pcarfan944

I'd like to know how you learned to do all your own work. Did you go to school for it, learn from someone else or just sit down and figure it all out? I want to know because I would love to learn to do my own work and save big money, and just enjoy working on my car in the process.

What would be the best way for me to get my feet wet? Right now i'd love to pick up a cheap, non-running or running 924 that needs some TLC, a factory repair manual, new set of tools, a lot of help from this list, and just see what I can do and learn. Would that be smart or dumb?

I've done bodywork and painting before, helped and watched the overhaul of an old Jaguar brake system, and a few other minor things like that, but that's about all the mechanical experience I have.

Thanks, this should be interesting.

Geo

I started out learning by necessity. In college I started out with a Haynes or Bentley manual and a cheap socket set from K-Mart. I bought a book called "Auto Repair for Dummies" (the orignal book of the "dummies" series), but it wasn't all that helpful. Mostly I learned just by doing. I'd spend a lot of time reading about the procedure (if I could afford the time). Other times I'd just have to dig in.

Later I learned a lot more just because I wanted to. Again, pretty much by doing. This time with a much better selection of tools.

I highly recommend trying to hook up with other 944 owners (especially Rennlisters). The SE-R guys used to come over to my house regularly for what we called "geekouts" (geeking over our cars) that were mostly wrenching parties. Eventually we had a guy who never put a wrench to his car change his own cams (with guidance). Now I have the Greaseslingers to learn about the 944 and I've certainly learned a lot. With a lot of people working on the cars, if someone runs into a head scratcher, someone usually has or quickly comes up with a solution. Never under estimate the value of working on someone else's car. You get the education w/o the stress.

Danno

Pat, I'd recommend just getting hands-on with it. Ever since I was a kid, I'd take apart everything I could get my hands on to figure out how'd they work. I'd leave clock guts and vacuum-cleaner and bike parts all over the house and my parents would just absolutely kill me. So I figured I'd have to put stuff back together too. Auto-shop in high-school gave me the basics of auto mechanics.

Get your hands on a set of manuals and get started on your car with the basic repairs first (like oil changes), then move up to more complicated parts such as brakes, etc. Pretty soon, you'll be yanking the engine and overhauling it!

Serge944

I learned most of what i know when i bought a basket case 944.

It is all hands on...you simply cannot learn by reading.

KuHL 951

I had a lot of auto shop when high schools used to have all the great industrial arts programs. The rest I have learned from necessity and pure thrift. I went for years when our kids were younger and I stopped wrenching altogether. It all started again when I picked up the Miata in 95 and started to fool around with simple tuning and I was hooked again. Now it's a necessity again as the fleet of cars has grown. What has been the best classroom by far is the vital information and know how gleaned from the different car forums. Can you imagine owning and doing all your own work on these cars without Rennlist and having nothing more than Haynes as your co-pilot? I'll never be a skilled mechanic, or be able to tune like Danno or John, but there are few things I won't tackle when it comes to keeping a great car alive to roll another mile. What I don't know I'll try to learn, that's how it all works for me.

Steve

theedge

I bought my 951 and started working on it the next day pretty much. Then again ive always been good at anything mechanical and I prefer to jump right into stuff. Before I got my car id never worked on cars before, AT ALL.

dualblade

one thing would suggest is that you learn about the functions of the parts you are working on. it is very easy to take things apart. it is moderately hard to put them back together right. the real skill involves innately understanding how things will go together because you understand their function and their place in a system. the two things will compliment each other - as you learn theory, assembly makes sense, and as you wrench, you get a better idea of the concepts you are reading about

pearldrum944

I think the best way to learn is just to hang out with people working on cars and volunteer to help. My dad and I have been restoring my car for the last 3.5 years. I learned everything from him. I've gone from not knowing how to change the oil to being able to pull the top half of the engine apart in less than 3 hours by myself. (I've gotten the joy of practicing it about half a dozen times.)

Chipster

Read then wrench then read some more. The knowledge will set you free.

Well, that and chicks dig guys who can fix thier own cars.

inactiveuser92616

necessity. My clutch went out on my first car (not a 944.. thank god... but still a long process)
Had a haynes manual, 3 friends who wanted to learn, and my dad's tools. 3 days later the car was running again, and we knew a whole helluva lot more. (Like label where all the bolts go, otherwise you get a container full of cool looking parts that never went back in)

Here are my recommendations: Start small, maybe the basic maintenance section of the repair manual.
By decent tools, I recommend one of the starter kits made by Craftsman
Buy a couple of muffin tins, use these to hold the bolts you take out. The cups allow convenient organization, its more convenient than bags and more organized than just dumping them all into one container
When you get to a point in the process where you can, screw the bolts/washers/nuts back in where they belong, so you know where they go when reassembling.
If you have a digital camera, be a picture *****. This can help you backtrack.

Gator_86_951

I am an engineer like serge (Mechanical right, good memory on my part, computer/electrical here). I am am finishing my graduate degree this semester and going to law school. I just kinda figured it out. Where *it* isn't that hard to figure out. Start small and work from there. Just use your head. And on these cars especially ask question :-). I even learned how to fashion my own tools this summer for my car. These cars have low tolerance stuff. So you just have to be careful. Take your time. It is all logical. Think about the function of what you are taking apart. If you are unsure about something at all, just ask. That is what rennlist is for?

hoffman912

i started when i turned 16 with my 1st car. when i didnt want to do somthing to my car, but it needed it my dad made me do it. standing by helping me all along the way, so i would eventually be self relaint and wouldnt have to pay for brakes, oil change etc. i also helped my dad out when i was a little kid, but didnt really learn anything then.. just basically handed him wrenches..

when i got the 912 when i was 17, i made myself learn everything i could, with my dad standing there along they way to dig me out if i got in too deep.

best thing to do is buy a manual, read what repair you will be performing. then have someone come over and help/watch you.. buy him a case of beer, and have him sit in the lawn chair telling you what to do and guiding your way through. dont let him touch anything unless you really really need a hand or get over your head. watching helps.. but unless you are in there doing it, asking questions.. really being hands on, youre not gonna get it. this way you get guidance.. and your friends just comming over for beers.. hes not doing it for you, he is guiding you. (big difference!) there are few exceptions. like having him show you the feel of things.. ie too loose, tight, tolerences, explanations.. other than that he shouldnt do anything buy talk you through it and help when help is needed

tools to buy. buy some screw drivers, metric socket set with ratchets of different lengths, and metric wrenches. no need for american standard on a german car.. unless someone did some really ****ed up things. a torque wrench isnt a bad idea either if youre getting into serious stuff.. if youre gettin into then you will need more tools, more specialized tools... thats when you buy or borrow.

luckily my dad has alot of tools, and most of his specialized tools for my car he has as well.. cause he worked on vee dubs, which are very similar in many ways to my engine.

one key i learned is that you have to look at it like surgury. understand not only where you are on the car, or what part youre taking off, but what that part does. understand the function of the part, and how it works, what its relationship to other parts is, not just in the system it is appart of, but how it relates with other parts around it in the same local. also, like surgury, you must understand what is good, what is bad, what is ok.. also you should realize to not just to look at the problem area, but those areas around it.. to inspect stuff thats there and whether you should replace it or fix it while your down there. always be observant, and always as questions of your friend whose helping you out,.. is this good, is it not, what are the tolerances, what do i look for, not look for etc.

dont be afraid to ask questions. and listen to people. and know who to listen to and who not to! read the boards.. use the boards, be involved in the boards. best resource you have is at your fingertips and its free (but payed memberships are great too.. support the board who supports you!)

also.. finally.. and this is a big one, often over looked. like surgury you must act like a surgeon. always be organized, know where your tools are, know where you put your nuts and bolts, and be very well organized. also.. steralization.. ok, maybe you dont need to worry about germs.. the car isnt going to get sick.. but face it, clenliness is next to godliness. its easier to work on stuf if you keep it clean, make sure you dont have grease all over everything in the world. sure you dont have to be a concourse q-tipper... but it makes it easier on yourself to leave it looking better when your finished than it was when you started repairing somthing, cleanlieness wise. this way you wont have as much slime and grime to deal with next time you go to do somthing... also along the same lines.. if you treat it well, it will treat you well back. organization, attention and awareness, and cleanliness.. big keys to not forget that are often overlooked. act classy by keeping everything in order and clean when you wrench, and you & your ride will be classy. act like a hack and treat your car like a hack.. then it is a hack job.

Eyal 951

I bought a nice 951, thinking i would learn on it, on the rare occasion something broke... so I learned to work on it, in the often case something broke. or when it needed preventative maintainance. Or when i want to modify it. Or when i want to tinker. Or when I break something. Or......
~Eyal

Gator_86_951

well said hoffman! wow couldn't have said it better then that. Let the cars live. No more hack-jack offs!

Chris_924s

Necessity. I have always bought my own cars (Beaters that would break down often until I was 25) and worked on them myself and found it interesting and rewarding.
I am STILL learning things.

surround yourself with people with technical know how. (I learned that from UD Pride)

Dead on Harry. Try to understand what you are working on, ask a lot of questions. You'll probably have to buy a lot of beer and pizza for a while.