So, who has taught you about cars?

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4 years of Shop back when i was in High School. Now they hardly offer that at schools... Too bad
 
Started around 14 yrs. old.Tear it apart and put it back together.Read alot back then.Info. is probably the most important tool of all.Now I have my first Ply.(65 Cuda) so the learning process has begun again.Complete rebuild top to bottom,front to rear.
Ok,what the h_ll is this and where does it go? Hmmmm
 
Self taught, started on motorcycles and snowmobiles when I was 13, 2 trades tickets, 1 degree and 40 years experience later here I am now semi-retired. Waiting for the wife to hang it up then sell everything and travel the country.
 
mopardart72 said:
carburated intakes are easier to take off than FI ones, i dont feel comfertable working on new cars,

the main thing im scared about doing is installing new pistons because im scared ill screw up TDC and ruin the engine i just spent 3-4k on
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Don't be afraid, read, ask questions, get someone that knows about it, get a junk motor and disassemble it.

The pistons have knotches in them to show front of engine, use a number stamp (or a punch, one indent for the number of cylinder, one in one, 6 in six) on each rod cap before removing

Built my 1st 273 hipo engine when I was 16

I did go to trades school for auto mechanics my JR & SR year of high school too.

My dad was a licensed mechanic so he could inspect cars at my uncles body shop, journyman machine repairman for chrysler and all around handy man. He could fix most anything mechanical

I was his shadow growing up. He worked afternoons and mom worked days, so he watched me all day. So if he was working on something I as there.

In the later years dad could not figure out how to set the clock on the VCR or setup his answering machine, but he could still fix whatever I broke. he took out more broken bolts than I can remember.

It has been 7 years, sure could use some of his help & guidance ever now and then.
 
i mostly learned on my own,lots of trial and error.i had chevys that i worked on before mopars lol.i did alot of reading as well.being a fabricator /welder by trade i was already hands on and not afraid to try things.my learning curve has however expanded greatly over the past few years thanks to a few people ive met on this site.
 
Learned paint and body from a friends father.Engines and everything else mopar at a speed shop in the early 90s.What I learned was tested on Sat nites.If we lost,go back to the drawing board.
 
Had to rough it on my own. Dad did`nt work on his cars till he retired and seen his boys doing it. fixed income thing I guess.
I tryed to repair all my own junk cause of lack-o-coin.
If I could`nt figure it out, I`d ask someone who knew.
Now its a hobby and I like the satisfaction of repairing myself.
You cant be too proud or ashamed to ask, or it could get costly.
My favorite resourse now is this site or other web links, "only been online for 3 years". always late to get on the tech-wagon.
But mostly, It`s thanks to these, bought one for any vehicle I planned on keeping for awhile.
 

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My dad owned a junk yard. Took apart my first motor (flat head ford) at age 6. Dads brothers and my moms brothers were mechanics. A lot of my friends in high school were gear heads.Had a job at a local gas station after school. Got to work a lot in the lube bays.The owner raced Stock cars (Nascar) Got to watch him work on them.
 
After 41 years , I still don't know 5H1T .
What little I do know is all self-taught . Self-taught meaning :
- Reading
- Trial & Error ( lots ! )
- Friends

Like just about everything , my knowledge is so spotty ; ask me to decode a 1968 - 1980 Chrysler v.i.n. , and I'll do it no sweat .
Ask me how to set-dwell on a breaker point distributor , and I'll just look at you and drool .

Ask me about what lubricants to use , and I'll bore you to tears .

Start throwing cam specs around , and you'll lose me .

I know about old octane rating methods vs. new(er) octane rating methods , and I can tell you .
( basically , give-up 5 octane points to the old system ; 87 octane = 92 octane in the old method . "R+M/2" = Research octane number , plus Motor octane number , divided by two . 95 RON + 105 MON = 100 R+M/2 ) .

So , yeah ... all my knowledge is like that : spotty , but learned the 'hard' way :thumrigh:
 
Thrashard340 said:
Nobody in my family knew anything about cars when I was growing up. This was pre-internet. I mostly learned through Hod Rod, Mopar Muscle and several other publications. Also, took high school auto and then eventually went to the local community college through a two year automotive program. I'm still not very handy with a wrench. I break a lot of stuff, and have a hard time putting things back together sometimes ](*,)

Now, I look to these forums for help.
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Hang out at any Repair Shop - Everybody has a hard time, at least once a day!
 
Chryslers Service Manual for 68 Dodge cars. I got one with my 68 GTS when I was a teenager. I still have what's left of that book today.
 
my dad. I also love reading the tech articles in magazines. I did learn how to replace a front end all by myself (95% of it) from early January to March this year though...
 
As a child , I grew up with my grandparents. My "Pop" (grandfather) was a mechanic for Bettenhousen Dodge in the 70's. At night we'd grind and lap valves, port heads, rebuild carbs and trannies right on the kitchen table. That was side work. Grandma was always pi55ed bout that. I was very useful in the head rebuilding as I had tiny hands at 5 yrs old for puttin in those little keepers. Been exposed to lead, solvent gas and everything since I could crawl, didn't kill me or screw up my kids.( as far as I know) Anyhow he really did not want me wrenchin , but hey, I support my family turning wrenches. Since I started gettin paid I went from shop to shop lookin for the oldest guy in the place who had all his fingers , I'd park my box next to his and pick his brain for all it's worth then like a swarm o locust move on to the next shop an do it all over again. I think my education adds up to a couple hunnert years of experience now. Wouldn't trade any of it. Some of the best men I've ever met or been priviledged to know or work with.
 
Mostly just learning this stuff on my own, from experience, a good Haynes manual, and FABO of course!
 
My dad, who's still teaching me as we put the 68 back together. It isn't till he retired and I'm making enough to properly fund the project that we're seeing eye to eye. He's never been a Dodge guy yet here we are having fun. He's 64 I'm 44, took a little while.
 
When I was 13 I helped dad rebuild an old Jubalee tractor. Not long after that we had to do a complete rebuild on the 460 in our 79 3/4 ton P/U. We then started on my first truck and the story goes on. My dad was an old school hot rodder in the 70's I wish we still had that road runner!!!! He kicks hisself in the butt everyday for getting rid of it. I think he sold it for 500 bux in the late 70's or early 80's...
 
Started taking things apart at a very young age couldn't put them back but that was the beginning[my father was a woodworker knew nothing about mechanics],hanging out around folks that built race cars on my block,ended up helping build race cars, test driving them, worked in the pits, then started building my own street cars ,it's an illness you can't recover from.I learned from the school of hard knocks no formal training and i'm still learning at 52 years old,my wife thinks i'm crazy to stay out in the garage half the night working on my cars thinks i should give it up and relax i tell her that my cars are my relaxation.
 
Tnplumber said:
Proverty, Pride and need to make it to work the next day, lol.
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Ain't that the truth..

My first car - 1974 Vega. Had a little accident and pushed in the front end. Told Dad "I can fix that". We (he) found some guy with Vega parts, and we ended up buying a front clip, cut through the fenders, loaded it complete into the trunk of his 74 Chrysler and brought it home. He opened the trunk helped me get it out, then said.. "There you go" and walked away :)

My mom still tells the story of when I was six and took apart my first watch. Never did that thing back running :)

Grant
 
My best friend since childhood taught me everything I know. He is more into newer cars tho lol, but a lot of what he taught me I can apply to this stuff as well!
 
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