# DAMN



## jobeken (Oct 3, 2005)

I really envy some of you regulars. You guys know a lot of sh*t about Nissans. I was just curious how you guys came to know so much about cars. Did you just read alot or go to a school or what? I don't know very many people that know much about about cars aside from basic maintenance (brakes, oil, sparks, etc) and basic engine mods so I don't have the luxury of learning first hand. Just curious.


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## DRUNKHORSE (Mar 6, 2005)

la mera neta...I dunno, lol. Well I learned from my haynes manual. My maxima was the first car i bought for myself and when I bought it I decided to work on it instead of taking it to the shop. Little by little I learned until I decided to change the engine then I really got into auto mechanics and decided to make a career out of it. Im currently studing, im 19 and I have performed 2 engine swaps (all by myself). Im pretty proud of myself and how far I have come, from not knowin $hyt 2 years ago to knowing just about everything there is to know. Obviously I learned from reading ( a lot, a hell-a-lot of reading). Im sure quite a few of the guys on this site work at a dealer/ shop. If you have the patience you can teach urself anything. I have learned *a lot* from howstuffworks this site is I think one of the best because you can learn about 

 engines,







transmissions (I just read the article, it great !!),
gears







, 
valves







gear ratios, brakes, tires, suspension, and just about ANYTHING you want to learn about. I myself ever since I found the site ive been trying to cramb as much info about anything that I dont know about. Also If you want an extensive Product and How-To Information check that site from autozone. That site can also help you out with your car problems.


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## Slayer2003 (Jun 4, 2003)

I didn't go to school, take lessons, or attend meetings. I had alot of free time, and got a '98 Sentra GXE for my 18th birthday. Plus, I'm a car enthusiast. i like cars, and have been messing with em with my family since as long as i can remember.

I spent the next few months after doing nothing but research on the 'net trying to learn all I could before I tore into my "new" car.

I found this place, got into a local group, and started hanging out at the local dragstrip for import wars nights.

A few years down the road, I now work in the parts department of a NISSAN dealership, and couldn't be happier. :thumbup: 


It takes time, a willing to learn ALOT, time and energy, and some time just to know the basics. Just waittill youlearn how many different models and names there are, just for the "Sentra" elsewhere in the world. Then you find out they made a 2.0L AWD turbo model, and get pissed at our emmissions for not letting that vehicle come here.


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## jobeken (Oct 3, 2005)

Thanks. I totally forgot about that website. You're right, it is good.


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## psuLemon (Apr 23, 2003)

jobeken said:


> Thanks. I totally forgot about that website. You're right, it is good.


its ok, it gives you a generalize of how stuff works, which is good cuz then you have a basis for a start. Most of us read the forums for years and advanced that with our starting knowledge. Read NPM, especially the nerd section and you start to pick up stuff


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## Acceler8ter (Feb 5, 2005)

psuLemon said:


> its ok, it gives you a generalize of how stuff works, which is good cuz then you have a basis for a start. Most of us read the forums for years and advanced that with our starting knowledge. Read NPM, especially the nerd section and you start to pick up stuff


I learned from my 1st car. I have a '69 Mercury Cougar that was in pretty bad condition. Anyway.. I've done 3 motor swaps on it and have had the motors pulled out of the engine bay numerous times (change spark plugs, headers, gaskets, etc...). When restoring an old classic you will learn ALL of the basics necessary. I even know a little bit of auto-body. 

So thats what helped me. At one point I had all the torque specs memorized for the 302 and 351 Windsor. I took a few ASE classes in high school but they couldn't teach me anything because there was nothing for me to learn about those particular courses. Oh, well.

Now I'm just having to adapt to the whole EFI thing. Electronics everywhere is like a different world.


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## skootz1 (Oct 12, 2005)

I have a 65 Cadillac Sedan De Ville. Messing with that helpped me a lot. I had the engie rebuilt and since then i put in a new altinator, voltage regulator, coil etc etc etc. Gave me a basis which to start. I have learned quite a bit of info from here.


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## jobeken (Oct 3, 2005)

I was thinking about getting an old piece of junk to work on with some friends just to get the feel for it. It seems like that is the best way. Who knows, maybe it might be drivable by the time i'm finished.


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## captain_shrapnel (Sep 10, 2004)

I know what I know about cars because I always manage to own p.o.s. cars. My dad taught me some and I couldn't afford a mechanic, so I learned myself. I knew almost nothing about nissans specifically until I joined this forum about a year ago. Lurk here for awhile and you will learn nearly anything you need to know from people who are extremely knowledgable.


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## jobeken (Oct 3, 2005)

I was thinking about taking some auto classes at a community college in the area. You guys think this is a good idea?


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## psuLemon (Apr 23, 2003)

jobeken said:


> I was thinking about taking some auto classes at a community college in the area. You guys think this is a good idea?


it can't hurt, but it depends what you want to do with your life. For me, its not worth it right now cuz if i go back to school, its goin to be for my Masters in Finance, MY CPA or a law degree. But if you really aren't goin to be working on cars for a living, its not worth it. spend all your time on here and hang out with people that like to work on cars.


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## Kindfiend (Oct 13, 2004)

I had zero training, I never even took off a tire until about 5 years ago (never had a flat, go figure). My parents have always taken cars to dealerships or rip-off mechanics. I got sick of getting ripped off. After I sunk over a grand into my POS 88 Chevy Spectrum and it still ran like absolute shit, I started to learn for myself. Luckily, I got rid of that car, and got my first nissan: a 94 Maxima GXE. I started doing my own oil changes, tune-ups, little things, working my way up with a Haynes. This forum has been *invaluable* so far in diagnosing problems and repair. I find myself browsing turbo, suspension, and audio forums to learn something new. I now would like to get into auto-x, I think it would be an absolute blast. Just have to make sure the SE-R is all fixed up by next year, I guess...


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## captain_shrapnel (Sep 10, 2004)

jobeken said:


> I was thinking about taking some auto classes at a community college in the area. You guys think this is a good idea?


I was going to do the same, but there is a 3 year wait to enroll here. I'll be done with school before that so it was pointless. Took some welding classes instead...


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## 240sxstud (Sep 20, 2005)

Acceler8ter said:


> I learned from my 1st car. I have a '69 Mercury Cougar that was in pretty bad condition. Anyway.. I've done 3 motor swaps on it and have had the motors pulled out of the engine bay numerous times (change spark plugs, headers, gaskets, etc...). When restoring an old classic you will learn ALL of the basics necessary. I even know a little bit of auto-body.
> 
> So thats what helped me. At one point I had all the torque specs memorized for the 302 and 351 Windsor. I took a few ASE classes in high school but they couldn't teach me anything because there was nothing for me to learn about those particular courses. Oh, well.
> 
> Now I'm just having to adapt to the whole EFI thing. Electronics everywhere is like a different world.



I know exactly what you mean, I didn't start with anything THAT old, but my 86 and 89 mustang 5.0 helped me a lot. I rebuilt both of those and that pretty much opened up everything to me on how things work. Experience in my opinion will help anybody learn better versus taking classes and tryin to learn from other people, first hand encounters are the best.


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## captain_shrapnel (Sep 10, 2004)

240sxstud said:


> ...Experience in my opinion will help anybody learn better versus taking classes and tryin to learn from other people, first hand encounters are the best.


Yeah, no arguement there on experience being the best. Unfortunately, I live in an apartment so no garage to work on my car in. Also, its a daily driver so I can't afford downtime either. When I get out of school, i'll get another car and this one will be the car I cut my teeth on. 1st on the list... turbo kit.


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## S&S-Ralli (Oct 31, 2005)

*just do it*

Don't be afraid of getting your hands dirty, and jump right in. Hands on experience is key. With that experience you will learn details, facts, specs, and all of that tech. stuff. Start small and work your way up. IE: general maint. - engine repair. Last but not least, don't be afraid to ask a question. It's better to push the pride thing away, than lose a cylinder.

:cheers:


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## 240sxstud (Sep 20, 2005)

S&S-Ralli said:


> Last but not least, don't be afraid to ask a question. It's better to push the pride thing away, than lose a cylinder.
> 
> :cheers:


Exactly, that's my biggest weakness, I'll look into my car for a week, 5 hours a day before I want to take it to a shop, not only because of costs, but it's embarrassing to me because a lot of times you'll get a mechanic talking to you like you're a baby, and tries to do extra stuff not needed to beef up your bill, it's BS


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## jobeken (Oct 3, 2005)

I just wish I had a POS to work on. My Sentra thus far has been pretty good to me. As far a gen. maintenance the guy at the Nissan dealership hooked me up because he went to school with my dad and gave me preferred customer status. So now I get free oil changes and what not. I want to do it myself but its hard to give that up. Maybe I just gotta bite the bullet and do it.


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## BFinlay (Apr 20, 2003)

as nice as it is to work on your own car, if you are going to give up free oil changes for that satisfaction, you are an idiot.


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## 240sxstud (Sep 20, 2005)

jobeken said:


> So now I get free oil changes and what not. I want to do it myself but its hard to give that up. Maybe I just gotta bite the bullet and do it.


lol, there's no bullet to bite. Oil changes are just about as easy as pumping gas once you're used to it. Little things like this are what get you going into learning more and more about your car. If you're not willing to change oil, how are you going to learn anymore?


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