Auto Mechanic School in Virginia: Will there Be Hands-On Education?

You don’t learn to drive a car by reading the owner’s manual–and you can’t learn to maintain and repair vehicles by reading a textbook. In life, there is simply no substitute for practical experience. That’s why it’s important for aspiring automotive service technicians and mechanics to gain hands-on experience while they’re earning their learning their  [...]

14 Hilarious T-shirts You’ll Want When You Become a Mechanic

It might seem like all serious technical work and information overload when you’re studying to become a mechanic. Surely, it’s no small undertaking. That said, the job can be entirely fun, enjoyable, and even laid back once you get some fundamentals under your belt. If you’re a mechanic, you know nothing shows your laid back  [...]

The 8 Top Talents of Every Great Auto Mechanic

Good mechanics are a driver’s best friend. Great mechanics are almost family. If you have the education, skills, knowledge and experience to be a great mechanic, there’s a good chance you’ll have a long line of loyal customers who come to see you on a regular basis. They’ll depend on you to keep their cars,  [...]

Opening an Auto Repair Shop: 6 Things You Should Know

For many, owning a business is a part of the American Dream and a path to personal wealth. If you’re a mechanic or working on becoming a mechanic, reaching that dream might start with the idea of opening your own auto repair shop. You can set the hours, work with customers on pricing, specialize on interesting  [...]

Finding an Auto Repair School: 6 Critical Questions to Ask

The best place to start your search for an auto repair school in Virginia is by visiting the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF) to search their list of certified postsecondary schools. NATEF is an unbiased, independent organization that sets very high standards for training programs. If an auto repair school is not NATEF certified, you  [...]

What’s The Difference between Torque & Horsepower?

Understanding the science behind an engine lets you better understand how to keep them running longer and get the best performance. Cars have become increasingly complex, but the basics of learning about automotive performance still start with torque and horsepower. These two measurements often push models to the head of the class, but what is  [...]

Finding a Trade School for Veterans: 5 Questions to Ask

As a military veteran, you might be looking to use your GI Bill to get an education and create better career opportunities. If you’re eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill, you can get as much as full coverage of your tuition and fees, money for supplies and books, a monthly housing allowance, and more. The tough  [...]

Building Your Automotive Tech Résumé: Can’t-Miss Tips

If you’ve applied for a job, you’ve probably gone through the often-painstaking process of creating a résumé. After graduating from a degree or diploma program, a solid résumé could be the difference in landing that first job. This is especially true for automotive technicians, as employers look for a particular combination of skills, experience, and certifications. If  [...]

Key Traits to Look for in the Best Automotive Tech Schools

When Henry Ford first started building cars back in 1896, he revolutionized transportation, built an industry, and created a brand new career path for millions of Americans. And there’s never been a better time to be an automotive tech because there have never been more vehicles on the road! Last year, there were nearly 258 million  [...]

Modern Muscle Cars: What are the Best Performance Cars of 2016?

To anyone old enough to remember the heyday of American muscle cars, it was a wonder to behold. We don’t mean hot rods – the cars from the 1930s and ‘40s that young guys like Paul Le Mat’s character in American Graffiti would restore, trick out, and tick off the local squares with. Hot rods  [...]

Learning Auto Repair: To Specialize or Not to Specialize

To specialize, or not to specialize, that is the question. Do you want to be a generalist, who works on any vehicle at any time? Or do you want to specialize in foreign vehicles, specific brands or specific repairs? The answer depends on your personal interests, career goals, and whether or not you want to  [...]

Let’s Get Up to Speed: How to Become a Race Car Mechanic

Training to become a race car mechanic starts early, in high school, by excelling at classwork that leads to automotive and high performance engine work: technology classes, mathematics and science courses. A high performance engine mechanic is a combination of brains and brawn, intermixing knowledge of nuts and bolts with the eye-hand coordination of a  [...]