Car project?

Me and a friend were thinking about doing some sort of project car/car restoration. We both want to do some sort of muscle car, but it doesnt have to be. Of course, neither of us have that much mechanical experience, but thats one of the reasons we want to do it, to learn. I know you guys are all bike ppl, but does anyone have any suggestions/ advice on where to look, what to look for? A guy that does a lot of this kind of stuff told my friend that older mustang parts are cheap(er). 70's charger/ mustang/ camaro etc. is what I really like but of course it depends on the price. Also, how did those of you that are gearheads become gearheads? most of my friends/family aren't really into that kind of thing, but I definitely am. I've got a basic understanding of how cars work, and how engines work. Any advice? should I start reading? or just start wrenching?

i went to a community college for automechanics because i wanted to work on my '80 corvette and not pay the dealership. then i passed my ASE's and started working for Pep Boys then muffler shops while attending college. i dropped out of Ohio State University and went to a local community college, then went back to OSU to finish my bachelors. -a|ex

I learned by wrenching and reading. I was in the Air Force and picked up an old '65 IH Scout. A buddy of mine had a 68 Bronco and told me to order a Chilton's (or any shop manual for the truck) and start wrenching. But I'll tell ya, bringing a vehicle back to roadworthiness is NOT cheap. What are you planning to do, mechanical stuff, body work or both? Either way, you can just go get a junker from a junkyard (doesn't matter WHAT it is, as long as it's cheap) and start practicing that way. Take it apart and put it back together. You're not going to be buying parts for it, so your only expenses would be the car itself, the shop manual for the car, and any tools that you discover you need along the way. This is a great way to practice for a fairly small investment and if you screw something up, it doesn't matter. When you're done with it, you can just take it back to the junkyard and get a few bucks back. You don't really want to learn on a vehicle you plan to keep, unless you have someone there who truly knows what they're doing and is willing to help all the way. You'll just end up with a half-finished car that's worth a lot less than you've put into it in parts because you'll get burned out. The good thing about the junker is that if you discover this really isn't for you, you can scrap everything and you're not really out a whole lot.

I learned by trial and error. When i was younger and had cars that were 10yrs old or more... or had lots of miles... they need repairs. My best friend and I were always doing our own repairs... brakes, tune ups, suspension work, performence, pulling motors, alternators, pulling transmissions, clutches, differentials... you name it and we did it. Reason... because we could afford to do it any other way or pay anybody else to do it for us.

i had friends that wrenched and watched and learned.... trial and error too..

I enjuoy the hell out of wrenching on cars as far as choice of cars go it all about taste for a muscle car I have always wanted to do a mustang f-body. I think I would try to do an lx body because it is about four hundred pounds lighter than the gt body I would love to try to buld a motor on my own. I have played around with several old hondas becuase I personally like the light weight and double wishbone suspension I like to autocross so that light weight and good suspension deseign is important to me. The simplicity of older american cars cannot be denied so have fun and good luck but if you have the inclination than certainly go for it...:dthumb:

you're looking at more headaches than "eurika" moments, but good luck. only problem is if you're working with new cars much of what you learn wont really trasition over to newer models.

Just buy an old Stingreay vette, put a new engine and a new paint job on it and drive away :dthumb:

Just buy an old Stingreay vette, put a new engine and a new paint job on it and drive away :dthumb: big "just" right there... but good luck :cheers:

:lol: okay i give up, you guys killed my spirit :lol: j/k definitely want to do it sometime in my life but maybe now isnt the best time.

big "just" right there... but good luck :cheers: I thought it was a good idea :idk: Thats what Id do...

I thought it was a good idea :idk: Thats what Id do... no i totally agree with you if i had $45k :lol:

no i totally agree with you if i had $45k :lol: Either way ur going to be shelling out a lotta $$. How bout a project bike instead? :idk:

Either way ur going to be shelling out a lotta $$. How bout a project bike instead? :idk: that was my original idea. get an older 90's sportbike that needs work for my second bike. that could be fairly cheap.

that was my original idea. get an older 90's sportbike that needs work for my second bike. that could be fairly cheap. Yeah Id go for it. :dthumb: Thats what I was going to do mt senior project on but there were parental (as in my mom) interferences :cursin:

Yeah Id go for it. :dthumb: Thats what I was going to do mt senior project on but there were parental (as in my mom) interferences :cursin: whats up with these hs senior projects working on motorcycles? i never got to do anything cool like that in hs!!! :cursin: :lol:

whats up with these hs senior projects working on motorcycles? i never got to do anything cool like that in hs!!! :cursin: :lol: Be glad u didnt. Its a waste of effort to show you can do a presentation. There are alot of deadlines and stuff and you have to meet them almost perfectly or ur screwed. Rebuilding a bike would be fun tho.

Be glad u didnt. Its a waste of effort to show you can do a presentation. There are alot of deadlines and stuff and you have to meet them almost perfectly or ur screwed. Rebuilding a bike would be fun tho. we had this thing called "senior debates" at our hs, which was actually really cool, ppl would debate on certain topics in the gym and if you had a free period you could go watch. then the retard english teacher took over and got rid of it. it would've been a lot of work but i'd have enjoyed that. instead i read some book (haha yeah right i'd already read it) and did some presentation crap.

Just buy an old Stingreay vette, put a new engine and a new paint job on it and drive away :dthumb: Yeah, JUST do that. BTW, to do a paint job absolutely correct on a fiberglass body would run about $4000 or more at a body shop. I would not suggest practicing on a vette. Like I mentioned, just pick up an old junk car at a junk yard and you can practice all the body work you want on it. You can practice welding, bondo, paint, sanding, all the fun stuff. You can pull the engine (if it has one) and take it apart and put it back together. Sure, you'd have to spend money if you were trying to get the engine to actually run, but it's cheap practice if you just want to take it apart and put it back together. You don't have to worry at all about screwing anything up. Believe me, the second and third time that you do something is always easier than the first. Why screw up a good car trying to practice. Plus, with a junker, you can work on any part of it at any time. Would you replace the struts in your daily driver if it didn't need it? No, so how are you going to learn? Do you want to see what you're getting into without spending a mint? Then pick up a junker and have fun with it.

goin to check out a junkyard tm.

dont let a little work discourage ya, i think a truck would be a great first project. 67-72 Chevy if you can find one. but any chevy up to the mid 80's would be cheapest and simplest build. Small block chevys are as simple as they come and theyre everywhere. Body panels are all plug and play too. i learned wrenching on my friends jeeps and trucks. Then i learned alot on my 67 Jeep Super Wagoneer. then on various bikes, and alot of reading. good luck!

one of the easiest bike to work on is a two-stroke. if you can find one, a ysr 50 has alot to offer. you can overbore or just put a larger engine in it. the body panels are small enough to paint yourself. to work on cars, you will spend a fortune on tools and shipping. -a|ex

one of the easiest bike to work on is a two-stroke. if you can find one, a ysr 50 has alot to offer. you can overbore or just put a larger engine in it. the body panels are small enough to paint yourself. to work on cars, you will spend a fortune on tools and shipping. -a|ex one of my friends has a 2 stroke 250, its apparently fast as hell... where should I look for these things? junkyards?