Here’s a story sure to warm the heart of any automotive enthusiast. Not only did this couple take on an automotive project together, but the project brought them much closer together.

When a Redditor asked the /r/Cars forum for cool car stories, one commenter had a real zinger. User /u/Almost_last_place told the tale of trying to learn to drive stick shift. Instead of beating up a friend’s valuable sports car in the process, she decided to learn on a “beater,” a cheap and disposable project car.

“I bought the cheapest running manual corvette I could find to teach myself how to drive manual and learn about working on cars.” They managed to get the car picked up by someone else and registered. Then came the big day: learning to drive stick.

“My SO had come along with me so we could get it out to a parking lot.” Then they switched drivers and the lesson began. She described trying, and failing, as ” Hours of fun and frustration.” Their significant other stuck with them through the entire process.

Anyone who has learned to drive stick remembers the moment when starting out becomes second nature. Not long after, knowing which gear you need at a given speed becomes intuitive. It’s the kind of skill you can take a lifetime to truly master, but you can pick up the basics in an afternoon.

“Using a manual trans finally ‘clicks.'” After the driver got it down, it was time to head home. “I take it around to park it. We look at each other and at the same time say “I love you” in unison for the first time and we share a kiss.”

First off, good for this driver taking on a new skill as an adult. That takes humility and bravery. The result is she knows more about driving than 90% of people on the road. And she got a special memory, to boot.

So what happened to the “beater” Corvette? “Got the car as a little project I was originally planning to sell but now it’s just so dang sentimental to me I don’t plan on ever selling it.”

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