Learning about cars.
 

Hey guys.

So I am very close to getting a BRZ and joining the community, however I wanted to ask how you guys learned about cars and the best way for me to do so. I've never been a car guy; I've always been into computers. I study software development and work in IT right now.

If I'm going to invest ~$25k into a car, I want to be able to take good care of it and do some mods to it, but I've never worked on a car and just about know the basics of how to check my oil and tire pressure, etc. I see all these conversations on here that just go way over my head.

So with that, how did you guys learn and how would you recommend I go about becoming more knowledgeable?

You're in IT: the same way you got knowledgeable about computers and know how to fix a problem on a system you heard about two minutes ago.

The DIY and maintenance sections here will be the most applicable to getting your hands dirty on your machine. Drive Clean on youtube it probably the best introduction to keeping it shiny along with Wikipedia to explain general car technologies and history and model specific facts.

Car dynamics and technical introduction:
http://www.autozine.org/technical_sc...ech_index.html

Pretty much exactly what was stated above ^^^

I myself grew up in a shop, and have always been around cars, car parts, accessories, etc, etc, there are a few things I still will not tackle myself but for the most part (unless it is extensive body work, or custom tuner a car that is not supported by Diablo Sport and their CRM software (which the FT86 family is not)) I can get it done with no problems.

Personally if I were you I would read the forums, read the DIY sections, follow the instructions that comes with whatever parts you buy when you install them.

If you have an issue when installing or understanding the instructions that comes with the parts then ask the forum members.

Also make sure you have the right tools for the job that is most important IMO having the right tools makes your life a lot easier when modding the cars.

When you want to get into more extensive mods if you are uncomfortable doing them see if you can find a shop that will let you watch them do it, if you have friends that know about cars see if they will show you a few things.

It's all about baby steps just like with anything else when you are first learning 1 step at a time, and you have to crawl before you can walk, and walk before you can run :)

youtube has a lot of DIY videos. right here at forum also has step by step instruction. But honestly, the car is very low maintenance and you dont need touch it much at all. some other simple things (i.e check oil level, check tire pressure...etc) you can always simply ask guys from auto part stores or mechanic.

XXX Eleventy Billion that The DIY is a great place to go for answers..

But even before you do anything to the car...

At least skim through the owner's manual and familiarize yourself with the different settings, maintenance requirements, and quirks of your car. Then whenever you come across a term or part that you do not understand/not know...look it up and figure out how it works/what it does...

well I think you should play some video games ;3 sometimes racing simulators are good places to learn about what does what.

But if you're not into video games I suggest you watch youtube videos on cars. Just in general, Motortrend, Drive, Top Gear, etc. Channels like those hold small infos about cars but once you pick some up you automatically start picking up terms and what they mean/what they do.

Basic mods like Intakes, Exhaust, and Wheels are really easy to learn :) Just look up some stuff on the BRZ/FRS that pertains to those things and you might learn about the twins in general.

I learned by buying an old car and modifying it. It's a lot easier than you think, at least the simpler cars. Luckily the 86 looks very easy to work on compared to most newer cars. I would buy a Haynes manual or some other shop manual if you're interested in working on your car. That, along with forums is where I learned everything.

I'm kinda like you, OP. Im a nerd, build my own computers, and build them for others, do database design at work, etc...

The first comment is spot on. I'm not a mechanic. I just Google the shit out of anything I want to do and that's pretty much it. Between that and a copy of the service manual, it's pretty hard to mess anything up. On my last car, I always stayed away from serious engine work due to a lack of tools and a need to have a running vehicle, but I used it as a learning tool. Changed a tire. Fixed some interior trim pieces. Then got brave, watched a ton of YouTube videos, and then changed my brake pads. Doing that job, specifically, made me realize how easy it is to do some things that most people think is a complex job, and also made me realize how much shops charge for simple tasks.
After that, I downloaded the Factory Service Manual, and it wasn't long after that I had the car up on jackstands and was replacing all four springs, struts, strut mounts, etc... with the help of a friend, that I had assembled myself. Cars really are just giant LEGO blocks. Once you get your head around the fact that they aren't all magic voodoo, you realize a lot of stuff is easy to do.

Of course there will always be more involved jobs that I take it to the mechanic for, but even doing some work yourself, you learn a lot, save a lot of money, and bond with the car :)

Dont forget to go "How stuff works". I like how they explain with image and motion pictures

GL OP, wrenching is fun and an excellent way to get some first-hand physics sandbox style thinking going on if you dig into the nature of what's going on while modding

gran turismo 6. Seriously, take one step at a time and look up DIY on this forum and ask for help who has good knowledge about cars. It's all about learn by doing approach. I work as a developer too OP! what languages do you tackle??

I'd say give Live for Speed a whirl, too. It's for PC and it's got some fantastic physics, and all sorts of suspension/braking/tires/etc configuration settings. Kinda need a wheel and pedals to properly drive though.

Buy a semi-shitty car and fix it along the way. You'll learn to either turn a wrench real good or swipe your credit card more often than you'd like. Luckily maintenance on the twins are real easy and kind of spoil you. I've had cars with oil filters hidden behind exhaust headers (Pipes that come out of the engine that direct exhaust gases into the muffler out the back of your car.)

When you drive your car try to keep your music and other distractions to a minimum and 'learn' to listen to it such as how she likes to grumble at low speeds in a high gear and how hard she likes to push when in low gear at higher speeds. Get used to some of the drivetrain noises (Drivetrain = Stuff that moves the car such as Engine/Transmission) and try to remember that little 'thud' sound that she makes when you're taking that little turn you like going slightly faster than you think regular traffic takes it.

Fixing cars are very much like troubleshooting and diagnosing computer issues. It's a ton of trial and error and communicating with people who may be familiar with relevant issues either face to face or via forums and youtube videos. There's a ton of resources for learning about cars or practically anything these days and it's our responsibilities to put in the effort to inform ourselves about them. It's also part of the fun.

You can't beat an extended family member or friend who loves working/restores cars. I learned from my uncle, and still learn things from him. He owned an automotive shop, I worked there for a couple years but he has since retired. In his retirement he is restoring some old chevys he had stashed away over the years. Watching and helping a friend work on their vehicle is the best way to learn in my opinion.

p.s. In my experience, its a lot easier if you're mechanically inclined. If you have more of an engineering, calculating (read: overthinking) mind it makes it harder.