MarvinMartian

Growing up, my father didn't spend much time working on the car, so I never spent much time learning from him.

Just the basics: maintain the fluids, change a battery/tires.

I'm not totally afraid of working on a car. In college, I changed an alternator on a '73 Dodge in a dark carport with a pair of locking pliers and a small flashlight held in my teeth.

But large tasks intimidate me.

I have thought about enrolling in a local community college to learn basic automotive skills. Anyone else think that would be beneficial/wise?
Any other advice on how to learn to be confident when working on a car?

JasonZ-YA

iTrader: (60)

I learned from my father/uncle/other uncle/grandfather, etc...etc..

From there it shaped me to know at an early age i wanted to be an engineer......

Now, i love my mechanic skills and would kill for more wrench time.......I hate air tools and love physically turning wrenches........i have lately become more fond of my small dewalt impact though...

Any who, I definitely see the CCollege thing being helpful, but for the most part they will teach you general aspects and you may become bored

........since you own a 350z and the interest and Z love is there, i would say its best to hit up your local regional threads and offer to lend a hand on working on other Z members cars or asking to be present when mods/maintenance are installed/completed.

I help work on locals cars and I make sure the owners know they are lending a hand and learning in the process..........

I recently had a DFW Tech day as well:
https://my350z.com/forum/meet-ups-ev...t=DFW+TECH+DAY
lots of people complimented that they learned a lot that day.

I don't know where "HERE" is, but hit up your local Z buddies!

I have a general saying that is golden!!! "You can do any job as long as you have the right tools"

"Tools" being the physical tools for the job, but also the research behind it in knowing whats all involved........

prior to any major install, there is at least a few hours or days of research prior to wrench day for me! I verify everything before wrench time!

-J

MarvinMartian

Thanks, Jason.

"Here" is Austin.

JasonZ-YA

iTrader: (60)

dude, then DFW TECH DAY #2 (in the works) you better come up and hang out and bring a change of clothes and get your learn on! Ill pm you before hand and let ya know when.

Ill be in austin sat night at lake travis getting da drunk....

-J

JasonZ-YA

iTrader: (60)

Start by purchasing tools...........just buy cheap and when you see what you really need and use often purchase quality tools from there. As in buy Harbor Freight wrenches, ratcheting wrenches, etc......jump up from there as you see fit.

Buy everything metric as you will probably never need anything SAE for the Z. I have an SAE tool set and i NEVER bust it out. its super rare i do.

I tend to say to stay away from tool sets...usually half of whats in there doesnt get used or is worth less.

start with: (all metric and HF prices)
normal wrenches (5 bucks)
set of ratcheting wrenches ($40-60)
set of goose neck ($10)
deep socket set (10-20)
regular short socket set (10)
breaker bar ($15)
torque wrench ($15)
jack stands ($14.99)
jack ($59 on sale in ad - i have that one)


Join Harbor freights email list and you will get discount copuons liek this all the time:
http://mikesenese.com/DOIT/wp-conten...ghtCoupons.jpg

-J

Brett@AwesomeZ

I've owned 2 rx-7's..... If your not already a mechanic, just buy an rx-7 and it will turn you into one. Started doing all my own work at 16 with a crappy set of Pittsburgh tools, a floor jack and a haynes manual.

I went to UTI here in Houston, back then it wasn't priced nearly as high as it is now. From my experience, that type of training is only meant to give you the basics of everything, it's up to you to continue to learn on your own. Which means plenty of wrench time on your own vehicle and whoever else will let you touch their car along with a starting job at a shop where you will probably make crappy money but learn alot.

Beyond that, it's also good to keep your head in some good reading material. Even if you can't absorb everything in the book, it will help get you thinking in the right direction (like an engineer).

Zazz93

iTrader: (2)

Personally, I've always been a "tinker-er" and taking things apart and putting them back together was never a problem. But my interest in engines started with an Acura Integra I overheated (broken hose on the freeway and didn't recognize the needle pegged) and needed to rebuild. At the time I was broke and didn't have the option to pay someone $1000-2000 in labor. Sure, dad was a big help but the bulk of what I learned came from the forums and factory service manuals (and trial and error). With that said... I did take one class back in HS, so I would suggest you start with the formal class setting but like Jason said previously - nothing beats hands on experience.

BornSlippyZ

iTrader: (1)

My Dad never really taught me how to be a "mechanic", but one of my well to do child hood friends taught me the basics. We learned on "old" 60's Fords, Mustangs, Ranchero, Lincoln Cont. etc and we worked on his dad's Peterbilt Semi sometimes.

Later I went in the Air Force where I learned to work on General maint on Aircraft, also I learned electrical/structural/powerplant of aircraft while I was on the job. During that time I bought 2 cars (Saturn and 85 Rx-7) and with some help from my AF buddies, I tore both cars apart and made them my own.

I agree with what others said, you learn by doing. And if you do not know something about your car, always research/ask someone that may know. This could save you a lot of work/heartache.

xzotklr

iTrader: (2)

Learned on my hot & sweaty back.........wait....what was the question again!!

Brett@AwesomeZ

Also, just a tip that you may not hear from buddies and all that. Take safety seriously. I have been in the business long enough to hear all kinds of horror stories. When I was younger I didn't wear safety goggles or gloves or anything like that. Until a buddy of mine was walking by someone that was grinding on something like 10ft. away and he had a piece of metal tossed into his eye.
The dr. quite literally had to drill out material from his eye around the metal to remove it. Then a teacher of mine told me about an old tech of his who got skin cancer working at a transmission shop up to his elbows in ATF all the time.
After having just about every kind of automotive fluid in my eyes, oil, coolant, brake fluid, brake cleaner etc, I wear safety glasses doing just about anything under a car.
You just can't be too careful with your eyes.

plumpzz

iTrader: (10)

I was working on my friends WRX and I was changing the oil at teh wrong angle and I got a quart of hot oil in my eyes and down my nose. **** burned so god damn bad. I washed my eyes for 20 minutes straight and they were so damn red. I'll never do that again.

JasonZ-YA

iTrader: (60)

^ DUDE DAMMN GOOD POINT!

I am big on safety glasses!! I have tons of them in drawers in my garage! gloves, etc...

don't pass on a good set of glasses man..
-J

KornerCarver

iTrader: (2)

I started tinkering with cars back in the early 1960's. I helped friends rebuild engines for drag racing cars and as time went on, I became pretty handy around cars. I still love working on cars but I am getting more selective in the kind of work I will do. I just don't do anything any more that requires getting under the car. My old body just doesn't work well lying under cars.

ImWeeZzel

iTrader: (27)

I went to a vo-tech nearby for a year. I learned the basics as others mentioned, but I learned more in my 2 weeks intern in a shop. I still lack in the electronics department and I continue to learn when I get the chance.

My first build was a 95 s-10. I didnt overhaul or anything, just replaced the cylinder head. She fired up perfectly on the first try. I poor boyed myself through college until I could buy a decent set of tools. One day I like to own a lift, not that I wanna work on cars for a living, I just rather service my own.

My older bro is a mechanic, welder and electrician so I learned from him. Even he needs to look at a manual and research often. It helps having a helping hand because we can check each others work or provide a second opinion.I like to read the DIY section in the forum and learn from the experience of others. For the most part you guys are my teachers

10-E-C-350Z

iTrader: (9)

Perfect. Trial and error is how I learn/have learned. For instance, this weekend I tried putting my valves back together without safety glasses. This was an error because one of the keepers came loose and clocked me right in my eye. Just goes to show you they come in handy when hovering over something too.

JasonZ-YA

iTrader: (60)

Tips i can think of are:

-Take your time
-research often
-measure first and make sure you got the right parts. (LOL at people buying LSD's for base models when they have a touring vlsd diff) that sorta thing.
-dont remove one bolt completely at a time, loosen them all then remove the part, same going back on, or you will be fighting misalignment.
- when working on suspension on one side, lift the entire front of the car...LOL at leaving the other side down and the sway bar fighting you.

Things of that nature, all come with experience and time turning wrenches.

I have lately been big on making jigs and my own shop tools, press plates and press tools....along with buying things like the motive power bleeder, small dewalt impact(really versatile because of its size), etc.....

Anything to make a job quicker and easier, I will start to invest in......including hacking up tools to make a "job specific tool" etc....

-J

abo

iTrader: (5)

Started with the 350z. I wanted to keep it as maintained as possible. First I research'ed as much as possbile online. What helped out a lot was having my friend who is a certified Audi Tech. Hes had a few years of experience. So I combine him + All Data + Forum DIY's.

Ended spending a lot of money on tools. But there was three of us that was really into self maintenance, so we manage to split all the tool 3 ways, which made it a lot more affordable.

Brett@AwesomeZ

Good god the tools. I've prolly got 10k tied up in tools / toolbox.

Guilty1s

iTrader: (12)

3 letters.... DSM

Neu Era

iTrader: (3)

Dad's a master mechanic. Also took collision repair classes.