Hackspace: Motor Vehicle Mechanics #3

Calling all wannabe gearheads!

This is a new series of monthly workshops, run by a trained mechanic, intended to reach out to keen new beginners of all backgrounds and instruct them in the fundamentals of vehicle mechanics.*

Ever wish you’d learned these skills but missed out in your youth, and lack the time, space, money or confidence to dive in by yourself now?

A lot of us are in the same boat, but don’t worry, it’s not too late: now is your chance to come along to these Hackspace workshops and get to grips with the basics in a welcoming environment. Everyone is welcome to drop along to these, no matter your level, and see what the art of vehicle mechanics is all about.

So come along to these workshops to explore for the first time, or to remind yourself about:

– the parts of a vehicle, common features and what they mean in practice

– how combustion engines and other types of engines work, and what petrol vs diesel means for an engine

– how to conduct regular maintenance of your vehicle and take care of fluid levels, filters, wipers and tyre pressure yourself

– preparing for MOTs and other inspections/tests

– types of wear & tear, common damage types and how to identify and troubleshoot them

– breakdowns and emergency vehicle care

– how to assess the condition of a vehicle and its underlying quality when buying and selling

– how to select a good garage or bodyshop, and what to keep an eye on during servicing

– tools of the mechanic’s trade, their names and uses

– and when time: interiors, navigation aids, electronics upgrades, live-in van mods, car geekery and futuristic/alternative questions of all kinds.

In the first few of these workshops, we will be finding our feet regarding learner needs, so we will adapt things accordingly to make sure everyone is happy. But, you should expect a fair amount of theory and discussion, interaction with a hands-on engine block model, and a bit of good ol’ poking around an actual outdoor vehicle selected by the instructor. So bring along your questions, car stories and umbrellas and we will see what we can do to help.

Please be aware that while we will try to have different vehicles available for inspection at these sessions, to give attendees wider experience, unfortunately other than for blue badges, we can’t offer on-site parking due to building rules. If you wouldn’t mind your car being the demo car for the evening though, please do let us know make, model and year in the comments section below and we may contact you if that’s a good choice for this session.

All in all, please bring along your enthusiasm and curiosity and let the world of vehicle mechanics open before you. This should be a good time!