Mechanics/maintanence

[eMsta]

Hi All,

I did a search and I couldnt find anything on this - maybe I didnt use the right keywords for the search - but how does one get to be a mechanic? Do I need to do a course? I have heard of apprenticeships for it, but since I am an accountant, I dont think I will have time to do anything like that - unless Im an accountant by day and a mechanic by night

I have the skylines manual - that I got from the net ages ago - but would that be enough for me to do general maintanence and/or modifications? I have been thinking about doing a short course on car maintenance at the local tafe or something, but not sure what the results are like from doing such a course. Anyone taken one of those courses before? If so, was it beneficial? Any other options that I can look at?

Thanks all

Edited November 26, 2006 by emsta2003

[Count Grantleyish]

Some TAFE do offer short course about maintanence/mechanic, you just need to ask local TAFE for short course book, best ring around and ask.

It's often short course runs at night time, some courses do runs on Saturday, depending on which TAFE that offers.

I can't comment on how benefical these courses do as, I haven't done these myself (got few mechanic friends), maybe a good idea to do if you're not very confident working on your car or something along with these lines.

The other option is, if your friend, knows his/her way around cars so him/her could teach you on the 'free time'

Good luck.

[AndyMac]

The best way is too figure it out for yourself.

and buy a god tool set. A good tool set is worth more then anything.

[TokyoTaxi]

My 2 cents.......

Get a really good job that pays really well and then find a good mechanic and pay him / her to do the work for you !!!!!!!

Learning to "tinker" with cars is great fun and yes a GOOD tool set is essential. Changing a cat-back or sparkies or brake pads is fun, but when it comes to all the crap jobs, just hand over the keys the $'s and let someone else do all the ing.

Do a car maintenance / familiarization course and just tinker

This is the opinion of a person who's been a licensed mechanic since 1988

[NiSmO`ChiCk]

i recently looked into doing this also, however, none of the courses at tafe or anywhere offered any after working hours classes etc or you needed to do a f/t apprenticeship to do the actual course. i asked a few mates who are mechanics and ppl who had done it about the 'short courses' which can be done after hours, but they said at those ones they usually just teach u stuff u already know or stuff u dont even need to know. so yeah it didnt leave me any options which is crap!

[blind_elk]

check out www.kangan.edu.au

[TokyoTaxi]

check out www.kangan.edu.au

lol !! That's where I went to TAFE to become a mechanic.

Used to be a great TAFE !! All the teachers were huge rev-heads

[racsov500]

im currently doing a apprentiship, which means I go to the workshop and work (and get paid for it) and go to tafe as well (this is payed for by the government). you learn alot from just doing simple jobs - its one thing to know how to do it, but you never realise how hard some things can be until you actually do them. you get to work on all kinds of cars (depends where you work though) and at the end of it your fully qualified. bad parts is that its 3 or 4 years long (still quicker than a uni course) and the pay is crap. but you never have to pay labour for working on your car again and you get parts at trade prices

[racsov500]

The best way is too figure it out for yourself.

and buy a god tool set. A good tool set is worth more then anything.

not really. if you dont know how to do amore complex jo properly and you put the car back together wrong, itll end in tears. having someone who has done it a million times before looking over your sholder is heaps better, cause if your gonna do something stupid they step in and correct you. and you always know the jobs done right.

but yes, any decent mechanic will be spending thousands on tools. if your just a home mechanic then a bigger kmart kit might do, but if your serious you start looking at brands like snapon, kinchrome, CGL ect

[walkoau]

there are class's you can do at tafe. these are called pre appreticeships courses some schools allow seniors to do the courses to get there units up for HSC. but sorry to tell you the only way to become a fully qualified mechanic is to do an apprenticeship. or you could go one step further and do an automotive engineering course part time at uni.

[R33S2]

Australia needs apprentices because we have few tradesmen. In January the gov are encouraging more apprentices by offering employers and apprentices a good package of employnent, and in July over 35's will find it easier to gain engineering quals.

[LightAssassin]

bad parts is that its 3 or 4 years long (still quicker than a uni course)

Eh? Wah? That's about how Long uni courses are... 3 years for degree, 4 years for dual degree. Unless you're talking uni to become a mechanic... then you'd do uni and have to learn after you finish.

I wanted to do a course, best learning... buy a shitbox, say a AE71 corolla. Find one with some rust, various small issues and needing a rebuild. Parts are cheap as chips, it's RWD and you can learn to do body work.

Best part is you won't give a sheet if you break anything. I'm going to hunt one down after I get my daily and turn it into a decent project.

[gtrchick]

im currently doing a apprentiship, which means I go to the workshop and work (and get paid for it) and go to tafe as well (this is payed for by the government). you learn alot from just doing simple jobs - its one thing to know how to do it, but you never realise how hard some things can be until you actually do them. you get to work on all kinds of cars (depends where you work though) and at the end of it your fully qualified. bad parts is that its 3 or 4 years long (still quicker than a uni course) and the pay is crap. but you never have to pay labour for working on your car again and you get parts at trade prices

bleh crappy pay is the understatment of the year lol. But its good fun and it goes by pretty quick, i think the apprenticeships are competency based now, so you could probably finish it quciker...depending.

[800STN]

hey does anybody think that $295 for a dyno tune and + $165 for injector clean is a bit steep or a good price?

[Sumo]

I know when people have done their own wiring jobs with no background knowledge this has resulted in fire. I have seen big harnesses melted together from 1 wire being hooked up wrong. A night course would be good to give people an idea on what thing to consider when tinkering with a particular part of the car.

Aside from that I've had a discrepency with my boss recently (im a 4th/yr auto elec) and am going for early completion. So I have done 3 1/4 years and the app. board said it should be fine to lodge the early completion forms. 3 months time - ill be a mobile unit, then the world is my oyster see where it takes me from their.

Cheers

Sumo

Edited November 30, 2006 by Sumo

[eMsta]

pretty good sumo

thanks for all your replies peops. I have been looking at the skyline repair manual and trying to figure out which part is which. I think I will still be taking mine to RE Customs for its services, but at the same time, it doesnt hurt to know some of the basics. Thanks anyway

[ctjet]

hey does anybody think that $295 for a dyno tune and + $165 for injector clean is a bit steep or a good price?

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