FIX IT: A new show that makes learning to work on cars less intimidating

Learning to work on cars can be intimidating, especially when you’re staring at an engine bay full of unfamiliar parts and wondering where to start. The barrier to entry is high. Our cars are important and expensive. Messing something up can be costly and demoralizing. Angelina Alcantar, better known as Ms A, the Shop Teacher, wants to help. Her new show, FIX IT, presented by WD-40 and Northern Tool, is aimed directly at this problem, premiering on RACER+, Oct. 14 at 9pm ET.

Alcantar is an automotive instructor at Riverside City College and a former technician with a passion for not only cars, but for helping people understand how cars work and giving them the confidence to work on them. Now, she’s bringing that experience to RACER Network with a new show designed to teach viewers automotive skills and make working on cars more approachable. 

Ms A, the shop teacher

Alcantar started working on cars at around 15, despite not growing up in a family of mechanics. Her father was a musician, but she developed an early fascination with figuring out how things worked. That curiosity eventually became a career.

Angelina Alcantar

After roughly eight years working as a professional technician, she transitioned into teaching automotive technology. Today, she helps prepare the next generation of technicians while continuing to expand her own knowledge of subjects ranging from engine rebuilding to performance tuning.

For Alcantar, teaching is about more than explaining how to repair a vehicle. It’s about giving people the confidence to tackle unfamiliar problems and helping them understand the fundamentals behind the fix.

Why learning to work on cars starts with the basics

If you’ve ever dug into your car's electronics, you’ve likely woven together a tapestry of colorful language you might not even have known you were capable of. Electrical troubleshooting has become one of Alcantar’s specialties, even though automotive electrical systems can intimidate newcomers and experienced tinkerers alike.

Her approach is straightforward and honest: 1) Understand the fundamentals first. 2) You are going to screw up, so get used to it. These seem to be the major pillars of her teaching and some true cornerstones of wrenching. 

Angelina Alcantar on the set of FIX IT

Whether someone is trying to understand an engine, troubleshoot a starting problem, or tackle a more ambitious project, a solid foundation and reasonable expectations make the whole deal doable without completely shattering your spirit.

But Alcantar goes far past the cornerstones, not fearing the hairy scaries of mechanicing. She’s developed her own electrical expertise through a combination of formal education, over a decade of professional experience, and plenty of trial and error. One early challenge came at a hot rod shop, where her boss handed her a wiring harness and told her to figure it out. She took her time, checked her work, and learned a skill that has claimed the confidence of many a budding mechanic.

The importance of mentorship in automotive repair

Alcantar also believes the automotive industry needs more experienced technicians willing to share what they know. Gatekeeping is a major force in the automotive space, in general. She isn’t shy about how she was starting out; having people she could ask for help made all the difference. Now, she aims to offer that same support to her students and the wider scope of car culture through her new show.

FIX IT aims to be an extension of Alcantar’s passion for sharing what she knows with car lovers and DIYers. For show, that means explaining everything from the more common and simple car problems and how to fix them to more technical concepts for troubleshooting and fixing more complex car issues. 

It's that mix of expertise, the spirit of accessibility, and hands-on education that makes Ms A such a compelling guide to auto repair in her new show. So whether you’re an aspiring mechanic, a longtime car enthusiast, or simply someone who wants to understand what’s happening under the hood for the sole practicality of it, Ms A is ready to help you get started.

Where to watch FIX IT

FIX IT premieres Oct. 14 on RACER+, RACER’s streaming platform for motorsports and car culture. FIX IT joins a killer line-up of exclusive shows like automotive build shows, documentaries, classic car auctions, podcasts, live racing and behind-the-scenes access on tons of racing coverage. RACER+ gives shape to many forms of car culture both on and off the track. 

Whether you’re interested in learning how to work on your own rig, discovering new, strange corners of car culture, or following the people and machines that make motorsports tick, RACER+ brings it all together in one place.