i've learnt most of things about cars from my dad, although he's not too updated with the modern technology today
beer.
mates.
no money
you dont really have much of a choice but to "teach yourself"
mind you im now an apprentice mechanic and getting paid to work on cars has its up side
trade price, government incentives, free tools. hands on experience, free tafe courses etc etc
but it pisses me off when people assume your hooning cos your car is loud, has bald tires, a roll cage, fresh bake and dinted bumpers!!
Or driving in a wolf pack.
i've learnt most of things about cars from my dad, although he's not too updated with the modern technology today
i have done everything to my car myself (apart from built and put in the engine - slydar did that)
but i have done engines on S13's.
My old man learned me
i have always enjoyed breaking shit, so in the end you have to fix a few things here and there.
man dad built our family home, just him and a couple mates.
so i guess i get it from him.
i bought a stripped Hachi, downlowed a manual and aked the odd question on here.
the tools he left me also helps!
easily the best way to learn is to do it yourself....until you get stuck.
then you call in a mechanic.
reading / trial and error!!!
its the only way.... the manuals tell you the correct way to do everything and they are quite easy to understand
what pushed me was my mechanic, he couldn't be bothered with my car so i pulled out my engine and started doing everything myself, new head gasket, all new head seals, i did all the wiring myself, and all other things that need to be done are pretty damn simple once you done all that....
Last edited by samuel; 21st January 2009 at 03:10 PM.
Mechanical stuff is pretty easy, wiring is what I really hate. Setting up the cam angle sensor, coils and ecu for my gze scares the shit outa me, but I'll gladly rebuild engines and replace gearboxes/clutches. Also want to learn how to weld, buying a mig this week so that should be fun.
Mai Dadday is a mechanic by trade! but now a tyre fitter, so hes a bit long in the tooth when it come to modern cars. However he taught me everything I know since I was about 8 me and dad yapped endlessly about cars and engines and things that wernt cars but had engines. Over the years we bought and fixed up shitty holdens and re sold them so I was always there helping look for the dropped washed on the ground fetching tools and beer. Cheers dad you fat bastard.
I think like a lot of people learning started when u were 8 years old passing tools to your ol man! Iv had the luck of my ol man building race motors/running a race team in the 80's so he has taught me heaps.
But also when your 10 and fixing your bike bcuz its always bloody breaking is a real learning experience! Also reading on the net has opnened my eyes up to new ways to do things!
With engines, I learn that at work and at TAFE.
For the rest of the car? I jacked it up, put it on axle stands and stripped it down to a bare shell. I was gonna weld it all myself, but I'm starting to think that it's over my head to do it AND make the car look good, so I'm sending it off to get the panels / body kit / flares done.
But first I'm gonna get my Equips and all my suspension in, then put it on a trailer take it to a pro. Then rebuild motor, put it all back together, and try get it to start... then take it to get tuned.
Basically, I've got a lot left to learn, but I think I'm going the right way about it.