I've owned a '66 Mustang for several years. I drive it every day in urban, stop & go traffic. Historically, a mechanic has handled all of the maintenance on this vehicle (even the simple stuff), due to time and automotive know-how constraints on my part. Since I have increased free time these days, and in the interest of lowering the ongoing costs of running this car and educating myself, I would like to start performing minor work on this car myself. I'm mainly referring to oil change and tune-up related items. I don't have much hands-on experience with the inner workings of car, but through experimentation, trial and error, I hope to learn.
Carburetor-related problems are the most frequent issue I confront, performance-wise. It requires attention every six months or so when the car becomes inoperable. I'm always throwing money at this issue. I would like to learn the ins and outs of installing, rebuilding and tweaking this component of my vehicle. Is there a book someone can refer where I would learn about this generation/variety/era of carburetor? For that matter, I'd also like a general do-it-yourself book or two on maintaining this car. In the five years I have owned this car, the carburetor has been replaced at least twice, with 2 or 3 rebuilds as well. It seems to me that this is gratuitous. I feel that if I better understand this equipment, I can improve on these outcomes. Perhaps the carburetors that have been going in are crap to begin with and I can take a huge step by making a better choice on equipment in the first place. What parts in a carburetor are being worn out (that require rebuilding) in its typical life cycle? Besides installing good parts to begin with, what other habits/choices can I engage in that might give me better results?