unless you go take a 2 year training course your not going to learn
everything right away so just get that out of your head.

What you need to do is first buy the factory service manuals
for your vehicles then start reading them.  Start with basic maintainence
items like changing oil, changing transmission fluid, changing coolant,
replacing belts, etc.  Buy the tools as you need them.

Also you should be aware that a lot of the tools you use for working
on the bike you won't use for the car and vis-versa.  And there are a
lot more maintainence items on a motorcycle that you can do yourself.
For example learn how to change the bike tires.  Learn how to change
the chain and sprockets.  All these things are in the factory manual.

Ted

On Feb 16, 1:34 am, "rlah...@gmail.com" <rlah...@gmail.com> wrote:

What you need is a hobby car to play with.  Buy an older car, say an
old Ford Falcon or Chevy Nova 6.  Something with a carburetor and
Kettering (non-electronic ) ignition.  These cars are quite easy to
maintain.  Get a manual on it and do tuneup, oil change, etc.  Fix it
up and then sell it.  You will learn a lot in the process.

This gives you a start on auto technology. You can then read about
EFI, electronic ignitions, OBD, etc.

On Feb 16, 2:34 am, "rlah...@gmail.com" <rlah...@gmail.com> wrote:

I agree with Ted's advice, also realize that you're going to need to
invest in some basic tools before you even start.  I'd suggest at a
minimum:

1) Craftsman basic "mechanic's tool kit" with screwdrivers, 1/4",
3/8", and 1/2" drive socket sets, combination wrenches, etc.  I prefer
S-K or Snap-On, but most of my tools are still Craftsman for economic
reasons and I have a feeling I'm a good bit more serious than you.  If
you have the choice I'd buy the sockets and wrenches in six point, not
twelve point, although you may run into a need for 12-pt. eventually.
2) A good set of pliers, including "water pump" pliers (although
you'll never use them on a water pump) regular slip-joint pliers, and
needle-nose.  Also a set of side-cutters ("dykes") are handy if you
anticipate electrical work.
3) a set of Allen head sockets in 3/8" drive.  Based on your
automotive choices you will probably only need metric.
4) a set of deep sockets to match the sockets in 1)
5) a good set of extensions, both locking and "wobble."
6) an oil drain pan and an oil filter wrench (I actually prefer the
big pliers made by K-D I think?)
7) Some kind of tool storage box or cabinet.  If you have a garage I'd
suggest biting the bullet and buying an actual roll cabinet; you'll
fill it up eventually if you stick with it.  Having your tools
organized is very handy.
8) Some basic chemicals - off the top of my head, some brakleen,
Permatex No. 2, Permatex hi-temp silicone (make sure you get "sensor
safe") some mechanic's hand cleaner, shop rags, anti-seize paste,
silicone grease, white lithium grease, PB Blaster.

you will probably find yourself having to buy some specialty tools as
well once you get "into it."  Also once you get into more advanced
work you will want to buy probably a tap and die set for chasing
threads, a good gasket scraper, possibly a bench grinder with a wire
wheel for cleaning rusty parts for repainting, and a whole mess of
other stuff - it snowballs from here :)

For a REAL basic education, I'd suggest going to howstuffworks.com and
reading through some of the automotive related articles there and then
trying to correlate that with what you see under the hood of your
car.  THEN start asking questions and people may be less frustrated
with you.

good luck,

nate

Sell the Tiburon, and buy an old car with rear wheel drive, ignition points,
and easy engine access.  It helps if the old car isn't very reliable.  Get
the Haynes manual for the car and read it constantly.  Keep it in the bathroom.

When the car breaks, fix it.  

This is called "trial by fire" and unfortunately it's the only real way to
learn this sort of thing.  But it is much easier to learn maintenance on
a car from the seventies than on a modern car, in part because there is
so much more room to work in the older vehicles.

But the Haynes manual is your friend.  It's a good introduction to what is
inside the car and more or less how it works.

For the most part, the engine isn't that complicated.  Fuel goes in, air
goes in, spark goes in, exhaust comes out.  Most of the stuff under the
hood is involved with getting fuel, air, and spark in the right amounts
at the right time.

Manual transmissions aren't that complicated either.  One shaft is
driven by the engine, and you can swap gears around on the fly so that
the output shaft is driven from the input at any one of a number of
different ratios.

Look inside a VW Bug, for instance.  There's just not much there.  The
vast majority of stuff on a car today has to do with accessories, but
those accessories can be problematic too.  Learn on a simple car without

them.
--scott

On Feb 16, 2:34 am, "rlah...@gmail.com" <rlah...@gmail.com> wrote:

Yeah, modern cars are, unfortunately, hard to diagnose even when you
know a lot about cars. Then the mechanical aspects once you do figure
it out are no picnic, often.

For learning basic mechanics, like everybody said, an old car pre-fuel
ignition is a lot less murky. you can get the same education much
cheaper, however, by getting old dead lawnmowers from the dump and
doing autopsies and maybe seeing if you can get them running again.

On Feb 16, 2:34 am, "rlah...@gmail.com" <rlah...@gmail.com> wrote:

Suggest that you take a car repair class in night school.
Seriously...they will have the tools at hand and you will have an
instructor to show you the right way to do things.