1/12    How much should I be worried if a used car with fairly low miles
        (say 30-60k) has had the clutch replaced?  Does that mean it was driven
        hard, or is plagued with mechanical problems, or just bad luck?
        \_ I'm no expert but I'd guess it was driven hard or by someone who
           didn't know how to properly use it. I don't see how it would
           indicate other particular problems, unless by inference you might
           suspect things such as general maintenance. What kind of car? Maybe
           somebody was drag racing it or something.
        \_ lots of people have no idea how to drive a stick, and yet continue
           to do so.  what kind of seller?  how many owners?  if it is newish
           (not cheap) i'd definitely get a qualified mechanic to inspect it
           prior to purchase.  pay for it yourself if serious, and run the
           other way if the owner refuses or won't let you choose the shop.
           \_ not to be a biggot or anything but was it driven by a straight
              guy, a straight gal, a lesbian, or a gay? And which ethnic/age?
              \_ He was driven straight by a lesbian gay?  err, what?
              \_ I don't think I am a bigot for thinking that a 20-something
                 guy, family with teenage drivers, or obviously type-A
                 seller may be worse for a car.
        \_ I got a Celica with 15k used, by 45k the clutch went out.  The
           previous owner was a female, most likely her 1st stick and wore
           heals.  Also from NY moving to hilly SF, where sticks can go out
           very quickly if you don't know what your doing on the hills.
           Anyways, after I replaced it at Clutchmart (Ashby) with a generic
           clutch I'm now at 140k with still no problems.  I know how to
           drive a stick.
        \_ My '96 Cherokee is now at 97k.  Still has original clutch.  First
           owner.
        \_ '98 cherokee, 138k miles, original clutch.
        \_ So I go through clutches pretty quickly since moving to San
           Francisco. What else is there to do on a steep hill, other than
           slip your clutch massively or use the emergency brake?
           \_ I think the emergency brake is preferred to massive clutch abuse.
              At least not sitting there slipping it for a stoplight or sth.
           \_ A good teacher and some patience would show you a third way.
              Even in S.F. you should be able to go from brake to throttle
              and clutch w/o much slippage and with only about 6-12 inches
              of backwards roll.  E-brake is a nice crutch, particularly
              when parallel parking or otherwise working in tight spaces.
              What most people are not taught is that your foot should go
              from clutch floored to foot OFF pedal in a smooth motion
              lasting at most 1-2 seconds (2 is too high, really).
        \_ like above, my dad had an '82 toyota pickup w/ original clutch
           to 170k miles including teaching three sons to drive on it.