Hey all,
I'm new here and to cars in general and was wondering if you could lend some advice on where to start with this whole thing. At some point I would like to build my own car and would greatly appreciate any help that you would be willing or able to give.

I guess the first place to start is to figure out what your goals are. What do you want to get out of the car? How much work are you willing to put into it? How much money are you willing to put into it? There's about a thousand different ways you can go.

Well, if you're trying to build your own car some day, you should definitely learn how to weld, crimp, solder, and read electrical schematics.

The first thing you should do is prepare a place. Sure, you could swap an engine in a field of gravel, but it is going to be annoying as hell. The more comfortable you are, the more enjoyment from this hobby you will get. Second, collect and organize tools. The more organized you are, the less trips to the parts/tool store to buy another socket you cant find or a tap and drill to get a stripped bolt out.

Believe me, I am a walking proof of this concept. At work, all my tools are labeled, organized, and constantly inspected/cleaned. I work in a clean organized hangar (usually). In these conditions maintenance is a breeze. At home though, I started replacing the steering rack on my maxima on my gravel driveway with 40 year, rusty hand-me-down tools out of a cardboard box about a year and a half ago. That car is still on jack stands awaiting proper tools and motivation to finish the job. Don't be like me.