Working on your own car. Basics.

[Hedge]

Afternoon Motoring folks.

Im pretty competent with my hands and mechanical jobs (currently working through an RAF career and previously a Plumber/gas fitter). Yet I have never actually got to grips with a car.

I own a 306gti and to be honest its seen better days.

How did you get yourself started. What little jobs can I do that will introduce me into Motor mechanics. I have literally no experience of working on them.

What would I need to get going? Haynes Manual? Basic Tool kit?

 

[Begbie]

The Motor Club on base any good?

Tempted to join it myself. Been told its got most tools, and some 4 posters which is always good.

 

[Hedge]

The Motor Club on base any good?

Tempted to join it myself. Been told its got most tools, and some 4 posters which is always good.

Just been to ask about that, Found out a couple of armorers off 15sqn are the boys to talk to. I think Ill get over there when I get my car back up from home.

You got much knowledge yourself about cars mate?

 

[sigma]

Start off by doing simple servicing following Haynes and asking on here or on owners clubs. Things like oil change, spark plug change, coolant flush, brake bleeding, pad/disk/shoe changes, alternator belt change etc.

Most older cars are pretty simple to work on to be honest, no real major complex jobs that need computers.

The main problems are usually hard to reach nut/bolts/parts, rusted/rounded off bits or the need for a new tool that you don't have, or space!

If you really want to go to town then buy an old banger and pull it apart safe in the knowledge that if you mess up you won't be left walking everywhere.

 

[shoes]

Afternoon Motoring folks.

Im pretty competent with my hands and mechanical jobs (currently working through an RAF career and previously a Plumber/gas fitter). Yet I have never actually got to grips with a car.

I own a 306gti and to be honest its seen better days.

How did you get yourself started. What little jobs can I do that will introduce me into Motor mechanics. I have literally no experience of working on them.

What would I need to get going? Haynes Manual? Basic Tool kit?

Brakes - pads/calipers/discs/bleeding/drums/shoes - all easy to do and a good introduction to brake systems. I wouldn't touch master cylinders/abs just yet.

engine - HT leads/sparks/oil change/oil filter/alternator (might be tricky)/thermostat housing (done this on mine with invaluable help from clarkey)

inside - handbrake cable, head unit swap, electric windows

All of the above are fairly straight forward on cars like mine and yours (focus for me). I haven't played with the suspension kit, but I would be mindful that springs can hurt if you screw it up

 

[jaybee]

I couldn't really say how I got started. I guess stubborness at garage prices and a willingness to complete jobs myself. Started tinkering with help from my old man and my old man in law who are pretty good. Gradually became confident over the years and bought some tools. Try to buy a tool everytime you end up needing something you don't have - rather than borrow, within reason - and then you build them up over the years. Get a haynes. Read forums. Try it. The worst that could happen is you don't do the wheels up properly and they fall off and you die. So not that bad.

 

[Hedge]

Well my car currently has a knackered exhaust so Im gonna try and get one second hand if I can find a decent one. I think If I can get the car on ramps Ill be capable of removing and refitting a new one.

Ontop its service is overdue so I might price bits and pieces myself and give it a go.

Definitely gotta be good skills to have at hand.

 

[sigma]

To be honest I'm getting to the point where I cannot be bothered doing anything apart from simple jobs now. I'd rather just pay someone and save the hassle of doing it myself.

An exhaust change would be a good one to do. I've done a few on axel stands but if you have access to a lift etc it would be so much less hassle, I had the majority of the an exhaust lying on top of my a couple of weeks ago, all good fun!

 

[Concrete]

I'd say an exhaust swap is actually one of the more annoying home mechanic jobs to do, due to limited access and the likelihood of seized bolts due to heat cycling. If you could get the car up in the air and have some decent tools it is a lot lot easier though.

 

[Matt82]

start off with a search on here, its been covered really comprehensively before incl tools youll need to get started and the jobs worth doing

 

[Begbie]

Just been to ask about that, Found out a couple of armorers off 15sqn are the boys to talk to. I think Ill get over there when I get my car back up from home.

You got much knowledge yourself about cars mate?

Not a great deal sadly, the old man is ex-mechanic which is handy and have a few mates on station who are pretty handy.

Going to join up myself at some point, as want to do a few bits and bobs to the Clio.

 

[Maccapacca]

I started by living next to a guy that owned a recovery firm and we had 30 odd acres between us, driving round fields from 11, bikes cars jeeps and landrovers, any damage we had to fix ourselves so pretty much trial and error.

Was an aircraft engineer for 5 years and did a NVQ & C&G in Aero Engineering then learnt to TIG & ARC but can't get the hang of MIG.

Helped build a couple of production race cars then progressed onto my first road cars where I've had to do everything up to a complete engine swap in my Cavalier SRi from a donor Astra GTE, headgaskets brakes rads.

Now I get my mechanic to do all the ramp stuff, I can't be bothered laying under cars and spending a Saturday covered in grease and taking the skin off my knuckles, now I fiddle with my XR3i and maybe do the brakes on the Volvo next weekend.