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.

 

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

 

I agree. My brother did this and Loves it. He started doing it 2 years ago and this past year he got to go with the team to Road Atlanta to crew cars there. It can be a lot of work but he's learning lots and having fun.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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

 

I have been a junkyard hotrodder for some 50 years now, my son worked a summer at my favorite yard, years ago....Rockville GM, course they have branched out these daze, but 30 years ago they were fine with just GMs......

 

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

 

Wrong. You need to be making your own bones.

 

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)