Learning how to wrench

Hello All,
I grew up with books and electronics. Never even changed a tire till my late 30s. Now, I'd kinda like to learn a bit more. My daily driver (09 Pontiac Vibe) gets me to work, so I can't really play with that much, cuz if I break it, I can't get to work.

A suggestion I found online said to get a beater car to learn on. Drive it around on weekends and tune and modify to your hearts content.

So, I'm looking for suggestions. I wouldn't mind getting an older (late 70s - 80s) Jeep Wrangler or Ford Ranger. Are either of those good or bad to work on or is there a car out that is just perfect to wrench on?