What is your mechanical history and aptitude?

[jughead500]

I grew up on my uncles farm.lrarned to weld when I was about 10.dad used to be a hot rodder when I was little.used to help him mechanic when I was in diapers.I loved that old truck.it was a 49 ford with a 327and muncie out of a 69 vette.tunnel ram and two holley 4 barrels

 

[bayard]

my father was an engineer.he was amazing what he built and made. i became a fair mechanic ,rebuilt trany,s for amcco,dealer work.worked for amax corp as a welder in a mine in colo. then a cert. welder for a few years.framing const,etc.been wrenching on stuff for years.k

 

[showrguy]

I took small engine repair as a sophomore, 1982, and my junior/senior year I was in vocational auto repair. I hired into a diesel shop as a junior and was mostly a "wheel" mechanic. I was "apprenticing" under an old guy and was pulling sleeves and sech with his supervising re-assembly.
Never had a mom or dad but had worked on local farms and had my 1st car, '67 Galaxy, before I had my license. Knew a couple guys who'd let me hang out in their shops and worked on my own stuff.
My '74 Chevelle, Laguna S-3 was my "1st build" and that factory 454 didn't stay stock. Lost my license rite after high school, hot-rodding, still working in the diesel shop and kept getting caught driving to work w/o a drivers' license.
Joined the Army, did my 3 years and "wrenching" had lost it's magic by the time I got out.
Went to school after the Army and went to work as a "Radiographer",,ie. x-ray technologist, not a "technician"!!
Still work on my own junk and will fettle with my brothers/nephews auto's too. Just to beat the mechanics' shops.
I've always kept new/newer chainsaws and mowers and sech so I don't get to work on 'em much.
I've reached the point in life where I'd hire any serious engine repair on my autos if they needed it. Still do water pumps, wheel hubs, brakes, transfer gearcase swaps,and the like,when I need to.
I've built a couple old Shovelhead engines and been thru a couple "evo" engines back when I was riding 'cycles. Never split the gearcase on any of 'em.

now that's got me laughing..
my 1st build was my 1975 chevell laguna S-3, white with red stripes and 1/2 vinyl top.
it was my 1st car when i was 16, by the time i turned 18 i'd allready had parts of the motor torn down and put back together just to see what the engine was all about..
i gathered parts and built a small block 350, .030 over, pop up pistons, radical solid cam, ect..
i jus sold that motor (almost 30 years later) to a guy to put in a street rod.. i have a sweet 454 sitting here in the garage when i get the money and the time..
i still have that car !!! not many of em left.... most people never even heard of one..
it's been a long time, but the funny thing is, i still remember 18436572, anyone know what that means ????

 

[workshop]

I guess i got my mechanical aptitude from my dad. Him and his buddy used to hot rod old cars before WW2. Then he joined the Army Air Corps in 1943 and got sent to the Philippines. When he got out he started raising a family and dropped the hot rod stuff. But he always worked on our own cars. I'm the youngest of 3 and whenever he or my brother was working on cars I always had my nose looking over the fender. My first engine anything was an old mower I drug out of my neighbor's basement and begged them to give it to me. What for? It doesn't run they said. A few days later I was cutting their grass with that mower. Took auto shop in high school and decided I liked messing with cars. Went to a 2 year Auto Tech school in Salina Kansas, graduated, and started wrenching on about anything with wheels on it. Then I got into the auto parts end of it for a few years. I'm in building maintenance now, taking care of the building's A/C system. I had a teacher in Vo-Tech that said "If you know the theory on something, you can work on anything." I've carried that thought all my life. I'll look at something and say to myself, "Self, you know the theory on this so start tearing it apart." I've always done everything for myself, mainly because I'm cheap and don't want to pay someone else to do it for me. From remodeling the house to building my shop to overhauling my own vehicles. Then, a few years ago I got CAD and nothing has been the same since.

 

[troylee]

firing order.

I can wrench when I have/want too, but much prefer to keep that to a minimum.

 

[greendohn]

now that's got me laughing..
my 1st build was my 1975 chevell laguna S-3, white with red stripes and 1/2 vinyl top.
it was my 1st car when i was 16, by the time i turned 18 i'd allready had parts of the motor torn down and put back together just to see what the engine was all about..
i gathered parts and built a small block 350, .030 over, pop up pistons, radical solid cam, ect..
i jus sold that motor (almost 30 years later) to a guy to put in a street rod.. i have a sweet 454 sitting here in the garage when i get the money and the time..
i still have that car !!! not many of em left.... most people never even heard of one..
it's been a long time, but the funny thing is, i still remember 18436572, anyone know what that means ????

The firin' order...mine was white with 1/2 vinyl burgundy? top..good times.

 

[Gologit]

firing order.

I can wrench when I have/want too, but much prefer to keep that to a minimum.

Is that your Tri-Motor you're standing next to?

 

[bayard]

now that's got me laughing..
my 1st build was my 1975 chevell laguna S-3, white with red stripes and 1/2 vinyl top.
it was my 1st car when i was 16, by the time i turned 18 i'd allready had parts of the motor torn down and put back together just to see what the engine was all about..
i gathered parts and built a small block 350, .030 over, pop up pistons, radical solid cam, ect..
i jus sold that motor (almost 30 years later) to a guy to put in a street rod.. i have a sweet 454 sitting here in the garage when i get the money and the time..
i still have that car !!! not many of em left.... most people never even heard of one..
it's been a long time, but the funny thing is, i still remember 18436572, anyone know what that means ????

my first car was a 1964.5 mustang 260 v8.cut my teeth on it.had them all 289hp, 302 boss.351 c,390,etc.blowing them up, fixing them ,crash em up, you know 70,s .k

 

[MarkEagleUSA]

Lost my dad in '67 when I was only 7 so I didn't get to hang out and learn from him. I did however like to tinker. My first recollection of carnage was at around 10 yrs old when I totally dismantled 2 sets of American Flyer trains. Needless to say they never ran again (and when I later found out what they were worth...).

I started collecting and rebuilding bicycles around that same time. Whenever the town had bulk pick-up my friends and I would haul every bike we could find back to my house. We built some killer BMX bikes before anyone knew what BMX was. My best friend made a cardboard sign one day that read "Ye Olde Bicycle Shoppe" and it hung in my basement for years.

I've just never been afraid to tinker. Chiltons manuals, and now the internet, allow me to tackle most anything. Taught myself to weld as a teenager. I've done plumbing, electrical, framing, and finish work. Built decks and sheds. Designed and built an in-law apartment for my mom at my uncles house (long story).

I was never a gear head per se, but have always enjoyed working on vehicles and engines of any kind. I have never paid for any repair to any OPE other than my first garden tractor when the motor blew and I just didn't have time to fix it.

And then last year, at 53 yrs old, I stumbled into AS... haven't been the same since!

 

[whitedogone]

My Dad was a Carpenter/cabinetmaker. So, I grew up with a hammer in my hand. I helped him build things at a early age. We built our first house together when I was 13. As I got into HS, I got into cars and started hanging out with a local mechanic, He wasn't just any wrench. He was a one man shop and built race cars for people. He even worked on a Indy car crew. I learned a lot from him as well. In HS auto shop, an auto tech school came to a lot of High schools and did mech app testing and were offering scholarships to the top 12. They tested around 5000 students and the top 200 were invited to Indy (that's where the school was) for another round of testing. I made it in the top 24. They interviewed the top 24 test takers and offered 12 of those scholarships and the other 12 a nice set of tools. I still have most of those tools in the shop today.

 

[troylee]

Is that your Tri-Motor you're standing next to?

They fly that thing around, and pay for its upkeep by selling rides. Was worth every penny.

 

[troylee]

Our ag instructor taught us to remember the firing order of a JD diesel by this: 15 is to young, 36 is to old, 24 is just right.

 

[50blues]

My Dad is a farmer/ mechanic. One of my uncles ran a body shop when I was young, another one is a machinist. From the time I was old enough not to put the wrench in my mouth I was "helping" my dad. First jobs were parts washer, gas in a metal pan and a scrub brush, and wrench getter. We drag home my first truck when I was 15. Rebuilt and replaced every part of it, drove it for 100,000 miles.

I have been a body man for the last 20 years. Chainsaws is just a hobby, got to have the firewood.

 

[jughead500]

Dang me too. Such a mess. They were cloth in them days, too.

I was pretty well at the end of the cloth days.one good thing about It my brother got to wear my hand me downs.

 

[hotshot]

So many stories like mine. I took everything apart as a kid too. Now I'm a mechanical engineer and make a good living designing stuff. I've never been afraid to take something apart. I save a ton of money fixing things myself.

Same story here but also minored in math, KU or KSU? However, it's scary how many graduated that couldn't change a spark plug!

 

[BDM53ENT]

Best way I could explain it would be like Matt Damon did in the movie Good Will Hunting. Some people see keys on the piano and they just get it. I see tools and a piece of equipment, motor, etc and I just get it. Well, most of the time

 

[WHSH]

When I was pretty young my dad and I rebuilt a kohler 4hp motor over a winter. I think demistifying and engine was the key. Also, haveing a huge thirst for infomation and being bore with the old.

 

[Termite]

I always worked on stuff when I was a kid. Got a good career start as an aviation electrician in the Navy. An elevator mechanic has to have a lot of different skills but working maintenance in a chemical plant was a challenge. I learned a lot from the amazing people I worked with.

 

[walexa07]

Around 10-12 years old, I was guilty of tearing a few things apart but unfortunately was not always able to get them back together. Then by 14 or so I rebuilt the top end on a Honda trail bike and really got into tinkering with small engines and rebuilt several more by the time I was 20. Loved knowing how things came apart, how they worked, and how they went back together. Took Ag class in high school where I learned stick welding (among other things), so MIG welding was real simple to pick up. Ended up getting a BS in mechanical engineering and working in the pipeline engineering consultant field, but still enjoy working on things when I have time. First chainsaw was in 1994 or so - had that 026 for about 10 years when I started having problems with it and took it to trade in towards a 361. Left the saw shop and started looking for reviews on the 361 and found AS. Went back the next day and gave the saw shop their $200 trade in value to get my 026 back - all downhill from there as far as collecting saws went. When my father passed in 2010, he had 3 saws that needed repair - an L77 and 028 Super that has scuffed pistons, and an 026 that he bought as a box of parts for $25. Got all 3 put back together and going good, but they don't get much use - mostly sit on a shelf to preserve their current condition.

Waylan

 

[eiklj]

Same story here but also minored in math, KU or KSU? However, it's scary how many graduated that couldn't change a spark plug!

KSU. Yeah, there were a few of those. You have to show them which end of a screwdriver to use. I was fixing things since i was young.