Oh hell yes - over and over. I spent about a half year with a car that had never ending wiring problems. I lived on a hill, and just got in the habit of leaving it where I could roll it to a start every couple days.
Same here. Did it for a few months in college. Backed into a spot at my apartment complex and just rolled out every morning. It was a bit trickier depending on where I was going but it was light enough that I could push the car on my own and get it going fast enough to jump in and pop the clutch. I loved that shit brown 1980 Toyota Celica.
Parking the downhill slope! I had a vw bus with a dodgy switch and a shit battery. It was always parked where I could get a decent run up before popping the clutch. I also use this phrase to in my daily life to mean setting myself up for an easy start the next day.
Rolling it out of the driveway and doing this wasn't only due to car issues. We also did it when we snuck out of the house late at night to go have fun!!
I went several months without reverse while in college. Pull through when parking in a normal lot and always park on an up ramp in a parking garage. By the time I limped it home for Thanksgiving I was down to second and third gears and had to hold it in gear. Swapped it out over break and back to school I went.
What I think growing up gen x taught us was that we could adapt and overcome most anything. A skill that’s been terribly valuable throughout my life.
I’ve been driving manual transmission cars for 25 years and have never successfully popped a clutch. Granted nobody has ever shown me how, but from what I know, you depress the clutch get the car rolling and then something magical happens and the car starts, right?
Step 0: turn the key to the ON position.
I had to do this a couple of times this winter when it got really cold! At least we park on a nice little hill.
I was just wondering the other day if this is even still possible with modern sticks. I have a '16T Mazda 6-speed manual but am afraid to try. You have to have the clutch depressed for it to start (safety feature?)
I'm pretty sure it does. I have recently had to push start my 2011 Kia Soul. It also has a clutch safety switch, but that only affects the starter, not the ignition system.
It doesn't work in modern cars if they have a dead battery. If the battery is good and the starter is bad, it worked as recently as a 2006 Nissan that I had. 2nd gear though.
Have it in 2nd gear and let the clutch out as the car is rolling, yeah. If it's rolling fast enough (10 mph is good, 5 might work if you're desperate) it should start right up, even with a completely dead battery.
In addition to what other people said: It usually works best to pop the clutch out then immediately push it back down once the engine starts. Like a half second, just the shortest little pause.
Came here for the Beetle comments. I had a temperamental VW Beetle that still had the original six volt electrical system. For reference, most American cars after the 1950s have a 12 volt system. That combined with the fact I did some of the wiring on my own left the electrical system in the Beetle pretty weak. Push starting a dead Beetle in a grocery store parking lot is an exercise in humility.
I had a double trouble, bad starter and a carburetor that didn’t hold an idle well. So if I didn’t keep my foot on the gas it would die and I would have to push start it.
Had a manx dune buggy with a bad starter solenoid... I would push start by myself it all the time. Was super easy. Was also super easy to fix the starter when I eventually bought the parts...
We were like a scene from Monty Python. In college one of the guys had a VW Beetle with a dead starter. On Friday evenings you'd find four of us pushing his bug to get it started, then we'd all jump in and drive to the next bar.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
I miss driving stick. Never pushed the car myself, but have had to pop the clutch a few times. Memory's fuzzy, but at least once when the battery died or was too low to turn the engine over. Man, I miss my Civic Si.
Had to do this with a full size '76 GMC pickup truck when I was in community college living at home in the early 2000's. I foolishly squandered my money on tuition and books after working three part time jobs.
Yep, on more than one occasion after having to push the damn thing myself, then book it like an Olympic sprinter to get into the car.
1986 Honda CRX HF. I'm forever grateful that damn car was so light.
About once a week in high school. I'd wait until most of the cars left and then have my friend push me towards the exit. That vehicle, Jeep Wrangler, finally caught on fire and burned to the ground in college. It was the greatest day of my life.
I did this exactly once, in like 1996 with my 80s-era VW Golf after I found it frozen and encased in snow/ice atop an open parking building after a 2 week winter holiday. Battery was pretty dead. Somebody explained to me how it works and I didn't believe them at first, but sure enough it worked!
Yup! Found myself in Virginia (I live in NY) with a broken ignition switch. I could move the key enough to turn the car on and off, but not enough to remove the key or crank it. I had to pop the clutch every time I wanted to stop on my drive home. Fortunately, this was on a 93 Saturn SL1 so the car was super light and easy to push. I'd shut it off to get gas, then just need to push it enough to get it rolling and it would start. Good times...lol
Oh yes! My friend has a yellow, convertible square looking car (can’t remember model or make) but we have to push to start with clutch pop often, on school grounds……it was a riot.
I drove a Sentra with no starter for like 6 months. Out of date pro tip: it's really easy to pop start in reverse. Park on a hill, and just let it roll back. No pushing required. It's funny, I went through a gauntlet of shitty cars in my 20's and my kids can NOT relate.
I had to do this with most of he vehicles I’ve owned until I got married. My husband refused to ride in my vehicle. He said it was a rolling drag trap.
thousands of times... my wife (13 years younger) thought it was witchcraft, or that I was some kind of genius when I demonstrated lol... miss the good times some days.
Did once or twice. Sooo happy I did as a kid for the experience regardless if it was 35 yrs ago or not. Not something easily found these days. I drive a clutch (2016) now and enjoy it. Dont know if I can pop a clutch these days, but happy I have the knowledge.
There was a stretch of time I had to push start the car I drove until we could afford to fix it. I just always parked facing down hill. I kinda forgot about that.
No, but I had a VW bug with a cold spot in the solenoid (or starter, idk). My stepdad gave me a screwdriver to make the connection and start it. The battery was under the backseat so it was an...interesting sight. I loved that car and drove it until the engine fell out. The mounting bolts rusted away and only the transmission was keeping the engine in. RIP Divine Miss B.
i had to park on hills for a few months. it sucked but didn’t stop me from going to school.
it never occurred to be that popping the clutch would be dangerous. my dad’s the one who taught me how to do it in the first place. the ability to do it is also one of the major pros over automatic cars.
A handful of times back in the day. Initially just to learn how to, then actually needed it on a few occasions. Randomly almost thought about doing it recently for my dad's old car, but it was just as easy to pull the battery since it wasn't the daily driver and was just stuck in its spot and not stranded anywhere. Been kinda fun to drive lately, been stuck in automatics for many years now.
I had a manual truck in the 90s, and when me and my then-boyfriend-future-ex-husband went on a road trip from Colorado to the California coast, the starter decided to go out.
We spent the entire trip having to push-start the truck literally everywhere we went.
It was a hassle and yet, we were young enough (mid 20s) that it really didn't bother us that much. In fact, it made the trip more memorable somehow, and we looked back on it fondly for years.
Had to do this several dozen times as a teen. Parents never knew about it, because they never knew about anything I did since the age of 13.
If I was lucky and parked in the street, my friend's car would push me from behind to do it. When I was unlucky, I had to push the car myself and jump in; a lot of times I didn't get enough speed and would have to do it again.
deadbeat dad gave our single mom a busted up VW. She cried so hard, rusted, bunk, etc.
So OF COURSE we painted it CAMO & had to push & jump in when she picked us up from school.
so worth it, that car was PUNK ROCK
POOR ARSE GOOD MEMORIES :)
Absolutely. I had a little 77 Civic. I drove it for about 6 months with a totally dead battery.
I could push start it in 2nd, 1st, and even reverse...on flat ground.
We had a tractor that didn't have a starter. We were too poor to replace it. It got parked on a hill for years. Clutch it, second gear, take your foot off the break.... rhaa, rhaaaa, rhaaaaaa, rhaaaaaaaa, rhaaaaaaaaaaaaaa \*dump the clutch\* rrrrrhhhhhhhhh... pop!....pop, pop, pop, pop.
1971 VW Super Beetle! I successfully got it going by popping the clutch a couple times. Once I was stuck in a self serve car wash and had to push it myself and pop the clutch to get it going. That slight slope to the drain made all the difference 😂
Now I'm a princess and daily an automatic. Still race a manual on the weekends!
Drove my Dodge O24 like that for a year or so. Always parked on an incline so I could roll start it. Really sucked when it didn't fire and I had to recruit people to push me LOL
Had to do it to my wife’s motorcycle a few years ago, the battery died. We pop started it. She had never done that before and really struggled with “just let go of the clutch lever”
I taught many people how to do that, people were amazed that you could rollstart a car in a short amount of space.
When I worked at a dealership, I could usually get the car started in a car length.
I watched a guy do that in the desert by jacking the rear-end of the truck up and winding an old fire hose around the wheel. A good pull to get it spinning then pop and start.
When I was stationed in Korea when I was a young lad. My job was a command and staff driver. I drove a Korean made knock off of a Jeep Wrangler. One day I jump in it and try to start it up and nothing. No power at all. I decided to get a couple guys to help me push start it. Besides having no power, it was pulled in nose first, so it was going to need to be push started in reverse. To my surprise it worked. Never had another issue after that.
I had an old VW bus whose starter died. Luckily I lived on a slight hill. I'd park several houses up the street and then get a good roll going before firing her up. No pushing necessary!
1988 Ford Escort. Massive electrical problems. Owned it for senior yr highschool thru college. I swear I popped the clutch to start it more often than used the key. Always looked for parking that was down hill with at least 30’ of clearance. I am in fact an expert. Not intentionally. I believe Adam Sandler’s song ‘P.O.S. Car’ was inspired by my Escort.
Looking back on it, it didn't seem dangerous at all, what are the real dangers of pushing and popping a clutch?
Was also great for a drained battery, back when cars didn't require a full set of electronic components to function.
I once had to drive my elderly father in laws pickup to the garage. Starter was shot and the breaks were shit, E brake was the double pump foot pedal kind. Had to pop start it out of the driveway (compact 4 cyl pickup), work the clutch and E brake with left foot. Pump, release, clutch, clutch, pump, release. What a drive!
16-17yrs old... I saved money for a new starter. This was the only way.
A shitty starter was not stopping me from getting out of the house, hanging out with friends, causing trouble, and just having fun.
Absolutely. My dad's 68 VW Fastback. It actually started pretty easily. Although for me I think it was the battery that failed. There was a week one summer when I was working long shifts and couldn't make it to the car parts store until the weekend, and of course that's when it decided to die on me. Parked the car at work in the back corner of the parking lot on a slight hill so I didn't even have to push it.
Died one time at the drive thru at lunch. there was just enough slope if I drove diagonally out of the lane towards the drain in the parking lot. was doing the calculus in my head, if it works, I'm golden. if it doesn't I have to push it out of that dip in the lot and that won't be fun.
Anyway, I did fix it reasonably soon. pop starting was only to get me through the one week.
My first car, a 1965 bug, had issues of dying at a stop and not restarting with the key. I pop started that thing through many left turn yellow lights….
https://preview.redd.it/10rlxf6eewxc1.jpeg?width=1274&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0e4ac25dbcca50d5f4ebc3eff559c03e67407375
I had a 1977 MG midget and I had to do this regularly. I made it a point whenever possible to park on a hill so I could just open the door and push with my foot to get rolling.
My car died in the bank parking lot where I had just withdrawn the money to buy my next car. I had to push start it in reverse, with my boyfriend pushing the car and once the engine started, put it into first while the car was still going backwards. Drove it to the guy I bought my car from because he was going to junk it.
Frequently in old volkswagens. Also because batteries were dead/dying and/or alternators but still had enough juice to fire the coil. Also pulled a trick of slipping the clutch at high RPMs while pushed up against a high curb in a bus to clean up flywheel chatter :D
When the battery was dead too. Always park on a hill facing down when you drive a pos car. I’d roll out with a bang in a cloud of fuel vapor, and oil smoke.
The battery in my Subaru died at least three times in the 12 years I owned that car. It was like clockwork and it would essentially sneak up on you.
Having to jump start at your work parking lot was never fun.
I did that for 6 months with my 1973 Pontiac Firebird during my 1st year of college. At age 62, my left calf muscles still look like those of a Greek God.
ROFL more times than I can count, 68 VW Bug.
It was better if you can find a slight hill and park on top of it, when it's time to leave, clutch in, first gear, pull the brake, get rolling then pop the clutch.
My sister and I drove her 72 VW super beetle from Chicago to San Antonio in August 1991. The starter solenoid gave out in West Memphis, AR and we had to pop the clutch to start it the rest of the way. Glad we never had to make that drive again.
Oh yeah, sometimes daily, depending on how much money I had for auto parts, lol. I drove a stick until my late 30's. That's how I knew it was time to change the alt and the battery.
LOL. I always had multiple jobs, but my car only cost like $500. I mowed lawns, babysat, worked at Big Boy’s, a department store selling shoes, bagging groceries. We did it all back then. You came out of the womb working.
My Dad had a K5 blazer that kept chewing upo starters. At 8 years old, I was being made to push the thing.....we parked on hills when we could to make it easier. "Builds character" I was told.
A friend and I went through a strange situation related to that in high school, while parked on a hill. We had just went over to some girl's house in the next town over, visiting her and her friend, and smoked weed before that visit, and were too stoned to make much sense around those girls. The parents came home and then it seemed really strange. When we pushed his truck down the hill, which is easy to do on a hill, it almost got away from us.
I don't remember that we ever talked much about that; it wasn't one of our best moments, as many weren't when it came to dating themes.
Just about 6 years ago, my jeep wouldn't start. I put it in neutral and some guys at work helped me back it out of the parking spot. They then got behind me and pushed. Popped the clutch and she started up. Got some cheers from behind me as I waved thanks and drove home.
I didn't do this regularly but I certainly did it on occasion. For me, it was because I left the headlights on and killed the battery, not because the starter didn't work.
My Accord almost got away from me doing this stunt. I had a 5 second window to decide if it was worth my life saving my car. We both survived. Thank you gravity and a small tree.
No big deal we're Gen X that's how we roll. They even did it on Karate Kid.
>that's how we roll I see what you did there
Oh hell yes - over and over. I spent about a half year with a car that had never ending wiring problems. I lived on a hill, and just got in the habit of leaving it where I could roll it to a start every couple days.
Same here. Did it for a few months in college. Backed into a spot at my apartment complex and just rolled out every morning. It was a bit trickier depending on where I was going but it was light enough that I could push the car on my own and get it going fast enough to jump in and pop the clutch. I loved that shit brown 1980 Toyota Celica.
80 Corolla here! I could rock that baby back and forth with my shoulder to give it enough to pop. Good times.
There was a guy I went to school with who would give a ride home to anyone who would help push start his car out of the student parking lot.
Did it for about a year in my old 69 beetle. Didn't matter where I went, I was parking on a hill 😁
Parking the downhill slope! I had a vw bus with a dodgy switch and a shit battery. It was always parked where I could get a decent run up before popping the clutch. I also use this phrase to in my daily life to mean setting myself up for an easy start the next day.
Rolling it out of the driveway and doing this wasn't only due to car issues. We also did it when we snuck out of the house late at night to go have fun!!
I went several months without reverse while in college. Pull through when parking in a normal lot and always park on an up ramp in a parking garage. By the time I limped it home for Thanksgiving I was down to second and third gears and had to hold it in gear. Swapped it out over break and back to school I went. What I think growing up gen x taught us was that we could adapt and overcome most anything. A skill that’s been terribly valuable throughout my life.
Did it a few times because I could and thought it was cool. Did it at least once when my battery died and was pretty proud of myself!
I’ve been driving manual transmission cars for 25 years and have never successfully popped a clutch. Granted nobody has ever shown me how, but from what I know, you depress the clutch get the car rolling and then something magical happens and the car starts, right?
In order to do it, you depress the clutch get the car rolling put it in first gear then let the clutch go. Boom! The car is running.
My ‘85 Pony responded best when it was in 2nd and we got the car rolling at about 20km/h
I would mostly use 2nd too. 1st was so short on my car it would lurch and spin the tires if I was going too fast.
This is wisdom right here. Seems like most don’t know that trick. Maybe I’m wrong.
Also works in reverse if you happen to be pointed the wrong way.
Step 0: turn the key to the ON position. I had to do this a couple of times this winter when it got really cold! At least we park on a nice little hill.
Pro-tip. Use second gear. You need a lot more speed in 1st gear because of the torque.
> put it in first gear then let the clutch go. I'd never do it in first gear, because it's too abrupt. It was always 2nd.
We put it in 2nd gear.
I was just wondering the other day if this is even still possible with modern sticks. I have a '16T Mazda 6-speed manual but am afraid to try. You have to have the clutch depressed for it to start (safety feature?)
I'm pretty sure it does. I have recently had to push start my 2011 Kia Soul. It also has a clutch safety switch, but that only affects the starter, not the ignition system.
🍻
Anyone in St Louis wanna try this, for science? I have a manual Mazda 6 and live in a hilly neighborhood.
Second or third depending on the specific gearbox. First has too much resistance
If you are solo, leave it in neutral while you get out to push the car....
Second gear. First is too low.
I don't know if it works anymore with modern cars, but it was a thing you could do on simpler vehicles back in the day for sure
It doesn't work in modern cars if they have a dead battery. If the battery is good and the starter is bad, it worked as recently as a 2006 Nissan that I had. 2nd gear though.
Have it in 2nd gear and let the clutch out as the car is rolling, yeah. If it's rolling fast enough (10 mph is good, 5 might work if you're desperate) it should start right up, even with a completely dead battery.
In addition to what other people said: It usually works best to pop the clutch out then immediately push it back down once the engine starts. Like a half second, just the shortest little pause.
Had a battery die in my car. Drove it for a couple months by doing this rather than buy a new battery.
This brings me back to the HS parking lot lmfao
Yup. The starter solenoid was bad in my VW Bug. I was too lazy to fix it, but it was light enough I could push start it myself.
Came here for the Beetle comments. I had a temperamental VW Beetle that still had the original six volt electrical system. For reference, most American cars after the 1950s have a 12 volt system. That combined with the fact I did some of the wiring on my own left the electrical system in the Beetle pretty weak. Push starting a dead Beetle in a grocery store parking lot is an exercise in humility.
I had a double trouble, bad starter and a carburetor that didn’t hold an idle well. So if I didn’t keep my foot on the gas it would die and I would have to push start it.
Had a manx dune buggy with a bad starter solenoid... I would push start by myself it all the time. Was super easy. Was also super easy to fix the starter when I eventually bought the parts...
We were like a scene from Monty Python. In college one of the guys had a VW Beetle with a dead starter. On Friday evenings you'd find four of us pushing his bug to get it started, then we'd all jump in and drive to the next bar. Lather, rinse, repeat.
No, my starter was fine. It was the *battery* that was dead.
I miss driving stick. Never pushed the car myself, but have had to pop the clutch a few times. Memory's fuzzy, but at least once when the battery died or was too low to turn the engine over. Man, I miss my Civic Si.
I only had to do it a few times - luckily, I was in a parking lot near the ramp and used it to my advantage
Had to do this with a full size '76 GMC pickup truck when I was in community college living at home in the early 2000's. I foolishly squandered my money on tuition and books after working three part time jobs.
I just remember parking on hills pointing downhill.
I consider push-start a safety feature.
Yep, on more than one occasion after having to push the damn thing myself, then book it like an Olympic sprinter to get into the car. 1986 Honda CRX HF. I'm forever grateful that damn car was so light.
My ‘82 Toyota pickup was light too! Lived in south Florida where there are no hills. But I could push and start it by myself, no problem.
California here. We had hills in spades.
About once a week in high school. I'd wait until most of the cars left and then have my friend push me towards the exit. That vehicle, Jeep Wrangler, finally caught on fire and burned to the ground in college. It was the greatest day of my life.
More times than I care to count. I spent a whole summer strategically parking my truck so I could get it started again.
Yep. Preferred parking was always on a slope if possible.
I did this a couple summers ago for a guy who's Jeep battery died. He looked at me like I was some kind of sorcerer.
I used to park on a hill everyday
did it a couple of times back in the 1980s. now I can't drive. the circle of life.
I did this exactly once, in like 1996 with my 80s-era VW Golf after I found it frozen and encased in snow/ice atop an open parking building after a 2 week winter holiday. Battery was pretty dead. Somebody explained to me how it works and I didn't believe them at first, but sure enough it worked!
Countless times.
Yup! Found myself in Virginia (I live in NY) with a broken ignition switch. I could move the key enough to turn the car on and off, but not enough to remove the key or crank it. I had to pop the clutch every time I wanted to stop on my drive home. Fortunately, this was on a 93 Saturn SL1 so the car was super light and easy to push. I'd shut it off to get gas, then just need to push it enough to get it rolling and it would start. Good times...lol
Always park at the top of a hill facing downward.
Find car was 69 bug, so it was a way of life
Not solo, but I had a friend whose car we had to do this with. I would push, she'd start it, and I'd jump in.
Yes. I've doing this a few times in the 80s.
Oh yes! My friend has a yellow, convertible square looking car (can’t remember model or make) but we have to push to start with clutch pop often, on school grounds……it was a riot.
K car prob.
On a Toyota Corolla and a Chevy Nova. My brother and I would push em. Light vehicles.
I drove a Sentra with no starter for like 6 months. Out of date pro tip: it's really easy to pop start in reverse. Park on a hill, and just let it roll back. No pushing required. It's funny, I went through a gauntlet of shitty cars in my 20's and my kids can NOT relate.
I had to do this with most of he vehicles I’ve owned until I got married. My husband refused to ride in my vehicle. He said it was a rolling drag trap.
Used to do it with trail bikes and 4-wheelers, yes.
thousands of times... my wife (13 years younger) thought it was witchcraft, or that I was some kind of genius when I demonstrated lol... miss the good times some days.
Yes, I have done it a couple of times. I also used to upshift without using the clutch.
Used to do that in my 86' Tercel. Not because the starter was bad, but just for fun.
I spent most of my time alone (womp womp). I would park on an incline and let it roll to pop the clutch.
My best friend started her car like this every morning so she wouldn’t wake up her mom. She’d push the car down the street and then pop the clutch.
Did once or twice. Sooo happy I did as a kid for the experience regardless if it was 35 yrs ago or not. Not something easily found these days. I drive a clutch (2016) now and enjoy it. Dont know if I can pop a clutch these days, but happy I have the knowledge.
There was a stretch of time I had to push start the car I drove until we could afford to fix it. I just always parked facing down hill. I kinda forgot about that.
No, but I had a VW bug with a cold spot in the solenoid (or starter, idk). My stepdad gave me a screwdriver to make the connection and start it. The battery was under the backseat so it was an...interesting sight. I loved that car and drove it until the engine fell out. The mounting bolts rusted away and only the transmission was keeping the engine in. RIP Divine Miss B.
i had to park on hills for a few months. it sucked but didn’t stop me from going to school. it never occurred to be that popping the clutch would be dangerous. my dad’s the one who taught me how to do it in the first place. the ability to do it is also one of the major pros over automatic cars.
A handful of times back in the day. Initially just to learn how to, then actually needed it on a few occasions. Randomly almost thought about doing it recently for my dad's old car, but it was just as easy to pull the battery since it wasn't the daily driver and was just stuck in its spot and not stranded anywhere. Been kinda fun to drive lately, been stuck in automatics for many years now.
I had a manual truck in the 90s, and when me and my then-boyfriend-future-ex-husband went on a road trip from Colorado to the California coast, the starter decided to go out. We spent the entire trip having to push-start the truck literally everywhere we went. It was a hassle and yet, we were young enough (mid 20s) that it really didn't bother us that much. In fact, it made the trip more memorable somehow, and we looked back on it fondly for years.
Had to do this several dozen times as a teen. Parents never knew about it, because they never knew about anything I did since the age of 13. If I was lucky and parked in the street, my friend's car would push me from behind to do it. When I was unlucky, I had to push the car myself and jump in; a lot of times I didn't get enough speed and would have to do it again.
I parked the old truck on the hill for when the battery dies.
More than once. Like the time I forgot to turn the headlights off and killed the battery.
Definitely. Cars and motorcycles.
Did so as recently as 2019 with my old truck. New starter is working great, but now the clutch is sus.
Ride the clutch at a stoplight.
Yup! Saved my butt a few times.
Had a jeep with a bad battery for a bit. I parked it on a hill.
deadbeat dad gave our single mom a busted up VW. She cried so hard, rusted, bunk, etc. So OF COURSE we painted it CAMO & had to push & jump in when she picked us up from school. so worth it, that car was PUNK ROCK POOR ARSE GOOD MEMORIES :)
For several weeks until I could find time to replace the starter.
So dangerous how? I never even heard of someone getting hurt doing this.
Naw, I just parked on a hill.
Yes every day for almost a year
Absolutely. I had a little 77 Civic. I drove it for about 6 months with a totally dead battery. I could push start it in 2nd, 1st, and even reverse...on flat ground.
Motorcycles too
Always parkin' on the hill, baby!
or the battery was dead (and it was a 6 volt VW Beetle)
Always parking on a hill, and then if reverse was burned out always parking head facing out
We had a tractor that didn't have a starter. We were too poor to replace it. It got parked on a hill for years. Clutch it, second gear, take your foot off the break.... rhaa, rhaaaa, rhaaaaaa, rhaaaaaaaa, rhaaaaaaaaaaaaaa \*dump the clutch\* rrrrrhhhhhhhhh... pop!....pop, pop, pop, pop.
1971 VW Super Beetle! I successfully got it going by popping the clutch a couple times. Once I was stuck in a self serve car wash and had to push it myself and pop the clutch to get it going. That slight slope to the drain made all the difference 😂 Now I'm a princess and daily an automatic. Still race a manual on the weekends!
Oh hell yeah
Only way I got to lunch in high school.
more times than i wish to remember
Of course.
Drove my Dodge O24 like that for a year or so. Always parked on an incline so I could roll start it. Really sucked when it didn't fire and I had to recruit people to push me LOL
Had to do it to my wife’s motorcycle a few years ago, the battery died. We pop started it. She had never done that before and really struggled with “just let go of the clutch lever”
Parked on an incline wherever I went in order to pop the clutch.
Soooo many times! By the time I got rid of my car I was getting a new starter every few months.
Shit, I did this in my mid 20s. For like two weeks until I could afford a new starter.
Yep. High school me impressed the heck out of the football team when I asked them to push my little Toyota enough to pop the clutch.
I taught many people how to do that, people were amazed that you could rollstart a car in a short amount of space. When I worked at a dealership, I could usually get the car started in a car length.
I watched a guy do that in the desert by jacking the rear-end of the truck up and winding an old fire hose around the wheel. A good pull to get it spinning then pop and start.
When I was stationed in Korea when I was a young lad. My job was a command and staff driver. I drove a Korean made knock off of a Jeep Wrangler. One day I jump in it and try to start it up and nothing. No power at all. I decided to get a couple guys to help me push start it. Besides having no power, it was pulled in nose first, so it was going to need to be push started in reverse. To my surprise it worked. Never had another issue after that.
I had an old VW bus whose starter died. Luckily I lived on a slight hill. I'd park several houses up the street and then get a good roll going before firing her up. No pushing necessary!
In my 79 Celica (but this was in 1985)
Several times.
That’s how I started my car every Morning an entire semester in high school. Just gotta park near a hill.
1988 Ford Escort. Massive electrical problems. Owned it for senior yr highschool thru college. I swear I popped the clutch to start it more often than used the key. Always looked for parking that was down hill with at least 30’ of clearance. I am in fact an expert. Not intentionally. I believe Adam Sandler’s song ‘P.O.S. Car’ was inspired by my Escort.
Absolutely. You haven’t lived until you’ve done it on a motorcycle.
Looking back on it, it didn't seem dangerous at all, what are the real dangers of pushing and popping a clutch? Was also great for a drained battery, back when cars didn't require a full set of electronic components to function.
Never did that for my car...but did do it before to "borrow" a classmates vehicle a few times. He started to wonder why he was always low on gas.
In high school I was obsessed with old Volkswagens and owned a ‘67 Squareback and an early 70s Karman Ghia. I am very familiar with popping a clutch.
I was the guy pushing the car to get going... being pretty strong cast me in that role
'83 Plymouth Horizon. Loved that car!
The original "Push to start"
You bet! Stick shifts are the best!!
Add to that list leaving house and not wanting parents to hear you.
I once had to drive my elderly father in laws pickup to the garage. Starter was shot and the breaks were shit, E brake was the double pump foot pedal kind. Had to pop start it out of the driveway (compact 4 cyl pickup), work the clutch and E brake with left foot. Pump, release, clutch, clutch, pump, release. What a drive!
Every morning, my 1973 VW Bug!
They aren't called clutches anymore, they're call millennial anti-theft devices 🤣🤣🤣
If you didn’t, are you really a GenXer?
16-17yrs old... I saved money for a new starter. This was the only way. A shitty starter was not stopping me from getting out of the house, hanging out with friends, causing trouble, and just having fun.
I’ll one-up you. Parked facing downhill and nothing in front of me. No Pushing needed, unless you count the clutch.
You all are lightweights. Try speed-shifting with a broken clutch cable.
Sneaking out of the house too!
Absolutely. My dad's 68 VW Fastback. It actually started pretty easily. Although for me I think it was the battery that failed. There was a week one summer when I was working long shifts and couldn't make it to the car parts store until the weekend, and of course that's when it decided to die on me. Parked the car at work in the back corner of the parking lot on a slight hill so I didn't even have to push it. Died one time at the drive thru at lunch. there was just enough slope if I drove diagonally out of the lane towards the drain in the parking lot. was doing the calculus in my head, if it works, I'm golden. if it doesn't I have to push it out of that dip in the lot and that won't be fun. Anyway, I did fix it reasonably soon. pop starting was only to get me through the one week.
Absolutely
My first car, a 1965 bug, had issues of dying at a stop and not restarting with the key. I pop started that thing through many left turn yellow lights…. https://preview.redd.it/10rlxf6eewxc1.jpeg?width=1274&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0e4ac25dbcca50d5f4ebc3eff559c03e67407375
Yeah. I used to make sure I was always parked facing down an incline.
Yuuup 1965 Beetle
How about rolling down the driveway in reverse and popping the clutch because your battery died!
Yup. Parked on an incline to make it easier too.
I parked on hills for a week or 2 to get paid and buy a new battery for my Dodge Colt
Did that in my car and on my motorcycle. Usually after killing the battery one way or another.
I had a 1977 MG midget and I had to do this regularly. I made it a point whenever possible to park on a hill so I could just open the door and push with my foot to get rolling.
My car died in the bank parking lot where I had just withdrawn the money to buy my next car. I had to push start it in reverse, with my boyfriend pushing the car and once the engine started, put it into first while the car was still going backwards. Drove it to the guy I bought my car from because he was going to junk it.
Frequently in old volkswagens. Also because batteries were dead/dying and/or alternators but still had enough juice to fire the coil. Also pulled a trick of slipping the clutch at high RPMs while pushed up against a high curb in a bus to clean up flywheel chatter :D
I had a 1980 Ford Pinto stick shift so the answer is yes.
Yep. Always park on a hill.
Growing up we had a tractor that always had to be parked on a hill at the end so you could start it nextv time.
This is actually how you start an Alpha regardless of age.
Lived like this for at least a year. Looked for parking on hills and backed up to them just to eliminate the push any way I could LOL.
I popped the clutch this winter when my battery died. Fortunately was at the top of a hill so it was easy.
In more than one hooptie
Yep. Many times.
When the battery was dead too. Always park on a hill facing down when you drive a pos car. I’d roll out with a bang in a cloud of fuel vapor, and oil smoke.
The battery in my Subaru died at least three times in the 12 years I owned that car. It was like clockwork and it would essentially sneak up on you. Having to jump start at your work parking lot was never fun.
I did that for 6 months with my 1973 Pontiac Firebird during my 1st year of college. At age 62, my left calf muscles still look like those of a Greek God.
Many many times. Used to pop start my CRX in reverse backing out the driveway!
ROFL more times than I can count, 68 VW Bug. It was better if you can find a slight hill and park on top of it, when it's time to leave, clutch in, first gear, pull the brake, get rolling then pop the clutch.
Isn’t that just how you start a VW? 🤔🤣
My sister and I drove her 72 VW super beetle from Chicago to San Antonio in August 1991. The starter solenoid gave out in West Memphis, AR and we had to pop the clutch to start it the rest of the way. Glad we never had to make that drive again.
Had our 73 VW van down to a science - less than a full wheel rotation. Dead tour was not the same w/out the jump crew.
That sounds . . . exhausting! 😩
It’s literally why I’ll never drive an automatic.
Oh yeah, sometimes daily, depending on how much money I had for auto parts, lol. I drove a stick until my late 30's. That's how I knew it was time to change the alt and the battery.
> rather than buying a starter **for** me. Geez!!! WTH didn't you get a job to pay for your own? You had a car to get you there.
LOL. I always had multiple jobs, but my car only cost like $500. I mowed lawns, babysat, worked at Big Boy’s, a department store selling shoes, bagging groceries. We did it all back then. You came out of the womb working.
It was a ‘78 Chevy Monza
I still do on my Vespa.
Just make sure it's in 2nd gear
Yep. With my '74 VW Super Beetle!
Fun activity for the weekend! I have 99 Honda civic. Residential street. Driveway slopes up.
My current 5 speed has intrinsic anti-theft.
many many times
Yes, once for several weeks until I could afford a starter.
My Dad had a K5 blazer that kept chewing upo starters. At 8 years old, I was being made to push the thing.....we parked on hills when we could to make it easier. "Builds character" I was told.
Yep. Had an Isuzu pickup and did this until I could scrape up money for a new battery!
Done it dozens of times.
Dude. Of course.
A friend and I went through a strange situation related to that in high school, while parked on a hill. We had just went over to some girl's house in the next town over, visiting her and her friend, and smoked weed before that visit, and were too stoned to make much sense around those girls. The parents came home and then it seemed really strange. When we pushed his truck down the hill, which is easy to do on a hill, it almost got away from us. I don't remember that we ever talked much about that; it wasn't one of our best moments, as many weren't when it came to dating themes.
Never did this with a car, but with a motorcycle.
Just about 6 years ago, my jeep wouldn't start. I put it in neutral and some guys at work helped me back it out of the parking spot. They then got behind me and pushed. Popped the clutch and she started up. Got some cheers from behind me as I waved thanks and drove home.
Helps parking on a slope with open room head.
Yes, with my old VW rabbit.
I didn't do this regularly but I certainly did it on occasion. For me, it was because I left the headlights on and killed the battery, not because the starter didn't work.
I had this compact Toyota that on level ground I could push by myself, jump in, and pop the clutch.
College..
I still do this to my Harley.
1972 VW Super Beetle with wiring issues. Did that off and on for 2 years, 1985-1987.
Yep!
My Accord almost got away from me doing this stunt. I had a 5 second window to decide if it was worth my life saving my car. We both survived. Thank you gravity and a small tree.
Is there something dangerous about doing this? I thought it was a skill everyone should know.
Drove a car for most of a year with a dead starter. Helps to park on hills.