Well the more i get into cars the more i want to learn the problem is finding free info i'm looking for more of how-to stuff such as rebuilding engines, body work and things like that i have been looking through some of the builds but there are tons of terms and lingo i am not familiar with and most of the builds are just saying what they did not necessarily HOW to do it if anyone can point me in the direction of anything like this i would greatly appreciate it hope this type of topic is allowed here if not lemme know where to post it
best way to learn is to do it. get a car and have at it. ask as you go along. lots of good people here that are willing to give advise as needed.
that would be ideal but unfortunately that is out of the question for me i have no income i am what a few people have called a caregiver my father is a disabled vietnam veteran and my mom isn't in the best of health i could get a job and say stick them in a nursing home or something but i couldn't live with myself if i did that for the past 10 years or so since i graduated high school i have done as much as i can to help them and we just don't have very much income which has to go for things other than the hobby i'd like to pursue so i am trying to just read and check out as much how to stuff as i can
I agree, you've gotta get dirty. Even taking apart old engines will help learn how things work and go together. There are good free sites out there like, enginebuildermag.com, retmonitor.com, epi-eng.com, etc. If you have a local half priced book store or amazon for cheap books.
Don't hesitate to ask questions. Most folks here will help out someone who really wants to learn. Like 61falcon said, get a car and do it. Don't get in over your head though. Start with simple things and pretty soon you're building "hands on" knowledge. One thing at a time though, don't try to do or learn everything at once. That's my 2 cents.
Resarch the internet...it's free. Spend your spare time at the library, digging through the automotive books. Find some local hot rodders or car guys and hang around with them and lend a hand wherever you can, even if it's sweeping floors in a guy's garage or an automotive shop a few times a week or so. You'll start picking things up and learning from them. Search Craigslist or local classifieds for a free engine, or a free car. It doesn't matter what it is, new or old, domestic or foreign (old & domestic would be ideal) but dont pass up FREE. Take it apart, understand how it works, put it back together...etc etc etc.
I didn't see your post before I posted. In your circumstances it may have to be learning through books etc. for the time being. There are also lots of good how-to videos. Maybe someone could recommend some. You dedication to taking care of your folks is commendable. Good for you!
thank you i can live without stuff but i'm just a curious person i've taught myself to do various things just from reading i will check out some of the sites the other people have posted unfortunately we rent our house and can't have what other people call "junk" cars laying around so even if i found something someone was willing to give me i wouldn't have anywhere to store and mess with it i've tried finding people around me who enjoy cars and might could teach me in exchange for me cleaning stuff up but to be honest i've run into some real a-holes and some guys who are into drugs and such i just don't want to be around that stuff... it's messed up a few family members lives and i don't want to let it mess up mine I will try the library and see if maybe they have anything i didn't really think about that thanks for the suggestions and to those who run the site for what seems to be a well put together and run site
Keep your head and hopes up MAN! Their are some good people in Mt Airy NC. All you have to do is keep your ears open an follow this board , keep your eyes open and pick up a tool or two along the way , start slow ,stay steady and it will come to ya .. With what you are doing for your folks ,KARMA will pay you back in a BIG way.. BELIEVE IT. God Bless you and don't listen to all the nay sayers.....
If you're for real, and not just running the heart strings internet scam, PM me your address and I'll ship you some books to get you started. On my dime.
there are a TON of how-to manuals out there you can get uses(cheaper) copies from yahoo or if you have half-priced books near you also building plastic models does help if most on here would admit it thats where they started id bet there are a couple books that list definitions to the comman used vernacular of the car hobby that may help you also your a hell of a man for helping your parents and for that i applaud you
You're doing good for your family and like others said, that will come back to you. AAFD had some great advice. Since you don't have the room for a "project", maybe start off with something smaller like a lot of us older guys did at home or in shop class - a lawnmower. Get one cheap (or free) if it's running, great - tear it down, go through it, put it back together and make it run again. If it doesn't run, get it to run. A variation could be a cheap motorcycle or a go-kart. It breathes air, eats fuel, and will give you a lot to learn from. Here's a start on some web stuff - How to rebuild an engine - http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+rebuild+an+engine&aq=0 How to rebuld a carb - http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+rebuild+a+carburetor&aq=2 You get the idea. Good luck to you.
Gas engine operation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasoline_engine Automatic transmissions http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_transmission Carburetors http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carburetor Flathead Ford V8 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Flathead_engine Manual transmissions http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manual_transmission Starters http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starter_motor Fuel pumps http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_pump Radiators http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiator_(engine_cooling)
links to tech articles http://www.webrodder.com/index.php http://www.rodandcustommagazine.com/techarticles/index.html http://v8tvshow.com/
All good ideas. Check out second hand book stores. Nothing wrong with building models of pre 1970 cars and trucks. I learned the basics of cars by building models as a kid, and I have taken up the hobby again. I'm really enjoying it. Keep reading the posts on the HAMB, you will learn a lot here!
Free lawnmowers are readily available on your local Craigslist- many people would rather buy a new one than rebuild a carb or replace a pullcord. Best of luck. -Gary
Watch for an old car thats a driver and just go slow with projects on it. Don't fix anything that isn't broke, just mild cosmetics and cleaning it up. Lot of satisfaction, with a learn as ya go. Good luck, you are in the right place to learn just watching what folks do on here and read all the tech. articles. And don't be afraid to ask. Good Luck, take care of the folks first! ~Sololobo~
Thanks for all the suggestions guys my parents and me are looking into a new place for us to move there are issues here with steps and my dad being disabled which is giving us no end of problems so maybe if it works out where we are looking at i'd have room to maybe pull an old junker in there and tinker with it never know i'm reading everything i can and checking links u guys sent thanks for all the links and stuff found some really good stuff on some of them
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