i dont know anything about cars and i want to learn about them, where should i start?

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2braincellsarguing@reddit

Youtube is your friend. engineering explained and driving 4 answers etc are pretty great. Ericthecarguy, chrisfix and rainman rays repairs are also pretty educational to watch, although it’s more repair based.

Books at the library are fine aswell.

Eventually buying a sub 1000$ crap car when you’re old enough helps aswell.

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arabcowboy@reddit

Automotive YouTube is so good and varied. Try it all. Stanceworks, any of the off road guys, even motorcycle content is amazing. Get into watching pro racing and amateur racing. It’s all right there. Just stay away from Scotty.

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2braincellsarguing@reddit

Ya, not much to learn with Scotty. I got into him in the start. All i can say is after watching 30 something videos, all i’ve pretty much learned is newer cars suck and the best car is the Toyota Celica.

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Optima44@reddit

Yeah, from what I've seen of him he just makes videos with a title along the lines of "Here's why [car brand here] is crap"

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TX_Sized10-4@reddit

D4A is honestly so good at explaining automotive theory and concepts. I had pretty a pretty decent working knowledge ICE before I started watching his videos years ago, but I've learned so much from him.

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2braincellsarguing@reddit

I agree.

I especially like his video called something like ”bigger brakes don’t stop faster”. It’s logical, but not something you first think about. It’s a very common misconseption everyone says, even many mechanics.

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born_zynner@reddit

Does your school offer an auto tech class

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Resident-Trash6540@reddit (OP)

nah

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-_-Orange@reddit

If you have the money & space, buy a cheap beater car to wrench on. An older Civic / Corolla, or something similar would be a good starting point.

Having somebody knowledgeable to help you work on it will also be super valuable.

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ElusiveMeatSoda@reddit

YouTube. It's what got me into cars.

Engineering Explained approaches cars from an engineering mindset (i.e., first principles)
savagegeese reviews specific cars and marries the technical attributes with the driving experience
Throttle House is generally good entertainment that focuses on how the cars are to live with and compare with vehicles within their class

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TheTarnishedOn3@reddit

watch donut on youtube, their vids aren't serious and they have something for everyone

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Educational-Jelly855@reddit

Okay. So I'm 25. My parents divorce is what turned me into a car enthusiast as well as Midnightclub 3 on the Playstation2 and the Fast and Furious series

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Resident-Trash6540@reddit (OP)

that's surprisingly a bit funny to me actually, my parents divorced and now im learning about cars as a result cuz then i can be alone more

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Educational-Jelly855@reddit

Well for me one of them was going to get a new car so I took over on the research. It was back in 2010 and wr got a 03 Acura MDX

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PsychologicalGas9288@reddit

You can find a lot of easy-to-understand videos or illustrations of the basic construction of a car online.

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Ihatemongo@reddit

Buy a car with a bunch of shit wrong with it. Then figure out how to fix it on your own.

You'll be competent in no time.

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Resident-Trash6540@reddit (OP)

i wish i had the money... i should probably find a job so i can even afford something basically long gone

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DonkeyGlad653@reddit

Vocational school

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nicksantan@reddit

This might not be a good answer if you're not into computers but I might even suggest checking out a video game like Forza or Gran Turismo and try driving around and checking out different cars from different eras and makes, then you'll learn about front-wheel drive vs. rear-wheel drive, front engine versus mid engine, etc. You'll see patterns and then you'll start to note the curiosities that stand out (like a Porsche 911, for instance, which traditionally has its engine in the back). Good luck!

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cassieofweb@reddit

Automotive YouTube is so good and varied.

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sivy47eq@reddit

Books at the library are good aswell.

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Arlinelb@reddit

Youtube is your friend. Engineering Explained and driving 4 answers are pretty good imo.

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Warm_Hat4882@reddit

Get a Haynes or chilton manual from library on a car your family has and browse through it while looking at the car.

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pm-me-racecars@reddit

Find something about cars that you like, and learn about that.

Cars, in general, is such a big topic that nobody can know everything, and there are so many good places to start.

I find that three big things that people are in to:

Driving

Check out both your local autocross group and whatever racing series you like the most. My wife likes F1 and is using that to slowly learn more about the cars that us mortals drive. North American Autocross is one of the most entry level forms of motorsport.

Standing around looking at cars

Find your local car meets. Heads up, depending on how formal they are, they can get really shitty. I recommend finding a friend to go with until you know that your favourite car meet is solid. Car shows are fun if you're going with people, but they're not the best place to meet the community.

Turning wrenches

Find a cheap car and start fixing things on it until you give up. For your first shitbox, make sure it already runs enough to drive from buddies' place to yours. Then, find friends and watch YouTube videos to fix the problems. You can change almost all the basic parts with a set of screwdrivers and either a set of ratchets or wrenches.

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Educational-Jelly855@reddit

If you travel and have a passport you can maybe drive a Citroen Ami. I think in either the UK or France you can drive one at like 12 cause they are underpowered, small and electric.

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Educational-Jelly855@reddit

Slang terms -Shitbox (a crappy car) -Hooptie (a crappy car) -Lemon (a car thats had multiple attempted fixes) -Ricer (A shitbox or hooptie of Asian origin, usually a Honda) -Tag Job (swaping a vehicles vin) -Clocked (rolled back odometer) -Beamer (BMW) -Subie (Subaru)

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Educational-Jelly855@reddit

People to learn about -Henry Ford -William Durant -Mary Bara -Lee Iococca -Ferdinan Porche -Adolf Hitler -Carl Benz -John Delorean -

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Educational-Jelly855@reddit

List of cars to learn about - Chevy Cobalt and the General Motors "Switch from Hell" - Ford Pinto exploding gas tank -Chevy Corvair unsafe at any speed -Audi 5000, the first unintended acceleration -VW Dieselgate - Toyotas unintended acceleration back around 2008 -VW Beetle -Renault 2CV -Mini Cooper -Ford Model T -Oldsmobiles invention of the automatic transmission - Mopars Hemi -Datsun 240Z -AMC Pacer and Gremlin

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Educational-Jelly855@reddit

Tour car factorys/assembly plants.
car museums
join facebook car communitys and ask about car shows
make a linkedin and start networking
email colleges/universitys that are apart of studies. Kettering University, Ohio State Center of Automotive research, Wayne State. (Example: The origin of Volkswagens Dieselgate scandal was West Virginias Center for Alternative Fuels)
Know and understand that in our modern day most mechanics are not the brightest people. Most young people that want to be an automechanic have poor grades and are more of the scumbag type. I was in a program called Toyota T-TEN 30students alot of them were not happy.
Research things like CANBUS communication, On Board Diagnostics, regenerative braking

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Affectionate-Web164@reddit

Honestly just find a couple cars you really like and watch videos on them how they work how they’re built etc also if there are car meets in your area go by ask people about their cars probably find someone that works on their own connect with them or offer your friends/family to help with stuff on their cars

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yottyboy@reddit

I learned by just taking things apart and putting them back together. Safety is first so before starting in on the brake job, learn how to lift and secure the vehicle. Oh and loosen the wheel nuts before you get the car on jack stands

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irishstud1980@reddit

Infobooks.org

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Garthneddy@reddit

If you’re anything like me then hands on experience is the only way to go. Buy a cheap 90s Honda that needs some tinkering and start wrenching.

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OnlyScientist2492@reddit

Those days are long gone. I remember I bought a Nissan 240 for $800 in 2006, it ran good for a few years and I did learn quite a bit

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Garthneddy@reddit

Maybe it’s because I currently live in a college town but there are plenty of sub $2k Hondas for sale here

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AngryApeMetalDrummer@reddit

Get a fucked up car and learn how to fix it. I suggest a car from before 96 ish. That's when the odb 2 standard changed. Anything before that is pretty easy to fix.

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sensible_design_@reddit

for fun watch "My cousin Vinney"

You can follow any brand/model on many forums as a member and not be an owner. I'm a lotus girl, and own a couple too. Many enthusiasts work on their own cars and post their endeavors.

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silly-goose-757@reddit

That courtroom scene is iconic.

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Old_Confidence3290@reddit

There's lots of stuff on YouTube. Others have mentioned Engineering Explained, which is great but might be a little advanced for a beginner. Start with easy stuff like videos on how a 4 stroke engine works and how a transmission works. You can learn fast.

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PresentIron5379@reddit

If your high school offers intro to auto, I suggest taking that to start with. This would teach you some basics. When you get a car, start with simple things such as oil changes, brakes, and stuff like that. You'd be surprised how much you'll learn from starting with simple maintenance and expanding from there.

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Resident-Trash6540@reddit (OP)

i don't believe my school offers that unfortunately

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Studlystevie24@reddit

Does your school have a trade school

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silly-goose-757@reddit

Maybe there’s a local vo-tech that offers dual enrollment opportunities. In my state that would make it tuition-free.

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Quidegosumhic@reddit

This is very cool. I'm going to assume you have a natural curiosity for how things work and will probably find most machines fascinating. https://youtube.com/@animagraffs?si=DhcFZDC7XGDHzis1 This is a YouTube channel that breaks things down with very cool animations and explains how things work. Engineering explained is also a great channel, but might be a bit much for entry level. Besides that, my advice is to find a car you like. Then start researching that car. They are all basically the same principal. With an interest at such a young age, with some effort you could be absolutely miles ahead of anyone else your age. But the best advice is just see what you like, then just slowly learn. There is so so so much to vehicles, you'll always be learning even 10-20 years later. When i was younger I found the toyota supra to be fascinating and I started to learn from there, I also took mechanics in school because that's the best start.

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StopNowThink@reddit

I'm curious what would make you take an interest in cars at 15. Too young to drive, and most "kids" get a fascination younger I think. Just a curiousity.

I think "knowing about cars" is a huge topic with lots of different branches. There's car repair, super cars, off roading, tuning, engineering, brand history, racing, and more. Is there anything in particular that you feel you want to know more about?

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Studlystevie24@reddit

In some states a permit is 14…

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Resident-Trash6540@reddit (OP)

engineering and brand history, mainly. and i dont really have a solid reason... cars just seem interesting to me so i wanna learn about em

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StopNowThink@reddit

Engineering explained on YouTube is an amazing resource. Just start watching a random video with a whiteboard and be amazed.

A lot of car knowledge from my generation seemed to come in part from "Top Gear", a British TV show.

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Resident-Trash6540@reddit (OP)

my grade 7 class would watch top gear a lot... if only i payed attention

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mordolycka@reddit

when you eventually go to get your first car, get an older civic or integra. extremely easy to work on, and reliable. you learn the most from doing. outside of that yeah watch youtube. look for videos on how engines work, how transmissions work, how suspension works, etc.

to just learn about the existence of cars, like the other person said, watch stuff like top gear

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Stock-Inspector4704@reddit

If you have a car best place to start is there. Get your models repair book and work on it. This will help cover some of the experience you need to understand some of the theory.

Look into engine configs, fuel and air introduction through the years, steering and suspension, electrical and powertrain. This is the bulk of what a car is. After that you can get into details for tires, which isn't super important but useful.

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StorageOpposite412@reddit

Youtube is your friend. engineering explained and driving 4 answers etc are pretty great. Ericthecarguy, chrisfix and rainman rays repairs are also pretty educational to watch, although it’s more repair based.

Books at the library are fine aswell.

Eventually buying a sub 1000$ crap car when you’re old enough helps aswell.