where did u all learn about cars?

[KPDrag0n]

as i reach the age where every guy starts loving cars,(15)
i'm getting curious about engines and the difference betweent eh weights of cars and all that crap. i consider myself a fast learner(so far) for last month i wouldnt have known the difference between manual and automatic. i'm just curious where did u all learn about mechanics and such? thanks for the (kind) replies :D

[Ben]

with age comes experience. My Father has been in the industry of many years dealing with Porsche Audi and VW so I learned alot from him starting at a young age. Plus we would always work on the cars together so you just pick stuff up. During school I read more car magazines than textbooks, and watched alot of car TV. Always went to car shows and I read basically car stuff ALL day at work so its just picking up junk over the years.

[FiveFreshFish]

Originally posted by KPDrag0n
as i reach the age where every guy starts loving cars,(15)

Ah, a late bloomer! :D

[88CRX]

a year or so ago i new nothing........ and i still know nothing :D

[Weapon_R]

Hang out here long enough. If your parents didn't spoil you as a child, you will not talk when you should listen. After a while, you will begin to pick things up here and there. That's all there is to it.

[Ekliptix]

Import Tuner.

j/k actually my Dad got me started at birth.

[Team_Mclaren]

go take mechanics from school, thats a start!!!

[Vitesse951]

I would say tech forums are the way to start. If you like to read magazines, "Turbo" is by far the most 'tech' oriented, followed by sport compact car. There are many ways to get big power, as far as tuning theory goes. I think it helps to see things from different points of view. Check out forums for the Musclecar guys (www.corvetteforum.com , www.ls1.com , www.svtperformance.com) as well as forums for the honda guys, (www.clubsi.com , www.crxsi.com) also the Euro tuners (www.rennlist.com , www.vwvortex.com).

There are tons of forums dedicated to every type of engine tuning philosophy. Spend time researching each, so that you can come to an unbiased opinion of which route you want to go. In the mean time, go to www.howstuffworks.com, and study the automotive section. Trust me, you will learn enough on this one site to start ahead of the game.

If you are serious about learning about engines, here are some books I recommend.

"Maximum Boost" by Corky Bell
"John Lingenfelter on Modifying Small Block Chevy Engines."
"Turbochargers" by Hugh MacInnes
"How to Build Horsepower in Any Engine" by David Vizard
"Auto Math Handbook" by John Lawlor

These will give you a pretty good working knowledge of all types of engines. Good Luck! :)

[Fluidic]

I taught myself at a young age. Started go-kart racing when I was like... hmm... 11 or 12 -- grew out of that when I turned 16 -- have been in love with cars ever since. I would say tech related forums have helped a ton -- and meeting people who know a thing or two and eventually just playing around with my own car.

You learn a lot when you just start to tinker -- same with life. Tinker with a job. Tinker with your girl-friend. Tinker with money. Then one day, you have a kick-ass job, a great wife, and some coin saved up. All because of tinkering!

Thanks Tinker! :D lol

Peter

[yankeefan]

just get a job being a mechanic and youll learn on everyone elses dime. I think its the only job you can get now without haveing any experience or knowledge=D haha

[shadowz]

Magazines and friends

[4wheeldrift]

Originally posted by Vitesse951
"Maximum Boost" by Corky Bell
"John Lingenfelter on Modifying Small Block Chevy Engines."
"Turbochargers" by Hugh MacInnes
"How to Build Horsepower in Any Engine" by David Vizard
"Auto Math Handbook" by John Lawlor


I'll add some handling and driving books to the list:

How to Make Your Car Handle by Fred Puhn
Going Faster: Mastering the Art of Race Driving (the official book of the Skip Barber school)
Tune to Win, Engineer to Win, Drive to Win, Prepare to Win all by Carroll Smith
Secrets of Solo Racing by Henry Watts
Inner Speed Secrets by Ross Bentley
Bob Bondurant on High Performance Driving by Bob Bondurant
Chassis Engineering by Herb Adams

[mad_psyentist]

Anyone ever watch Two Guys Garage... or something like that. It's on the Speed channel. Learned alot from that one, even though they mostly get old lady cars and wood-paneled ocean liners in there to fix. Nothing that can really apply to heavily to the world of rice, rotary and roads, but it's a good start. Read lots of tuner mags.

[rage2]

When I was 16, all I wanted was an SUV. I was in love with the Isuzu Rodeo and the Nissan Pathfinder. I grew up with sedans, and all I cared about was comfort and highway cruising speed.

Then my dad took me shopping for a Porsche when I was 18, we bought the 944 turbo, and that was the first time I drove a real car.

Since then I have not been able to stop reading and learning. Before the internet (yea I'm an old fucker), I'd pretty much have a subscription to the big mags, Motor Trend, Automobile, Road and Track, Car and Driver. I pretty much can list off any car, trim level, etc. on the road. I started buying books on performance driving, performance driving techniques, turbos (read maximum boost) and the such. Granted, I'm not a mechanic, my mechanical skills are horrible. I know how stuff work, and know how to tune cars to make good power :). It helps being a computer geek as well, since all the new tuning stuff is computer driven.

So 15 isn't too early of an age to learn :).

[StrokeD z]

playing grand turismo.....no jk

i kinda leared on my own never had anyone teach me it just came to me

[Beastly Power]

friends

[bosa]

I started getting into cars when I was around 12-13. :)

I learned a bit from my brother and my dad. But I learned more from car magazines that I picked up.

I don't know a ton, but I'm still trying to learn more. :)

[3G]

i got into cars when i was like 10, i taught myself, read magazines, watched car tv shows, and the internet

[Speed_Dreams]

Me and my Dad would go in the back alley and do oil changes on my old beast (76' Malibu Classic) at the age of 8 and for a while all i wanted was a big block and HUGE fuel drinking carbs but then I fell in love with the Subaru Impreza in 96' and I have never looked back since. I also took a Mechanics course in highschool and I know how things work. my Mechanical skills are pretty good but i think even the most experienced people still don't know EVERYTHING. Magazines help . Beyond.ca helps and having friends that are into cars also helps. If you wanna learn how 2 take apart and engine. then buy a $100 from Pick your part and take it apart and some of the stuff is pretty self explanitory and just common sence IMO but things like mechanical stuff comes easy to me....and things like physics of things makes me wanna scream for my mom:nut:

[Scat]

My dad is a mechanic and we work on cars all the time together so i just naturally pick stuff up. Magazines have a lot of useful information too to get you started.

Try getting a part time job at an automotive business. Thats always a great place to start.

[LUDELVR]

http://www.kamilkisiel.net/images/various/funny/fast.jpg

[Hash_man]

During school I read more car magazines than textbooks

Haha, me too! :) ... I started being interested in cars when I was probably 5 or 6... And just started learning from my dad, magazines when I could read... and anything else I could get my hands on... The internet was a big help, especially when we got on the trial for DSL, that made it go a lot quicker!.. And now mechanics at school helped me learn a fair bit.

[CRX crazy]

growing up with an older bro, and having mostly guy friends taught me :D

[cocoabrova]

I also learned ALOT from car mags, except I'm an older fucker:confused:and it was more of the "modded car" mags like SCC, EuroSport Car, european car, Max Power, Mini-Truckin' etc...My parents gave me my first car when I turned 16 (a mini-truck with a blown engine) and told me I'd have to fix it if I wanted to put my newly-acquired driver's license to good use....So I did. I bought a repair manual and rebuilt that bitch in a weekend. Since then, cars, and the mechanics involved, have always been a big part of my life. Although I have already gone through most of the various types of cars i.e. Euros, Lowriders, mini-trucks, SC's, big-blocks, I think the turbo'd SC's is one that I'll be toying with for awhile;)

[air_mikey]

i learned from my bro and his friends. thats what really got me involved in cars. helped my bro out on his car. never stopped loving cars from then on. but now, i also love bikes...damn brother...

[l/l/rX]

Originally posted by Ekliptix
Import Tuner.

j/k actually my Dad got me started at birth.

hmmm im finding that import tuner is more about the show cars and such, like sound systems, NAAWZ, junk that makes your car weigh a TON! but its still a good magazine. i've seen a few riced out cars in this mag.

if you want tech stuff look into super street or else my personal favorite and teaches you alot sport compact car.

sport compact you'll find alot of information on different kinds of engines (import engines and more specifically more often than not, nissan engines) the cars they feature are "race equipped" (most of them). meaning no sound systems, stripped interior(some of them), things like that etc. you'll barely see any sort of sound system/ICE in here, and wont be seeing a whole lot of nitrous equipped cars.
they like to focus on the japans drift scene alot which i dont mind at all. its a change from 1/4 mile stuff.
they have helpful tech stuff. bolt ons, turbos, install etc.

[moyam]

Another book to he list

Engine Builders Handbook

[rice_eater]

i bought my very first car that was all mine...i didnt give a shit about cars back then and i knew ZERO about them. Then one day i needed a new airfilter so i went to crappy tire and bought myself a K&N. Didnt even buy it because it gave more power but because i'd never have to change it. Then the speed bug bit me! After that it's been endless upon endless hours of reading on the internet and going through certain forums and sucking in as much as i can...go to forums that are oriented to your car to learn!

[Fluidic]

Owning a "suppressed MAC-11" is a minor weapons violation...

hahahahahhahaha, so true!!! ahahahaahhaha

nice post Leo! lol

Peter

[EMAXX]

Me, ever since I was about 4-5, my dad was taking me out into the garage when he was doing things with cars and stuff, and I've had toy cars and things ever since I was even littler than that and I've just loved cars and now ever since I've been able to read, I just car books all the time and gather up as much stuff about cars as I can get.:)

[Double0Civic]

whenever I'm interested in something I pretty well devote most of my attention towards it. the best thing you can do IMO, is just to get the concepts of how/why an engine works, this will make understanding why turbos and nitrous and other mods add power and how alot easier. not only that but it helps when diagnosing problems, even a trip to www.howstuffworks.com and looking up engines, will help you.

Double0Civic

[BigMass]

i watched Fast and Furious like 30 times. That movie is so accurate it's like a documentry. It got me into cars and tought me all i know about them. Once i hook up my NOS direct port nitrous injection kit to my 87 Accord, all you bastards better watch out.

[SwitchBlade]

Any tuner mag or mechanics in high school. You actually get to tinker with stuff hands on style

[mad_psyentist]

Originally posted by BigMass
i watched Fast and Furious like 30 times. That movie is so accurate it's like a documentry.

Please tell me you're kidding...

[Scat]

Originally posted by BigMass
i watched Fast and Furious like 30 times. That movie is so accurate it's like a documentry. It got me into cars and tought me all i know about them. Once i hook up my NOS direct port nitrous injection kit to my 87 Accord, all you bastards better watch out.

I too hope this person is not serious
:banghead:

[Ferio_vti]

Reading magazines, messing around with my car, checking out howstuffworks.com....

Though I wish I took automotives in HS and SAIT.

[kevie88]

When I went to highschool (1988!) I took automotives, but I already had a pretty good grasp of engines before that. I rebuilt my 78 Civic in the garage when I was 16! :D

Bikes were a natural progression from cars for me, they share a lot of the same types of parts, just smaller. I spent the last 10 years working in the motorcycle industry, so I'm kinda a old-school bike nut! :thumbsup:

[guitardemon]

my dad started me into working on cars wen i was barely big enuf to walk, and since then it just escalated, i rebuilt my first motor all by myself when i was 6 and did that ever since and built, engines with more options nitrous super chargers what have you. and he also tought me how to do body work so i'm set :thumbsup:




parents are great things when you get to think about it :bigpimp:

[DonJuan]

Originally posted by Scat


I too hope this person is not serious
:banghead:

I don't think he is. Wow, I hope he isn't in C-town, cuz i'd hate to see him hit the second stage nitrous button and see his laptop go crazy, floorpan flyoff, and blow all the welds on his intake.:nut: Anyways, my parents say I was into cars since I knew what a car was, and knew a whole lot of all the different types since I could remember. My dad is a gear head, my bro is a super gear head and fixes my car for me (former Nissan technician, now he's a nissan desk jockey), as a result i'm a gear head. I took mechanics 10 in highschool and was suprised at how much I already knew. Other than that I try to watch all those car shows on TNN and Speedvision on the weekends. Oh and also people on Beyond help out alot too!:thumbsup: