Haters need not respond!!!

My tC is my first new car. I can change my oil, do minor brake work, and change belts, that's about it. I know nothing about exhausts, headers, suspension, or any other cool stuff. Is there a book or magazine that someone can recommend to learn about what these things are, what they do, what they look like, so on and so forth?

I'm not stupid, I know I can learn, I just need to know where to start. Thanks to my tC, I'm interested in auto mechanics and performance mods for the first time. I'm really excited, so someone please point me in the right direction to read up and learn as much on my own.

 

You should start by learning how an engine works. If you know the basics, you'll know how to improve on that.

Start here.

 

Read anything you can get your hands on! Go down to Borders books or where ever and do a little reading.

 

keep reading these posts ,..very helpful , also i am sure in time you will find a lot of mods you will do to your car is pretty easy and sraight forward since most are just bolt ons, cai, most exhausts , header.

 

I was kind of like you also...

I knew how to change oil, do my brakes, etc.

Just reading this forum has vastly increased my knowledge. Almost anything you'd want to do to your tC has a "How to" written for it.

Hang out here on the forums, i guarantee you learn alot

 

first go to www.howstuffworks.com and read EVERYTHING on cars, how the engine works, how the car makes power, how a differential works, how everything on cars work, it will make you see automobiles in a different light.

 

do all the above plus get a subscription to an automotive tuner magazine. I highly recommend Modified. They offer great advice plus usually have a tech article devoted to Scion's. Every issue teaches you how to do a certain mod. It's great.

 

Back in junior high, I could barely tell a Chevy from a Ford. Then, I started reading everything I could get my hands on. I agree with getting a magazine subscription. Modified, SuperStreet, etc. Read the articles with lots of technical wording in it. Stuff you don't understand. Even though you don't understand it, you will remember key words. Then, when you see it other places, you can make connections and learn how it works. Good luck man.

 

I'm taking somewhat of a different approach to learning. I'm pretty good friends with ZPI, and talk to them on a daily basis. So, I offered to volunteer at their shop. They get an extra helping hand for free, and I get to learn all the cool stuff about modifying the TC. Just last week, I went up there to have my Tein H-techs installed. I assisted in the installation process, and got to see what it took to get these bad boys on. You can go that route if you wish. Find a local tuner and ask if they would like a volunteer around the shop. It would help if you were one of their loyal customers, in order for them to say yes.

 

Hey kungpaosamuraiii, I just spent the last 4 hours reading this article and every link attached to it. So interesting, even things I thought I knew about, I learned so much more in detail. Great Read! Great Question! Great Thread! Now the goal is to actually double up so I don't get fired.