How to learn about cars

That's like saying watch Lost so you cant learn how to survive in the wild

>How do I learn about different models, engines,
if you couldn't name every current make and model by the time you were 5 years old you never will.

you can't learn something you have no inherent interest in.

>How to learn about cars

If you don't like books, have ADHD, or require video in short doses under 30 minutes, then check out youtube for the "Engineering Explained" series.

wheeler dealers is a better bet

Watching video in small bites is the best bet.
Whether or not OP retains the information is a different matter.
Just as the student's time in school can train themselves to become more attentive and focused upon details, too many students used the time to train themselves to have a careless or ADHD-style attitude towards facts. Or they developed a "anti know-it-all" attitude. In that sense, students trained themselves to be worse at learning. Training works both ways. One can train to be better. Or they can "train" to become worse.

The public library probably subscribes to online Chilton or Haynes manuals. OP only has to pick a car similar to what he or his parents have and read the online Haynes/Chilton guide to maintain the car. OP does NOT have to work on the car. Just reading and imagining what to do will stimulate the learning process that goes along with the other items from the youtube channels such as Engineering Explained, ChrisFix, and what mentioned.

Don't listen to ANYONE on Veeky Forums, Go to specific car forums and read the threads. Read a book. Buy a junker and just start fixing shit.

Top gear is a meme.
>this panel is made of plastic, it's bad!
Plastic is objectively the best body panel material, it's light and doesn't dent
>hurr this American car is unrefined
Which is why it costs 3x less than the German car it's keeping pace with, of course the interior isn't wrapped in exotic leather shite

Etc

+1 Scotty kilmer gives a lot of basics away.
I would only say that because of the "youtube style" entertainement he forgets to say sometimes where to be carefull, how not to damage basic parts, witch torque you should bolt something and so on.

The best way to learn to wrench is to read, watch video of course but the best is... to do it in real.
Buy a shitbox, especially an older model +-1990 where electronics where not too much a mess, buy a technical book going with your shitbox year and specs, and start get your finger black and greasy. that's the bes way to learn.

I agree with this but OP should wear gloves to prevent skin problems/contact allergies. My hands are always dry, itchy, and shitty after getting greasy for years, didn't wear gloves and I think I paid the price.

>How to learn about cars

leave Veeky Forums and find a real car board

Rule #1: Pushrods are better than Dual Overhead Cams.

Not OP
So say I buy something under 3k
What's a reasonable budget I need to maintain/fix it

where dat car throttle or humble mechanic

>How to learn about cars
There is a /t/ thread for automobile book torrents. Look that up and pick and choose which items you want.

>How do I learn about different models, engines, how to fix them etc?
Are you willing to study written information? Are you willing to use that knowledge to work on an actual car?

You mentioned neither but only said you wanted to know a lot so that you could talk about "cars" to other guys. If that is your only reason to know about cars, it's not a good one.

OP doesn't seem to have a car in the first place?

>What about watching Top Gear?
If you are productively spending time learning about cars, you will spend zero time with Top Gear. It's an entertainment video show and there's even false info on that show.

If you already don't enjoy watching educational youtube videos such as Engineering Explained but prefer Top Gear, then you don't really seem to enjoy learning about cars.

>carthrottle

>it'd be nice to have my own opinions on cars
OP should ask himself first if he needs to maintain a car or not. and to what degree. if he makes enough money and doesn't have the time, then maybe his time is better spent on developing his career.

for example, the picture in shows two black guys on a motorcycle. do they maintain the bike themselves or dothey need to? as long as it reliably works, that's all they need to get to their work sites to earn a living.