heaven help the shadetree mechanic

Reply #15 – August 25, 2006, 12:22:05 AM

The junk yard is an awsome idea if you have a yard that will let you go in and do that kind of thing. When i need parts I go up there and pull the car apart to learn how to take it apart.

As for learning I have no idea. Both my dad and Grandpa were/are mechanics but my dad lived over a 1000 miles away and my grandpa 2.5 hours. I started on bikes thenfree lawnmowers that friends and neighbors gave me and my friends and then moved on to cars when i started driving and now computers of all things. Believe it or not the two really go hand in hand.

When it comes down to it there are 2 things in mechanics. Brains and Braun. Brains for trouble shooting (the hard part of any mechanics job). This site is the brains. Just look through board. It is full of people who range in knowledge from nothing to some like eric and carmen who know near everything about the cougar/tbird. And everyone inbetween including my self have had a plethera of issues (not saying the cars are bad but all of the cars on this board get driven. Driven ALOT!) and therefore putting us all together know everything.

As far as the braun that's just using your arms and legs or what ever other body part you can use to get the nuts, bolts and screws off. To me that's the easy part.

I'm sure you have the braun but with everything the brains will come along. The more you do, read and see the easier it will all come to you. You obviously have the desire to learn.

I wouldn't mess with a focus. I've had my cougar for 7 years now. Almost to the day infact. And it has by far been the most reliable car in my family over that time. Other than typicals (water pump alternators, batteries) it has never let me down. Hell even after I blew the back two cylinders out (at 194k) i could still cruise down the highway going 70 mph and it always started. Even after sitting for 4 months waiting for her new heart. Hell I have an 88 waiting to get on the road again that had sat for 3 years. We put a battery in her and she fired up to life immediately. Anyone who has ever had one of these cars will tell you how great they are. Mechanically and physically. Any help you need is right on this community. which is by far the best mechanics message board on the face of the earth. The is a commrodery of cougar/tbird owners that doesn't exist with any other faction of vehicle.

tc