Just Need To Know What I'm Getting Into

[Deerbug]

Wow... Thanks for the advice! I don't get replies like this in other forums Very helpful!

So now I wait for the right time.

[drscope]

As people we are all drawn to certain things. Everyone has something in their life that draws them in and in many ways defines who they are.

For some it’s religion. For others politics. Or it could be sports, collecting, real estate, bicycling, golf, or a million other things that just ignite that spark inside you.

Car people are no different, and each marque has it’s followers. One day you see a certain make or model you say to yourself “I just have to get one of those!”

Something along those lines has happened to you, or else you wouldn’t be on a classic Volkswagen site looking, learning and asking questions about aircooled VW’s (even though you want to stick a Subaru engine and a radiator in it)

So if this truly is the case, and you do have interest in these cars, (or any car for that matter) don’t just sit and wait for the right time. PREPARE!

You have a big advantage if you do things right simply because you are young. You have more time to prepare then most people who fall into this at a latter stage in their life.

Start by obtaining and reading everything you can find on these cars. They have a very interesting history. And reading all the books and stories that are out there will help you decide which vintage and models you really want to own.

Muier’s “Idiot book” will certainly help you to understand how it’s all put together and how it works, and it also brings a little humor along the way. It’s a really cool book for those folks just getting into VW’s!

And the wealth of knowledge freely given on this site is incredibly valuable. So stick around and keep going through threads, asking questions and learning.

Then it would also help you tremendously to start collecting tools. Basic tools will be valuable to you regardless of which cars you chose. So if you start collecting now and then latter a more interesting car comes along that may not be VW or Subaru, those basic tools will still help you.

Specialty tools are a little different story. There are certain model specific tools that you don’t need right now. But that doesn’t mean you should pass them up if you come across a good deal. Reading the books and knowing what tools are out there will also help you to know if the tool you are looking at is a good deal.

Flea markets, yard sales and even Harbor Freight are sometimes good places to start collecting. You may end up with a toolbox of mismatched off brand tools, but these can help you get started. And latter, many of these tools can give their life to become modified, specialty tools for certain jobs.

For example, if you need a thin wrench for a one time job, and you go to your toolbox to make one, are you going to grind away that $65 Snap-On wrench, or the 25 cent Taiwan wrench? I have a growing collection of cheap tools that have been cut, welded, modified, and just plain hacked up to do certain jobs. I don’t feel bad about taking the cutting tools to them, but I would certainly think twice before chopping up a much more expensive tool.

While cheap tools may not be very good and they certainly aren’t what you want to be using if you are making your living turning wrenches, they can help you get going.

So don’t just sit back and wait for the right time. Prepare by reading and learning and collecting things you come across that are a part of the hobby. Then when that right time does come, you will be able to jump right in and get started.
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