Teaching A 13 Year Old How To Drive A Stick... In My 308

My girlfriend's son is a 13 year old seventh grader. Not only has not driven a three pedal, he has never driven a car. Yesterday we went to an empty parking lot and started him out big time in a Ferrari for both firsts.

After a five minute briefing on what pedals were what (literally, he thought the brake pedal was the throttle) and what to do, he pulled away perfectly fine. After a couple laps in first we went to shifting. In less than ten minutes he was driving while up shifting and down shifting properly. Had a few stalls from a stop but only a couple. Three, tops.

I mean, damn. He wasn't nervous (or he never showed it). I hate to say a total natural but he was. I couldn't believe it. After we were done it was a social media explosion from him to his friends that he "just drove a Ferrari !"

William could barely see over the steering wheel or push the pedals all the way in and he nailed his first time behind the wheel. He may be a future racing driver, who knows. With his level of calmness and ability to pick this up in just moments, who knows what God given talent he doesn't even know he has yet. Next lesson will be in my Alfa Spider which has the easiest clutch on the planet.

Start them out young, guys. Every man needs to know how to drive a manual transmission car. At least I think so.
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Very kind of you!
The 308 clutch is heavy compared to Honda his friends will have. Good to learn of this one.
Also 308 clutch parts are reasonable priced things when you will need to replace it, no worries!

 

Wow... that would have been my dream to learn on a 308!

So awesome... although I'd probably be more nervous not wanting to damage it

 

The clutch is... the transmission... noooo... ask me how I know

 

Both my boys got to drive my 89 as their first car. It’s a fun story. They haven’t touched it since. Ha.

 

i taught my 16 year old in the 2017 abarth this weekend - was fun and he got it quickly.

 

With all this encouragement, I took my 19yr old son out and taught him stick while he was home from college. He picked it right up.

 

I have confidence in your girlfriends son, if I can do it at 12 years of age he can definitely do it at 13

 

I was 15. Learned in a 1979 MGB in my mom's parking lot at her office.

I had grown up riding dirt bikes. Started out when I was 6, so I understood what a clutch was and when to use it. I still struggled a bit from a dead stop but had the rest down cold. William was a blank sheet of paper for the whole thing. Impressed the hell out of me.

 

LOVE it!

 

So awesome passing it down!
Way to go Rob!

Tommy, you are so right about teaching them young.

 

Great stuff Tommy. Making memories of a lifetime.

 

How much is a new clutch again?

I KID. I KID!

 

You have guts, I will tell you that !!

G

 

I was over in the UK on exchange with the RAF when my 13 year old son at the time asked for a driving lesson. The car we had was “TED” a Renault Cleo right-hand drive 5 speed manual. Named TED as it smelled like smoke and cologne, like a typical enlisted dude… So my son learned to drive around the RAF station left-hand shifting, doing better than me. Clean slate and all. Fun times.

 

That’s fantastic that he picked it up so fast. I would say that there’s a strong possibility that he is gifted. A lot to process there too.. mothers boyfriend, mothers boyfriends Ferrari, size disadvantage controlling the vehicle, never driven a car before… and handled it all well. I am guessing his mother is clever as well.

 

My 16 yo son has been volunteering to help get my 308 back on the road.....with the obvious understanding he could then drive it. I really want to say yes but it's not the easiest car to drive (manual brakes, race clutch, stupid hp) and really do not want him hurt so I've been struggling with this. Good to see a few success stories!

 

I let my oldest son at 19 years of age drive my 328 on the road in the UK and after a few miles he stopped and said something like “ how the hell do you drive this, it’s so hard”
Young kids of today are taught using modern cars with power everything! And comfortable quiet cabins.
My youngest has yet to try, will see if he likes it.

 

Lol...Am I the only one thinking the lads' mother must be a knockout! The Good Doctor ain't no dummy and the boy will never forget the opportunity you gave him. Seems to me it's a home run for everybody. Happy New Year!

 

Good story!

My fifteen year old has been learning to drive our manual Jeep Wrangler (JL), amongst other automatic vehicles. I let him drive the 308 when we flew out for Monterey Car Week last August (I keep it in LA). He did great and now we have a wonderful memory. He said the Ferrari was easier than the Jeep.



I learned around thirteen or fourteen to drive in a 1968 Chevy pickup with a three on the tree! Floor shifting after that experience was a breeze.

 

That’s awesome!

You have that kid a memory that will last a lifetime.