If you're looking to be inspired to take the plunge into car repair, check out M359 Restorations YouTube channel[0]. It's a one-man shop in Frankfurt that specializes in BMW restorations. It's a good look into what it takes to do projects like this well: the tools, the space, the knowledge of the secondary market and parts suppliers, and when/how to repair a component rather than buying a new one. He does use repair manuals for some things, especially engine rebuilds, but a lot of what he does is based on "what looks right" to a person doing this for the last 10-15 years.

As a beginner looking to start with minimal infrastructure, he does some of his restorations outside his shop, often in borrowed personal garages of subscribers. Project Salt Lake City is a good example [1]. For someone looking to do a more advanced repair (arguably the most advanced possible) there are some good engine rebuilding videos, especially with Project Frankfurt[2].

One thing I find surprising is that he still uses a lot of 3rd party services. AC dis/charging, wheel alignment, tire mounting and balancing, dynamo measurement, block reconditioning, head and supercharger refreshes, and even car detailing (which he seems to be actively trying to avoid doing despite his instincts because it is a huge time sink). He is a dynamic, adaptable node in a fascinating, specialized capital network.

0 - https://www.youtube.com/@M539Restorations

1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_a9rCI2zfPM&list=PLBcFoVFuPC...

2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyqZoNwKeOM&list=PLBcFoVFuPC...