How to take it to the next level (learning about cars)?

This site has been an invaluable resource in terms of learning about cars and especially wagons. I really admire the knowledge and abilities of the people on here. This got me to thinking about how many of you came to that place of knowing a lot about cars and what it takes to "take it to the next level" (hence the subject of this thread).

A little background on myself... I am a mild-mannered accountant by day and a wannabe car guru by night. That being said, I have come a long ways in terms of understanding cars, but I really want to continue to expand my car horizons. I can perform basic maintenance on my wagon and feel like I have a solid understanding of its systems, but I often wish I could do more of the advanced stuff (example: ball joint replacement my wagon needs). I learn by doing, but I also don't want to screw stuff up that's working (i.e. if it ain't broke, don't fix it). I'd love to have a junker or something to experiment on, but that's not a luxury I have.

I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on what helped them continue to learn about understanding and working on cars. I know it takes time to learn all this, but what have you found that really helped improve your ability to work on cars?

 

Interesting question. I grew up working in my dad's garage so it gave me an advantage, I suppose. But then I chose my own career and didn't get back to the mechanics of cars till I caught the nostalgia bug and stated to build stuff again. I met a guy years ago that runs his own garage that is an ace mechanic and loves to build performance too. And he is one of the best around...anywhere. We became friends and just hanging around his garage helped bring me up to date on newer cars, engines and trannies. He grew up in the business too. The best way that I can think of, outside of attending a mechanic's school, would be to have a friend in the business. If that isn't an option then I can tell you how I learned. Hands On. If you have (and you should) a Factory Shop Manual for your car it will kind of walk you through repairs. The problem with learning this now days is that it requires tons of tools and they aren't cheap. It seems each job requires different tools. It can get expensive. But, so is having your work done at a shop. Your idea of having a junker around is a good one if you can afford it. Tear the engine down, take things off etc. But most guys just learn by jumping in and fixing their own cars with a manual. Some jobs on some cars are more difficult for beginners. Ball joints may or may not be a tough job on your car. Like I said in the beginning...it's an interesting question and I hope others chime in. In the end...I guess I would have to say after all the words I have written here...jump in and do a few jobs on your car...you may not LIKE doing this work. Some like it others do not. If you like doing it...be prepared to buy lots of tools.

 

One thing you can do is go to a local junkyard where you pull the parts.
At ours I could sit there all day disassembling stuff not have to worry about paying for parts I don't take.

Go and pull a steering wheel, take out the dash and remove some door panels, it'll be fun! Figure out how to remove a cylinder head!

And you can get plenty of books at your local library too. I was there yesterday getting manuals for my wife's friends Toyota because her dealer wants to charge her about $300 to fix some electrical issue. Charged her $85 just to diagnose the problem, and I don't know that I believe their diagnosis. A $150 turn signal switch!

 

I don't have a ton of knowledge myself, but what I do know I learned by doing... So many times, I've gotten into a project and found that it's not as hard as it seems. The hard part is not being afraid to jump in...

As I've gotten older, I must confess that I've gotten lazy. A lot of simple stuff I used to do, I now have the garage do. Not because I can't, but because I don't feel like it. It's kind of like going out to dinner because you don't feel like cooking. It's nice to be waited on sometimes.

All this said, get into the kitchen (under the hood) and see what you can do - you might be a much better chef (mechanic) than you give yourself credit for...

 

I like Andy's idea of the junk yard. Problem around here anymore is that they don't let you IN the yard. Back in the day, I could just walk into any junk yard and pull my own stuff. Now, I can only think of a couple out of many that allow you to enter the actual yard. Anyway...I like that idea. And as 442 points out....hands on is always good. Empirical knowledge stays with you.

 

i find myself in your position but with less knowledge probably. some jobs i just go for it after reading something online or in my manuals. i watched my mechanic cousin fix some of my stuff before and learned that way. i personally hate when i think i have it figured out and then it doesn't go as planned. that usually keeps me from trying for fear that i'll cause more trouble or if left incomplete, when would i be able to finish it. that can cause big problems on the daily driver. bottom line, i wish i took interest at a younger age because nothing beats experience.

 

Andy's right, our yards are mostly open to user parts pulling.

I've got a few 'attitudes' about any repair or restoration, cars, tv, radios, furniture and building.

1) If one man can imagine it and build it, another can fix it. I only get delayed when it comes to modern plastics and mold-making, but just delayed. There's always Gorilla Glue and Krazy Glue, if I can't vacuum-form it or use fibreglass.

2) Do the job/task that's the dirtiest or heaviest or more complex first. Muscle memory can really screw up a project. I'm changing from a columnshift to a floorshift. Got all the parts and harnesses, after reading my shop manuals. Took several trips, because I needed the brake cables (jack up the donor in a swamp, remove crusty brake drums, get under and disconnect transmission linkage and cables, etc.), But I took another complete day away from it, to examine what I got, buy or collect my materials and paints, check out any wiring issues, and start cleaning up parts, derusting, priming, painting, labelling and storing. You gotta Debit and Credit the inventory too.

3) Reassembly isn't like most manuals say, on a complex restoration. It isn't "Intallation is the Reversal of Steps 1 to 69". You need to consider your budget, get the vendors to send you catalogs and samples, order the parts or upholstery and carpet, paint up the interior parts, get the wiring bugs worked out before you put the carpet down, add or replace the sound deadener before you finish the wiring, etc. etc. So you need a plan. Split off the project parts into modules that can be completed to a certain stage, clean and ready, and an EVENT grid. This goes in - partially or completely, before that.

4) Decide upfront if the project will be a daily driver, a show cruiser or a trailer queen, and spend accordingly, but for a beginner, do the best you can, like it will be a Trailer Queen part, yourself. That way, you'll see where your strengths and limits are. Its one thing to handle a pearlescent paint gun, and another to restore gauge needles or paint fake wood on your 1934 Ford dash. If you try and find that you enjoy it, you'll do it right and gain confidence, and refine your skills.

5) Study the structure of the Factory Shop Manuals. The order is important, and logical. Not just the detailed 'how-to' instructions, but the order and cross-references. In my Ford manuals, they cover Heating AC in the Electrical manual, and removal of the dash, better than in the Body/Trim manual. Some electrical harness layout pics are better in the body manual, than the Electrical manual, etc. etc.

6) And learn to use the WWW search engines, like your lug nuts depend on it.

Off my podium.

Good luck, and enjoy yourself, bleeding knuckles and all.

 

Yeah....one thing Norm points out that I failed to mention and WHY I recommend hands on is....reading about engines and general auto repairs make it sound simple and organized. It isn't. It rarely goes as easy as you think it will by reading about it. Little things like not even being able to get a wrench on a bolt that needs to be removed can set up a nightmare chain of events.

 

Yup, I can't count over the years how many wrenches I've cut into pieces to get at a bolt, and or put them in a vice and bend then to a shape that fits to have it workig for you but only being able to move it 1/10th of turn at a time....the infamous 1 hour bolt syndrom

The guys have given you great pointers, I don't think I need to ad anything

 

Well said SF.

As a bean-counter, you know how much stuff you've got floating in your head with details, adjustments, quarterly and bi-weekly due dates, etc. Well, with a car project, we get so focussed on one actual task, that the world disappears. You've got so much torque on that one rusty sheetmetal screw, that you missed dinner call for the upteenth time, that your wife just quits calling you in.

But when you're trying to visualize where you're at, and what you need to do next, your head is just as full with a zillion details that she stops reminding you that its 2:00 AM and you have to go to work. People write these books so we don't have to carry the details in our noggins.

I wrap up my 'car sessions' with a 20 minute review and plan for the next day. Note any stuff I have to get or buy, and done! That'll take a while to mellow out, but its like Alice's rabbit hole, a labyrinth with no end, until you cut it up into managable chunks. It really is too much fun. Better than any blissful Lotus position I've ever known, anyway. So be balanced.

 

I consider myself to be an "intermediate" level mechanic. Of course since I have 5 cars if I screw something up I'm not walking. So, I at least try to do most things myself. I've removed manual transmissions, replaced clutches and even removed and installed cylinder heads but, I do hire out work that is beyond my tools and desire to do some jobs. It in the long run is just better that way.

I would pay to have the lower ball joints replaced. Why? The coil spring is like a big bomb ready to go off. Spring compressors can fail and do fail. There are some specialized tools involved. Simple but not in everyone's tool box. When the control arm bolts don't come out what will you do? Do you have a compressor and air hammer with the correct attachments? How about pickle forks in various sizes? That job I would try myself but I would have to purchase at least the pickle forks and borrow spring compressors.

Pretty much I'm more of a troubleshooter/parts changer. I can unbolt, clean and install and torque lots of parts. I've even changed U joints with a hammer and socket. Not elegant but it works. I pulled the tranny in the truck using a modified motorcycle jack I had vice using a transmission jack.

Bottom line, if you can take the time, read the book, buy or borrow the tools than go for it. That's how I learned. Most things are quite straightforward. I've saved many thousands of dollars doing things myself but I know my limitations as to ability, tools and patience.

My rule #1. If the job will result in stress, cussing and throwing of tools then it goes to the professional.

 

My rule #1. If the job will result in stress, cussing and throwing of tools then it goes to the professional. (quote by TB)

Uh....I thought those things were a REQUIREMENT!

 

Only if you hit the same thumb twice and hear a ccccccrunch.

 

I probably have the least exprience then any of you here. I have only ever helped remove a motor once. In our old Nova we made...three lifetimes ago. My husband(Wayne) and I worked all weekend, night and day to get it fixed and back in by Monday, it was the only car we had! Job completed, what an amazing feeling of accomplisment when we went to work on Monday...Ok except for that one wire/bolt that I didn't tighten enough...car wasn't charging, poor Wayne got soaked in the smashing down rain to tighten it up. Where Fannie is concerned, I am hoping to help as much as I can( as much as Wayne can tolerate with me in HIS space) taking out the motor & transmission. I also hope to remove as much of the body parts as possible before she goes to the body shop. So at this stage(not sure this is a stage?) I've been trying to collect info on the car, parts books, web sites, manuels, you guys...Also we have had a couple guys in the neighborhood offering some parts(eg.wiring harness from an old car of his) and help if we need it. Anyway I guess the bottom line is I too plan to get hands on and jump right in when we're ready to get going

 

Thank you everyone, this stuff is great. A couple of comments really stand out; Fox said that he grew up around his dad's garage, but he also has spent a lot of time with friends who know cars. It's interesting because I grew up around computers and I feel very comfortable troubleshooting and fixing computers (started using our Commodore 64 in 1984 when I was 7, not to mention Atari and video games, etc.). So, it's clear that what we get exposed to at a young age gives us a good boost, but of course doesn't we can't learn later in life.

Just hearing everyone's ideas and thoughts about approaching this is really helpful. Andy's suggestion of practicing in a junkyard is a great one. We have a u-pull-it around here that I could do that at. Could make for a pretty fun Saturday, actually.

I have the 1971 and 1972 Ford shop manuals, as well as a Chilton's manual. I don't have many tools, so a lot of the more specialized jobs are out for me for the time being. The main thing is that I want to make sure this is something I enjoy, not a burden (as Tbird pointed out). It's like golf; what's the point of doing it for 'fun' if it upsets you instead of relaxes you (as you can imagine, golf doesn't relax me!).