<p>Id thought I put my two cents in, I love cars Ive been working on them for years, I rebuilt an engine taken apart various transmissions and have drive a stick on a daily basis for two to three years. I daily drive a 5 speed when I have to go over 20 miles and a three speed around town and have a very good understanding about how it all works. </p>
<p>1 in traffic I would not suggest keeping it in second the whole time, it force you slip the clutch more than you should eventually burning up the clutch disc. Youll waist the mileage your getting by keeping it a lowere rpm when you lug it. The ideal running speed is 1500 rpm but I dont even think about looking at the tach, I just listen to the engine, It can tell you a lot. My suggestion start in first, get to about 5 mph shift to second and keep the foot of the gas and just let roll at about 1000 rpm, it shouldnt lug and you can almost stop the car before it will stall without the clutch in.</p>
<p>2 The key in gas mileage is consistency keep the rpm close from gear to gear (it all depends on how it geared with the rearend) in third, take it up to 2000 and shift and rpm should fall to 1500 or so. You can figure all this out with a little math. </p>
<p>3 I have an old car with a flathead v8 and 3 on the floor its so much fun to drive but however the rearend is geared at 4.11 so unfortunately it top speed is around 70 but I will be changing it over to a 9 inch with gears around 3.50</p>
<p>4 Learn to drive one it could be vary useful and fun, I wouldnt touch an automatic.</p>
<p>5 dont shift back to first, first is only made to take of from a stopping point. I usually downshift from 5 to 4 to 3 and let it stay in third until I have to put clutch in. theres really no need to down shift into 2 or 1, My old car isnt even synchroed to first so even if I wanted to downshift to 1 the gears would grind even with the clutch in.</p>