See also the 240Z restoration in progress by @mymechanics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B13vXFj37RI&list=PLN0SuqPcbL...

I'm in awe of the level of detail and the casual ability to just fabricate anything. And the large capacity for work.

Painting cast iron

Pro tip if you are going to paint a cast iron block, after degreasing/cleaning, hit the surface with a blowtorch to drive out moisture from the porous surface. THEN apply a primer, THEN paint with a brush. You're only going to do this once, do it right. Do not do what this guy did which was SPRAY paint a block holding on to a lot of moisture. This is exactly how you end up with cracking/flaking paint 2-3 years after a completed build.

I strongly recommend nobody try to lift or move an engine or transmission out of a pickup bed by themselves without a strong swing-arm winch. Those suckers are really heavy, and the damage they do when they fall on something costs more than the parts. If it falls on a person, woof...

You should also check out RRC Restoration. Full rebuild of both bikes and cars, and with good narration. https://www.youtube.com/@RRCRestoration

240Z has to be one of my favorite cars. Love this build.

If you're into this, you'll love M539 restorations. Here's a ground up rebuild of the S65 V8 out of an E92 M3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfuXp8QnWoU&t=2s

Interesting post, I just recently watched anothers youtuber restore a 240z https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLN0SuqPcbLqGvImGUuOaCsLXT...

Feels like someone should mention the Mighty Car Mods 240z too; https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLp0KnUFYB--h5YF10GYt3nE0F...

Notice that so many parts are metal and only needed sandblasting. Modern German cars use plastic intake manifolds and rocker covers, they’re all cactus before it’s 10 years old.

Fun video. As we say in biz, "been there done that". Autocrossed a 240 for a short time. Better cars honestly, but it looks cool.

Many called it the "Two Forty Zee" while many of us naturally said "Two Forty Zed." I have to admit ''Zee-car'' sounds better than ''Zed-car'' unless you're talking about old British cop shows. I was glad that Datsun dropped the ''Fairlady'' handle for exports.

How do you learn how to fix cars and engines as a hobby?

there are some guys near me who do this sort of stuff. I love to stop & talk to them.

"Oh, so that's what a rear main seal is!"

If you ever need a VW engine rebuilt, avoid GEX of Booneville, AR. Their process involves throwing discarded parts together as quickly as possible without care about craftsmanship, excellence, or anything else but money. That their shop is a messy, dirty disaster should be the big red flag.

Just a suggestion … start with rebuilding a used lawnmower engine, sell it. Buy a used automotive carburetor, a brand like Holly, rebuild that then sell it. Move on to a used car that Uses a naturally aspirated carburetor. Start with something easy such as the brakes, then rebuild the engine. The rear end would be rather easy and fun to rebuild, then try the transmission. Hayes/Chilton books worked well. Manufacturer shop manuals are the best. I was able to buy a shop manual book for my Datsun 280ZX when I restored that way back in the day (pre-internet). These days, verify the content in YouTube videos you watch with the manuals if you are not comfortable doing it. Buy the tools as you need them. Find a local machine shop for things like head and valve work, cleaning the engine block and checking for cracks, etc.

To answer your question as to where did I learn that, I did all of the above in a class in high school.

Just get an old car and buy some tools and teach yourself. There's a ton of information online. For a lot of cars, you can find step-by-step instructions or walkthrough videos of common procedures.

I would start with some easier procedures to get your confidence up, like maybe a valve cover gasket replacement or a serpentine belt replacement. Then move on to harder things.

Also, if you live in a rust-prone area (and you are using simple hand tools), your most important items will be penetrating oil, a big breaker bar, and a large sledgehammer. :) Getting rusty things unstuck is kind of an art in and of itself.

Buy an old car or motorcycle which has service data available to the consumer and uses commonly available parts. Start by learning how to change all the fluids, then start replacing wear items and making repairs.

Some good learning resources:

- Honda Common Service Manual (general motorcycle repair)

- Haynes, Clymer, or official service data for your vehicle

- ChrisFix on YouTube

- Revzilla's The Shop Manual (and its precursor, Motorcyclist's MC Garage)

- The forum or subreddit for your vehicle

Buy an old car. When problems start appearing, learn how fix them. I feel most "car guys" got started this way in their youth, out of necessity.

Get something cheap to learn on at first, before spending the time and money on a "classic". Something fairly common, so you can find info on repair online (forums/youtube). Get a Haynes workshop manual for it.

Make sure you have access to a garage space with a lift.

I’m 42 now but I started when I was 6 on model cars.