Tired of paying for service...........

[Dave Rifkin]

Guys,

I am getting tired of having to rely on mechanics all of the time to work on my car and I want to take matters in my own hands, so to speak. I am fairly mechanically inclined and, since many of you are very skilled at working on these cars, I was wondering if you could offer some suggestions on how I should go about learing how to properly work on a classic car?
I own a 1969 L46 Corvette and, to date, I have redone the interior, replaced the heater core and done some other very minor cosmetic stuff. I feel the car should be much quicker than it is and, rather than pay someone to troubleshoot my car, I'd like to learn how to tune the car up myself. Eventually I want to install new trailing arm assemblies as well as rebuild the front suspension but, that can wait for now.
Do you guys have any books that you could recommend or are there other methods you'd suggest for learning these skills?
I don't want to "Bubba" the car up but, I also hate being at the mercy of a mechanic who does not care as much about the car as I do.

Thanks

[snydes]

For myself I've learned A LOT from forums, first by searching old posts as much as possible, reading all I could, and then asking new questions on things I wasn't sure on. I did a frame off restoration myself using that approach, and I am very pleased with the results, and the satisfaction from doing it yourself can't be bought. Just take things one step at a time so you don't overwhelm yourself.

Good luck,
Steve

[ORIGLS6]

Experience is the best teacher,.................... except on front suspension work. Those springs can be deadly. I'd pay someone to do that work,... at least the first time.

[SD 396]

I do most of the work on my own cars and it has been an accumulated knowledge over the years. I learn a lot from forums and books but have had a lot of input from fellow enthusiasts at local cruise nights, shows, etc that I attend frequently. I find most car guys are more than willing to help out and are likely people in your immediate area that my also give you a hand.
I'm not sure if your question is about engine performance or just tune up. If you are looking for upgrades I can give you a couple helpful hints. Don't over camshaft or over carb your motor. Choose specs that reflect how you drive the car. Remember too; it's not 1969 any more and todays poor fuel needs some assistance if your car is going to perform at its optimum.

[juliosz]

After I bought my 65 coupe, I started using the NCRS archives to search on some of the problems I ran into. There's alot of information on drivability problems. Good luck

[Salvatore]

Performance work is a little different than general maintenance. If I were you and if you have the time I would enroll myself into a general auto repair class at the local High School or Community College at nite or when you can. The performance work is learned by hanging with the guys at the cruise nites or down the local speed shop. Some things are seat of the pants knowledge and ability. Good luck! Sam

[rubbinisracing]

Cold Beer seems to draw some knowledgeable help!

[firstgenaddict]

Find a 69 Chevrolet Chassis manual, usually on ebay for $25-30. It will tell you exactly how to service everything chassis wise on a Vette, MONEY WELL SPENT!!!

[SOM2001SS]

I feel the same way you do Dave. The biggest thing holding me back from doing certain work on cars myself is the fear of screwing things up, breaking good parts, just finding the time to do it myself, etc. But I REALLY enjoy the reward of successfully fixing something myself, so I try to use that as my motivation.

Books, magazines and message boards/internet are good, but the best thing for me has been whenever I hear a friend is going to work on his car - go watch/help. That has given me the confidence I need to do some work on my cars.
One day I will rebuild an engine!... maybe

[Supergas990]

Chassis manuals and Chilton books are pretty good guides. My experience is that getting dirty is the best training you can get. It also doesn't hurt to befriend a local mechanic and body guy for reference or reinforcement of your diagnosis.

Most mechanics are car guys and will offer some advice if you spend some time getting to know them.

Trial and error may take some time, but the reward is worth it. You'll find that some of the things that appear the most difficult, really aren't (like engine rebuilding).

Just take your time.

Blair