Well I finally took the plunge and got a manual trans in my 2013 GT/CS, all my other Mustangs have been automatics so my wife could drive them also even tho she only drove my 2012 twice.
Anyways, it has been a very long time since I drove a manual trans on a regular basis, manly when I was in the Marine Corps back in the early 80's if that gives you an idea. I am rusty.....
When I drove the car off the lot it was like I have always driven them but after having it for a few days things have changed. Last night when backing into the drive way i stalled the car, no big deal.. However when going from 1st to 2nd I don't like the feel of the engagement, feels notchy to me, all other gears seem fine.
On a side note I cant stand having to push the clutch pedal all the way to the floor to start the vehicle, seems excessive, what happened to just pushing the break to start the car?
I know this is all fairly new to me and it will soon be second nature but I just had to get it off my chest.
I love driving manual again just have to get more proficient I guess since its been a long time..

 

The last 4 out of 5 manual cars I have owned require the clutch be depressed when starting the car. You will adapt.

Keep practicing. IMO, the gear box in this car is fantastic if you know the secret handshake, not saying it is the easiest to use, just saying it works awesome when used the way it was intended. I have had zero issues, 7k miles and counting.

 

It takes some getting used to.

It feels like my clutch is pretty heavy, but as I get miles on it, it seems to lighten up a bit and the engagement point it lower.

 

Coming from a 04 gt manual to the 13, the 13 is sooooo much easier to just hop in and go IMO. I drove it off the lot last night like id driven the it all my life. Lovig this thing, having no such issues with the gearbox.

Tho I will admit I've put it in 6th, three times now, trying to back up lol

 

This when I first got it. Also forgetting it was a 6 Speed and not a 5

 

=D

i hav a manual black gt/cs too, and i know what u mean by going from 1st into 2nd
but it will get better after u get use to it more
plus u can aways change a shifter

 

Safety. So it doesn't lurch forward in case you left it in gear.

Let the detents do their job. Get the feel vs "man handle" like the old hurst.

 

The '13 clutch pedal is way better than the '07+s and light years ahead of the '05-06s. Combined with that shifter you got a good workout though. Ive always driven stick but never had one that didnt require depressing the clutch. The shifter is still crap though.

 

There are many cures for the OEM wet noodle shifter, including this one...

 

Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your perspective), the shifter is designed to be "mushy" so that it feels soft to the average driver. The side affect is that often you have no feedback and gears lock out frequently, or you'll miss gates.

So be warned, if you upgrade to a higher quality shifter, it won't make the shifting feel "better", what it will do is make it so that you know exactly where your shifter is when shifting gears. So basically it's very mechanical. Now being that I love driving manuals and have driven them my whole life (even driving a field truck before I was of legal age to drive on the road), I'm used to the harshness and prefer it so much. Have you ever played baseball and you know that vibrating feeling when you hit a ball of the end of the bat? That's what it feels like if you grind a gear. I love it...lol.

Overall though, I'm thoroughly unimpressed myself with this entire transmission, clutch...etc. It has a mind of its own frequently, and if it wasn't for the more mechanical Barton shifter I bought, it would drive me freakn' crazy when it plays the games it likes to and I probably would have given the car up by now.

 

This 12 gt I got is my first manual and I love it..hydronic makes it super fun ull love it

 

If you think the clutch is heavy in this car, you would have loved the clutch in my '86 GT :-) I agree with the comment about 1-2... It's not confidence inspiring. In my '11 I think it has something to do with the skip shift feature. Do '13 MY cars have this? It's not the best idea ever conceived or executed.

 

Every time I get into an automatic I try and press the clutch to start the car and then I feel like an idiot.

 

This is pretty typical of the MT82 and much more so when the transmission is cold. I usually do a 1-3 shift or start in 2nd for the first several miles until the transmission warms up a bit.

 

I have the FRPP tune which disables the skip shift feature...when this feature was disabled, immediately the 1-2 shifts became a non issue 99% of the time.

 

Thanks. I was planning this mod. May have to move it up on the list :-) I've been surprised a couple times when the thing dropped into fourth and I was really expecting second. I know this has been discussed ad naueseum. Do the '13s have this?

 

Congrats on the new ride, TORMENTOR! If you feel there’s something not right with your vehicle, please bring it in to your Ford dealer for diagnosis and PM me with your VIN, full name, mileage, dealer, and best daytime number so I can escalate this to the customer service manager for your area.

Deysha

 

Regarding the question about the MY13 cars and whether they have the skip shift "feature"... no they don't, thank God.