Beginner question

[ThereIsOnlyOne]

Joined the forum as i'm interested in car's but generally know little to nothing about them. Getting to the stage I will be buying and looking after my own car and i'm paranoid I might end up forking out a lot for a terrible motor.
So my question is other than bouncing around the forum what is the best way to expand my knowledge on cars? Any websites, magazines or tv programs you reccommend?
Thanks in advance.
Damn my father for knowing nothing!!

[Dave Hedgehog]

wheeler dealers, Ed demonstrates an awefull lot of basic and medium level mechanical work, you should be able to learn a lot

[mwcr85]

Take someone with you who knows about cars when you go to buy one.

[LuS1fer]

Buy something cheap, reliable and fairly simple to start your motoring off and buy a Haynes manual. Even if you read it and then decide a garage should do something, you gain an understanding of what it is they are doing.

Many say French cars are unreliable but I have never had an issue so the first rule is never take the internet as gospel, buy on condition. The main thing is don't stretch yourself financially and don't pay over the odds to be "seen" in a fashionable car, you will get the most out of cars by starting with a fun banger in reasonable nick, lower insurance with the financial ability to keep it serviced and repaired, picking bits of knowledge up as you go along. Build up your no claims on insurance for a few years and then start exploring the more juicy fruits of automotive desire.

I once knew nothing.

And now?

And now what?