where your skills come from

[blown9746]

Just wondering where guys have gotten their skills from: actual classes, self taught through books and/ or trial and error, etc?

I've always liked cars (everything from muscle to sports cars) and motorcycles, but have never really worked on them. I'm really interested in getting a project car and learning (all aspects to include mechanical, body, chasis) and just looking for insight into how people on this site started out. Unfortunately, there are no classes for mechanics, body, or welding within an hour of my house. Plus I work shift work and a decent amount of overtime (basically a schedule non-condusive to school).

[Scottem]

Started off by reading about it, then tried a little, then went to some auto events, then joined some car clubs and read a little more.. All in all, sure wish I would have gone to a technical school and learned it the right way. Things probably would have been cheaper and gone much better.

[HarleyR]

Work.... started working on racecars when I was 14... Been my only "real job" started out doing brakes and suspension then moved on to gears and transmissions then started doing fabrication....which I must say is the most enjoyable...(besides pitcrew) If you do it everyday all day you get pretty good at it.. plus having the chance to work around people who have forgotten more than I'll ever know dosent hurt... Im hoping to pick up a project soon I just dont know what I want to do yet...

[jerome]

Bought a $200 project car. No prior experience with cars, I have learned everything along the way: bodywork, engine work, chassis/suspension, fabrication, and design (I am going to school for ME though)

Bought a welder and a paint gun with no prior experience with either.

Just jump into your project. When you come to something you don't know how to do, research on forums and the web. Read alot on forums, and don't be afraid to try things. I've never been to school for anything mechanical, but I have pretty good mechanical common sense and am good with my hands.

My buddy went to Wyotech, and he is no better off. Yeah, he had taken apart a front suspension and put it back together before, but I can figure it out by myself too. Maybe he can do it faster the first time, but after I do it once, I can do it pretty well too. Classes are over-rated if you can provide yourself with a project and tools. The only reason I would go to a tech school is if I couldn't buy tools and didn't have a garage. They provide you with state of the art facilities and materials to learn on. The education and knowledge you get can be gleaned from forums and from hands-on experience. The tools and resources are what you buy...the knowledge can be had anywhere.

If you're gonna do an all-out project, be prepared to get an air compressor, paint gun, engine lift, engine stand, and welder (in addition to the common wrenches and stuff). These are the costs of learning. If you go to a school to learn these skills, you're still gonna have to buy the tools after school.

Jerome

[blown9746]

This is just for my own use anyway. I am already in a career I like, but the car stuff is just something I'd like to learn for doing my own projects

[Chevytosvt]

I grew up doing it. I also went to Wyoming tech, which gave me a lot of techniques. Working in the auto body industry for awhile helps as well!

[zbugger]

Napoleon Dynamite taught me all my skills. I hope it gets me some girls.

[XLexusTech]

1) desire, I was hooked by bicycles first and then that progressed to bigger toys.
2) The lack of the Finances to just buy the best toys or pay someone to build me one.
3) Desire part 2. The desire to beat (racing riding everything) the rich *******s who could just buy stuff.
4) Allot of mistakes. Every one that you make take something from it and do it again until its right

[Young Gun]

Napoleon Dynamite taught me all my skills. I hope it gets me some girls.

numchuck skills?

[pitts64]

I loved the annual junk pick up time. Everybody in the city would toss all there junk out and I would drag home bikes, pieces of steel, engines and such. I would build a go cart and a garage to keep it in out of scrap wood.

[blown9746]

yeah napolean taught me some bowhunting and drawing skills. Oh and how to take my bike over some sweet jumps.

[ATAK, Inc.]

My love for spinning wrenches began when my Dad was stationed in England. He just got finished putting a new bike together for my Mom and went up to shower, etc. In the 30 minutes that he was gone I took most of it apart. I was 3 years old.
My first car was a '69 Camaro, got it from my Mom in 1977, so that was my learning tool in high school.
After high school I got into the automotive industry and had a real good mentor, his ride was a pro-touring prototype '67 Camaro with a 600hp 327.