How to learn?

You will probably not find much help in modern "auto repair classes" as the nature of autos has changed drastically from the early mid-fifties. Most engine books deal with souping up small block V8s', or how to get 5 more horsepower out of your LS6 (yawn), not the essentials of building an antique and obsolete flat head six. A lot will have to be trial and error, with a lot of bloody knuckles and skull divits :eek: along the way. Find a reliable, older auto supplier, if there is one near you; patronize it and they can be very helpful in locating parts and providing installation information. Start with easy projects, be willing to get very dirty, and hope your wife doesn't mind having parts laying all over the place. Better yet, buy an old 308 and strip it down, cataloging each piece and seeing how it all fits together. Your neighbors will think you've had a close encounter of the third kind but so what. Oh, and buy a large supply of hand cleaner and oil absorbent.

Michael,



In addition to the advice above, I would also recommend going through maintenance on systems before they fail. A good example is setting the point gap. It is much better to work your way through the procedure when you have the time and in a dry garage. You'll learn how it works and be ready to do it if you ever need to. As you have learned already, this forum is a great resource. If you can't find the answer you need by searching old posts, someone will typically answer new posts quickly.



Good luck

Michael,

All good advice above. Also, consider this: After I got out of the military, no education, no real future--but a good job I started to take some classes at the local technical college to help with both work/hobby skills. I started with engine classes and redid a few Fords and Chevrolets. We did most everything in class including machine set up and some minor machine work. Next in the program was a class in carbs. Worked my way up to everything including 4B-quads. Two years later I went out to the junk yard and talked the owner out of a couple of engines to tear apart. Next I signed up for a Body-Fender program. One of those where you could take in your own car and paint it. I did several cars over the next few years. Learned how to weld, shrink/expand metal, paddle lead, woodgrain, ect., and a bunch of other things including various types of paint. The last paint job I did in school was a multi color flame job on a truck. With this knowledge in hand I bought my first car to rebuild. Over the last 45 years there have been close to 100 cars that I have done. Some were major work, some were minor but I never walked away from a project. When I was lost I asked questions. I also spent a lot of times with old car folks watching, learning, helping and discussing how to build cars. This was all done in a way not to interfere with my real day job. The degree I got from the Tech School was a 4 year degree in Automotive Engineering Design. Later, I went on to real college and was able to complete my studies because of lessons learned in the tech programs. I am now old and having a ball. There is a lot to learn, and those who visit these forums are a great resource, but we do not always agree mainly because we have gained what we know from different places. You end up using what works for you and then pass it along in hopes it might help someone else? Good luck, it is a great journey....