I was shown and learned how to drive without a clutch at a young age, the theory behind it was I could always get home if the clutch fails, it now forms part of my daily drive, just slip it in the next gear smoothly no need for the clutch, does anyone else do this, can you drive without?

For those who don't know you can start a car in 1st or 2nd on the flat with no throttle, then build up speed, when it's time to change gear come off the revs with slight pressure on the gear and it will pop out, and as the revs are dropping it should pop into the next gear down, the idea is to match the engine revs with gearbox and it will pop in with no grinding.

Down is a little different you have to again back off pop out then raise the revs, I rev high then let them drop down and the box will pop in when matched.

I think it promotes forward planning similar to driving with no brakes, a few mates and the wife have had me drive their car home when the clutch has gone.

Yes auto drivers well done

Up changes are easy in most cars, the down changes are where talent is required. It is all about feel but there is little point to it. I do it when I'm being lazy.

Sounds like a recipe for a ****ed gearbox

I'm very lazy, I dream about autos but can't bring myself to buy one

Apparently this is a common way for Americans to drive manual cars

Maybe a mangled synchro, but you'd have to be doing it incredibly forcefully and wrong to lunch a 'box.

Oh, yes, I can drive sans clutch.

my dad sometimes does, from his days in the police when his mini's clutch blew and he couldn't afford to fix it, so didn't.

only had this convo with my mate earlier today too. Fun times

I can do it, as a rule I don't do it because I don't want to lunch my synchros, that and there's no point.

Do it in the works van every now and then. Not my own car though.

I used to do it nearly all the time in my old MK4 Escort and was forced to do it twice more when my clutch cable snapped in my Calibra and then later when I lost hydrualics for my clutch on my Corrado.

My wifes Zafira just slips in every time, my Mazda needs a little more thinking about, my old Prelude just put a sad face on the dash when I tried

Mentions "double declutch" and watches all the young peoples' eyes glaze over...

I dont even bother doing it on the bike let alone in the car.

I'm suprised / assured how many of you know

haha i have done this in my ageing 97 clio, upshifting is easier than downshifting as you have to pop the accelerator just enough for the gear to change..

I swear for example it helps at certain speeds, for example if im doing 30 in third then slip straight into 4th its literally no effort what so ever and can change within a second.

And surprisingly for my car it can also pull away in 2nd without any throttle, and as you say, most cars will pull away in 1st with no throttle , especially usef.ull in traffic or snow as mininum power is put onto the wheels minimising wheelspin

I can do this, but prefer not as I always thought it must be doing some sort of damage. Not tried it in the Bravo but did it with my first car and always have a go when driving a new car for the first time.

It does, unless you get it absolutely perfect, but if you were to become stuck in the middle of nowhere due to a dead clutch it means you don't have to push the car!

I wouldn't be, as those who didn't know probably just copied the rest of the posts. Like the one with the exploded clutch that could carry on with this very method

I still think I'd rather call the RAC than risk doing more damage to the car.

Do it all the time on the bike, makes changing up when accelerating a dream, a lot quicker too, just not between 1st and 2nd
Down is where the art is but i generally use the clutch for that unless in slowing traffic, you need to be able to ride it on the clutch rather than it going straight in.

Done it a bit in the car but it seems pointless, there's nothing to gain from it really.

I do this from time to time just to be able to in case i actually need it, its a lot easier in a lorry as they don't rev anywhere as high as a car but the gearboxes do cost a bit more.

What happens when you have to stop....

You're buggered....

You just stop in neutral, simple

And then how do you go again, or do a hill start.

You can try to force it in gear which will rock the car very slightly and knacker the gearbox.

Or you can turn it off and put it in first then lunch it on the starter to get the car going.....

I drove 70 miles home with no clutch when my cable broke on the mway. Did it all in 5th, then popped it in 3rd and just got lucky on the lights by slowing right down ready for them when they were on red.

I drove nearly 40 miles in a friends seat ibiza with a broken gear linkage, that was just as fun as no clutch. Crawled underneath and got second by hand till we were clear of town, then stopped just on the outskirts and got third for the drive home

Yeah I drove 30 miles or so back from redcar with a broken clutch cable, I wasn't as lucky with the red lights... but it was very late so wasn't too much of a problem.

How do you pull away?

This exactly, you can't do a hill start unless your starter motor is strong enought to pull the car up the hill, so you roll back to the bottom and start it there, if there's lights at the top then you need to be good with timing!

Had to do it on a motorbike, when I came off and snapped the clutch lever of. Made starting and junctions interesting.

But every day driving, no. a clutch is there for a reason. even if you get it right most of the time, surly you still mess it up a fair bit.

Yep even if it feels smooth them syncromeshes will not like you.