Cars

[Youngun5]

Alright,

I will be the first to tell you that I don't know nearly enough about them as I should, as far as what makes them work, and what needs to be done to them to keep them working etc.

I do a good job making sure the oil level is good, tire air pressure, antifreeze and stuff, but thats about it.

How do I learn?

I'm not looking to make a career change as a grease monkey or anything, but I would like to have a much better knowledge to be able to work on my cars in the future for when I'm on my own, rather than pay someone to do it...at least the easier stuff.

Something my girlfriend and I have always talked about, would be to buy a sweet older project car cheap, and then get it up and working....would this be a good way to start things off?

Any advice and such, would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

-YG

[xamilo]

Get yourself a Subaru or any 100m/5 year warranty car and change it every four years! You would have no need for mechanic knowledge by doing so! That is what I do

[mddubya]

Find yourself an older car you like. Buy a Chiltons service manual for that car and a set of good tools and get started. There is no better way to learn than to do it. Hopefully you've got some friends that know what they are doing for when you get stuck.

Take your time dismantling everything, label all the nuts and bolts by putting them in cans or boxes and pay close attention.

[ezra76]

I don't think you'll learn a whole lot by working on an older car. No offense to anyone but turning a wrench is not exactly rocket science. The part that takes some brains is diagnosis of the problem. Sometimes it's obvious but other times it's not.

I've done a lot of repairs with my dad and on my own. It's not hard once you A) know what needs to be fixed and B) have the right tools to do it. It's basically just removing the broken or malfunctioning part and replacing it with a good one. Sometimes after weighing out the time and aggrevation to do the job, it's easier just to pay someone else to do it.

I just learned by having very little money and vehicles that needed work constantly when I was younger. I learned all sorts of tricks from my dad and his good friend who is one of the best mechanics I've ever met. I did all sorts of crazy things. Driving vehicles with the thrermostat removed, having to jump the solenoid for a week, charging my battery overnight till I could afford an alternator, broke a ball joint and actually hammered a piece of a branch in to drive it home, lost a driveshaft and drove the truck in 4WD as FWD for a week, lol. A few of the best were driving a truck with no clutch and ripping a hole in a sidewall of a tire... which I plugged with weatherstripping, superglue and 2 cans of fix a flat... and drove to work for 2 days after till I got paid.

So, to sum it up, IMO being able to diagnose problems is the most important part. Replacing the parts is the easy part.

[SilverUberXeno]

I don't think you'll learn a whole lot by working on an older car. No offense to anyone but turning a wrench is not exactly rocket science. The part that takes some brains is diagnosis of the problem. Sometimes it's obvious but other times it's not.

I've done a lot of repairs with my dad and on my own. It's not hard once you A) know what needs to be fixed and B) have the right tools to do it. It's basically just removing the broken or malfunctioning part and replacing it with a good one. Sometimes after weighing out the time and aggrevation to do the job, it's easier just to pay someone else to do it.

I just learned by having very little money and vehicles that needed work constantly when I was younger. I learned all sorts of tricks from my dad and his good friend who is one of the best mechanics I've ever met. I did all sorts of crazy things. Driving vehicles with the thrermostat removed, having to jump the solenoid for a week, charging my battery overnight till I could afford an alternator, broke a ball joint and actually hammered a piece of a branch in to drive it home, lost a driveshaft and drove the truck in 4WD as FWD for a week, lol. A few of the best were driving a truck with no clutch and ripping a hole in a sidewall of a tire... which I plugged with weatherstripping, superglue and 2 cans of fix a flat... and drove to work for 2 days after till I got paid.

So, to sum it up, IMO being able to diagnose problems is the most important part. Replacing the parts is the easy part.

In other words, don't live paycheck to paycheck, and don't buy junkers.

A lot of repairs are so much easier with a lift that it's really not worth trying to do it yourself. Learn how to change your own oil and filter, and take care of your car. If you're sensible and you've done your research about the car you bought beforehand, you shouldn't need to worry so much about repairs. Hopefully. Few and far between, or fewer, is the ticket.

Restoring an old car is cute. Wake up. u_u

[ezra76]

In other words, don't live paycheck to paycheck, and don't buy junkers.

A lot of repairs are so much easier with a lift that it's really not worth trying to do it yourself. Learn how to change your own oil and filter, and take care of your car. If you're sensible and you've done your research about the car you bought beforehand, you shouldn't need to worry so much about repairs. Hopefully. Few and far between, or fewer, is the ticket.

Restoring an old car is cute. Wake up. u_u

Repairs were a lot easier at dad's house. Air tool and 2 5ton floor jacks. I did everything from water pumps, clutches, rear differential replacement, gas tank replacement and even a full drive train swap. Cars today are a little more of a pita. Should be easier to diagnose with ECU's but sometimes that doesn't work out as it should. As far as wear and tear parts, that is usually an easy diagnosis. If we're talking brakes, starters, alternators, struts, ball joints, clutches ect... those things wear out on all vehicles. You can do all the research you want but those parts will wear out if you keep it long enough. Depends on use and vehicle as well. Heck, I had the entire front end replaced on my Dodge 2500 4x4 and after just 1 season of plowing most of it was shot again. Slamming into potholes with a 1000lb. plow on the front kills it... not to mention a cast iron deisel block. Then again, that's a reason if I were going to buy another work truck I would look elsewhere. Just don't feel the steering and suspension in those trucks is adequate for the weight/workload.

[Wi-Golfer]

Some folks are mechanically inclined & others just suck at it & shouldn't even try. Not sure which camp you fall into.

I have replaced motors, transmissions, rebuilt my own motor & trans for drag racing, etc. Currently I avoid the big work by having new vehicles but have in the last year replaced a clutch/pressure plate, put new struts on my chevy, brakes, etc.

[Youngun5]

I don't think i'm really mechanically disinclined. just not really practiced.

I think i'll just go the library and grab some basic car books and start there.

Ruled out the project car idea. at least, for now. I'm saving for a house....much better investment

[SilverUberXeno]

Correct. But unless you can afford to pay cash, I'd recommend renting versus buying a house. Buy a house for 100k, you'll pay over 200k for it by the time it's paid off. At least.

Renting, you can move whenever you feel so inclined. You don't have to wait for a house to sell. Your job market becomes ANYWHERE, since you CAN move whenever you see fit. There's very little reason to own a house, based on what I've seen. If you have a stable place to live, you're good to go. And if you want to move, move. Selling the house is not your problem.

[FATC1TY]

Correct. But unless you can afford to pay cash, I'd recommend renting versus buying a house. Buy a house for 100k, you'll pay over 200k for it by the time it's paid off. At least.

Renting, you can move whenever you feel so inclined. You don't have to wait for a house to sell. Your job market becomes ANYWHERE, since you CAN move whenever you see fit. There's very little reason to own a house, based on what I've seen. If you have a stable place to live, you're good to go. And if you want to move, move. Selling the house is not your problem.

Worst advice, ever. I'm sorry SUX, but you generally add great info to threads, but you totally lost it on this one.

Buying a house with cash is something people can't and generally don't do. People don't usually accumulate wealth from the daily grind and bi-weekly paychecks. That just doesn't happen. Life works on revolving credit, and while credit cards suck, they are a necessity at times.

Buying a home, within your income means is a smart invest me. Having good credit to get a fantastic rate, and avoiding ARM's is another great investment. Saving to have more than 10% and ideally over 20% of your homes price, is a good start. Live in it for over 5 years, and build equity in the home. That is how people get wealthy, the equity and money they make over time on a home. How you come up with a $100,000 house costing $200,000 by the time you pay it off, I don't get. I'm sure it's possible, if you don't put any money down, get an insanely high rate, and have it as an adjustable rate that some how resets to something so un-real high that it should be illegal.


My boss for example, bought a home for $32,000, almost 20 years ago. He upgraded it, and put around $12,000 into the home over the span of 10 years. He then kept it up, and lived in the home with his wife, and put an additional $8,000 into the home prior to selling it.

He sold it for $850,000 almost 2 years ago. Rolled the money into his new place that is well north of $1,000,000 on the coast with ocean views.

You do the math.. He didn't do this by getting a monthly paycheck, and renting.

People who rent, throw their money away. You rent until you get stability in life. People who have a good job, plan to stay more than 4-5 years somewhere, and who don't want to pay someone elses mortgage, buy homes.

Renting, while easy to pack up and move when your lease is done, isn't that much better. You can't just pack up and leave one month when you want. You sign lease contracts, and are bound by those until the end. Most are year leases, so it's not instant gypsy status, just because your a renter.

Also, renters don't build equity, they don't build credit, and they don't gain anything. Each monthly rent payment is gone down the drain. Nothing to show for it but a carbon copy of your check from the previous month. I've rented before, and while it was easy to live in cool new places each year, I hated the idea that my $1300 a month in rent was going no where, and at the end of the year, I didn't even get the tax break for it.

So point being.. Save up, and buy a home within your means. Working on a car is the least of your worries. Change your oil, rotate and balance your tires, and keep your fluids clean and changed regularly. The cars these days are so packed full of electronics, that turning a wrench and banging a screwdriver around, isn't going to fix anything current, unless you buy old junk cars.

[Youngun5]

Fat,

I agree with you about the home being a better investment.

What SUX was referring to, is that due to the interest charges on the principle, you actually end up paying double/triple what the list price of a house is actually worth by the time you pay it off.

If you have a good amount in the bank though, and can put a decent amount down up front, and knock a good chunk out of the principle early in your mortage, you'll help reduce that a great deal.

[FATC1TY]

Welcome to everything in this world then. If you don't have cash, you pay interest.

If you pay cash for everything, you have no credit. It's simple. Homes don't go up in price like that unless your doing something stupid wrong.

If your approved for $200,000.. and find a home for $150,000.. When you get your loan, and rates, and everything together, the final "cost" that ends up being divided by how long your have your mortgage. It's not going to be $300,000...



Point being.. Not many people have the cash laying around in an account to just pay for a house in whole. Not only that, but I don't think it's smart even if you did have the cash for it.

A car is a different story. It depreciates every damn year. A home, generally does not.

[FATC1TY]

Fat,



What SUX was referring to, is that due to the interest charges on the principle, you actually end up paying double/triple what the list price of a house is actually worth by the time you pay it off.

If you have a good amount in the bank though, and can put a decent amount down up front, and knock a good chunk out of the principle early in your mortage, you'll help reduce that a great deal.

Just reading back over it.. You said you pay double/triple what it's worth, by the time you pay it off. If that were the case, no one would own a home. Why would you pay for 15/30 years, and be in the red on owning a home? A home gains value, although in todays market, rather slowly, or none, but it doesn't depreciate as general rule.

As far as paying down your principle, you want to put down a good percent of your homes price when you buy the home. Your monthly payment stays the same unless you get into the adjustable rate business, which I don't think is personally smart these days. Paying more each month isn't going to bring down your interest rate.

[Youngun5]

we discussed this in my Intermediate accounting class.

For the first couple years of your mortgage, all you're basically going to be paying is interest on the principle.

once you can start plugging away into your principal, then the percentage of your payment that is dedicated to interest is going to be less and less, and as you get further into the mortgage, a greater percentage is going to be dedicated to chipping away at the principle, as opposed to interest.

this is best thing i could find.

Which is better: a 15 or 30 year mortgage term? - Financial Calculators from Dinkytown.net

[eclark53520]

Renting for long term housing is 100% waste of money.

Short term housing, sure, long term it is one of the best investments out there.

For those who are not mechanically inclined and don't care to be, or don't have time to do their own maintenance, buying a new car every time the old warranty expires is probably a good idea. However, you are throwing a lot of money away.

I have had my 1993 Mercury Cougar for over 5 years now and put almost 80,000 miles on it. The ONLY thing i had to replace so far were the ball joints(which i knew when i bought the car). I got the ball joints at cost(about $300) and put them in myself. The shop wanted over 2k for the same job. Other than that, simple oil changes, tires, tune-up stuff...same stuff a new car would need and is not covered under warranty either. I payed $2,100 for the car. I have never had a car payment, i have never paid interest on any of my cars(3 of them since i was 16). Now, this only works if you know how to fix your car yourself. If i would have to take my car to the shop every time something was wrong, it would have cost me much more time/money and i may have been better off buying a new(er) vehicle.

As for the vehicle stuff, i never took classes for it i have just always had an interest in vehicles and engines so my natural interest pulled me into figuring stuff out. I never had the money for project cars, my father never taught me anything about cars. Honestly, i have no clue how i know what i know today.

Ez, i agree, diagnosing is the hard part, replacing parts is the easy part. However, if you don't know what an alternator does, how can you diagnose that as a problem? If you don't understand what shocks/struts do, theres no way you can diagnose the problem to be able to fix it. A basic understanding of vehicle systems and their purpose is vital to diagnosing a problem.

Those of us who are mechanically inclined can dig into a machine, and within a short amount of time figure out how something works even if we have never touched one before. Its hard for us to understand how other people cannot just by looking at something, figure it out. I have that problem with the fiancee all the time...she just cannot look at a machine(no matter how simple) and figure out what is wrong. Most times, i can tell her just by listening to her explain it, without ever looking at it, what the problem is.

My advice would be to break a vehicle down into smaller parts. Engine, trans, other drive train parts such as rear diff(if applicable), suspension, body(meh...), electronics.

Pick one, and study it, figure out how it works, why it works and how in interacts with the other systems of the vehicle. Then move on to another system. Once you know those basics, you can apply them to almost any car.