Good evening everyone!

So I've purchased my first Corvette within the last year (a 1979 automatic). Absolutely love her and have always been a huge fan of the C3's. That being said, this is my first older car and I would like to learn how to work on it without having to take it to the shop every time I want to do something to it. I have big plans for a ZZ4, a new Tranny, new exhaust, new headers, etc... in the semi near future and I would LOVE to be able to do most of the work myself.

I am fairly mechanically inclined but don't have a foundation as far as auto-work goes. I've been considering taking some votech classes at a local community college so I can get going. I'd like to hear how those of you who know your way around your car got that way. (Don't tell me just to tear it apart and go from there because that IS NOT AN OPTION!!! Until I am fairly confident in what I am doing atleast). Any books or videos you could suggest would be greatly appreciated. Also if any of you have taken any auto-votech classes, I'd be interested to know if you thought it was worth your while. I should say that I am employed full time and would not be taking the classes to start a career, just simply for my own personal gain and the longevity of my new ride .

Thanks!

 

Books you will need are the AIM (Assembly / Installation Manual) AND the shop service maual for your year. With those, and this forum..... you should be able to do anything you need on the car.

 

Most 'gearheads' learned auto mechanic work from a family member: Dad, brother, uncle... Some learned mechanics in the military. I suspect that very few took it up on their own and dedicated the time to read/learn how to do this.

So, my suggestion is that you "find a friend" who has those basic skills (doesn't need to be a great mechanic) that is willing to assist you with working on your car. If you can find that person, the key would be for him to let you do the work, but give you instruction on how to do it, what tools to be using and why, and allow you to learn by doing.

There may be a Corvette club in your area with such folks that would be willing to assist you this way, if you join the club. {Be aware that most late model Vette clubs don't really do that much mechanical work on their cars. They are more of a "social" club. That's not true of all of them, and some clubs have cars that range the whole span of Corvette production. But they are very rare.}

If you can't find someone to 'mentor' you, a community college Basic Auto Mechanics course could be very useful. At least you can learn how things are assembled, what the various parts of the car do, which tools are used to do what work, and...importantly...what work you should farm out to the experts!

Wish you luck. Oh, you must have copies of the AIM for your model year and the Chevrolet Chassis Service Manual. They are invaluable to a DIY owner, and other such documents/manuals/books do not hold a candle to their depth of information.

 

I started tearing apart my cars when I was 16 years old and was rebuilding my own small engines in my mini bikes by the age of 14. Pretty much done all my maintenance on all my cars for years. I Hate paying shops for something I am not afraid to do. Might take me longer because I tear into then figure out all the parts I need to buy then perform the work.

Sometimes you have to pay them if you do not have the tools or garage to work in. I had a shop rebuild my steering system and I supplied all the parts. Cost me about $1000.00 in labor because even though I knew I could do it I did not have all the tools I needed or a garage time to work on it. I have access to a 4 post and a 2 post lift but the car has to be out of the shop by Sunday afternoon.

Most of what you will to know you can learn along the way with a few books. I only read them when needed for Like Torque Specs and look Online at diagrams at how it comes apart and goes back together again. Many online sales sites have the diagrams you need and have the parts listed in the diagrams.

Before any project look at everything you need to replace and buy them up front. Not always the case I generally miss a part I need sometimes than have to wait another week for it to be shipped to me.


Tools expect to buy lots of tools. Air Compressor and an Air Tool Set is time saving. 1/2, 3/8 and 1/4 Inch Torque Wrenches for torquing down bolts. 2 or 3 foot Breaker bar for breaking bolts loose. Impact Sockets because breaking an inxpensive chrome plated one bytes. Lots of Penetrating Oil like PB Blaster, Liquid Wrench and WD 40 for rusted nuts and bolts. Soak the parts a few times before even thinking about removing them if they are rusted. Sometimes if I know I am going to do a project later I will start soaking nuts and bolts months before I am thinking about tearing into that part of an old car with penetrating oils.

Before I put stuff I know I will take apart again I use Copper Anti Sieze Thread Compound. Makes it so much easier to take apart again a few years later.

 

I bought a Jaguar xk120 as my first car. Didn't have much $$ as I was in the Air Force. My car was a beauty, but had had a very hard life before I bought it. 2nd day, the clutch disc came apart. No choice, I fixed it myself. Dropped a valve, broke axles, electric fuel pump packed it in in rush hour traffic, rebuilt the engine with big block pistons, etc., etc. Fortunately my neighbor was racing Jaguars at the time in SCCA and was a big help in advise, physical help, and parts.

The car that started it all: http://www.myruffhouse.com/xk_120_jaguar.htm

Corvettes came later...

So basically, I learned to fix my car because the alternative was to walk. Dive in and learn, you'll never be any younger.


Pete

 

Spend as many hours as possible reading the forums. Read every thread, it's amazing what you'll learn even if you don't think it is related. If you can't tear apart your car you need to find someone to help. You didn't post a location, but there might even be someone on the forum who is willing to work with you. 2 weekends ago a new F-Body owner was having issues with his just purchased 1985 Trans Am that was having issues idling. He brought it over to my place and we tore into it and a few hours later he drove it away, problem resolved.

 

You and your experiences are the best teacher you will get. The forums have helped a lot with vehicle specifics. I learned by getting rid of the fear, its all just nuts and bolts. Been diving head first into cars since I was 14 and gained more confidence with every job completed. Start on the smaller jobs and do them start to finish. Don't tear your car down to do a frame off restoration unless you KNOW you can complete it. Just some random thoughts ....

 

Necessity is the mother of invention! I was broke, and couldn't afford to get the head gasket fixed on our family car when the kids were small. So I bought a workshop manual and a few tools and went from there. 15 years later, I'm reasonably competent with cars, and was able to work my way up to a 74 Stingray convertible!
If I were you, I'd break the job down into various systems. For example, I wanted the car to be able to be towed, so I worked on the brakes first, starting with the e-brake. Read all you can, and search the forum for all your worth! I'm forever indebted to the awesome and talented guys on this forum!

 

I started just doing brake jobs with my uncle and took an auto class in high school and learned to rebuild small engines. Now a few years later I've worked my way up to an engine swap and nearly everything in between. Start with the small stuff and go slow. If you're trying a brake job I suggest driving the car for twenty minutes before so the bolts will heat up and come out easier, letting it sit for a few days will really get them frozen. Taking a class is a good idea if you have the time because they might let you work on your own car in their fully stocked garage.

Having the right tools and a little patience is crucial! But that's not to say I've never walked away from any of my cars in a rage...

Good luck and use this forum as a resource along the way

Mike

 

I attended the " The School of Hard Knocks"

owned a corvette of some description since 1978 and a Z28 before that.


Jesus Pete I'm old

 

i used google and the forum and did one car section at a time.i don't even have the aim.great advise here above so start with safety related areas first like breaks,steering and suspension.best of luck on your repairs.

 

The same way you will if you want to know your way around your car.

Knowledge is power.

 

Watched my Uncle work on his vehicles when I was little. Then when
I got my own cars, had to work on them to save money.
When I started on my restoration, I bought the AIM, used the internet, and
read the experiences of the members on this forum.

Donnie

 

I started with small projects, but never shy'd away from anything major. I was that kid that helped my dad do minor things to our family car while my buddies were inside playing video games.
I would be lost without the help of the forum members. This site is a wealth of information, and you can search virtually any problem and it's been addressed on this site.
Get your hands on any and every piece of literature you can, consult various visual aids...if you have the patience these cars can be very rewarding when working on them. Best of luck on your repairs.

 

I bought a bunch of beer and invited all of the car guys i knew over for a "beer" and then asked if they knew how to fix things. next thing i knew i had the motor out and it was sitting in my floor!! It was easy from there.... the first step is always the worst. It is not brain surgery...

 

-bought a 1970 (my 1st older car and 1st car I would do any repairs on)

-got under and started to make a list of what needs to be replaced/rebuilt, then asked many questions on the forum and modified my list based on answers from more experienced people

-got an AIM (noticed it is mostly useful for torque specs)

-got a compressor and started to buy tools as I needed them 1 by 1

-started unbolting little by little and after a while it became a piece of cake

Most of this "older" technology is just common sense. This forum has been the biggest help.

 

I bought my first Corvette, a 65 convertible which I still own, in 1971. I knew zero about fixing or maintaining a Corvette. I was only 18. Alot of my friends were gear heads and owned muscle cars and Vettes. Everything that could go wrong with a car has gone wrong over 42 years. I learned by watching and helping and eventually I knew how to repair and maintain most that could go wrong. I still know when I need help. It will get to the point that you can diagnose a problem sometimes before you open the hood. Experience is a great teacher if you really want to learn.

An auto repair class is not a bad idea to get a jump start.

 

Started with bikes when I was 11, then cars at 13. Been working on any type since. I learned more from hands on then any school could teach me. Ive worked on all types for the last 35 years. Never been to school. I read alot more on how to do it from how others have done it. At 48 years old, I have only paid a shop twice to fix something for me and both times they ended up damaging my vehicle. Once in the army I asked a chevy dealership to find out why my camaro was loading up, ended up being the coil that I had thought was good. Got the car back from them and they broke my shifter and scratched my new paint. Second time I was having a tranny shop put a tranny in my S10, because I was getting married and my wife didnt want me to get dirty. They called me two days later telling me the tranny is in but they dropped my truck off the lift.
Never again.
Enjoy, take your time and lots of reading, you will learn alot.

 

When I got my firts car in high school, I wanted the engine bay to look organized. So decided to do a tune up on my 1967 Ford LTD, I simply pulled all the spark plug wires and started to replaced them one by one in a well organized manner. They were in uniform and looked great, starting the car was not so great. Hence, started my "thinkering" path to become a "gearhead". Spent 22 years in the Navy doing what I enjoy, but with Helicopters and jets.

Of course during my Naval career I spent my time mostly on German cars. Our LT1 was my wifes idea to get one, I think she thought I wouldn't know how to work on them because all of my cars when we met were all Germans (Bimmers, Porsche and Benz). Now nothing but "Corvette" working on getting a 1969 convertable project car. But still work on Benz (diesel) plus the 3500 Ram.

 

LS4 PILOT Quote:
"I attended the " The School of Hard Knocks"

owned a corvette of some description since 1978 and a Z28 before that.


Jesus Pete I'm old"

You're not that old! I started working on Ford flathead V-8
' in the late '50's. The common denominator is a case of beer in the garage with a bunch of you car friends.