Learning vehicle mechanics
Discussion
I kinda fancy myself as a bit of a handyman and will get stuck in with any DIY project no matter how big or small, but one thing that I have sadly left out of my bank of knowledge is how to fix a car. I can do the low level things, oil changes, change spark plugs etc, just general bits and pieces, but I would really love to get my hands dirty and learn how to do a lot more in this field.
Does anyone know of any good places to start with this? I guess colleges or City and Guilds places would be a starting block, but I'm 27 and don't really want to be stood around learning at the pace of a dim witted 16 year old (no offence if your 16, or dim witted). Are there any places that do courses in vehicle mechanics for people other than those who are going to persue it as a career?
Does anyone know of any good places to start with this? I guess colleges or City and Guilds places would be a starting block, but I'm 27 and don't really want to be stood around learning at the pace of a dim witted 16 year old (no offence if your 16, or dim witted). Are there any places that do courses in vehicle mechanics for people other than those who are going to persue it as a career?
Jonboy_t said:
I kinda fancy myself as a bit of a handyman and will get stuck in with any DIY project no matter how big or small, but one thing that I have sadly left out of my bank of knowledge is how to fix a car. I can do the low level things, oil changes, change spark plugs etc, just general bits and pieces, but I would really love to get my hands dirty and learn how to do a lot more in this field.
Does anyone know of any good places to start with this? I guess colleges or City and Guilds places would be a starting block, but I'm 27 and don't really want to be stood around learning at the pace of a dim witted 16 year old (no offence if your 16, or dim witted). Are there any places that do courses in vehicle mechanics for people other than those who are going to persue it as a career?
http://tinyurl.com/2vc2654Does anyone know of any good places to start with this? I guess colleges or City and Guilds places would be a starting block, but I'm 27 and don't really want to be stood around learning at the pace of a dim witted 16 year old (no offence if your 16, or dim witted). Are there any places that do courses in vehicle mechanics for people other than those who are going to persue it as a career?
Edited by CraigyMc on Friday 24th September 12:34
CraigyMc said:
Jonboy_t said:
I kinda fancy myself as a bit of a handyman and will get stuck in with any DIY project no matter how big or small, but one thing that I have sadly left out of my bank of knowledge is how to fix a car. I can do the low level things, oil changes, change spark plugs etc, just general bits and pieces, but I would really love to get my hands dirty and learn how to do a lot more in this field.
Does anyone know of any good places to start with this? I guess colleges or City and Guilds places would be a starting block, but I'm 27 and don't really want to be stood around learning at the pace of a dim witted 16 year old (no offence if your 16, or dim witted). Are there any places that do courses in vehicle mechanics for people other than those who are going to persue it as a career?
http://tinyurl.com/2vc2654Does anyone know of any good places to start with this? I guess colleges or City and Guilds places would be a starting block, but I'm 27 and don't really want to be stood around learning at the pace of a dim witted 16 year old (no offence if your 16, or dim witted). Are there any places that do courses in vehicle mechanics for people other than those who are going to persue it as a career?
Edited by CraigyMc on Friday 24th September 12:34
To answer the OP. it is so very difficult to do such a course. They either all seem to be some kind of "day release" programe for Aprentices (this is where the money is for colleges). I was lucky, my local college does Beginner, Inter and Advanced evening courses using the facilities that are frequented in the daytime by all manner of manufacturers apprentices. It was not a cheap course, about £1800 for a year, but not bank busting.
Your best bet is to try the websites of all your local colleges, if you hurry you will make this years intake.
CraigyMc said:
Jonboy_t said:
I kinda fancy myself as a bit of a handyman and will get stuck in with any DIY project no matter how big or small, but one thing that I have sadly left out of my bank of knowledge is how to fix a car. I can do the low level things, oil changes, change spark plugs etc, just general bits and pieces, but I would really love to get my hands dirty and learn how to do a lot more in this field.
Does anyone know of any good places to start with this? I guess colleges or City and Guilds places would be a starting block, but I'm 27 and don't really want to be stood around learning at the pace of a dim witted 16 year old (no offence if your 16, or dim witted). Are there any places that do courses in vehicle mechanics for people other than those who are going to persue it as a career?
http://tinyurl.com/2vc2654Does anyone know of any good places to start with this? I guess colleges or City and Guilds places would be a starting block, but I'm 27 and don't really want to be stood around learning at the pace of a dim witted 16 year old (no offence if your 16, or dim witted). Are there any places that do courses in vehicle mechanics for people other than those who are going to persue it as a career?
Edited by CraigyMc on Friday 24th September 12:34
eltax91 said:
CraigyMc said:
Jonboy_t said:
I kinda fancy myself as a bit of a handyman and will get stuck in with any DIY project no matter how big or small, but one thing that I have sadly left out of my bank of knowledge is how to fix a car. I can do the low level things, oil changes, change spark plugs etc, just general bits and pieces, but I would really love to get my hands dirty and learn how to do a lot more in this field.
Does anyone know of any good places to start with this? I guess colleges or City and Guilds places would be a starting block, but I'm 27 and don't really want to be stood around learning at the pace of a dim witted 16 year old (no offence if your 16, or dim witted). Are there any places that do courses in vehicle mechanics for people other than those who are going to persue it as a career?
http://tinyurl.com/2vc2654Does anyone know of any good places to start with this? I guess colleges or City and Guilds places would be a starting block, but I'm 27 and don't really want to be stood around learning at the pace of a dim witted 16 year old (no offence if your 16, or dim witted). Are there any places that do courses in vehicle mechanics for people other than those who are going to persue it as a career?
Edited by CraigyMc on Friday 24th September 12:34
To answer the OP. it is so very difficult to do such a course. They either all seem to be some kind of "day release" programe for Aprentices (this is where the money is for colleges). I was lucky, my local college does Beginner, Inter and Advanced evening courses using the facilities that are frequented in the daytime by all manner of manufacturers apprentices. It was not a cheap course, about £1800 for a year, but not bank busting.
Your best bet is to try the websites of all your local colleges, if you hurry you will make this years intake.
Why exactly did you call me a c0ck?
Rotary Madness said:
Your best bet is a buy a cheap car, take it appart, put it back together. Repeat on lots of different cars. Its how ive taught myself, and if you get stuck theres usually a guide out there somewhere on the internet to help you.
Tried that with an old Beetle. Took it apart, couldn't get it back together, sold it for scrap....I never said I was a GOOD handyman!!
Jonboy_t said:
Rotary Madness said:
Your best bet is a buy a cheap car, take it appart, put it back together. Repeat on lots of different cars. Its how ive taught myself, and if you get stuck theres usually a guide out there somewhere on the internet to help you.
Tried that with an old Beetle. Took it apart, couldn't get it back together, sold it for scrap....I never said I was a GOOD handyman!!
Id pick something easy that doesnt rust, like a civic or micra.
If it helps, I learned by discarding the haynes manual, picking up the spanners and figuring it out - but then I can't hang a shelf for s
t.
Started off with lawnmowers, then had a couple of stroker bikes, then a couple of small simple four stroke single bikes, a carbed 4 cylinder, these days I'll turn my hand to anything except really modern electrics etc.
If you can, get a snotter and a garage and make the snotter better.
Oh, and it helps if you are way too tight to pay a garage
ETA: Damn work got in the way - useless response in the end.
t. Started off with lawnmowers, then had a couple of stroker bikes, then a couple of small simple four stroke single bikes, a carbed 4 cylinder, these days I'll turn my hand to anything except really modern electrics etc.
If you can, get a snotter and a garage and make the snotter better.
Oh, and it helps if you are way too tight to pay a garage
ETA: Damn work got in the way - useless response in the end.
Edited by ferkle on Friday 24th September 12:49
I think I should have added that I'm looking at doing this for a couple of reasons.
Firstly, I would love to (one day) build myself a kit car. Father in law and I did a Cobra a few years ago, but I had absolutely nothing to do with the oily bits (maybe that would have been a start?!!). Secondly, I am (as someone has already said) tighter than Lady GaGa's undercrackers so would love to be able to diagnose and/or fix problems on modern cars if and when they happen. So the ideas about getting myself a snotter and making it run are brilliant, but might not help with the second objective due to modern engines being more like a computer.
Firstly, I would love to (one day) build myself a kit car. Father in law and I did a Cobra a few years ago, but I had absolutely nothing to do with the oily bits (maybe that would have been a start?!!). Secondly, I am (as someone has already said) tighter than Lady GaGa's undercrackers so would love to be able to diagnose and/or fix problems on modern cars if and when they happen. So the ideas about getting myself a snotter and making it run are brilliant, but might not help with the second objective due to modern engines being more like a computer.
Jonboy_t said:
Rotary Madness said:
Your best bet is a buy a cheap car, take it appart, put it back together. Repeat on lots of different cars. Its how ive taught myself, and if you get stuck theres usually a guide out there somewhere on the internet to help you.
Tried that with an old Beetle. Took it apart, couldn't get it back together, sold it for scrap....I never said I was a GOOD handyman!!
Ron champions book "Build your own sports car for £250" is quite good, if a little unrealistic (who has all those tools...and where am I supposed to get a RWD escort from nowerdays?)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Build-Your-Sports-Little-P...
If you want to build a kit car, you could just start, see how far you get. When you get stuck, buy a book or get some advice, pretty much what I do!
Depending on how you like to learn, a Series 3 LR, a haynes manual, a workshop manual, a decent socket set and some spanners would be far from the worst place to start. Old LR's are very easy to work on, cheap (in poor condition, which will be OK for you) but the basics are the same for most cars, alternatively get a spitfire...probably should be something you like.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Build-Your-Sports-Little-P...
If you want to build a kit car, you could just start, see how far you get. When you get stuck, buy a book or get some advice, pretty much what I do!
Depending on how you like to learn, a Series 3 LR, a haynes manual, a workshop manual, a decent socket set and some spanners would be far from the worst place to start. Old LR's are very easy to work on, cheap (in poor condition, which will be OK for you) but the basics are the same for most cars, alternatively get a spitfire...probably should be something you like.
Anyone can fix cars with a bit of paitence. To fix them properly takes experiance time and tools.
I am a mechanic by trade (not doing that now) and car builder by hobby.
To do basic servicing is easy, get a haynes manual and away you go. On modern cars though, when something is amiss, you need a fault code reader as a minimum and this is where the money starts to be spent on tools.
If you really want to learn then I would buy an old MGB and pull that apart, no fancy electronics, so no need for laptops etc. basic suspension and axles normal clutch and gearbox. You would learn an awful lot about how they work and they are cheap for spares.
On the kit car what are you thinking of building?
I am a mechanic by trade (not doing that now) and car builder by hobby.
To do basic servicing is easy, get a haynes manual and away you go. On modern cars though, when something is amiss, you need a fault code reader as a minimum and this is where the money starts to be spent on tools.
If you really want to learn then I would buy an old MGB and pull that apart, no fancy electronics, so no need for laptops etc. basic suspension and axles normal clutch and gearbox. You would learn an awful lot about how they work and they are cheap for spares.
On the kit car what are you thinking of building?
spaximus said:
Anyone can fix cars with a bit of paitence. To fix them properly takes experiance time and tools.
I am a mechanic by trade (not doing that now) and car builder by hobby.
To do basic servicing is easy, get a haynes manual and away you go. On modern cars though, when something is amiss, you need a fault code reader as a minimum and this is where the money starts to be spent on tools.
If you really want to learn then I would buy an old MGB and pull that apart, no fancy electronics, so no need for laptops etc. basic suspension and axles normal clutch and gearbox. You would learn an awful lot about how they work and they are cheap for spares.
On the kit car what are you thinking of building?
Not sure what I would think of building TBH, it's jsut been an ambition of mine ot do one someday. I know that if I decided now what I'd like, it would have changed again by the time I come to actually doing it!! Probably a Caterham or similar with a ridiculous engine set up in it is the flavour of the month now!!I am a mechanic by trade (not doing that now) and car builder by hobby.
To do basic servicing is easy, get a haynes manual and away you go. On modern cars though, when something is amiss, you need a fault code reader as a minimum and this is where the money starts to be spent on tools.
If you really want to learn then I would buy an old MGB and pull that apart, no fancy electronics, so no need for laptops etc. basic suspension and axles normal clutch and gearbox. You would learn an awful lot about how they work and they are cheap for spares.
On the kit car what are you thinking of building?
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