How did you learn?

[thunderchunky]

Hey guys,

I'm new here and stumbled on this forum by chance. I recently bought a home with a 20x12 garage - not very big, but enough to get a small shop going. Right now I'm putting together my workbench and have literally spent hours on the workbench threads here for ideas.

Ultimately, I'd love to become for mechanical in nature. I can do the basics on my car like brakes, oil, etc...but I'm looking to someday do much more like restore a classic car. That is my ultimate dream, but I have a long way to go before I even attempt something like that.

How did you guys learn to do things like that? How did you get that mechanical know-how?

I was thinking of buying a beat up motorcycle and practice taking components apart and rebuilding them to get my feet wet. I just feel in awe of some of the projects you guys have taken on and am completely envious of the skill and knowledge you have. Any suggestions on how to get started would be really appreciated!

 

[YellowLakeWelding]

Hey guys,

I'm new here and stumbled on this forum by chance. I recently bought a home with a 20x12 garage - not very big, but enough to get a small shop going. Right now I'm putting together my workbench and have literally spent hours on the workbench threads here for ideas.

Ultimately, I'd love to become for mechanical in nature. I can do the basics on my car like brakes, oil, etc...but I'm looking to someday do much more like restore a classic car. That is my ultimate dream, but I have a long way to go before I even attempt something like that.

How did you guys learn to do things like that? How did you get that mechanical know-how?

I was thinking of buying a beat up motorcycle and practice taking components apart and rebuilding them to get my feet wet. I just feel in awe of some of the projects you guys have taken on and am completely envious of the skill and knowledge you have. Any suggestions on how to get started would be really appreciated!

The hard way, which is the only way. It's always easier to learn by doing, making mistakes and then learning from those mistakes. No one is perfect so just jump in head first and start getting dirty. It also helps to pick up a few books, scour the internet and find a couple buddies willing to drink beer and spin a wrench or two with ya. Have fun!

 

[rickairmedic]

I grew up with a Father who refused to pay to have things fixed if he could fix them himself . I learned alot from him and love working with my hands . When I buy a new vehicle one of my first stops is the parts store to get a book on that vehicle and I like my father would much rather do it myself and save some money than to pay someone else to do it .



Rick

 

[Alfa Ron]

I'm not a professional mechanic or technician, but I keep my vehicles, including an Italian sports car, on the road. I didn't do a full restoration on my Alfa, but I did make it roadworthy after it sat for 8 years.

Having said that, I got my know-how from wrenching with my dad and from working at a filling station that had a busy three-bay garage. A portion of my ability, though, comes from looking it up (research), hands-on experience (doing it myself), and confidence. Cars are machines. They come apart and go back together. Most of them have manuals written about them that give instructions on how to do just that. So, get some schooling, find some on-the-job training, get the right tools and manuals, and start some of your own projects.

 

[djjsr]

Curiosity was my teacher. It started 50 years ago when I was 10. I took our lawn mower apart to see what a piston & rod looked like. My dad came home from work and was concerned. The next day I was mowing the lawn when he got home. He just smiled.

 

[CardFan]

Internet forums, just like the one you're on. I picked up my project car 8 years ago in a similar spot you're in, I'd done oil, brakes, etc., but not much else. There was tons of info in various forums though about my car. I recently found this forum as well, mainly because I'm in need of ideas for cleaning up / redoing my garage. I'm not into motorcycles myself, but I'm sure there's some great forums out there with plenty of how to threads in them. Jump in, get your feet wet, and make sure to do lots of reading in the forums to help you along the way. Start out either with smaller tasks, or with something that won't kill you (or the bank) if you screw it up to bad, and move up from there. Good luck.

 

[442]

It goes back to when I was a kid, first it was bicycles than minibikes and of course now cars. It helped that I have an older brother that started it all and a cousin that I attend some major events with. If you try something you will figure out what you like. Don't underestimate the school of hard knocks, once you make a mistake you'll never make it again If it's in your blood you will figure it out.

 

[Dale B]

My story is the same as Rick's.....Cheap dad !! My dad bought a new '52 Olds 88 and after a few years it needed a valve job. He tore it down , replaced the valves as needed , reseated all of them , and reinstalled the heads . He started it up without the valve covers , , and watching all those rocker arms bouncing around was so amazing I just had to see how all that worked . He picked up a junk engine for me to take apart , and he explained what each part was , and its pupose. then we took all the parts to a scrap yard ( we saved all the bolts) and got $1 for it , which was 5 gallons of gas !! He showed me electrical parts, replacing bearings and brushes in starters and generaters (alts weren't invented yet ) and finally brakes . I had to learn transmissions on my own , but the buddies with a beer did a fine job.........

 

[thunderchunky]

Thanks so much for the responses guys. Definitely looking forward to learning more from the forum and participating here. This community is awesome.

 

[jake00]

I was taking things aparts as soon as I could walk into the garage, then the auto shop classes in HS taught me a lot.

 

[littletoes]

EASY!

Spend most of your life BROKE....then you'll just have to do it if you want it done.

Thats how I've don't it, most of my life. Spend countless weekends working on rigs that I just plain **** needed for work come monday morning!

I suppose my story is quite a lot like others. When I was 9 and 10, I use to pull bikes apart, and put them back together, mixing parts up to "customize" each bike. Mix seats, switch tires and rims.

Gotta say Thankx for bringing back those memories, they were good ones.

I also grew up on a farm or two as a kid, and that was a great way to grow up. I use to help my Dad work on everything, from fence, to barns, to the trucks and tractors, and I loved it. It got to the point that from about 14 year old on, I became the "farm fix-it" guy. Dad would tell me to go work on whichever tractor or truck, and I would do it.
Started buying my own tolls from about 12 years old on...
Started with Thorson sockets...didn't know quality back then, and the local Coast-to-Coast Hardware had them on sale for a good price.
Still have most of those sockets, I guess its because they just never get used...I always grab a Snap-On or PROTO first. Whenever I grab one of those "others", I usually end up breaking one. Cheap tools, but they got me bye.

 

[gbrett]

I started as a kid like many others tearing my bikes apart then motorcycles go karts and finaly cars. My parents owned a rock pit and concrete company so there was always a truck or piece of equipment that needed something done to it. Went to college and got a degree in auto tech went to work in an ag dealership for a while kinda burned out doing it all day everyday now its just a hobby.

 

[bazzateer]

I grew up with a Father who refused to pay to have things fixed if he could fix them himself . I learned alot from him and love working with my hands . When I buy a new vehicle one of my first stops is the parts store to get a book on that vehicle and I like my father would much rather do it myself and save some money than to pay someone else to do it . Rick

This ^^^^^^^^^^^

I also read as much as possible on cars I'm interested in.

 

[KCarGuy]

About the same story as everyone else...I got Old, Used Bikes as a Kid, so I would tear them down, refinish and repaint them, Modify them to look Cool.
Bought my first Car (1962 Ford Fairlane) at 15 for $25 and rebuilt it.
Reading, watching, asking Questions, making Mistakes.
Never be afraid to try anything...just do all your research first...this Forum is Great for asking questions and tapping into alot of experience!

 

[Lkdelta]

EASY!


Gotta say Thankx for bringing back those memories, they were good ones.

Started buying my own tolls from about 12 years old on...

12 years old? What took you so long?

 

[Lkdelta]

find a couple buddies willing to drink beer and spin a wrench or two with ya. Have fun!

This works good

 

[Falcon67]

I come from a family of "doozers". We just do stuff. Read up, try it. Make mistakes, correct, try again. If you're having fun, it'll work out. I have two race cars to keep up - if I couldn't do all the motor, trans, etc work myself I'd be screwed. Well, it just wouldn't happen. Same with the old house repair. First trans I built fried before it got around the block. Try again - that's the way.

 

[zmotorsports]

I grew up fairly poor (although my parents did a good job of not letting us kids know it) and my father fixed most everything himself. I watched and learned. That said, one thing my dad was not the best at was in the details of a project. As long as it did what it was supposed to, it was repaired, it didn't matter what it looked like or how many odd parts he had to use to get it to work. Maybe it was his growing up in the depression era but it transferred to me and my brothers. Another thing I learned from my dad was that most tools could be used for MANY different purposes. That is one thing I learned in spite of him. I had to teach myself that there is a tool for every job and every job has a tool. I also had to learn the hard way that there is a difference between cheap tools and quality tools, especially when wrenching professionally.

I started tinkering on things mechanical at a very young age and it was about the only thing that I was any good at. I started fixing things for neighbors and then I would find junk lawnmowers, tillers, snowblowers, etc. and fix them and sell them for a few bucks.

By the time I was in high school and wanted to drive I had saved up enough money to buy a wrecked vehicle at the age of fifteen. It took me the better part of a year to get it on the road but it was payed for and it was good looking for my first paint job.

I then started working on my buddies vehicles on the side and got a job at a local parts store while in school. I would use the money to purchase tools to do more jobs as well as put aside for future projects.

Personally I became a mechanic so I could drive some of the nicest and best running vehicles on the road and it was the only thing I was any good at. It has served me well over the years as I wouldn't be where I am at today without that knowledge and experience from my father. I have also been fortunate to have a couple of mentors over the years. These have been people I have admired for what they have done with their lives and have been professional mechanics whom I aspired to be like. Mike.

 

[LoRollinLS]

grew up on a farm so i've always helped my uncles fix things. i also started taking apart and modifying my toys when i was little. my claim to fame on this subject is when i took apart my radio shack r/c car when i was 10 and souped it up by jumping a few wires across the circuit board, lol. next, i worked on my bmx bikes, i learned alot by trial, error, and magazines there. When it came to cars, since i started in the early 2000's (as im 26 yrs old) i used everything available to help me, magazines, internet, friends, family, you name it! like everyone else here has said already, the best way to learn is just by jumping in. if you wanna restore a classic car, decide what you wanna build, go get one and use your tools of research to help you jump right in! good luck

 

[A1an]

I grew up in a household where my parents paid to fix things. Over the years I learned by doing/watching car mechanical work done with my brother or friends. I have a lot to learn with cars but I'm no longer afraid to dive in and get my hands dirty.

Household tasks have really been a self taught trial & error type affair. I'm still on the basics but trying to learn more as things need replacing.

Luckily for me I've always been good with my hands and have had an interest in seeing how things work. I'm also very good at knowing when I'm in over my head and seeking professional help.

 

[78Bird]

If you wanna get into a project car. The best thing is to GET one.

Get something that's in decent shape. Runs and drives, and that you really like. Then start doing DIY improvement projects on it.

Upgrade the brakes, new intake, interior upgrades, cam swap, some mild body work... just keep challenging yourself and find a forum that's for your chosen project. Mustangs, camaros, chevelles, Trans Ams, GTOs, imports, miatas, RX7s, whatever....

 

[Az Scooter]

Like many here, we were not the richest family on the block, so I always had a job of some type. A paper route usually, until I could get a real job.
My dad had a 64 Ford truck in the carport that kept getting torn up by my brothers. He had already had the old y-block replaced with a 390, but is was used, and ended up being parked because it needed a valve job. I was about 16 and, being the bright kid I am, I asked my Dad if I could have the truck if I got it running. He did not think I could do it, so he said sure. Within a half hour I had the intake manifold off. I was working on the heads. The next day, the heads were getting machined and having a valve job done. I got them back a week later, because I had to bribe my mom to take me to get them, and put them back in. Messed with the distributor until I got it running, but a little Holley 4 Barrel on it, and I was in business.
It ran great, I traded the side tool boxes on it for some take off tires that were like brand new, and I let my older brother drive it about a year and a half later. In one night, he blew it up. I was not happy.

 

[tdkkart]

I seriously believe that it's a genetic thing to some extent, and I was fortunate enough to ge a double dose.
On Mom's side, her father and grandfather owned the hardware store in town and were the town handymen that could fix virtually anything. Most of that side of the family is involved in the trades or teaching, which is what all the women did at least as far back as I know of.
On Dad's side, grandpa was a farmer and all the boys ended up in mechanical trades somehow, dad worked on farm equipment and construction equipment, one of his brothers is an incredible welder, another was a truck driver/mechanic, another was an aircraft mechanic for Braniff, Eastern, and American airlines. Again, several women on that side were teachers also.
(Our daughter will graduate May 6th with a teaching degree in elemetary ed, making her grandmothers very happy)

So, I think that I've simply had it in my blood from the beginning. I spent my entire youth looking over Dad's shoulder, and anyone else's that would let me. The only time anything of Dad's went to the shop was for warranty work. The thing is, rarely did Dad make it a point to actually show or teach me anything unless I specifically asked, and often time when I asked he would tell me to look it up. I actually sat down and read service manuals cover to cover just for the info. Dad had a handful of old Motors manuals that I nearly wore out the pages in. Of course I always had subscriptions to
half a dozen car magazines.

On the other hand, my brother comes from the same blood lines and had the same oppurtunites as I did, yet he can hardly change his own oil.

 

[89GLH]

Same as a lot of people here. Call it cheap, curious, whatever. I had parents that said I could pick my car. ANY car. As long as I bought it myself. Then not wanting to pay $60 an hour to have someone else do it, I started getting my hands dirty. That led to swapping dead motors out of dead cars to revive them. Then that led to welding, and WTF. Why not. Lets see what happens. Now my project car has a roll cage, custom mounted fuel cell, and a shaved engine bay. Once you get over the idea that you're not going to break it, it becomes a lot easier.

 

[Lippyp]

Whilst my dad was practical around the house he had absolutely no interest in cars and mechanical stuff so I basically taught myself from books with a little help from a few like-minded friends, mainly out of neccesity from being skint when young. Owning a string of unreliable british classics certainly helped, nothing like standing freezing at the side of a road in the pouring rain with a broken down car to hone your mechanical skills. the bodywork stuff i'm still a bit of a novice at, only taught myself to weld a couple of years ago at about 38 years old. Best way to learn by an old banger, something nice and simple and get cracking on it. Helps if you have a few friends to come and lend moral support, lift heavy stuff etc.

 

[toolman1967]

My dad did all his own home upkeep and mechanic work, I was the second son and missed a lot of opportunities to learn from him but Got the "Can Do" attitude from him. My HS shop teacher taught me a lot and took a real interest in his students. Everything else was trial and error and reading books and manuals.

 

[slickgt1]

Same as most. In Russia everyone fixed everything themselves. We came to America when I was 9, with no money or language. I found a trashed bike. Tried to fix it with whatever tools we brought over with us. That was a major fail. I took the bike apart, even the gears, the bearings, and the spokes. This was outside on the sidewalk Could not put it back together. Some relatives were impressed with my fail that they got me some tools. Building super took all the parts to the basement for me. Trial and error, and I got it going after about a week. Loved that ugly *** girls bike. Didn't know it was a girls bike then. I was happy I had some wheels. So after about a month of being teased, managed to get old bikes from neighbors, friends, relatives, and of coarse garbage. Always had the most pimp and custom bike in the hood after that. Even sold them when I needed new parts for the next bike.

Got my first car. A 1993 Ford Probe GT. That was a POS. Everything broke on it. Fixed it all myself. Even did a manual swap after 3 auto rebuilds. Got so good at taking the trans out that a swap was just natural next step.

The comes parents house, then my house, then father in law, a contractor. Only time I need to go to a shop is to get my inspection done. Only time I have to pay someone to come do something for me is if I need it done super quick, and I don't want to invest in those specialized tools.

 

[classicharleyj]

I started out holding the flashlight and fetching tools for my Dad... he would say..
"open end wrench... .. Phillips head screwdriver..." so I just picked information up.
Started working on roadgraders and dozers right out of high school and had to fix my own vehicles to get to work the next day...
Jim

 

[Brianvt]

Thanks for posting the same questions I've had. Will be moving in little over a year and finally having a garage is in the cards. Seeing all the great garages and projects in here can be intimidating. (self inflicted) I've had the exact same questions. Not sure what projects I want to do just know I want to be doing something.

 

[Flange]

I believe that you can do anything. The only limiting factor is the amount of effort you are prepared to put in.

If you really want to to do something then do a bit of research or ask some questions then have a go. Obviously you need to be more careful doing somethings than others but basically you just have to go for it and don't be afraid of failure. You cant expect to be an expert the first time you do something but the more you practice the better you will be.

I know that there are some things that I will never be able to do but the only reason is that I don't want to be able to do those things AND I don't have to do those things.

 

[ddawg16]

So, some of you think your dads were cheap? My dad was a mechanic (and pilot)....had his own station....did it all himself....he even had me pumping gas by the time I was 5 years old....

Actually...there are two parts to this....a lot of it you learn....but for a lot of us...we just have the "knack"....

This pretty much explains it....

But if you take someone like my FIL....he can design a new plane...but has trouble putting in a screw....

 

[rickairmedic]

John thanks for that one I had to save it Tooooooooooooo funny .


Rick

 

[ptschram]

By the time I came around, my parents were pretty wealthy and when it came to vehicles, my dad said he'd earned having a nice car with a cushy ride.

As a result, I missed out on wrenching with my dad, but he did get me into ham radio at an early age and I still blame him and ham radio for my pursuing a scientific education.

At 12, I bought my first car. Got it running five or six years later-LOL. in 1981, I sat for the NIASE engine repair certification test and passed. Turns out, I was the second youngest ever certified and we both did it during the same testing period.

Worked some of my way through college working on crashed airplanes. Took some machining classes.

The funny thing is that 30+ years ago I told my dad I was never buying another vehicle that didn't run...

When I got out of college and got a good engineering job I said I wasn't gonna wrench on anything any more as I could afford to pay someone...

And then, I bought a Land Rover. No one knew how to get parts,much less fix it. The next thing I knew, I was quitting my day job and have been wrenching ever since.

 

[thunderchunky]

So, some of you think your dads were cheap? My dad was a mechanic (and pilot)....had his own station....did it all himself....he even had me pumping gas by the time I was 5 years old....

Actually...there are two parts to this....a lot of it you learn....but for a lot of us...we just have the "knack"....

This pretty much explains it....

But if you take someone like my FIL....he can design a new plane...but has trouble putting in a screw....

That clip was ridiculously awesome.

Thanks for all the responses guys...it's given me a lot of confidence to just give it a go. I'm searching craigslist for an older ride which could use a fair amount of repair work.

 

[Motofixxer]

You start with a problem, then you research and learn till you have the solution. Then the more you learn, the more you can do, then the more you do, the more you will learn. It's a never ending cycle. But in today's modern technologically advanced world. It's sooo much easier to just research a problem. You can get quick exact help with large high res pics and thorough explanations. It's much easier than it used to be. All the modern electronics in everything including the kitchen sink and refrigerator, is proving to be a bit of a complication. If you don't have the right exclusive software or electronic test equipment, then you have a real problem. Just do what you can and work your way up. And make sure to ask around. I don't know any knowledgeable person who doesn't have other people to ask.

 

[tdkkart]

This pretty much explains it....

I beg to differ. Dilbert is obviously destined to be a technician that can actually fix something.
An engineer would have gotten the instruction manual out, pushed the green "on" button 3 times, thrown his hands in the air and called Dilbert.

 

[TAftw]

I've been taking **** apart for as long as I can remember. I started tying flies for fly fishing when I was in 3th grade with tools I made out of coat hangers and piano wire.

I was always helping my dad around the house with repairs. Nothing too major, stuff like replacing light switches, fixing the faucet, and a LOT of yard work. We also did a ton of painting.

My family was friends with all the tradesmen that came through the house, and when I was maybe 7 or 8 I always would watch what they'd do and try to help them out. I'd be kneeling under the kitchen cabinets while our plumber was installing new pipes or a garbage disposal.

My dad was heavy into nitro RC planes and model railroading. I helped him build a lot of planes and trains. I saved up to buy my own nitro truck, which in hindsight was a bad decision (electrics are better).

Then in 9th grade I met an awesome teacher, who some of you might know, and he turned me onto cars and real wrenching .

I started off helping my dad with everything, then I finally found what I REALLY like to tinker with. RC planes and trains are neat, but I don't have the patience to sit there and daintily paint the rust spots on an HO scale boxcar :. I'd rather pry out a transmission with a breaker bar and have grease and dirt and **** fall everywhere .

 

[Bull]

Then in 9th grade I met an awesome teacher, who some of you might know, and he turned me onto cars and real wrenching .

Inspiring young people to become interested in something is what makes my line of work worth being in. Granted, what you got from my class had nothing to do with the course curriculum, but it sure does seem to be serving you well in life, nevertheless.

 

[crewchief888]

guess i learned by taking my bicycles apart, and watchuing my dad working on the cars in the driveway, and then the garage.
most of what i learned early on was doing things the hard way
guess i was indimidated by a lot of mechanical things, maybe because i didnt understnd how anything really worked

after dad passed away, ( and i got married) i had to learn how to do things on my own, didnt have much money, and was always driving some POS.

i moved 1200 miles from home, and really had to learn to keep the same POS running. took a job in a heavy eq shop, changing oil and busting tires, worked at a few other shops, and picked up some more skills, the more wrenches i pulled the easier things became.

i moved again, had another POS truck ( sounds familiar eh?)
met up with a guy that was getting ready to do some off road racing, spend the next 3 sleepless years, building engines, setting up rear ends, plumbing, electrical, welding, and a LOT of body work.

after that, nothing seemed to intimidate me much anymore.

guess what this all means is it take time, patience, and knowing the limits of your set of skills.

 

[fergus]

Dad taught me some stuff. I took my first lawnmower engine apart when I was four...well I tried anyway... its hard to break head bolts loose when you only weigh 40 lbs. Grandpa taught me a lot...he only lived two miles away and would always show me waht to to when my junky second hand lawnmowers broke.

Lawnmowers are a good learning tool. So are old motorcycles. Pretty easy to diagnose. You just need three things to run. If it don't run, figure out what's missing - air, fuel and spark. Old motorcycles and thumpers are pretty much the same - they'd be good to learn on too.

There was another thread like this a while back. Lots of guys recommended trying to find if there was a church nearby where guys will volunteer their time to help fix cars for widows and single moms...or anyone without the money or skill to fix their own car. Typically there is one guy who's a pro mechanic and supervises the other guys - one good way to soak up knowledge while actually doing something productive.