How do you drive a standard?

[enochbell]

Last weekend I taught my 20 year old daughter to drive my '64 230sl (no, I don't need a new clutch yet) and it got me to thinking about the nearly-lost "art" of driving.  I taught her the same way my father taught me nearly 40 years ago: I made her launch the car in 1st without any gas pedal until she could do it 10 times in a row without stalling or faultering.  She quickly got the hang of it and then we got to smooth launch with a little gas.  We progressed to the harder stuff, and I thought it might make an interesting topic: How do you drive?

I have alway matched revs coming into a corner or entering a grade that required a lower gear.  Back in the old days, when I drove alfas and porsches I enjoyed heel-toe shifting, but I never tried that with the sl.  Well, to my surprise (showing off for my daughter), the pedals are very nicely suited for a smooth heel-toe shift.  (I don't do it regularly, I am not nearly that aggressive in normal driving).  But I insisted that my daughter learn to match revs for smooth takeup in a lower gear.  Just old school, I guess (I can still hear the can-am cars at Watkins Glen entering the esses with a quick blip on the gas, that wonderful popping under trail-brake throttle, and the scream coming from straight pipes as they went full-on exiting the turns.  I think I even smell the unburnt fuel!).

So I try to get her to blip the throttle in a downshift to get the drivetrain synched up.  "No, Dad, that is way stupid", she says..."why not just give it enough gas to make the engine go like the gears.  Just add 1000 rpms, let out the clutch, and you can't miss.  Its much easier that way!"  From the mouths of babes.  But what do they know...

So how do you drive your standard?

'64 230sl, fully sorted out...ooops, spoke too soon

[Douglas]

Double-clutching a Pagoda is one of the great joys in life. I miss that now that I have an automatic, but I do shift in the automatic all the time. It seems to be made for that.

Douglas Kim
New York, NY
280 SL #016220

[RBurg]

Up here in Minnesota we teach stick driving in the middle of winter on a nice hard packed snow parking lot. Teaching winter driving skills at the same time. Never have to replace a cluch and no burnt tires.
Teaching skid control and all the other good things we enjoy after we put the Pagoda away for the winter in its nice heated shed.

Ron
71 280SL Tobacco "O GIGI"
97 E420 Silver Mist

[TR]

quote:Originally posted by Douglas

Double-clutching a Pagoda is one of the great joys in life. I miss that now that I have an automatic, but I do shift in the automatic all the time. It seems to be made for that.

Agreed.  I double-clutch it all the time.  Just for kicks I guess.  It does deliver up some sense of joy.

Re the heel & toe method.  Haven't done it since my Porsche days.  I'll have to try it with the 280SL!

Tom in Boise
'71 280SL 4-spd, signal red w/lt. tan interior, restored/enhanced

[Chad]

Double-clutching and heel-toe is very much a joy and feeds the soul, especially driving under aggressive conditions in the hills!  
A true joy in w113, and the long gear throw makes it more enjoyable.

It was always required on the old Aston DB2 coupe I had, at least for me. However refined the interior was, driving that car was a physical workout and fun. Giulietta Veloce spiders demanded it as well, as well as revving to 3500 in order to slip off to a start without stalling it, a car with so little torque it was laughable.  The pagoda is a lovely car for the manual, much more advanced and less crunchy under aggressive conditions.  For some reason a DB2 gearbox was always quite loud at speed in gear, was told the gears were cut coarser for longevity maybe.  
I hope your daughter finds it joyful, it probably isn't hard to learn on the w113 I bet.  You are doing a good thing for her by teaching her this skill!

-CD-
1967 230SL, 113.042 10
1983 300TDT, 123.193

[mdsalemi]

I always double-clutched on the standard tranmission cars I've owned: my 320i, my Austin 1300 (America); Cooper S, Datsun 510...the double clutching of course, matches the RPMs so you have a smooth shift.

At Rodd's get-together in July, I had the distinct privilege of driving Jim Viller's 5-speed.  Well, I tried to double clutch, but that rare and elusive ZF transmission does NOT like to go into or out of gear.  Of course it is my frame of reference, but I've never driven any vehicle that was so physically difficult to PUSH into gear, or PULL out of gear.  By the time I actually got the shifter to shift, the RPM's had already dropped, and my arm was sore!

I guess it would take some time to learn how to do it on the 5 speed.  Perhaps I was being a bit gingerly with someone elses car.  As one who grew up ONLY with standard transmission cars, I'm sure glad on the daily drivers that I have an automatic--and I like it on my Pagoda as well!

Michael Salemi
1969 280SL
Signal Red w/Black Leather
Restored

[George Davis]

I always heel-and-toed my old Sprite, pedal placement was PERFECT for me in that car.  In the Pagoda I match revs on downshifts, but find it very difficult to heel-and-toe, maybe my technique/feet/ankles don't fit the car.  Also, similar to Michael's 5-speed experience, my 4-speed shifts like a truck and by the time I can get a gear the revs have dropped to idle anyway.

George Davis
'69 280 SL Euro manual

[TR]

George, Mike -- My 4-spd had always been very "stiff" feeling also.  But we recently replaced the master & slave cylinders for the clutch (also new), and now it's quite smooth.  It made all the difference.  I love the 4-spd (perhaps soon to be a 6-spd; but then that's another story..heh, heh).  On the other hand, I recently had the honor of driving Tom Sargeant's beautifully enhanced 280SL and I liked his automatic a lot...especially with that trick electric kick-down mod he and Gernold came up with.

All of this just serves to reinforce my feelings that these cars are terrific.  Everything about the W113 allows us to drive a collectable car, which has a panache that grows with each passing year...yet still has the possibility of delivering levels of performance, reliability, comfort we've grown to expect/demand over the decades since the W113 was last produced.

Tom in Boise
'71 280SL 4-spd, signal red w/lt. tan interior, restored/enhanced

[Chad]

So, is your daughter still driving the w113 and standards???

Just wondering about a small poll, for everyone else who loves heel-toe, what is your shoe size??

-CD-
1967 230SL, 113.042 10
1983 300TDT, 123.193

[enochbell]

I can't stop smiling over the comments of the many members who enjoy driving, I mean really driving, the W113.  When I get comments on the beauty of these machines I always acknowledge the style aspect, but I am quick to point out that it is actually a fun car to drive.  Maybe not like a GTV or a bathtub "S" but definately a lot of smiles per mile.  I am still pleasantly surprised at how tossable and then how compliant the car is.  I wish I could stiffen it a bit, wish for less roll in sweepers but all-in-all it really just works.  Chad, I got a real kick out of your comment on launch requirements for the old veloce, ever drive a Honda 2000?: nice to have some low end torque in the sl's staight six, ain't it?  No need to debate the "sports car" question, maybe it is, maybe it's not, but it is what it is and that works for me.

And, for the record, my size 12 dogs fit fine on the brake/gas pedals...it's my right knee that is the limiting factor on the (great) big steering wheel!

Best,

g

'64 230sl, fully sorted out...ooops, spoke too soon

[Eryck]

Well, I will be attacked but I have to be truthful to myself (and you)....What is double clutching?  Heard of heel and toe but never tried it (no idea how).  

I am in my thirties but grew up with autos. I love to drive my Pagoda but frankly, I am still very nervous on them hills....perhaps I can get a driving lesson from you all....

1965 230 SL White Manual
Hong Kong

[norton]

You guys use the clutch to shift?   Try easing off the gas just enough to pull the shifter in to neutral, match rev's, then clutch if you must to shift into the next gear.
    Eryck when you stop on a hill try using the hand brake to hold the car from rolling, this will leave your feet free to use the clutch and gas while you ease off the hand brake to get moving again.

Mike Halleck
Chesterfield Mi
71 280SL
68 250SL (parts car)
94 E320 Coupe

[Eryck]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the advice.  I have tried to use the hand brake but the funny thing is, HK is right hand drive the the hand brake is so so far away!!!

1965 230 SL White Manual
Hong Kong

[enochbell]

Eryck,

If you are under 40, it would be rare to have learned these unless you grew up on a race track or an 18-wheeler.  Others will probably add to or correct my comments, but I will give it the first shot.

Double clutching is the technique of momentarily letting the clutch out with the car in neutral between shifts, (depress clutch, shift to neutral, release clutch, depress clutch, select new gear, release clutch) and this can be done up or down in gears.  It was originally done with non-synchronized gear boxes and had the effect of getting the gears and engine to approximately the same speed so that when you then select the next gear there is much less strain on the gear box.  I actually don't use this, but I use a short cut that has most of the same effect, I call it "matching revs" and it involves either blipping the throttle or trying to accurately match the RPMs to where they will be when you let the clutch out in a new gear.  By example, if you are in 3rd @ 3,000 RPMs entering a turn that you know wants 2nd gear, you can depress the clutch, raise the RPMs to 4,000 and let out the clutch with just about no strain on the gear box and no undue braking.

Now, if you want to get fancy, you can brake at the same time and accomplish a heel-toe shift. Entering that same turn in 3rd with your toe (really the ball of a foot as big as mine) on the brake, you blip or depress (quickly but partially) the throttle with your heel (really the outside of your right foot) to match what you anticipate the revs to require in the downshift, at the same time depress the clutch, and at the same time grab a handful of second, and at the same time let out the clutch, and at the same time you roll your foot off the brake and get back on the throttle in the new gear and bingo, you are there.  Well, OK, you really can't do it all at the same time put the quicker and smoother you can accomplish this the better.  Done right you avoid the more dramatic engine braking (not to mention the clutch and transmission strain) and you can negotiate the turn with little or no dive and much smoother transfer of weight from front axle to rear, making for better turn in going into a corner and controlled understeer on exit.

That a layman's explanation, there are probably some real drivers who can clean up my attempt,

Best,

g

'64 230sl, fully sorted out...ooops, spoke too soon

[jsaylor]

I've always been a double clutch, heal and toe guy.  Easier on the tranny, more fun and makes me feel that I know how to drive.  

Jim Saylor
Kauai, Hawaii
'65 230SL

[waltklatt]

Mike,
I do the same thing once in a while when I'm tired of pushing the clutch pedal in.  Just need to be skillful not to grind the gears too much.  Sometimes the synchros are not fast enough to match the speed.  At first it's more chunky but after time it will become smoother.  
One of my daily drivers lost the clutch twice(once the cable and then the pressure plate fingers snapped off) and both times I drove home without the clutch by shifting gears like you said.  But now the caveat, suppose that's with rush hour traffic?  That's harder to do as you need to slip the gear in neutral when you need to stop and then turn the motor off and put in first gear.  When ready to go turn the key and let the starter stumble the car forward till it runs(same time goosing the gas pedal) and you are off shifting gears again.
Quite a feat if not experienced.
Walter
1967 230SL-diesel-5 speed manual
1963 230SL-for sale-automatic

[enochbell]

Now I am not just smiling, but laughing!  Sometime during my misspent youth I lasted an entire month in New Hampshire with a '67 VW beetle with no clutch (cable broke) and very little battery.  Parked on a hill (seemed to be plenty of those, steep enough to actually roll the car from a stop in fourth: no option to pop the clutch) so we could start the car in the morning, shifted with no clutch for the 20 mile trip to the ski slope.  With all funds allocated for beer and lift tickets, the car just needed to get us there.  Hitchikers paid for gas.  Does it get that good ever again?  As my kids would say, LOL.

g

'64 230sl, fully sorted out...ooops, spoke too soon

[Chad]

Okay, I have one.  Drove with a buddy from Cooperstown NY to Boston MA to see an 1960 MGA bought on eBay.  He took the NY plate off his Jeep thinking slap it on the back and drive it home.  The car was a rustfree jewel that drove steered and even braked in an approximately safe fashion. So after paying he screwed on the plate and drove back along the Mass turnpike in this MGA that had been last registered in CA twenty years before.  Within an hour he tells me I have to drive it, its a bit funny.  I get in and continue and realize that the clutch was now gone.  (Turned out the release bearing crunched, later on finding that out after we removed the engine to change the clutch, which was the easy way to do it on that car.)  Drove it in third the entire way, matching revs and crunching into second at toll booths, and past Albany and over to Cooperstown.  I do not recall ever stopping for a refuel after I took over the wheel.  It was silly and dumb, and remember receiving a smiling nod from a few MGB drivers and one highway patrolman.  The must satisfying drive of my life.

Helped repaint that can later in the autumn.  Would never wet sand and spray paint again.

-CD-
1967 230SL, 113.042 10
1983 300TDT, 123.193

[Chad]

I think that drive was the experience that most sparked my interest in vintage cars.

-CD-
1967 230SL, 113.042 10
1983 300TDT, 123.193

[rwmastel]

quote:Originally posted by enochbell

Well, to my surprise (showing off for my daughter), the pedals are very nicely suited for a smooth heel-toe shift.  (I don't do it regularly, I am not nearly that aggressive in normal driving).

I have read the term "heel-toe shift" many times on-line and in magazines, but I've never read a definition of what it is.  What is it?

Rodd
Powell, Ohio, USA
1966 230SL, Euro, Auto, Leather, both  tops
1994 E420

[Douglas]

Here's a god explanation:

http://www.ferrariclub.com/faq/heeltoe.html

Douglas Kim
New York, NY
280 SL #016220