Power For Pennies: Let's Get Our Hands Dirty

"Bozi Tatarevic" (hoonable)
11/26/2014 at 10:53 • Filed to: Power, pennies, project, tools, mechanic

So you see all of these articles and forum posts about people working on cars, modifying cars, and flipping cars and get inspired but then you go to your garage and see that you have a pair of pliers and half a screwdriver and ask yourself "What Should I Do?" Inspired by your comments on !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and many articles by people like !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , here is your guide to getting down and dirty with your tools.

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The classic line when someone asks how to start wrenching on cars is to learn by doing and there are many ways to approach. The easiest way to get into cars is to get a mentor who knows what they are doing and start helping out and learning alongside them. This has multiple benefits as they are right there to show many things and many times give you access to their tools. But, what if you are an orphan that lives in an apartment with just some street parking?

The best way to get into wrenching that applies to everyone is to get online and start reading and get a basic tool set so you can try things out. An easy first task that you can do is check and change your air filter. It is usually fairly trivial to get to on a car and doesn't require a large set of tools to access and work on and provides a sense of accomplishment on completing your first task. You can usually find your air filter box by looking at the engine and seeing where the air intake hose leads from. You can also check your owners manual and online as some are known to be hidden away.

You need tools to get working but you can get started with a low cost general set. There are many different prices for tools based on quality and name but you can find a quality starter set for under $100. Since we are into the Black Friday craziness now, Lowes has a great !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and if you look around you can even find a $20 off promo code and bring it down to about $80. A set like this gives you all of the basics you will need to do almost all the basic maintenance on your car and will get you started on your way. Once you get hooked to working on your car you can expand with more tools as they become necessary for a certain job.

The next step in your experience is to check online forums specific to the car you are working on so you can see DIY articles on your next set of tasks. Once you have a few tasks that you would like to try, go out and do it! Things like air filters, oil changes, spark plug changes, and brake changes are great tasks to get you started on your way to working on cars and the great thing about the internet is that if you get stuck you can always snap a few pictures and place them online.

Once you have your basic mechanic's tool set you will need a few other basic tools with the first being a good !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and sturdy jack stands. There are many different options out there but you can usually pick up a good set for under $100. There may be some different brands that are cheaper but since these are safety items it is important to buy quality stuff. Other than that, you should buy some wheel chocks so that you can lock down your vehicle and then buy the rest of your tools as a job calls for them. Buy the best tool you can withing your budget.

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Working on your car requires some patience and many jobs that take someone with experience only 30 minutes to may take a few hours for you so pick a good time when you know you will have free time and won't need your car for at least a few hours. Once you do some of these tasks a few times they will become quicker and you will be better able to estimate your time.

If you are working on a modern car another helpful device to have is an OBD II code reader. There are many out there but you can pickup a basic handheld one on Amazon for !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . This code reader will allow you to plug into your car when you have a check engine light and retrieve the codes. You can then search the codes online and get yourself on a path to troubleshooting your issue. Another option are Bluetooth readers as these plug into the port and connect to your phone or tablet via Bluetooth. These can be !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

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Once you get to exploring around your vehicle you will start to recognize parts and be able to match them on other types of cars. Once you have your current car down pat and want to go on an adventure you can buy that $500 nutcase vehicle and start fixing it.

Bozi is the founder of !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and creates articles on everything from engine swaps to late model car restorations. You can follow him on !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! or drop him a line at !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

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DISCUSSION (13)

Sweet Trav > Bozi Tatarevic
11/26/2014 at 11:08

Good write up, Might I suggest an ELM327 and Torque in place of the code reader if you already have an old android device laying around?

Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif > Sweet Trav
11/26/2014 at 11:14

I have one with my current phone and it makes logging data easy. I also mount in on the dash so I can see hp, torque, coolant temps, and a host of other stuff all at the same time. My dash cluster doesn't give a ton of info but the bluetooth reader and my phone work great.

Sweet Trav > Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif
11/26/2014 at 11:15

Yeah i keep my old Nexus 7 in the car for just such occasions.

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > Sweet Trav
11/26/2014 at 11:17

Have one and love it. Has helped me diagnose and fix everything from thermostat to missfires (and no I don't just mean by clearing the fault code and driving on my merry... I'd never try that... Nope). But it does help a lot being able to read a CEL then Google the code right away. Plus you can see all the engine dynamics, temps, etc.

Sweet Trav > nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul
11/26/2014 at 11:18

Plus the track plug in is pretty cool.

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > Bozi Tatarevic
11/26/2014 at 11:20

Might I add if you're living in an apartment without access to a garden hose Do Not rinse your oiled filter *cough-k&n* in your bathtub. The red dye will stain everything and it will make your tub look like you've murdered someone and tried failed to properly dispose of the body.

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > Sweet Trav
11/26/2014 at 11:25

Exactly. They have a pretty robust user dev team too coming out with all sorts of other plugins.

Funktheduck > Bozi Tatarevic
11/26/2014 at 11:52

Great post. Jack stands terrify me. I had to lift a '53ish ford pick up off my stepdad once because it fell off the jack stands. He was pinned down but not crushed/injured by the rear diff. I ran over without thinking, grabbed the rear bumper and lifted. I was able to lift it enough for him to crawl out. Ever since then I won't get under a car jacked up that I can't get under without it being jacked up.

RotaryLove > Funktheduck
11/29/2014 at 05:03

If it fell off the jack stands that's his own fault... Why not buy some race ramps at least if you don't like jack stands?

Lothar > Bozi Tatarevic
01/21/2015 at 19:03

Might I suggest YouTube as well? Amazing the videos of specific make/model/task combinations you can find online.

Captain_Overboost > nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul
02/23/2015 at 13:57

Annnnnnnd you know this, uhhhmmmmm, howw www.......????

Jus' askin'......... lol SAY IT!

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > Captain_Overboost
02/23/2015 at 16:36

How do I know what washing a k&n in your bath tub or what a failed body disposal looks like?

Captain_Overboost > nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul
02/23/2015 at 16:40

Well played good sir, well played. But, we all know the truuuuuuth.... *unwavering, unrelenting stare*