How did you learn to work on cars?

I started out holding the trouble light for my older brother as he worked on 2002s back in the 70s and 80s. Somehow it gave me the idea to adjust the valves on my parent's '67 250s.

Haynes manuals, a list of cars through the years. Advise from my brother over the phone over the years before the internet and forums.

But watching, reading, learning by doing. Now keep in mind this isn't my profession. I'm in awe watching you pros do a complete rebuild in the time it takes me to find the hood latch.

It's just fun to do. For me, find working on the car is part of autocrossing.

How did this start for you?

My parents bought a janky-ass car when I was 13. When I turned 14, they bought me a set of Craftsman tools. Shortly after that, they bought a parts car for the busted 88 Accord they had, and I started by just taking the parts car apart and putting it back together. One day, they left the janky ride at home, and I changed all of the trim and fixed the headlight motors.

It's amazing what a 14 year old can do with a woefully inadequate set of tools and a no-Berks attitude.

My dad taught me how to on Corvairs back in the early 90's. Started with oil changes and eventually moved on to bigger things like brakes.

My Dad is a mechanic, his Dad was a mechanic, his Dad's Dad was a mechanic. Somehow the Hatfields have always been mechanically inclined.

That said, I learned a ton by Internet forums and by just diving in on my 2g nt Talon. Best way to learn is to do IMO.

Necessity. When you're poor and can't afford to pay someone else to do it, you do it yourself.

That's still how i operate today. I don't really enjoy wrenching.

+1 for necessity. I inherited a '90 Civic from Mom and it needed CV joints replaced if I wanted to drive it. I started swapping in Si parts and performance parts from a new thing called E-Bay. It wasn't my daily driver, so it was a great platform to learn on. Since then, I have rebuilt engines, welded body panels, swapped drivetrains...you name it.

If I had the money to buy a new sports car, I would still be clueless on what the inside of a motor looks like.

Being charged $600 for stock struts and installation on my first Neon. I could've bought the tools, get some aftermarket units and have change left over.

The 64 Spitfire that I bought in 1990. For the first two weeks after I got that car it stayed at my future FIL's garage while he showed me the ropes.

Swank Force One wrote: That's still how i operate today. I don't really enjoy wrenching.

I don't even mind wrenching, I am just dog slow at it so I resent the free time it takes up. I have a feeling that I'll enjoy it more when I'm retired and I can just tinker when I feel like it.

All I learned, I learned from my father. He was a machinist in a research engineering company, not a mechanic, but he could fix anything. He had far more ability than I could / was willing to absorb before he died. I still use his hand tools, and wish I had his shop.

My dad was always the guy that the extended family would call to fix stuff. I always tagged along. My grandfather was a toolmaker and had a full shop in his basement. I always hung out down there. Finally, when I was in college, I scraped together every penny that I could to buy an old Honda motorcycle ($425). I even had to sell my watch to buy it. It came with a shop manual and a tool kit. If I wanted to ride it, I needed to fix it myself. I did, and I did.

My father was a mechanic and never wanted me to be one so he didn't "teach" me anything until I was on a different job path. I started with simple electronics and then went crazy with the big boy tools.

I still don't know much. I just learn as I go.

Having a '72 Vega handed down to you will definitely teach you how to work on cars!!! And then a '76 Vega, '81 Citation X11, '64 Corvair Spyder,................and the list goes on.

When I realized how easy oil changes are. Started doing that for fun, then found out how much cheaper parts were if I bought them and didn't pay garage labor rates. Had friends that were more experienced and could ask questions to as well as the internet so that made it much easier learning curve. That made more money for other cars parts and beer.

Farm kid, and child labor in the machine shop granddad ran in his "barn." A pair of WWII era New Britain Screw Machines, giant Clausing lathe, countless sundry other machine tools. I watched and learned, and luckily picked up on granddad's aptitude for how things work. When something broke WE fixed it, if granddad could make it better, more reliable, cheaper, he usually would. I sure do miss that man.

I took all the "Ag" classes in school, small engines, metals and welding, etc.

I mowed yards for the community in Jr. High/High School, people were always giving me their old mowers. I was a 15 year old that the local NAPA knew by name.

Otherwise necessity, older, well worn cars, I'm a tight-ass, and don't like other people touching my things.

My dad.

I've loved cars ever since I was very small, and my dad was a gearhead of sorts and a total DIY kind of guy. I would help him as a small kid with all the mechanical stuff, and I found it interesting. I remember working on vehicles and small engined things with him as a kid.

I also remember the reality of the fact that cars weren't as reliable as they are now and could break down at any time, leaving you stranded. Those times getting stuck on the side of the road always stuck with me. Any time we broke down, my first question was "what broke"? That's how I learned what Fuel Pumps, Oil Pumps, and even ECU's were.

I learned from my father. I tell you one thing, my legs were stronger than most kids my age by the time I was 10!! Bleeding brakes, installing windshields, handing tools and holding lights. You learn how to fix things, mostly by osmosis! When I graduated High School the Grad gift was 914 in a box. I learned how to mig weld on that car, and make my own panels. I am still not great at it, but I know that if it comes right down to it, i can get the job done.

Mike Kirby

My dad taught me how to do an oil change when I got my license and my first beater car. I learned how to change brake pads on that same car, by buying some new ones and figuring out where they went. I learned how to install a new window regulator when I was failed on the state inspection because my drivers window was duct taped in the up position. I spent my early years taking everything apart to see how it works, so when I started messing with cars, it was not really different than dismantling the toaster or an old radio I found in the basement to me.

My first actual project car, was a '65 Sprite that has a Datsun B210 engine and gearbox swapped into when I bought it. After the drive home, I realized the swap wasn't 100% complete and that the alternator was not wired into the car's harness at all. I ended up buying a voltage regulator and modifying it with some radio shack parts to get it play nice.
Now I do it, because I like it and don't want to pay someone else to do it.

My dad always did his own basic maintenance so I learned by helping him. Then,

Swank Force One wrote:

Necessity. When you're poor and can't afford to pay someone else to do it, you do it yourself.

That's still how i operate today. I don't really enjoy wrenching.

My Dad, who helped after buying his old AMC Hornet and then my '75 Pontiac Firebird. I've done more with the cars I've had through the years but I'm still learning. I realized after removing the head off my Dad's old BMW 2002 and then putting it back without properly torquing it, that I should read the manual first. Reading is important.

My dad taught me the basics (oil change/tire change etc) but I really got into in when I got a beat-down non-running 1971 Yamaha JT60 for $60. I talked to the helpful parts guy at the dealer and then a friend and me tore into it with the knowledge that we couldn't make it any worse. We had it running by the end of the weekend and I sold it for $150. I was 13 then. I've been interested in mechanical things my whole life really, even though I have a desk job by choice, my free time (scarce) is preferably spent in the garage.

Runs in the family. My grandfather could take a matchstick, piece of wire and bubble gum and make anything work. Between him (unfortunately died when I was 9)and Dad, I was always working on lawnmowers, tractors, large trucks as well as our normal trucks/vans/cars. Before the days of AutoZones/cheap parts stores you had Napa ($$$$$) or CarQuest($$$$) to get your parts from. After that, you didn't have money left to pay someone to install them!

I didn't get it from my dad or his father. I just like playing with mechanical things. The father of a friend helped me rebuild an old bike - right down to the pawls in the freewheel. I worked as a bike mechanic, then started working on cars at 21 when I got my first one.

Basically, I learn by doing.

Part from my dad, 2 years Vocational in high school, 1 semester in a collage auto tech program and I flunked out. I'm decent at wrenching, but I learned going pro wasn't for me a little too late.

At this point, the work I don't do my self is limited by time and resources. You can only do so much with basic hand tools on an uneven gravel driveway.

My dad also.

Dad was a certified Tool & Die Maker (machinist). He also loved anything with a motor. When we were young he would have us out working on vehicles with him. I can remember climbing into the engine bay of a 74 Chev 1-ton and changing the plugs. We had minibikes (Honda CT-70 and a Honda 100) and we worked on them. Dad had a Bultaco Pursang 125 and a Can-Am 175 MX'er. We also has ATV's and off-road kart and others.

As I got older I bought a 77 Suzuki GS400 with dad's blessing (but not Mom's!!!) and worked on that. Then I re-built a $30 RD400 from the ground up. When I was in University I bought a 77 Pontiac for a derby and found the build sheet - it had a 400 SB Chev in it! I ended up swapping it into a friend's 79 Z28.

All these endeavors were supported by Dad with answers to my questions and a helping hand - only when I needed it. I found out later that my Dad upon hearing me say in Gr. 4 that I wanted to be an Engineer, made sure that his son was not going to be what he called a "Book Engineer". He wanted me to understand how things worked and were put together, not just in theory.

Dad died early (54) from a massive heart attack and I sure miss him. My current love of rally would have been fun with him around. I am sure that he would have helped me even if I am working on "jap-scrap", as he called it. Dad was a GM guy and I have a Ford and two Subaru's. He would probably disown me, if he was still around.

Poverty and necessity have always been my instructors. From my first car if something broke it was my only way to get around so I learned to fix what I could on my own. I've had nicer cars and they go to the shop more but for the Miata or the Suburban, if I can do it myself I'll give it a shot.