Just curious, cause my upbringing didn't afford me much opportunity to work on/learn about cars. About 14 years ago I started getting into the whole mechanic thing (86 Cavalier Z24 ftw!) but was still pretty much on my own as far as learning (was only 12 at the time), and only recently have I gotten really serious about building/maintaining vehicles. Now I've come a long way, but there's still so much I know - like I'm fine w/ all the basics as far as motor and drivetrain, but all the smaller systems, like braking, tuning, steering, things like that, not so much.

Anyway, just curious as to what some of you "serious" gearhead's learning experiences/backgrounds have been, and also what you would recommend as far as the road to being a master mechanic. This is still just a hobby of mine, and that's all it'll ever be (as opposed to a career), but I would like to go further with it. I'd love to go to a community college to school myself but that's not really a viable option.

 

My Dad.

 

My dad is a complete moron when it comes to cars. I mean, to the point that he still swears by dodge. I don't ever remember him so much as opening the hood to check washer fluid levels.

Everything I know about cars has been self taught, mostly by fixing my cars as they break. Which has been interesting keeping 6 used cars going over a 10 year period I don't profess to be an expert, but I consider myself competent enough with a wrench to tear down an engine and put it back together again.

 

The school of Trial and Error...

pretty much self taught, went to some schools/training but learned most on my own through research and just tinkering

 

I bought a junk car. Tore it apart and built it back up again from electrical, mechanical and body. I started not even knowing how to change the oil and now i'm fabing up custom turbo kits

 

Self taught. I ask questions to the right people (thats the key, the RIGHT PEOPLE) when I dont know the answer or need clarification, but all of my wrenching is done by myself with no instructions.

 

My grand father taught me alot, he had a 1970 oldsmobile cutlass ss, we used to work on it alot, I was about 10 years old and he would let me carry his tool box and show me alot of basics haha.

My friends in high school taught me alot about import stuff and aftermarket performance. Now when I dont know anything though I just search google haha.

 

I couple people on here have taught me most of what I know about Honda's. Matinence(sp) was from the father and orther family members.

 

Yeah, that's my big thing, I've looked at plenty of websites and read quite a few books, but I'm always a little iffy when actually starting something if I've been steered in the completely wrong direction.

 

pops was a chevy man
uncle marty was a chevy man
uncle mark was a ford man
pap pap was a plymoth man
cous kelly was a watch me lose my DL for speeding man. lol.
then there was friends growing up. everything from imports, domestics and Ethiopians. lol.
then me being broke and having to do trial and error.