DADC.... Denver Adult Day Care....wait...that's not it... Denver Automotive and Diesel College

 

Hey great advice so far, really gives me the confidence and reassurance to want to get my hands dirty.

Would a project 924 be a good place to start as far as being easy to work on and something to learn with? And of course the fact that it would be a Porsche means I won't lose interest too quickly.

 

Why not work on the 86 944 you have, somethings BOUND to break sonner or later, and I have my money on sooner. Or, modify it.
~Eyal

 

Work on what you have, read everything you can find, ask questions, know what needs done before you start, have the necessary tools, and label or document everything you take apart.

I've done all non warranty related work on my Porsches since my first, a 1966 912.....

 

I started out by assisting my dad and some friends with their car work, and over time I just started doing things myself. When I bought my old Scirocco, it wasn't long before I started autocrossing it and then the following modifications I did to it myself. From that point, I felt that I knew enough of the basics to just start tearing into the projects. Most things were now issues of whether it was worth the hassle or if I had the testicular fortitude to complete the project.

Body work was a trial and error learning curve. Mostly "error". But over time I figured it out enough to do minor touchups and rust repair. I don't have the concourse-quality skills, but since none of my cars are concourse-quality cars, it hardly matters.

BB.

 

well, if you want to be an auto mechanic than... be an auto mechanic. Mechanical Engineering will have some overlap, in that you learn to design and analyze the machinery. I am in ME right now, but find that the technical background doesn't do much for my peers when it comes to fixing or modifying machinery. I have also heard that some Michigan schools (thanks to Detroit) have automotive specialty majors.

 

Im still in that learning phase. Actually, we are all in that learning phase. There is no point where you just stop learning about these cars. I am lucky enough to be a part of the Kansas City Wrenching Society. Just about every saturday is a chance for me to watch and learn how something else is done. The single one thing I learned the most from is having to do the work by myself. I am currently going through a HUGE troubleshooting phase to get my car running again. Troubleshooting is the KEY to becomming good with cars. You have to think like your car.

Fixing a problem is a breeze, it's knowing what the problem is, that seperates the master from the apprentice.

 

I started working on cars right after I bought a Ford. I've always been poor and had crappy American cars, so being a mechanic has been necessary. My 944 is my second labor of love for wrenching. My first love was Georgia Tech's Formula SAE cars, namely car 4.
FSAE is to my mind one of the best places to learn cars. Our team is almost entirely gearheads that really love fast cars, but are studying engineering so as to not be poor forever.