how did you learn to work on cars?

Sorta the same way with me. I started reading old car and bike magazines, I built A LOT of models, helped my dad work on the cars at home when he serviced them. I inherited an old Chebby that sat in a field for 15 years, and a lot of taking apart, cleaning, figuring out etc... Started Vo-tec high school and took the auto shop courses. bought/sold cars learned from mistakes. Lots of magazines, books, parts cataloges (before internet). Worked in body shops, mechanic shops my own garage.
I see many of the samebooks I have that you show in your pictures. Books are a great thing.