Hello c/cars
tl;dr: I'm looking for knowledge of a cheap simple car (with cheap parts) to break/fix/learn.
My apologies if this is semi-rambley. I've been forever stuck at "too afraid to break my daily driver" and only really feel comfortable changing the oil and refilling various fluids.
I want to change that.
Problem is... I'm a hands-on type of learner. I need to break/fix something to really get the knowledge (and confidence) so I was thinking of getting a project car to work on and dispose of. Something I would be proud to repair over time but also not care if I miserably fail and have to get it scrapped. My neighbor highly recommended that I don't touch anything past the 90s, as the electrical systems in modern cars are apparently terrifying even to skilled mechanics, but I feel like the older the car gets the rarer (more expensive) the replacement parts would be. I want it to be as cheap and simple as possible. I'm only trying to learn... I'm not restoring a show car.
That's why I'm here. Do you have any suggestions at what I should look at?
I'm thinking something compact or subcompact just so I don't have to take up a huge portion of my garage storing the vehicle itself. (and yes, I realize there will be plenty of parts and tools involved). My neighbor recommended I look at various auctions to choose one of the totaled vehicles available at clearance pricing, which... seems a little extreme for me. I'd rather choose something neglected and go from there. I want to figure out how to replace a window by disassembling the door. Find out to plug a leak in the windshield washers lines. Replace the alternator and recharge a battery. Flush the brakes and change the rotors. Restore a headlight or brake light unit. Change the stereo. Fix a seatbelt. That kind of stuff.
And boring as it is I would start with a budget for your new ad hoc auto tech classes that you are creating for yourself.
Like ... how much are you willing to part with financially for the car and then monthly for the tools, insurance, parts, and loss of social life to engage with this new self propelled study ?
So before asking "which car" start with "how much".
And it seems like a perfect chance to learn about used car auto auctions.
That's a good question that I'd have to answer with a counter-question: What am I getting myself into?
Most of the mechanical repairs I've had done at the shop were no more than $2000-$3000. Stuff like replacing the cracked driveshaft, water intrusion in a strut. I am willing to put thousands into a car over time, but is that realistic?
I got into growing food with some garden beds. But it ultimately cost me more than joining the CSA from the farm down the road.
But I still garden on a smaller scale than before because it is enjoyable for me and cheaper. There are other types of things with internal combustion engines to take apart and reassemble. Old scooters and mopeds and all kinds of weird things to seek out how to master.
Find a budget that doesn't crumple your savings strategy and find something to learn. It will pay off though perhaps not in ducats. Cars included.
Oh yeah, I'm not going into this assuming it's going to be cheaper than a class or anything. It's for the fun of learning.
My biggest fear is purchasing a vehicle, and then finding out something dumb like "Oh, that's a European market vehicle and the USA doesn't stock any parts so it's all expensive imports from now on"