Dive your *** in and get yer hands dirty! When you come up for air and have questions, you have this site. Man you have got more options to learn here than anybody ever has in the history of man and automobile when it comes to this score of cars. Being 18 isn't going to hold you back, being lazy will. Show respect to the old cars, learn what it is, you have a hell of an oppurtunity to do what you love coming.
do what I did as I am in the same position, I want to know everything but don't know much. 1. Find every Hot rod shop in your area 2. Start visiting them and tell the owner you will set aside a day or so a week for a few months to work for free until one of them says yes. You will learn more by being there, Ok you will be poor but it is worth it, I have learnt heaps! and have cored part time work now.
Flame me if you want but....I have seen alot of apprentices come and go and my opinion is this.....You either have it or you don,t. Many kids really wanted to be mechanics but could never grasp it at all. It doesn,t matter how many times you explained stuff to them they just couldn,t wrap their head around the principles. Sure they liked to talk the talk but an experienced tech new they were full of ****.You can,t just "want" to be a mechanic in any aspect.You have to feel it in your blood and know that it,s your calling long before you decide to follow that dream.I,m the grown up kid that tore everything apart to see how and why it worked the way it did,the kid that took two broken toys and built a working one,the kid that was fascinated by things that were different. I knew long before I became a mechanic that it was my calling....
My advise is to DO IT! If something is broken, or you want to modify it, DO IT!. Take it apart and change it. It's very simple, once you take it apart you have to put it back together to make it work again. You'll need advise to do some things, I still do at 56, and that will teach you so much about other things that you will want to do in the future. I use this approach in things other than cars too. When I was 22 I bought a house and wanted a door to replace a window. I took out the window, cut a big hole in the wall and then told my wife, "now i gotta fix that, might as well put a door in there."
All the above but no subs***ution for AGE WISDOM AND TALENT-Some have all three and some have only the first and pay for the rest. Some have a natural born talent and with time hone it to a fine edge. My personal talents are wide spread and I have done close to all of it only to find in some areas no matter how hard I try I can't make the grade so I pay those that have the touch. Example as to body work. I can fabricate, bend tubing custom build and still work with lead (as in lead sled). My lack of ability is the finish work to achieve that smooth professional look and feel for the final paint and appearance. This site is new to me and it has a world of information and hundreds of multi talented people so its your choice but it takes a dedication of your time.
Listen Read and Learn write notes..keep a journal and or work book wait till you get older and start forgetting **** you one knew so easily..thats when the note book comes in handy alot of the knowledge most of these guys have is from doing it, and also from making mistakes and learning from them..and asking others before them to teach them.. have good eyes..and ears
You ever notice that a politician never says "I don't know" ??? I agree with most. Back in the day, hell, I never kept track of bolts I took out etc. I just threw them in a coffee can and hoped I'd find them all later. If I was over a few or short a few didn't matter. But take things apart, remember where stuff goes, and if you can't remember, like I am nowdays, make notes diagrams and with today's digital cameras, take pictures of where things go. Some that aren't mechanically inclined needs to make lots of notes and diagrams. Logic goes a long ways. I did a job on a Miata water pump replacement a year ago or so and it was a booger. I had diagrams, pictures, notes and kept all of the parts in order. I don't remember like I used to, sort of like when I first started.
Go to car shows, talk to people, hook up with a club that is building cars you like. Focus on the area that interests you most first. Once you have a good understanding of that subject, move to another. Presently I'm teaching myself automatic transmissions. the hardest part: It's going to take time.
C.D.O.....Schools open ! 20's,30's,40's,50's,60's,70's..pick a decade, pick a brand. Hands on apprentice training NO CHARGE ! PM me if you are interested.. Dave
Get your hands dirty. Book knowledge is great if you are taking a test. Until you take something apart, clean it, put it back together and adjust it to work correctly again, you really haven't done much. A photographic memory isn't needed to be a good mechanic or craftsman. Knowing where to go to get the pertinent information at the time that it is needed is more important. Take your time. It comes with experience, many mistakes and the courage to keep trying. Finding a mentor by volunteering to do some of the dirty work for someone who's been at it longer or help a buddy on a project is a sure way to speed up the learning curve. I think you'll find that many of the talented young guys here had a mentor that accelerated their growth. You can read all the books in the world on welding but until you light that torch or strike that arc you really haven't learned a whole lot. I've known a few great mechanics and craftsman that were functionally illiterate. You won't find them on the HAMB. They will be in the garage. Good luck and keep pluggin' away.
I agree, lots of guys would be willing to let you help with their builds. Lot's of times it takes 3 hands or someone to hold things in place to be bolted, etc. You can see what they're doing, how they're doing it. Maybee after a while you may get an opportunity to do some stuff on the build. Good luck.
everyone has given you great advise,but one item not mentioned yet is tools-get basic hand tools of your own,so you don't have to always borrow someones--a old mechanic once told me " if you have to borrow a tool twice,than the third time figure a way to buy your own" it has worked for me ever since. my son followed my interest in hod rods and now he knows a ton more than me!! hang in there and above all HAVE FUN!
Don't allow fear of failure to stop you from trying something just to see if you can do it... No-one ever learned anything from self-doubt...
I got started 50 years ago. We used to ride our bikes down to Chic Stuhlmans gas station and just hang out and watch him, get tools & **** for him. All the other kids were playing ball. There wasn't that many things to do back then but I just was drawn to the station because I liked to see how stuff worked. Later he let me pump some gas for customers. I think those days are gone forever, but thats the key, find someone who knows what he's doing and just hang out & ask if you can help, the only pay you'll get is knowledge but it's invaluable. It's a long haul but if you have the desire ( and you seem to ) It'll all come together and the next time you turn around you'll be 60 and giving some young hopefull some priceless advice.
remember ,theres no such thing as a dumb question !!! it better than making a dumb mistake , (and watch ,and listen ...) go out and get some old piece of junk ,tear it apart and put it back together ,, you mess it up , do it again untill you get it right ...
Dude - I've picked it up in the streets! Actually, reading about it is only a third of actually doing it. Anything worth doing well is worth screwing it up pretty badly a few times until you get it right... and man, have I screwed up a lot of stuff! It helps to pound phrases like, "Boy, I sure won't do THAT again!" into your head, and helps you to use good judgement later. I think someone on here has a signature that says "Good judgement comes from experience. Unfortunately, most of that experience is gained from having used bad judgement." It's true! LOL! Man, for a real kick, find the microfilm at the library and read ALL the Hot Rod magazines you can, especially the ones from '48 on through the early 60s! It's awesome!!! ~Jason
Learn the basic principles, mechanics, electric, leverage, and geometry. It's all writen in books and at the library, free. then every mechanical situation will speak to you. I did this when I was a kid and made a good living at it. Good luck.
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