I was wondering if its ok to skip 1st gear and start out in 2nd when pulling away from a stop sign and such. it just seems easier to me when driving in the city with bunch of stop signs. since i dont have to shift as much and i dont get the urge to slam the gas and chirp into 2nd.

it is ok to do. it just wears the clutch a little faster.

Yeah, I do it on occasion, only if I have a little roll... but be careful with a car with low torque, its def. wear on your clutch plate

ok thanks, i didnt know so i figured id ask. this is first car i try to take care of. i pound the crap out of my metro and its clutch

I hate the 1st gear in our box's... it's barely enough to get it rolling. and if you let off the gas slightly in 1st, it's a jerky ride. :(

My rule is if I have enough roll that I can let the clutch engage fully without slipping it, and I won't be trying to go up hill significantly right away, I'll start in 2nd.

You can move your car off the line in any forward gear, but it's not a great idea. You will end up eating gas, and your clutch more that way. In one of my old Bugs, (I think it was a '64), first went away for a while. So I was always starting out in second.