Knowledge
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
From: Gilroy, CA
Knowledge Well here it goes. I'm really interested in cars and have been for the past 3 years of my life. I love reading about cars and I could sit on ls1tech all day just reading and learning.( Good thing I have this week off of school 
). I've been posting lots of threads, trying to increase my knowledge and want to take my love for cars to the next level.
To tell you the truth, I know pretty much next to nothing about how a car runs and functions. I would really like to learn about how cars run and function but my options are limited. I checked out the autoshop at my school and the class is a joke. The teacher sits there reading the news paper and kids are allowed to bring there cars in and work on them. No learning goes on, what so ever.
What would be the best way to learn about cars and how to work on them? Thanks to ls1tech, I've learned a ton about cars in the last month or so. I owe all of my knowledge to you guys and your informative postings. Thanks a lot.
). I've been posting lots of threads, trying to increase my knowledge and want to take my love for cars to the next level.To tell you the truth, I know pretty much next to nothing about how a car runs and functions. I would really like to learn about how cars run and function but my options are limited. I checked out the autoshop at my school and the class is a joke. The teacher sits there reading the news paper and kids are allowed to bring there cars in and work on them. No learning goes on, what so ever.
What would be the best way to learn about cars and how to work on them? Thanks to ls1tech, I've learned a ton about cars in the last month or so. I owe all of my knowledge to you guys and your informative postings. Thanks a lot.
You can learn alot right here, of course nothing is going to beat the hands on approach, read the car mags, car craft, hot rod, HPP, GMHTP. If you have friends or relatives that work on their own stuff offer to help (that'll get you some hands on)
Get a beater car (something less than $500) and then completly rebuild it, take everything apart, fix it all (mechanical, interior, body/paint). Then put it back together. If it comes out better than when you started... great, if not who cares? It only cost you $500 and you'll learn alot.
This is how I learned, I rocked a 93 geo metro (52hp oh yeah!) with a blown engine, so i did an engine swap, then blew the tranny, did a tranny swap and so on...
You'd be surprised how much you can learn just by f*cking up.
This is how I learned, I rocked a 93 geo metro (52hp oh yeah!) with a blown engine, so i did an engine swap, then blew the tranny, did a tranny swap and so on...
You'd be surprised how much you can learn just by f*cking up.
I was going to say as well that the best way is to just get some hands on experience. I've learned more from working on my car and my friends TA than from anything else. WhiteKnight had a great idea. I had never thought about that before, I wouldn't mind doing that myself.
TECH Apprentice
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 332
Likes: 0
From: richardson, tx
i'm seconding the 'f it up yourself' guy.
Everthing i've learned, i learned pretty much from taking something apart and putting it back together.
Although i was stupid and i did it on a 98 trans am, ..
Everthing i've learned, i learned pretty much from taking something apart and putting it back together.
Although i was stupid and i did it on a 98 trans am, ..
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 709
Likes: 0
From: San Jose, NorCal
^^ like everyone says, do it yourself and you learn hella more. When I first started workin on cars, I admit I was scared of ******* up. Of course this is inevitable unless you're some kind of miracle freak that never messes up. I remember my first oil change, on my 94 sentra. Haha felt so proud of myself instead of paying Jiffy lube 30$ for something so easy. Then I got into electronics. Installed my own deck, rather than paying some audio store 100$ for it. I went even further and got in amps, subs and even fabricating mounts to fit 6x9s in the rear of that small car. Eventually I got myself an Fbody. Made me even more scared to work on her since she was newer, nicer and overall a better car. But I wanted and needed to learn so I did what I had to do. I've been dumb and broken things like adjustment ***** off Konis DA's =(, or forgeting to sand down bare metal for groundings or even torquing lugs to 80lbs. But this is all a learning experience. Trust me man, you'll be proud of yourself for even trying something new which you know nothing about. If you ever get stuck, come in here. Guys in here will always be willing to help. Hope this does something for ya.
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Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
From: Gilroy, CA
Originally Posted by 2001FireBird
^^ like everyone says, do it yourself and you learn hella more. When I first started workin on cars, I admit I was scared of ******* up. Of course this is inevitable unless you're some kind of miracle freak that never messes up. I remember my first oil change, on my 94 sentra. Haha felt so proud of myself instead of paying Jiffy lube 30$ for something so easy. Then I got into electronics. Installed my own deck, rather than paying some audio store 100$ for it. I went even further and got in amps, subs and even fabricating mounts to fit 6x9s in the rear of that small car. Eventually I got myself an Fbody. Made me even more scared to work on her since she was newer, nicer and overall a better car. But I wanted and needed to learn so I did what I had to do. I've been dumb and broken things like adjustment ***** off Konis DA's =(, or forgeting to sand down bare metal for groundings or even torquing lugs to 80lbs. But this is all a learning experience. Trust me man, you'll be proud of yourself for even trying something new which you know nothing about. If you ever get stuck, come in here. Guys in here will always be willing to help. Hope this does something for ya.
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all you can do is just jump into it. hell, i went from not knowing **** (i never changed the oil in my old 89' b2200 and it went 
) to what i am today, a muthafucka who still dont know **** 
.
) to what i am today, a muthafucka who still dont know **** . 
I agree with the learn-by-doing approach. The other part of that is READ READ READ everything you can get your hands on. Go hang out with other guys doing cam swaps and things like that. Spend some time just being a "helper" and then you'll gain confidence.