Learn Mechanics
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,116
Likes: 5
From: Livonia MI
If you do get with club, that let's you hands on, make yourself useful in some way from the very beginning. This might just be bringing a cooler full of beverages and some pretzels. If you have old T-shirts, cut them up, and pack a bag full of rags. If you have no tools, pick up a klit from Sears, and an electrical meter. If you're just asked to repaint some wheels, make sure you have everything to do it, without making yourself a bother. Think you get it, be truly a help.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 259
Likes: 6
I have found that old pickup trucks are great for learning on. They have a more utility use to people and they are basically the same as working on a car. They are sometimes easier to sell than a car since they will haul things and also serve as transportation. Trucks are also easy to work under seemingly more than most cars. It's just my opinion.
Good luck with your endeavor to be your own mech.
Johnny
Good luck with your endeavor to be your own mech.
Johnny
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 198
Likes: 2
From: St. Catharines Ontario
Any oval,drag or road course race teams in your area?They are always looking for volunteer help(some may even throw some cash your way) and are a great place to learn if you don't mind a little hard work.Attitude and enthusiasm are just as valuable as technical knowledge to most of these teams,you will have to give up an evening or two during the week as well as raceday,but you will learn a lot,get to travel a bit and meet some of the most intense and interesting people you will ever find.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 6,842
Likes: 285
From: Palmdale CA
Another great place to learn is at a self-serve junkyard! Bring a bucket of tools, including screwdrivers, sockets and wrenches and go at it on the heaps that are out there. That's how I taught my son. Also, you'll find that one of the rows is almost completely stripped out and ready to go to the crusher. That's the row, that you want to go to to deliberately strip screws, bolts and nuts (Yep, deliberately!) then you'll learn how much force you can apply to the various sizes AND threads (both fine and coarse) before you strip them.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 3,747
Likes: 713
From: Lafayette Louisiana
A great example
Here is a great example:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-g...on-a-73-a.html
Mucho Thanks to "Scott's 73"
Without stuff like this, I would still be only able to change the oil. This is a great example of how great this forum is! And if I get hung up, I can ask questions on this forum and people will bail me out, thank goodness!, LOL's.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-g...on-a-73-a.html
Mucho Thanks to "Scott's 73"
Without stuff like this, I would still be only able to change the oil. This is a great example of how great this forum is! And if I get hung up, I can ask questions on this forum and people will bail me out, thank goodness!, LOL's.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
OP, I see you live in Glen Burnie Md......and in that location you will NOT find any schools teaching anything industrial, you live in Fed bureaucrap heaven and that mind set has sanitized anything of industrial/mechanical/shop classes from the public schools.....
Get hold of ASE Automotive Service Excellence run by SAE I think, they run on line training classes, my son took them on electric cars, and had to call me for some training on elementary electric theory.....and the electric cars stuff was WAY over his head, ....but he wound up acing both courses, .....
He has seen my shop/shed full of crap since he been born.....but he never learned electronics, NOW, he is far enough along to be putting a LS engine into a '57 Chebby pickup.....on his own, out in Berzerkly Ca......he is age 28, and is working as a mechanic, I sent him about 6 boxes of tools, the surplus outta my tool boxes....told him to stay away from the chrome trucks, Snap-On and Matco/etc....because of COST....sent him a DVM like mine too....we still talk about his project there, discussing concepts, designs, wiring, install techniques....
PM me for any further help if you wish....
GENE
Get hold of ASE Automotive Service Excellence run by SAE I think, they run on line training classes, my son took them on electric cars, and had to call me for some training on elementary electric theory.....and the electric cars stuff was WAY over his head, ....but he wound up acing both courses, .....
He has seen my shop/shed full of crap since he been born.....but he never learned electronics, NOW, he is far enough along to be putting a LS engine into a '57 Chebby pickup.....on his own, out in Berzerkly Ca......he is age 28, and is working as a mechanic, I sent him about 6 boxes of tools, the surplus outta my tool boxes....told him to stay away from the chrome trucks, Snap-On and Matco/etc....because of COST....sent him a DVM like mine too....we still talk about his project there, discussing concepts, designs, wiring, install techniques....
PM me for any further help if you wish....
GENE
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
Another great place to learn is at a self-serve junkyard! Bring a bucket of tools, including screwdrivers, sockets and wrenches and go at it on the heaps that are out there. That's how I taught my son. Also, you'll find that one of the rows is almost completely stripped out and ready to go to the crusher. That's the row, that you want to go to to deliberately strip screws, bolts and nuts (Yep, deliberately!) then you'll learn how much force you can apply to the various sizes AND threads (both fine and coarse) before you strip them.
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 241
Likes: 4
From: rochester ny
I took an auto class in high school a 6 years ago and rebuilt a little vtwin engine and built a gokart for it. We learned basic maintenance but I have been working on cars ever since then. I rarely take my dd or vette to a mechanic. Just start with the small stuff. Sometimes it's hard to jump into a job you've never done before but use the resources you have available like books and especially this forum for advice and you'll be fine. Also get a good set of tools (I like craftsmen because I can beat the crap out of them and just go to the store and swap them out later).
Good luck
Good luck
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 2,548
Likes: 379
From: Woodinville WA
Buy a C3 Corvette
Join the local Corvette club.
or
Join the Corvette club and always be ready to lend a hand to the members - you'll learn in no time at all, and you'll get the best part of the hobby, car friends.
(this parallels the advice I give people when they ask how to join Search and Rescue)
Join the local Corvette club.
or
Join the Corvette club and always be ready to lend a hand to the members - you'll learn in no time at all, and you'll get the best part of the hobby, car friends.
(this parallels the advice I give people when they ask how to join Search and Rescue)