(Part 3) Top products from r/Autos

It's not a cheap book but it takes you through the majority of aspects in automotive mechanics. It's college level and geared towards formal education and studying, but I find that even for personal interest it gives the reader/enthusiast a great starting foundation. If you can afford it and have the motivation to read it in its entirety, you will be in a much better position to make proper mechanical decisions if you start a project car in the near future.

I should also add that I own this book and am currently reading through it myself. It's tough at some points due to the nature of the content, but it's superior to the general knowledge and information you'll be presented with in most forums and shop talks.

Sorry for posting late, but definitely buy this http://www.amazon.com/How-Cars-Work-Tom-Newton/dp/0966862309/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346804838&sr=8-1&keywords=how+cars+work

I read this while taking Auto Tech through high school and it helped a ton.

There is also this website, although it uses some larger words and is a bit harder to understand right off the bat. http://www.autozine.org/technical_school/tech_index.html

Try, to concentrate on one system at a time afterwords (brakes, suspension, electronics, etc.) since it makes it more focused.

Good luck :)

I have a 1970 Nova that I've worked on quite a bit, although not as much as I would like. I bought it as a car to learn on, having about the same experience you do now. I've taken almost every single thing apart on that car, but sadly have not been able to rebuild much of it due to money issues and going back to grad school. Obviously I'm a bit biased, but I think you chose a good car to start with. I'll try and answer your questions:

1. As long as you're not mechanically retarded, you'll have no problem. All I had going into this was one auto shop class and a lot of enthusiasm. So far I've completely removed, disassembled, and rebuilt both the front and rear suspensions, removed/disassembled and half-rebuilt a small-block Chevy engine, rebuilt the steering system, gutted the interior, and taken almost every part off of the car at some point. I would say that with enough research and a willingness to learn, there isn't a single thing you can't do, and that includes rebuilding the transmission (although it might not be very fun). Suspension, engine removal/installation, exhaust, brakes, rear axle... most of it is very simple with plenty of instructions to be found online or in books, not to mention old-fashioned trial and error. Basically, you don't need to worry about difficulty as long as you are willing to learn.
   
   
2. I hate the interior. All of the major parts are rather uncomplicated, and even the dash is stone-age simple compared to modern cars, but its the brittle, old plastic pieces and papery upholstery that are a pain because they break so easily, and they are everywhere. If you buy replacement interior parts and simply replace the old with the new as you go, your mechanical inclination should translate rather easily. However, if you plan on restoring and reusing any of your stock interior, it will be much more difficult and time consuming. At the very least, in my opinion, the interior will not be easier than the rest of the car.
   
   
3. Pick up a Chiltons or a Hanes manual for the car. This is the one I bought, although I'm not sure if I bought it from that website. It will have most of what you need to know (like torque values and general dis/assembly procedures), and you can go to the interwebs for the specific things that it doesn't. If you want to rebuild the engine, I highly recommend anything buy a guy named David Vizard. This book is absolutely amazing, even if you're not on a budget. It will explain the theory and mechanical basis behind engine building, i.e., what parts you should buy for the type of use to which you will put your engine. This book gives you the step-by-step instruction on assembling it.
   
   
4. I can't even guesstimate this. It really depends on what you want out of this build. What are your plans? Daily driver? Weekend plaything? Racer?
   
   My Nova had rust issues in a few places, so watch for it when you buy yours: Rear quarter panels between the bumper and the wheel well (from the factory, this area on the inside came packed with foam that trapped any water that leaked into the trunk right up against the metal and rotted it); Front fenders right behind the wheel well (there's a hollow area inside that traps water); Front floorboards (just like any car... if you can't pull up the carpet to look, you can look up at the floor from underneath). Mine was a California car all its life, if you're buying from somewhere like the rust belt, you'll likely have similar or worse issues unless somebody has already fixed it. If they have fixed it, inspect these areas anyway for poor craftsmanship doing so.
   
   Before buying the car, look at the suspension bushings, or ask the seller about them. If they are original or replaced long ago, they'll likely be cracked and crumbling. This makes the car handle like absolute shit and the bump steer can be downright horrifying to deal with while driving (believe me...). So not only are they important, but they are among the most difficult part of the suspension to replace. If you plan on driving the car before tackling this job, make sure the bushings are in good shape.
   
   For parts, I've always gone to Summit for the general mechanical stuff. Great prices, great buying experience and great service, in my experience. For Nova-specific parts like body and interior pieces, my first stop is Classic Industries to find out what I need, then I cross-reference the part numbers I find there with other vendors to find the best price. Sometimes Classic is best, sometimes not, but they have everything, so it's my first stop when looking for a part.
   
   That's all I can think of for now. If you have any questions, let me know.
   
   Edit: Formatting.

This is a good beginner book for working on aircooled VWs. Maintenance is pretty straight forward; the most important thing is changing the oil and adjusting the valves every 3,000 miles, both of which are easy to do and cost relatively nothing. Also make sure all of your engine tin is there. Ghias aren't cheap and finding a dry convertible is getting more and more difficult to do. Good luck, that should be a fun project!

I don't know about the Pontiac, but your Jeep is easy to work on. Longitudinal inline engine and rear wheel drive, plenty of activity on forums, and good used/aftermarket part availability.

Get the Haynes or Chilton manual and join a forum. This text is a good general reference to have: http://www.amazon.com/Automotive-Technology-Approach-Jack-Erjavec/dp/1401848311 .

Do you have a garage you can work in and store tools in?

My breaker bar has saved me so much trouble on tough to knock loose bolts. I recall a few months ago I was trying to remove the bolts on a brake caliper with a regular 12" ratchet. I managed to get the bolts off the driver's side caliper bracket off, but it literally took all my strength (and I had bruises on my biceps from doing it.) I wrestled with the passenger side for a good hour before I drove to a shop and bought a 1/2" attachment so I could use my 2 ft breaker bar. The bolt literally just fell off with barely any pressure.

I also have the regular automotive tools needed to work on my car (jack, stands, ramp, socket set, hex set, allen set, wrench set, etc.) I just ordered an cordless electric impact wrench today since using my breaker bar to remove lug nuts was exhausting.

I ordered this: http://www.amazon.com/DeWALT-DW059K-2-18-Volt-Ni-Cad-Cordless/dp/B0001LQLE2/ref=sr_1_2?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1324404837&sr=1-2

It ended up costing me $226 and change after $25 dewalt promo discount and $20 promo I had from pre-ordering some games on amazon. From the reviews I've read, it should be good enough to handle the majority of the maintenance work I do on my car and my hope is that it saves me a significant amount of time and effort when I work on my car.

I'm planning on replacing my CV joint axles in the next two months, so I'm hoping the impact wrench will come in handy.

Upvote for autocross. I've been to a few, they're usually very friendly and welcoming. You see everything from stock Miatas (a LOT of Miatas) to Porsches in race gear. It's a casual atmosphere, very safe, and will boost your skills immensely. Check out this book. I have it and it's terrific. After reading a few chapters you'll be thinking about your apexes while driving a mini van.

RCDrift is spot on for cars but I would add older VWs to that list, Rabbits and Cabriolets. Look for a Cabriolet (stiffer floor pan) with the Wolfsburg option package (stock sway bars). From talking to some of the long time autocrossers, VWs were once what Miatas are now. Ubiquitous, cheap, and surprisingly competitive.

Edit disclaimer: I am not an experienced old fogey but I have been known to pick their brains extensively.

I've got the old version of that camera and it's very good. Importantly for me, it's small enough to fit behind my rear view mirror and has a really nice small mounting bracket with tape rather than a huge suction cup that will fall off every other week.

My power outlet is inconveniently placed, so I used add a circuit to hard wire it into my fuse box.

If you have the room to use one, a set of Irwin Bolt extractors are your friends

They WILL trash the bolt, but its coming out. I also suggest soaking the bolt with good penetrating oil. Automatic transmission fluid mixed 50/50 with acetone works wonders. Apply it with a brush, and it goes to work better than PB blaster or Kroil

You could try a book. Personally, I used the hondata website and help files.

The basics aren't too bad if you are starting with a good map. If you have a terrible map I would try to find a good base one online or go to a professional tuner and buy an hour to get you started.

Buy my book on Amazon. 😂

You're so close!

The subreddit you want is /r/autodetailing

That said, a product from 3M called "Swirl Remover" is just strong enough to cut water stains and absolutely will not hurt your paint.

You'll need to re-wax the car after using this product. It will remove wax along with the water stains.

http://www.amazon.com/3M-PERFECT-IT-SWIRL-RMVR-DARK-COLOR/dp/B0002MSWU6

His book, The Driver chronicles the experience. One of my favorite automotive books.

Try this one as just the basics:
http://www.amazon.com/Garage-Girls-Guide-Everything-About/dp/1581825196

I prefer ones with a safety lock. I read a story here about some guy who knocked the release bar and crushed himself.

http://www.amazon.com/Torin-T43002A-Double-Locking-Jack/dp/B00026Z3E0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382276522&sr=8-1&keywords=jack+stands

have you tried this?

http://www.amazon.com/Cvf-Supply-Pieces-Easy-Out/dp/B0002SCXG4

if the head of the bolt is still on then try this

http://www.amazon.com/Irwin-Industrial-54019-Extractor-9-Piece/dp/B001MXPRV6

Canon EOS Rebel T5

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8

I have to recommend Car Guys vs Bean Counters, by Bob Lutz, who joined GM in 2001, and helped bring them back from the brink of death. GM is far better off now then they were a decade ago. The Volt is a plan for the future, and they, unfortunately, had to kill Pontiac and Saturn (wasn't really their decision). GM is still far ahead of Dodge in build quality and reliability. If you want to switch to a winner, switch to Ford.