I second the Haynes manuals (or equivalent if you're not in the UK) - They're amazing. Although annoyingly they don't make one for the Mazda RX8 that I've just

I second the Haynes manuals (or equivalent if you're not in the UK) - They're amazing. Although annoyingly they don't make one for the Mazda RX8 that I've just bought. One of the nice things about these workshop manuals is they rate jobs by difficulty and tools required, so you can start on easy stuff like oil and filter change and work up to the more advanced things like head gasket replacement. I also learned a lot from my Dad, so if you know anyone who's knowledgeable in the field, see if they'll help you, or at least impart some knowledge. Also, invest in a decent trolly jack and axle stands, I hate the thought of people working under cars supported only by the flimsy scissor jack that came with the car.