I was introduced to the Love of “anything with an engine” at a very early age from my father. I’m now an “Old fart” and dad has passed but I still Love “wrenching”. Those skills I learned from him have helped me though the years when tinkering, repairing my vehicles myself to save money or helping friends and relatives… Not only that but it’s just something I really enjoy.
I’m now passing those skills down my grandson with a few go karts and mini bike. In the next week or so we are doing an engine sawp on his minibike. I make him do as much as he can and not only is he learning but it’s the time we spend together that means the most. ::Sniff, sniff:: Yup, a teary-eyed Granpa here. No apologies! I’m a softy. It also teaches him to drive at an early age so when does get on the road legally he will aready have the basic knowledge of what to expect. It reminds me of the times my dad spent with me. One of my earliest memories is sitting on the seat next him in the old pickup shifting gears when he pushed in the clutch. I also remember when I was 5 or 6 years old on the back of his Kenworth, up to elbows in grease, coating the 5th wheel. I remember the man my Dad was friends with that owned the old service station we were at saying, “Damn Herb, that boy sure ain’t afraid to get dirty is he?” Again, that time together is what means the most though. Anyway, enough mushy stuff. LOL!
Go karts, mini bikes, snowmobiles, cars, trucks, motorcycles, tractors, bulldozers, black top spreader, grader, backhoes, boat motors, tractor trailers, gas, diesel, on and on… If it had an engine he and I have probably owned one in one form or another at some time in our lives. My 2 favorite cars I owned were a 66 Chevelle with a 396 and a 70s Fiat X19 with a 1.5L rear transverse engine. Talk about 2 ends of the spectrum! Both were fun for different reasons. (Man, if I still had the Chevelle it would be worth from 40k-50k today in the shape it was when I sold it in the 70s. Who knew.)
Back to the topic of where to start as a “newbie”…
Online car clubs of a vehicle or brand you like, (I saw you had a Mustang) car shows, vehicle chat rooms, friends that are motorheads, race tracks… (You MUST GO TO SOME RACES!!! Drag strips, oval pavement, road courses, go kart races, dirt bike, monster truck, NASCAR. Just pick one or a few to attend.) Most motorsport pit areas and drivers are very accessable so you get to go in the pit and garage areas. When you get into the high-end pro series you usually have to buy a separate pass though. Still… great fun! As far as wrenching yourself, get a good, complete set of tools. You don’t need to buy a new set either. Go to some local pawn shops. They usually have complete sets of tools at very dicounted rates. Start working on your own vehicle to save money and have fun while you learn. Use online sites like this to have people like us help with your project or repair. There are THOUSANDS of us out here willing to pass our knowledge down for free. As far as learning the basics of working on vehicles, get yourself an old used go kart or mini bike that needs work. If you don’t have room to store it where you live, ask a friend or relative if you can keep in their garage or work shed maybe. Just find what interests you the most and dive in! Just know there is decades of knowledge out here just waiting to help for free. I just learned something the other day on sites like this about an old car I just bought that came with 2 different spark plugs from the factory. “BOOM!!” Mind blown!! “Learn something new every day.” Good luck, stay safe and keep us updated.