bought it and she had her first lesson in it! She did an awesome job! Not one stall, nor grinding of the gears. She's a natural! She loves the little CJ and as soon as she's a little more comfortable with it she driving it to school. She's a senior this year and I told her that the boys wouldn't know what to think when she pulls in the parking lot with that V8 rumbling and her rowing through gears. She said, Dad, I'll bet most of them couldn't drive a stick if their lives depended on it! Sadly....she's probably right.