Well I believe the best way to learn is to do. Almost everything I've learned has been through experience. The first time you rip apart your car it can be nerve racking, but when you get it back together the confidence you gain is invaluable.

My first guinea pig was a 93 Mazda MX-3 that I had to hot rod. I decided to go wit a BPT(turbo miata) motor and a complete Escort GT drivetrain. Running the whole thing was a Haltech E6k stand alone. When I started the project I didn't know anything about cars. Now I can do things from tearing down a motor to programming fuel and ignition maps. While I don't recommend doing this to your DD, I do feel it’s the best way to learn.