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[Markie]

Dad has City and Guilds.....i showed no intrest when i was young and he was fixing cars....

I taught myself over the last few years and now teach him..

[Golfbuddy]

I had a company car from the age of 19 for 20 years so I aint got no knowledge. Except for the great advice from you guys. The problem is I think everything is down to the crank sensor.  

Going to take a leaf out of Lord Imber's book and buy my 9 year old daughter a car to work on for the next 8 years to catch up.

Not such bad idea as if I break the Meega playing with her on the weekend I can't get to work on Monday. If I have the insurance of Golfbuddy Junior's little car I can play/learn to my heart's content.

The journey begins here.

[Markjay]

I worked in the garage of a main tractor dealer during summer holidays as a teenager, which I enjoyed a lot and gave me a start in life on all things mechanical.

I was in my early twenties when a neighbour who was a mechanical engineer showed me how to take off and clean the carburettor on my Alfasud, and I them proceeded with carrying-out small maintenance myself e.g. brake pads, spark plugs and oil change, distributor and contact point. This is when I purchased a compression tester, vacuum gauge, strob timing light.

My next car was an Alfa Romeo Alfetta and here I got more heavily involved, doing the head gasket (twice!), prop shaft, rear shocks...

I then met a guy who was studying mechanical engineering and became a close friend for several years to come, he was into serious performance tuning and rebuilt (among others) a mini 1275 GT, Triumph TR7, and Lancia Beta Coupe. Under his inspiration I rebuilt a Mk1 Astra with new engine, gearbox, suspension etc, all done DIY during the 5 years I owned it. I would say that most of what I now know I learnt from him and his mates. They were real nutters...

I then went into the wonderful warm bussom of the company cars world, where you need to know nothing about maintenance because it is someone else's problem (well, not quite, if you follow my post on another thread). This was quickly followed by the ownership of my first and second Omegas during the first 6 years of which the cars were serviced by Vx and I didn't want to know.

Two years ago the Vx dealer told me that the cambelt change interval was reduced from 80k/8y to 40k/4y, I thought they were having a go at me so I asked the question online at the the OTHER forum - and with the help of the fine lads i.e. Laidback, Mark DTM, TheBoy and others got totally hooked... so you might say that I am a born-again DIY mechanic. Yes I probably saved some money but also spent a fortune in tools (some of which i haven't actually even had the chance to use yet..).

[Sonic_Boom]

Left school at 16 went to College for 2 years doing Automotive Enginneering, worked for Halfords and Whittaker Fleet car as a mechanic then gave it all up to work as a Production Engineer for Severn Trent Water seems a waste really but loads more money!!
Rich

[Big Rod]

Always loved cars and have had a rough idea of how they worked from a VERY early age.

Funds and facilities restricted me until my Dad decided to scrap my Mum's Renault 16. I set about it with a 10mm spanner and a flat blade screwdriver. Learned a lot that summer!!

Then I started mixing with the local car enthusiasts when I got my license. God what a lot of rubbish they spouted at times!!

Anyways, after all is said and done, I'm pretty much self taught, (that and what I've picked up from specialist forums like this!!)

Love getting my paws mucky though! I reckon it's the only way to learn.

[wakeyomega]

Neccesity. When I was in my late teens, with little money, I used to work all week , then work all weekend on the cheap cars I drove to get them in a fit state to get me to work the following week!  

The only difference was that they were simple ford side valves, or cars like morris minors. You could whip an engine out and strip it down/ rebuild in a day. I understood them then.

I then had a big gap (company cars) and while I had my back turned, the engine compartments got fulled with 'stuff' most of which I didn't understand. This forum has been brilliant for getting me into the current technology.

[Marks DTM Calib]

Well, I grew up with cars as my Father is a fully time served mechanic, he learnt on straight six triumphs and the like and the awful A series engines of the time including major tuning, head work, 3 angle valve cutting etc. It still amazes me when he scrapes his own bearings!

Due to my parents having little money, dad used to do a lot of little jobs on an evening and weekend so I used to see a lot of cars and in particular engines in bits (engines are SO much better these days). Its here I used to pick up interesting techniques like loosening head bolts and cranking the engine to free the head off etc (not possible on modern units!).

Then I went onto study electrical and electronic eng at Uni which is where the engine management side came in.....

Ow yes, as man father always says......mechanics are not engineers, the are technicians....or at best these days, fitters. He is very disheartened by the low quality of the current bread of spanner twirlers.

[familyman]

Ow yes, as man father always says......mechanics are not engineers, the are technicians....or at best these days, fitters. He is very disheartened by the low quality of the current bread of spanner twirlers.[/quote]

Have to agree with him there. It seems most are bonus worrying service techs nowdays. Skilled techs are a dying breed. The motor industry will realise too late as usual, but then maybe a skilled guy will get what he's really worth. You pays a garage £90-100 +vat an hour the time served skilled tech gets at best £10-11 less tax for his trouble. no wonder there are a few stories on here of guys leaving the trade for better pay and easier work else where. Oh well back to work finger nails looking a bit clean

[Tafty]

I'm an Electrical Engineer but gone through the multi skilled maintenance route in Factories - Always tinkered with cars with lots of help from others and learning as I go - especially now!!!.....  one time just when I'd just started college and knew nothing about everything   I tried to install an immobilser on my 2 year old Rover 213 and fitted a switch to earth in line with the main 80A fuse and managed to set my engine on fire on the drive trying to make it work  My Dad's never let me live it down..... since then have worked in Jaguar now offshore

[Bo Bo]

Err, I haven't got any  

[omegabeast]

Have always been interested in cars. Just dont have the confidence to really go for a big repair incase i break it beyond repair. As then iw ould be stuffed without a car and not much funds to get another one  

[Kevin Wood]

Well, I've always been one to tinker with things, cars included. I am not able to accept that something works. I have to take it apart and figure out how it works and why it was designed the way it was. I'll make it work better if I can. As soon as something breaks - well, that's an excuse to take it apart.

I've always done my own car servicing and maintenance but hankered for more involvement. My car didn't break often enough to satisfy my curiosity! Then, in the halcyon days between graduating from university with an electronics degree and settling down I found myself able to spend every evening and weekend in the garage if I so desired. I set about building one of these:



I learnt an awful lot from this project, and when I think back to the way my mechanical skills were before I took it on, finishing it was quite an achievement!

That was just the start, however. I have since stripped down and rebuilt the engine. I ditched the carburettors in favour of a Megasquirt fuel injection system, soldered up the ECU, wrote some of the firmware as, at the time, it didn't do what I wanted, and then mapped the fuel and ignition systems on the public roads using a wideband lambda sensor.

I haven't done a great deal with it recently, except enjoy driving it, but I've certainly got it to thank for the majority of my car knowledge.

Kevin

[Ken T]

I started with motorbikes, a BSA Bantam, Royal Enfield Bullet, then BSA B31. Just tinkering and keeping them going. Then progressed (!) onto cars, cause the girlfriend wasn't that happy about flying about on the back of a B31 esp when it rained !. I then realised how crap some garages were, and ended up doing servicing and repairs myself. I started welding up holes in sills etc with a SIP140   Which is totally the wrong way to do it, so I then went to night classes and learn't how to weld properly. I always found Haynes manuals to be very useful, I know they lack the experience of a timeserved mechanic, but when you are new to a car, they are very helpful. One of the worst jobs was when I stripped the interior from a damaged cavalier and fitted to a new bodyshell. Trying to get all these soddin plastic clips out and back in took hours!   I've still got an old Matchless G2 in the garage waiting for a few spare hours.  

[rcaws]

Dad mainly who used to spend virtually every weekend under MGBGT, Alfetta, Alfasud, VW Sirroco, TVR (oh yes!!  ) Then progressed to my own heaps - read babys!

Nova, Astra, Pug 205 GTI (a 1.9 of course), Golf mk2 GTI, rover 216 (really was a heap), escort xr3i, etc...

all of which took huge amounts of my time, sweat, and blood on occasion. If nothing else they have given me a healthy respect for ANY diy job no matter how simple it appears on first look!! and i have also learnt never to trust Haynes  

Not had any formal training and like others who have replied to this thread, didnt think i would be doing it anymore untill i bought my Omega.

Im such a sucker.............................................................

Ps - Love the westie Kevin, she looks v nice; want me one of those! doubt it any time soon though. Can you fit a baby seat in the passenger side?   im sure there is a way of convining the mrs its practical! 8-)

[Crazydad]

Err, I haven't got any  

nor have i  

Trying to start learning now with my omega, and the help of this Forum