Automotive Mechanics

[Nordic Fortune]

Who here knows a thing or two about fixing cars?

Just curious. I feel like that's something I really missed out on, I've always had the interest of learning how to fix cars but never had...a car...or anyone to teach me.

Lately I've been doing a lot of reading and I'm feeling ambitious. I'm wondering if I bought a junky car (with an intact and rust-free body), could I be able to fix it up.

If there are some of you who know their stuff, did your pops teach you, did you learn yourself, or did you go to school for it? Oh, and do you think it's easy or hard?

[Bluecast]

I uh took it in high school.
I just watched Scooby Doo in the classroom,never did anything in the garage and kept getting on the teachers computer and changing my grade to an A.

I'm white so I cheated.

Erm I'm no help sorry.

Zoinks!

[Nordic Fortune]

You had a class in high school?! Even though it wasn't a "serious" class, I'm jealous!

[Gingefners, The]

Not a clue myself, but my cousin learned quite a bit from just tinkering with his own cars and he's always saying it's similar to building and repairing computers and if you know how to do that you'll learn it fast.

[Oppy]

I have quite a vast knowledge on cars, I learned most of it myself when I was about 16 tinkering with an old car i bought. I also have friends that are mechanics and have learned alot from them. I built my first car and sold it for twice the ammount it cost me to build. And yes. You can get an old box and restore it, its not hard if you know a little about how they work. But if your clueless you should get some help. Just make sure before you buy anything, that the car is an american car, and that parts can be bought cheap for it. Theres nothing worse then having to get rare parts imported and having to pay a fortune for them. Gingefners is right, if you have a general knowledge of how "things" work, you shoud pick it up quickly. If you need any help or have any questions just PM me.

[Kenny]

I know a little. Depends on what you want to do and what's broken.

Best advice I can give is to find a automechanic car manual for the model and make you have, they sell them in autorepair shops. If you ever need to take your car in, stick around and watch how they do things. That's how I got basic knowledge on some of the things I know now with my Firebird and translated over to my Rio. I also have friends who are car fanatics, one loves asian cars and the other american muscle cars. My friend's grandpa is also a huge VW fan and knows alot about the Beetle in paritcular.

I've never been really interested in that stuff but look into those resources and do some research online. Especially look into what exactly is wrong, look in the user's manual on how it can be fixed, and google the parts. Look up what they are, how they're used, and how much to buy them for yourself. And always have someone who knows what they're doing on standby just in case.

[Fenix]

Who here knows a thing or two about fixing cars?

Just curious. I feel like that's something I really missed out on, I've always had the interest of learning how to fix cars but never had...a car...or anyone to teach me.

Lately I've been doing a lot of reading and I'm feeling ambitious. I'm wondering if I bought a junky car (with an intact and rust-free body), could I be able to fix it up.

If there are some of you who know their stuff, did your pops teach you, did you learn yourself, or did you go to school for it? Oh, and do you think it's easy or hard?

It's not so hard as it seems but it's something expensive depending on the model.

What kind of car are you looking for?

You can always check a rebuild thread in a car's forums. There are fantastics examples.

But anyway, without experience you'll be able to make lot of things like restoring interiors, fix easy thing in the engine like replacing filter, headgaskets, change the timing belt or restore chasis parts like suspension, brakes etc but the hardest problems on restorations (for me) are the electrical systems. You must have more than 5kms of cable to replace and it could take you a lot of hours or even WEEKS if you don't have experience or your knowledges are low.

I can help you with basic things, I supose... Cause i'm restoring my car and I have a very little experience but for first, I'd like to know what kind of car are you looking for

[Hazuki Legend]

My brother's a full time mechanic, i know absolutely shit about them and i probably won't need to all the time he's alive.

[Spokane]

My brother's a full time mechanic, i know absolutely shit about them and i probably won't need to all the time he's alive.

Just don't pull a Joka on your bro. As for me, I don't know a monkey wrench from a monkey's ass. I could have taken auto shop in school but physical mechanics isn't my thing. I failed wood shop in Jr. High.

[Brothaman]

Who here knows a thing or two about fixing cars?

Just curious. I feel like that's something I really missed out on, I've always had the interest of learning how to fix cars but never had...a car...or anyone to teach me.

Lately I've been doing a lot of reading and I'm feeling ambitious. I'm wondering if I bought a junky car (with an intact and rust-free body), could I be able to fix it up.

If there are some of you who know their stuff, did your pops teach you, did you learn yourself, or did you go to school for it? Oh, and do you think it's easy or hard?

Well I graduated from a automotive trade school. And I worked as a automotive technician for about two years. I love cars, I always been into high performance. So working on somebody's crappy family mini van got old fast. Plus the wages where pretty crappy too.
Anyways, I suggest you get somewhat of a understanding of how cars work if you don't already. Just the basics, nothing major. Afew car magazines like Hot Rod or Popular Hot Rodding if you don't want to read book. Probably could just Google allot of stuff.
If you do want to get a project car, I suggest something pre '80s. They tend to be easier to work on. And don't worry about sucking, everyone sucks when they first start.

[Nordic Fortune]

Awesome advice from everyone!

Not a clue myself, but my cousin learned quite a bit from just tinkering with his own cars and he's always saying it's similar to building and repairing computers and if you know how to do that you'll learn it fast.

I have quite a vast knowledge on cars, I learned most of it myself when I was about 16 tinkering with an old car i bought. I also have friends that are mechanics and have learned alot from them. I built my first car and sold it for twice the ammount it cost me to build. And yes. You can get an old box and restore it, its not hard if you know a little about how they work. But if your clueless you should get some help. Just make sure before you buy anything, that the car is an american car, and that parts can be bought cheap for it. Theres nothing worse then having to get rare parts imported and having to pay a fortune for them. Gingefners is right, if you have a general knowledge of how "things" work, you shoud pick it up quickly. If you need any help or have any questions just PM me.

I was definitely looking for an American car for that very reason. Not to mention that I really like the design of them as well.

Thankfully I recently got a huge manual on all that stuff, so I’ve been reading up a lot on exactly how an engine works and what parts do what, and I’ve done my share of fixing computers, so this is good news! :-D

I know a little. Depends on what you want to do and what's broken.

Best advice I can give is to find a automechanic car manual for the model and make you have, they sell them in autorepair shops. If you ever need to take your car in, stick around and watch how they do things. That's how I got basic knowledge on some of the things I know now with my Firebird and translated over to my Rio. I also have friends who are car fanatics, one loves asian cars and the other american muscle cars. My friend's grandpa is also a huge VW fan and knows alot about the Beetle in paritcular.

I've never been really interested in that stuff but look into those resources and do some research online. Especially look into what exactly is wrong, look in the user's manual on how it can be fixed, and google the parts. Look up what they are, how they're used, and how much to buy them for yourself. And always have someone who knows what they're doing on standby just in case.

As far as exactly what I’m looking to fix, there isn’t anything in particular; every now and then I look on craigslist to check out some cars that are under $2000, and usual issues besides wear and tear are with the timing belt, broken AC, fuel pump, and, of course the transmission (I would tend to avoid cars with the latter issue). I feel pretty confident about smaller fixes such as timing belts, but bigger jobs such as replacing a whole engine or tranny is what overwhelms me. I guess for one, I’m looking way too far ahead :p, and also I would need the proper tools (or a good makeshift solution) to do so.

It's not so hard as it seems but it's something expensive depending on the model.
What kind of car are you looking for?
You can always check a rebuild thread in a car's forums. There are fantastics examples.

But anyway, without experience you'll be able to make lot of things like restoring interiors, fix easy thing in the engine like replacing filter, headgaskets, change the timing belt or restore chasis parts like suspension, brakes etc but the hardest problems on restorations (for me) are the electrical systems. You must have more than 5kms of cable to replace and it could take you a lot of hours or even WEEKS if you don't have experience or your knowledges are low.

I can help you with basic things, I supose... Cause i'm restoring my car and I have a very little experience but for first, I'd like to know what kind of car are you looking for

I haven’t settled on exactly one car model…I was thinking of a small pickup since I’ll be moving a lot in the next few years, and I’ve been told they’re easier to repair, and are built very well.
But on the other hand I do have the desire for a smaller car; a few years ago I almost bought a ’91 Plymouth Laser, and when that didn’t work out I went for a ’93 Eagle Talon, which didn’t work out either. I’ve always loved the look of just about any Pontiac (especially the Fiero), though I’ve been told to avoid most of them like the plague.
On that note, aside from the beloved Firebird and Trans Am, how does everybody feel about Pontiacs?

Well I graduated from a automotive trade school. And I worked as a automotive technician for about two years. I love cars, I always been into high performance. So working on somebody's crappy family mini van got old fast. Plus the wages where pretty crappy too.
Anyways, I suggest you get somewhat of a understanding of how cars work if you don't already. Just the basics, nothing major. Afew car magazines like Hot Rod or Popular Hot Rodding if you don't want to read book. Probably could just Google allot of stuff.

Haha that’s interesting, right now I really love the idea of fixing up wonderfully crappy cars that few people would ever consider restoring i.e. “hey, check out my awesome restored ’87 Subaru gl 10!”. I’m odd like that.

If you do want to get a project car, I suggest something pre '80s. They tend to be easier to work on.

Now there’s a new chunk of advice I’ve heard. I’ve always been told “the newer the car, the better”, but that brings a very good point. What with the complex electrical stuff in newer cars like Fenix mentioned, that totally makes sense.
With that said though, I would probably be interested in installing airbags in an older car, even though I hear that can be a tough job. I’ve just heard stories of a guy literally getting scalped by his dashboard in an accident.

And don't worry about sucking, everyone sucks when they first start.

GOOD! Because I have no doubt I will suck :p.


So it sounds to me like it’s far from impossible as long as I’m realistic about the amount of repair needed and cost. I’ve always seen car repair as something that’s easier said than done, and that if I make one tiny tiny mistake…
[youtube]http://www.shenmuedojo.net/forum/posting.php?mode=quote&p=878626
Anyway, thanks for the advice, everyone! It really brings light to the whole subject for me. Though it might take a lot of time until I can actually afford a ride, I might get lucky and find something cheap, so I’ll keep you all updated.
While we’re on the subject, what’s everyone’s favorite cheap compact/sports cars, (2 door or sedan, either one) from ’80 to ‘95? The reason I ask about that specific criteria is because that’s what mostly available.

Some I really like:
Plymouth Laser/Eagle Talon/Mitsubishi Eclipse
Any Datsun 2 seater
Pontiac Fiero
Chevy Beretta
Mercury Capri
Pontiac Sunbird
Plymouth Duster, oddly enough

For non-American:
Subaru gl 10 (unappealing to most I believe)
Mazda MX 5
Toyota MR2
Mazda Miata ( usually more expensive, but once in a while there are some that are sold relatively cheap. many see it as a chick’s car, but I can’t help but loving it)

[Fenix]

I love Pontiacs hehe.

But I'm from Spain and we have no Pontiacs here... You can see a Trans AM but it's something VERY VERY exclusive.

Anyway, reading your car list, I can give you my opinion; The Eclipse is not a bad car and It could be a great option to start but depending the version (GS, GS-T, GSX) you'll need more money, hours and experience to make a rebuild. The GSX for example have a 4WD system a turbo engine and for me, these two points requires some extra experience to control them.

The Miata/MX-5 is a very good choice. It's a simple car, light and it could be very fast.

Mr2 is my favourite of your list. It's a faboulous car are more amazing if you take and MKII turbo (200-245hp) but it's hard to fix or tune the engine cause of his rear engine position and in terms of driving, you'll have to be a very experimented driver to push it at the limit.

About my favourite car. In my case I have 2:
1- Toyota Supra Twinturbo
2- 1969 Dodge Charger R/t

For compact cars I have no preferences but cars like Honda Integra, Nissan Silvia S13, S14, S15, Toyota Mr2 MKII, Celica GT-Four are great IMO.

[LawXiu]

I've always worked on my own cars, finished rebuilding a V6 engine from a golf a couple of months ago. It was a head gasket blow but fairly straight forward.

My advice is get a repair manual and study that for a bit. There's really not that much to learn.

[Bluecast]

I love Pontiacs hehe.

Um...
You were the only one then because no one liked Pontiac. They had some of the biggest pieces of shit cars last 20 years.

No one is going to miss them as GM killed the brand and shut the factories down.

My dad spent my college fund on a 1986 Fiero GT(yup you read right oh and had a personal plate that said Phallus) and that POS was in the repair shop more than it was at home.

The 1993 Geo Metro we had far outlasted anything and was a very reliable car and excellent gas mileage. 45 in the city 53 open road. Plus was great in snow..

[Spokane]

We had a Pontiac Grand AM 1993 I think. Piece of crap stalled in the middle of the street only after having it a few years. Then my brother got it from my parents and went into a state of disrepair. Sent it to a mechanic to get a new engine put in it. Few months later my grandpa and my bro had to steal it back from the lot because the mechanic didn't do his job and disappeared. Found out a while later he left town trying to avoid being arrested for tax evasion, thank god he didn't cash the check my grandma gave him for the new engine. Then it sat at a friend of my bro's for awhile who did mechanical stuff. Blah blah blah. Damn thing was the shittiest car we ever had. I was glad to see him get rid of the damn thing when he finally did. It had more problems than just the engine too.

I can't see why anyone would love a Pontiac. Yuck.

Now he's had a 1990 Mazda Miata since like 2000-2001 and has never had trouble with it.