My friend has had over 30 hours of experience driving a manual car.
He is really struggling with it, but is willing to stick with it so that he can drive both transmissions.
I wanted to help him out with your advice too. I have seen him drive.
I have driven a stick all my life and actually prefer it.
Best advice I can give is this. Let it shift itself. Don't manhandle the gear shift like you are forcing a square peg in a round hole, treat it gently. I have seen first timers grab that gearshift so tight their knuckles turn white. You only need a few fingers and guide it into the next gear. Done right, you don't even need the clutch.
As for the clutch... Easy in easy out.
Go in an empty parking lot to practice. Even let him go alone maybe he gets nervous if people are watching.
Where I grew up there was an empty plot of land next door. My father had a friend that had a Volkswagen that had a stick. When the guy used to come over he used to let me take his car into the land next door and I learned by myself.
I did the same thing with my son when I taught him how to do it.
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If you can't drive a stick after 30 hours of trying, there is something very wrong either with you or the car or both. He probably should have the car looked at by a mechanic to make sure it's functioning properly and you probably should also take some driving lessons if it is. Remember the driving a stick incorrectly is very rough on the clutch and other components of the car and it's a good way to break it.
I would choose manual over automatic any day of the year for a lot of reasons!
he should do automatic
Just keep encouraging him.
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