Give me your advice

[mymymys13]

This question has been bugging me through out the day. Ive seen a lot of amazing/breath taking builds of cars on here. what i dont get is how these people/you learned about and how to build the amazing machinery that you love and call yours? As much as i stare at my car and try to fix the small problems it has im ALWAYS left with a blank stare and i usually end up paying other people to fix the problems (as much as i hate it). im new in the 240/car scene.
What advice do you have?
how did you learn?





Next semister ima sign up at trade tech for their automtive program.
i want to learn everything everything everything everything and anything that has to do with cars.

[SC_S13]

Well, there's basically a billion ways to go at it.
However, I've personally heard more so than not that auto tech schools are a waste of time and money. I've never heard of Trade Tech, but theres bad voodoo going around about the UTI and others.

FSMs, read-ups, help from more knowledgeable friends....that's just the tip of the iceberg buddy.

The biggest step is getting tools and just going balls out on your car. Definitely an investment that should not be taken lightly, and expect to have many headaches and obstacles. Not everyone is as talented as Newman haha. Most of the builders on here either have lots of hands-on experience or a background in mechanical engineering + more hands on exp (ie. Newman).

Could always intern at a shop? Hope this helps.
And to the haters: yes, i do want to have copious amounts of sex with Newman :-P


oh, and you might want to ask a mod to move this to chat.

[mymymys13]

Trade Tech is a school thats in the center of LA and they offer a 3 year program that gets you certified bumper to bumper. The only reason that im considering attending is because i want to to get some kind of insight on cars. Plus i think the classes are like 20 bucks or sumsing. thanks for the advice

[WagDatto]

I've learned a lot from working with my older brother, but sometimes we find ourselves kind of stumped. Searching on Zilvia has gotten me through the buildup on the 'Goon so far! Any problem you have has probably been gone through a few times by other people, and there's bound to be a writeup on here somewhere on how to fix it.

Hands on experience is the best tool you have. Reverse engineering helps (take something apart to see how it works). Basic understanding of how the motor is put together gets you far! I'm still absolutely clueless on a lot of stuff purely KA related, not to mention anything else, but I feel like I can get by! If the situation arose, I'm fairly confident I could diagnose the problem, and for a standard issue, I feel fairly confident that I could fix it if I had the tools available to me.

Get your hands dirty, get involved with a friend on a project and use the Search button on Zilvia! Your questions do have answers. Answers PLURAL because they've been written up many times.

[apex]

what i always do when i gotta fix or want to add parts to the 40
i research everything i can bout what i wanna do like tonite i needed
to put in a manuel window regulator didnt know how to do it and
didnt find anything bout it so i said f it pulled out the tools and went to town it only took like 15mins to do and been with the window fallin
down for bout 3 months now lol till tonite

[SC_S13]

^^^Make local friends on Zilvia! Zilvian's got yo back son haha

[jimmytango00]

I was on the same boat as you about two years back when i bought my g35 . i wanted to learn everything, body work, paint, mechanics, fabrication etc.... Its a bitch and there is alot to learn. My friend just happen to be an amazing fabricator and mechanic so i took on my first build with my buddy (luisgonz) and i learned alot of how things work and yea even a bit of mechanics. i came to realize that i suck at it and im way to fucking clumsy and impatient so i wasn't really cut out to be a mechanic. sometimes you just have to come to terms with it haha. So 2 years ahead to now i've learned alot and i can do your basics like change my own oil, a bit of body work, etc...one important thing too is that i know if something goes wrong with my car im pretty sure i would know what it is from what i've learned. Just because you don't know mechanics or you cant fabricate anything doesn't mean you cant be a car enthusiast IMHO

[apex]

impatient yea me too when i did my header install on my sohc i kept
getting stuck between the steering rack and the ac com. so i was like
damn i ended up ripping out the ac cuz i coundnt do it lol i pay for it
every summer owell still got the vent to get sum air in there :-/

learn by doin it only thing i can say

[mymymys13]

thanks to all my fellow zilvia members for their positive input. Next time i run across a problem ill make sure to use the advice given. thanks again.
First thing next pay check ill invest in tools :)

[ericcastro]

like thay all said. Its just research the job, and get your hands dirty.

Dont take on something to big. Like timing, electrical, vacumm.

start with oil changes, spark plugs, fluid changes/bleeding brakes and clutch,brake jobs. Simple electronics like a fuse or turn signal thats not working. cleaning your car well will actually show you alot of "how stuff works".

From those things you can move onto, clutch fan replacement, altinaters, starter, new plug wires, battery, radiator, heater.

Keep with the simple stuff so you dont feel like you will never get it.

baby steps homie :)

[Sileighty_85]

Go to www.Howstuffworks.com (http://www.Howstuffworks.com) type in what you wanna learn.
I started there, and learned more from one of my friends in Oki, and tearin up spare SR's and RB's learning where everything went and how it was put together.

Start small like everyone says. Try and get your hands on like a throw away engine and tear it apart slowly examining it and try to put it back togrther.
FSM is your friend it will tell you what to do step by step

once you learn how an engine works everything you see will become so clear and simple.

[ClutchKickThatBitch]

Dude im right there with you im new to the 240/car scene as well so im learning as i go. All i can offer is get the FSM for your car and whenever you get into trouble or have a problem just look it up. But like ericcastro said start off small like oil changes, spark plugs, fluid changes/bleeding brakes and clutch,brake jobs, and move on from there. As for you going to tech school you should read this thread before you waste your money.

http://www.zilvia.net/f/showthread.php?t=185214

[Phlip]

I have found that breaking shit is the #1 way to learn to put it back together, funny as that may seem.

I am gonna move this thread to OT, as it is not "Tech Talk," even though it is good conversation to have.

[kandyflip445]

Well, there's basically a billion ways to go at it.
However, I've personally heard more so than not that auto tech schools are a waste of time and money. I've never heard of Trade Tech, but theres bad voodoo going around about the UTI and others.

FSMs, read-ups, help from more knowledgeable friends....that's just the tip of the iceberg buddy.

The biggest step is getting tools and just going balls out on your car. Definitely an investment that should not be taken lightly, and expect to have many headaches and obstacles. Not everyone is as talented as Newman haha. Most of the builders on here either have lots of hands-on experience or a background in mechanical engineering + more hands on exp (ie. Newman).

Could always intern at a shop? Hope this helps.
And to the haters: yes, i do want to have copious amounts of sex with Newman :-P


oh, and you might want to ask a mod to move this to chat.

Who the fuck is Newman? lol

I learned the basics of engines in small gas engines class in high school. Then I just bought books. Surfed a LOT of forums. Then started working on my own car. My FSM is worth it's weight in gold from the amount of money I've saved doing it myself. lol

Any projects that I wanted clarification on or to see if there were any shortcuts, I would search forums to see what else people have done. You have to sift through a lot of BS threads cause everyone remembers the one thread that has the answer, then tells the OP to go search. So you get a ton of threads that don't have the answer but if you post about it, they will tell you to search. So if you see a thread like that. Just keep looking. The answer is there. lol No harm in posting if you're short on time though.

[Rnz520]

When something breaks, dont be afraid to dig in and get dirty. Thats how I started working on cars when I was 12 (changing dads oil), got hooked, started reading, did his brakes, and when he didnt crash or go off the road, I decided that I liked this and kept reading and getting dirtier.

So next time instead of paying ridiculous amounts of money to someone, buy some tools (Craftman) and DIY.

[emersonLP]

I had some interest in cars and at some point I got a tool set and a jack for christmas.

Then I was a broke college student with a shitty integra - The CV axle broke and I decided to fix it myself. It took a couple days because I didnt know wtf I was doing and I had to bum rides to the autopart store like 17 times. But after that I did everything myself and just learn as I go. I break still shit occasionally, but then I fix it. If I have a question I check the 3 F's:
1. FSM
2. Forums
3. Friends

[BustedS13]

when i was but a young lad of ten years or so, pops racer called me out to the garage. he put a drop light in my left hand and his Busch Light in my right. hours became days. "no, point it over here". days weeks, weeks months, months years. "no over here". autumn to spring. spring to fall. "where's my beer".
and a shadetree mechanic was born

[WilloW]

It takes time to and some some fucking up to learn, unless you prep yourself before diving into some project. Make use of the FSM, Google and the forums. Whenever I get stuck, the "search" functions on various forums have not failed me yet. Especially the one on Zilvia and Freshalloy. Take your time when you're working on your car so that you could prevent mistakes and halfass job (not saying that you do halfass jobs). But like what Emerson said, it start with a good tool set.

[drift freaq]

Ok some auto tech schools are good. I took Auto shop in high school and went to De Anza Auto Tech at De Anza College in Cupertino CA. At the time I went it was the 3rd best Auto Tech school in the country and it was a Junior College so tuition was cheap.
What it did for me was break the ice and taught me all the basics and then some. In fact I was able to leave there and get jobs wrenching. I wound as a Assistant manager at Shell station at the age of 20. I also found out I hate wrenching on other peoples cars. Its more satisfying working on your own.

I am not the worlds fastest wrench, in fact there are a lot of guys that just smoke me. They are called professionals and they get paid for it. I am particular though about the quality of the build. My OWN cars, NOT cars that I have showed for shops, that I have worked with in the past,show that.

I also have a propensity for learning everything I am into. In that sense I read up and research the shit. I learn and then I think about ways to do it better.
Again people that know me know this about me. People that don't hate and talk out there ass. Why because I like to share what I have learned and that usually bugs them makes them jealous at which point they call me conceited . LOL hahahhahhahaha fuck them.

I know the stuff I do through a combination of hands on and study. I say if there is a good trade school to break the ice and get you comfortable do it. Not everyone has someone around to show them the basics. I have seen some scary questions and people that should not be allowed to even hold a wrench due to their basic lack of general automotive knowledge.

Tech schools can give you that jump. If you are not fortunate enough to have someone hold your hand and bite their tongue when you make mistakes.
Its up to you, I am not going to say don't bother with a tech school you can learn it on your own. Going it yourself can sometimes take longer and be worse depending on the persons natural talent and abilities.

The basics of tools have already been laid out in this thread. I say its up to you . If you think you can do it without great. If you think the school will help go for it. School is good regardless of what others say. Being taught does speed up the learning process.

P.S. I have had to repair a leaking fuel return line in the parking lot of pep boys to avoid pissing gas down the street. If you read up on fuel return lines its not so much hard as annoying due to the location of it. Its also messy. hahhahhaha. I attribute the ability to do that to two things, one is school, two is desire to get in there and do stuff.

3. Was , fuck I needed to get home and there was something I could do about it due to knowledge. :rofl:

[tbowzer]

If I am running into a problem I employ: family/friends, books, trial and error not necessarily in that order.

[duffman1278]

I've mostly learned from family, kinda grew up learning to use tools and what not and fix my own stuff. But the best thing really is to start small like mentioned, oil, spark plugs. Things like that. Hell even remove your spark plugs and put them and go find some useless parts you dont need or friends w/e and take those apart and see if you could put it back.

[cgtdream]

When i first started with working on cars, it was just something to do, and i did what alot of people have already said...changed oil, tires, learned from friends, and helped them with their broken chit(aka engine problems, coilover installs)....and nowadays, i took what i learned, not more so technical stuff, but just that get er done attitude, and that has helped me with alot with the things i do today...like an engine swap that i never thought i could do since ive never swapped an engine before...but honestly still couldnt of even of done that without the help of friends,google,zilvia, google....

[ayuaddict]

experience

experience

and some more experience.

[SC_S13]

Who the fuck is Newman? lol
RB26 into e30 guy! http://www.zilvia.net/f/showthread.php?t=128515

Ok some auto tech schools are good. I took Auto shop in high school and went to De Anza Auto Tech at De Anza College in Cupertino CA. At the time I went it was the 3rd best Auto Tech school in the country and it was a Junior College so tuition was cheap.
Doh, i totally forgot about De Anza, that college was on my doorstep before I went to SB. Come to think of it, my friend from SJSU suggested going there a couple months ago :ghey: im a tarddddd.

[ManoNegra]

Get your hands on the FSM and read it.
Make friends with more knowledge people.
Aside from the knowledge and hands on experience, auto schools are a great place to get your hands on hard to find/expensive tools - like oem factory scanners. Also they have great programs to buy tools at discounts.

[SW20Racer]

well it all started for me when my dad showed up at the house one day with a '66 vw bug chassis in tow and a junkyard engine in the truck bed and said, "happy 15th birthday, if you plan on driving in a year, you better start working on it now." handed me the key to the toolbox, and went inside to watch tv.

best strategery i can offer you is to study up on whatever project you plan on doing for a day or two, and set aside AT LEAST one day to finish it. (and thats for the simpler projects)

2. dont try to blaze through a project. just set a deadline and stay consistent. when people rush is when people tend to fuck up.

3. there are comp programs out there that will break a project down piece by piece, supply you with part numbers and give it a difficulty rating and a time estimate rated for someone who has done this @ least once before

[spoolandslide]

i say

just do it
make new friends with people who know what they are doing
do stuff with them to your car or theirs and

learn by doing

[punxva]

i've learned from doing things wrong then searching the forums, no joke, it really does help that every problem has basically been covered, i just go at it with a few friends and learn along the way, well i use to, now most the things i have to do, i've done a bunch of times. it's all about experience, getting in there and breaking stuff, and fixing it, or trying to, if you get in over your head, take a deep breath and dont start a thread, just look, and research, it works, and you'll be more satisfied that having been spoonfed the right way or having someone else clean up after you.

PS the FSM is a great start too.

[steve_o1989]

Get your self a good set of tools and a FSM and then start wrenching.

I don't know how knowlegable you are with cars, but if you really are quite new, just go straight back to the basics. Make http://www.howstuffworks.com/ one of your good friends for understanding the basic fundamentals and then you can build on them. Once you understand how something works, it becomes way easier working on it because things actually make sence and it is not just "a bunch of pieces"

Make yourself a local friend that is good with cars. Find someone that is willing to take the time to teach you what you would like to know.

Go to the library and look for some automotive books. You will really learn a ton by reading. Again, start with the basics or you won't know what some of the more advance terms mean and things will just become confusing for you.

Last but not least, don't be afraid to ask questions. No matter how silly it might seem to you, just ask it. If you are asking it on the forum, search first to see if it has been covered. You can find alot of very informative threads by searching.