+1 But I always get out of 1st. quickly and into 2nd. (it actually does not harm the engine and trans, but it adds extra wear to the clutch for sure; if it was OK not to use 1st. it would not be there or we would just be driving 5 speeds)

 

You can start in 6th, but that's just abusing your clutch.

A 2nd gear star is very realistic, even 3rd is possible, but I wouldn't start in 3rd or anything higher.

 

sorry to get off topic a bit but does anyone experience rough 1st to 2nd gear shifts? it seems like sometimes it will grind slightly when i shift from 1st to 2nd but the rest of the gears are fine...does this happen to anyone else?

 

I don't grind from first to second but I do notice that if I let off the clutch a little to fast I get a little bucking action. I don't get it when switching to any other gear, and I don't get when I let off the clutch slowly. But when I'm not being careful and I just let it out fast the car bucks, I guess it's because the clutch is real grabby.

 

Hydraulic assist clutches give the impression that it's rather light, but the clutch is actually VERY grabby.

The Vettes are a prime example of this

 

LOL I thinks that's an understatement. I guess it just takes a little getting use to.

 

What the heck? Mike? You have two screennames??

 

Yeah I get that noise too dude! Not a grind but it sounds like it. Dealer service said its normal after hell riding him around the block.

 

^ no grinding here, are you clutching in all the way to make the shift? I do however get a shuddering kind of noise, when i take off from 1st sometimes... like chatter or something. i also hate that.

Well anyways, i took off in 2nd a few times on the way home from work. worked surprisingly well.. smooth and no bucking in the take off. Almost stalled once or twice, letting out the clutch too fast though. Takes a bit of getting used to, but its definitely different! I like it.

 

Nope, just one

 

1st everytime, specially going over speed bump.

 

Guilty of this as well. Sometimes I try and feather the gas to hit 1k rpm and lightly release the clutch and get that "I'm going to stall" sound.

With the tons of snow we're having in the Midwest (Michigan / southern Ontario), I still start in 1st at a complete stop and 2nd when I'm on a roll / slow speed.

 

i think the grinding is because our tran is not sychro...you can't shift so quickly coming off of or even past redline in first to go to second... that used to happen to me all the time with my first car and my second..my first car I had to get the tranny replaced bc it happened so many times from when I shifted to quickly from first to second and got the grinding happening. I was lucky it was covered under warranty

 

^ no, our transmissions have synchros.

 

ya when i first started driving it and wasnt so used to it i would let the clutch out too fast all the time and its really jerky... kinda lame

happens once in awhile now if im careless or not paying attention, kinda annoying especially if im driving someone they think i suck at shifting -_-