Where did everyone get their knowledge?

[Jezza_hr]

I'm curious as to how some of the people on here came to understand what they know today. I know that chassis tuning is something relatively simple compared to engine tuning and have picked up a fair bit over the past year. However my engine tuning knowledge is quite low and am curious as to how most of the people round here got theirs. I find myself reading through various threads here and understanding certain bits and pieces but then it gradually goes out of the window and all I see is numbers

So if you can share some info on how you came to teach yourself or the best way you would considering teaching yourself would be then it might give me a little insight on what I can do to further improve myself and others.

[robokill]

too much time reading articles about tuning and rebuilding. I have made the full handbook out of pictures and saw around all the pictures read half of em.

Most things learn the quickest if you can do them and later (if you don't understand it check the manual)

[richieu]

Strip a Hachi to a bare shell and put it back together without having a coffee jar full of nut & bolts left at the end and you will understand everything there is to know. Also when you read technical manuals after doing this they will seem easier to understand and remember because you will have had experience in every aspect

[Jezza_hr]

Unfortunately I would never have time to do that to my car Especially since I use it on a daily basis. If I ever find another hachi I could do this with though I could always take it in steps Maybe that's something you could do Rich. Open a AE86 tuning club and use one of the hachis as a spare :wink:

I think my main concern when doing any tuning is that I will bodge it and damage my engine.

[KristianAE86]

If you are reffering to my AE86 / 4-age knowledge..


It´s easy...
50% from this website & the rest from http://www.club4ag.com & some friends like, Ivan, Mux, Zax, etc.

kris

[Jezza_hr]

Are you saying I need to get my friends to buy AE86's so I can claim knowledge from them? :wink:

I'm trying to re-read Bill Sherwoods site right now and get my head round certain things.

[irishtwincam]

Been underneath and inside AE86s for about 9 years. Possibly more.

Where to begin?

It mostly started when my brother wanted to know about these corollas he seen going sideways and doing donuts, from the first night he saw one he was planning on buying one.
I started spending time in internet cafés googling and joining forums to understand what was so special about a Corolla Twincam.

I remember reading when Moto P was planning on doing his first 20v conversion, watching a 1.2 meg avi clip of Keiichi Tsyuchia in an AE86 grip racing around a track in Japan and realising that Corolla owners had someone to look up to and participating in many early Club4AG conversations.

In my first year of college I was running an AE86 egroup on Yahoo groups. The previous mailing list mod had been pressured into dropping his hobby because being associated with AE86s and being into rallying was a no-no at the time.

In August 2000 I managed to organise an AE86 meet at Mondello racetrack here in Ireland. Great day out but only one person took me out for a spin on the track as I had no AE86 of my own I like to think I was a little ahead of my time

My brother started restoring AE86s full time, of course I was stuck in there as well doing little bits here and there, cutting, grinding, prepping, as well as stripping sound proofing and all the other little jobs people hate.

Ive helped rebuild engines, diffs, weld coilovers, mount bucket seats, weld in cages, repanel, you name it. Now were selling performance engines and parts from Japan and Malaysia, looking to the future for AE86 owners by recreating hard to get panels due to dwindling stocks.


Now we have AE86s from the UK and all around Ireland getting work done.
When Im not helping out with the restoration work, Im trying to come up with affordable power packages for AE86 owners. From Supercharger kits, to turbo kits, to EMS, to Throttle bodies to engine swaps...if theres a technology available, Im studying it!


4years in college and a year out of a job means Im behind in my driving skills and my corolla project A good paying job here in the UK is now allowing me to save cash to invest in my show car AE85.

All you guys from mainland Europe better meet me at the Nubergring in a year...Ill need someone familiar with the course to call pace notes

[Jezza_hr]

It's a good thing you're doing Irish. I'm glad that you're willing to put this much effort in to keep the Corolla going. Keep it up

[Ivan141]

Finding things out comes naturally when your an AE86 nutter like most of us over here. I never even knew what an ae86 was untill my brother pointed out that one was for sale and that it was a fun, cheap (ahem) rwd car. Started reading up on the forums..but you'll always find at least as much bullshit as credible info floating around. It's when things start breaking down and need fixing that you start to really learn some stuff, cause you'll need to gather some information, and then apply it on your own car (or that of a friend).

[Mux213]

I learn by reading whats there to read, and just going out and do things. If its something I dont wanne screw up or that I dont understand, I start asking around until I find someone who does know his/her stuff and I learn while working on the car together.

In the end i find out most things are alot easier then they seem.

It does help when you enjoy learning and aren't afraid to screw up once in awhile.

*edit*, owh and having an MOT failed RX7 that I'm taking appart and putting back together helps aswell