alright you motorheads/engine gurus, question for y'all (wierd one)

[skarteez]

sorry if the title doesnt seem to relate to this post, but i AM looking to ask the real knowledgeable guys on here (and maybe some people who just know what they doin ).

anyways, to the point.

im goin to college soon where ill probably be spending 4 wonderful years at CalPoly in San Luis Obispo, CA looking at a degree in mechanical engineering. after graduating, i plan to move back home, kick it with the old buddies ive left behind, bum off my folks for ayear or two and then move out and start my own life.

thing is tho, duruing that year or two after college, i REALLY want to start on a project car, something of that sort, since going to college out of state i probably wont have a car (killer insurance rates). as of now, im only 16 (yes im a senior, a youngin'!) and have got a 2004 civic coupe that really isnt gonna be modified or anything (ULEV, great gas mileage, nothin will make it go fast without F/I which is lots of mula) so once im gone to college, that car will go to my dad.

im thinking that when i get back, ill probably invest in a nice GS-R, or maybe a 4thgen Prelude, maybe even a later model civic hatch (not eggie) or just go for early year RSX-S. thing is, i wanna modify it (serious engine work, track racing, stuff like that). right now, im pretty knowledgable of that stuff (couldnt swap engines but im pretty "learned" ) and doubt that a degree in mechanical engineering will help with Honda VTEC engines haha.

now the question: what advice do you give people like me (just out of college, into cars, knows lots but doesnt have very much first hand experience) in actually jumping into a huge project involving pulling out motors, dumping in fresh internals, cam tuning, upgrading valvetrain, stuff like that, non-bolt on stuff for the heart of the motor.... havin a buddy to help out that knows more than me is out of the question since id like to stay pretty independent on this...

advice? pointers? how did YOU start out? yeah i know its long and really wierd, but hey, i like thinking ahead. haha....

thanks!

[spray004]

Not a weird question. I always searched the bargain ads for cars $700 and less. You can always find some old 70's V8 GM car for really cheap. IMO a small block GM is the easiest and cheapest to learn on. Parts are readily available and always fairly cheap. Its all really a matter of personal tastes I suppose. If you dont want to work on an old land yacht, and prefer to stay in the Jap market, I suppose a Civic would be easy.

[96civic3door]

90/91 CRX W/O a engine(look hard should find one in good shape for $600 to $1200)

B18C1 out of a GSR(by the time you get back these should be going for cheap)

do a N/A build up,it will not cost any less than a build for F/I but it will give you a chance to learn about the true mechanics of the engine and you will learn a great deal from it

[ihatericers]

check your junkyards and find a small block v-8 perferably a chevy 350 and tear it down and rebuild it they can be found cheap and parts are cheap.. look over the parts get a good understanding of what everything does, it'll help out a lot down the road

[96civic3door]

^ that is a good option also,another thing to get a lil hands on with a engine for cheap is a 5 hp briggs and straton lawn mower engine

all internal combution engines basically have the same componets just some have more and some have less

[Lights_Out]

My friend had a 300 dollar beater that he'd learn on. You know, just tinkering with it. Uninstalling stuff, and installing them back. He learned a great deal that way.

Repair manuals and a good tool set are a must have. Just start off small (brakes, suspension, bolt-ons), and go up from there i guess. Doesn't hurt to have a knowledgable (sp?) person on hand to supervise. Maybe a freind? I know you said you want to stay independant, but unless you've had some background/experience in automotive repair, jumping into something as complex as ripping the engine apart and rebuilding ALONE probably wouldn't be wise. If you've got an experienced friend/source on hand, by all means use it. Less headaches and time/money wasted on fixing mistakes.

[-=Zeqs=-]

Figure out what engine you will want. Buy a helms manual and look over the pages on rebuilding the engine for that year engine you want every night. That will help you get familiar with all of the parts and where they go. It sounds crazy, but seriously, after looking at the same diagrams day after day, your hands will almost feel like they already know what to do. Aside from that, there are some race shops out in SLO area, I know there are some decent cars in Arroyo Grande too. Maybe you can hang out at some of the cool spots while you are going to Cal Poly and befriend some of the people there. Someone will probably take you under their wing if you are not a douche bag.

[90Si]

its definitely not something you will learn over night, or in a weekend.

[boostaholic]

for the longest time ive wanted a 92+ civic hatch back with either a h22 or a b18c swap with nitrous oxide injection at about 65shots. basic upgrade that i have planned on was:
custom 2.5" exhaust
headers
intake
FPR

budget racing~~ but good enough for 13s 1/4mile.

but i have never had the time do it so i settled with a WRX STi hahaha~ at anyrate decide what your goals are.. do you wanna go FI, NA, nitrous oxide?? because if you have a clear cut goal it will save you so much money and time.
however you have money go for FI there are custom turbo kits for swaped engines.. but besure you set a side some good time on the dyno because a difference between a slow car and a fast car is in the tunning.
goodluck and have fun

[ihatericers]

header, not headers, singular, you only have one