One reason I work on my own cars is to avoid the line mechanic low man on the totem pole new mechanic working on my car. Recently I had to replace the front shocks on my El Camino. The reason, the mounts on top were not tightened properly, and they moved around and destroyed the nut. One shock had to be cut off to remove it.

One task I did not want to tackle was to replace the front A-arm bushings. I took it to a local good shop. They did good on the A-arm bushings, but the shocks were not put back on to torque.

One of the spring nuts was striped, and on one side and the shock was damaged on the other. Of course I did not find that for a while, and no way would they admit it was them. It took me a while, but it is all perfect now.

42 years of working on cars for a living has taken some of the fun out of it. I still do the routine stuff on my car and my wife's car but rolling around on the garage floor is not nearly as much fun as golf. However, by doing it yourself, at least you know what you're getting.--Dave

Jacob, that's a nice ride. I see you are running with American Endurance Racing (AER). I live not far from the Glen. It is my home track, where I earned my competition license.

Anyway, to get back on topic, I do continue to wrench on cars. I am currently resurrecting a 1971 440 Magnum Dodge Charger R/T. I am doing everything including paint myself. Once I am finished with it, then the pcar comes in for a total refresh.

R1100 clutch? :eek:

I miss shade tree wrenching like we did back when. Points, plugs, rotor and cap, brakes and crawling around with the grease gun all with the Yankees on the radio. Now with all the e-stuff under the hood and me with only one good hand I write a lot of checks.:(

I did the clutch last year at 180,000km
Now at 230,000km I've just sent the R1150GS transmission out for a rebuild.
(Aside for shooting for 500,000km, I enjoy that this bike while just on the verge of too much tech, has just enough tech but just enough simplicity so Im keeping it going)

It keeps me busy between my car build below...

Told myself I'm done last night- 'this is it' after I created a misfire in my CTS-V by doing a simple plug change. You know why? Plug wires fell apart during removal, common problem but I wasn't aware of it. What turned into a 1/2 day PITA is now a 1 day PITA thanks to having to do it again, and I HATE it.


1)-As I get older, I'm noticing I'm making a lot more stupid mistakes, things forgotten, etc.

2)-physical. Getting older means easier injury. I have been getting a lot more cuts. Getting sore, etc.

3)- Change in attitude (referencing modern cars). I'm starting to appreciate stock cars, not modified kids cars- I dont have all day and night to keep the damn thing running and the technology is after my time.

4)- time VS. money. I have more money than time, before it was the other way around. Pay someone, let them get cut up and if it goes wrong, it's on them.

Been telling myself this is it for awhile now- my current crop of cars, I'm done serious wrenching- just tune ups and basic maintenance only.

It's a kids game. I don't have it anymore.

rjp

I "wrench" every day. Not necessarily under a car but I will do that too before taking one to Jiffy Lube. I spend all day in the shop. Half of what I do is get machines ready for a job or picking up. The other half is doing the job. I fix things—everything—but what puts money in my wallet is repairing antiques and welding small jobs. I do light machining too.

I even sharpen my lawn mower. I figure if someone else can do something then I can do it too. There are exceptions, of course. But I hate paying someone knowing that I'm not going to get the job I would do. And that's about every time anymore.

this is part of my problem. i'll brood over the problem. it's actually gotten worse as i age. for example. i cannot wait to get my tire back to put it back together..then i'll probably worry i got it right.

and i forgot to pull my sprocket off and yank the cush-drive thing..it is at the shop. hope they dont lose it. :)

see?

but as mentioned above..once i start the project it is way better..the overthinking it to the start..not so much.

then my hands hurt for a week. my middle finger usually locks into a partially opened position for a few days. warm water massages gets it moving again.

Warm water massage. Is that what they cal those things :D

I like to drive old race cars for 2 or 3 hours and between races in the garage nut and bolt them for the next event.
Replacing a gear in the Laguna Seca Pits a year ago.
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hahaha..not even SOMETIMES. but i'll ask.

i would lose sleep over a project like that!! hahah awesome!!

i would definately have a grease board with a list of things i took off (in sequential order) and a camera full of "before Cliff" pics.

this is more my speed.

hehe. (aww..cute!)

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So many people can't imagine a task like that.
Its a great accomplishment!

I think the main thing is that if the job has to be done to get to the office, or if it has to be squeezed into to tight a time space working around life, its not very enjoyable. If on the other hand, it is a Saturday morning, coffee and music thing, or a weeknight beer and blasting the tunes thing, then it becomes an interesting accomplishment compared to a day at the office where lots of things happen, meetings, phonecalls, emails but nothing tangible ever seems to get done.

Nice short term goals like getting a wheel off then back into the house
Wheel to the shop
wheel back on

or whatever size task is right for your time in life
the sense of accomplishment is what makes it worth it.

I used to drive myself nuts by setting my sights on a big accomplishment in one sitting.
Now depending on time, I may just plan to figure something out one night, and do that small task the next night if thats all that fits.

Other times I'll dive in and a week will disappear as I enjoy every minute of it

But regardless, I refuse to work on my daily driver.

P.S.

I love Ted's post. It conjures up all sorts of optimistic thoughts in my mind...but then I realize the commitment that would take and I come back down to earth.

As mentioned, doing it daily against the clock with customers tapping their feet, trying to make $ on it gets old sometimes. Most days, I still enjoy the battle .
Spending a Saturday evening on a cold winters night in the garage with the tunes blasting, wrenching away on one of my own projects with no $ limit to adhere to, or time frame for completion is complete nirvana for me .
I still really enjoy my own personal shop time.

I positively can not imagine wrenching for a living. I am slow slow slow, and do my tasks over days that should take hours. I always find "while I am in there" tasks. I have owned my El Camino since 1991, and the 911 since 1995. I really can't blame the previous owners for much anymore. I doubt any engineers at Chevy figured any fool would ever put 365,000 miles on a El Camino. I plan to drive it until I can't drive it anymore due to some reason I can't foresee as yet. Parts are cheap, and overall the systems are simple enough to repair.

Some highlights of that process for the curious :

Getting her undressed


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1552062714.jpg


So we could get to this:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1552062778.jpg



And replace this"


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With the priceless skill and aid of this guy


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1552062883.jpg


In case you were , ya know, curious

Last week I installed a distributor gear upside down on my truck. Couldn't figure out why it wouldn't drop in, spent hours on that one, not counting the days figuring out a mysterious stall out condition at idle.

Stupid mistakes.

rjp

I own a business so I do not do any routine maintenance on any of my cars...we have four Toyota's and the local shop, with one exception (which was fixed), is terrific. I show up at 0730, log on, get to work and am out of there by 0900.

I am debating what to do with the '82 Targa for the same reason. Time is precious.

I do still work on the farm equipment, routine or otherwise.

A man has got to know his limitations.

yes

I wrench on something almost every day at the town garage. New brake can on one of the Kenworth plow trucks yesterday. Put a new (rebuilt) front driveshaft on the F-350 (double cardan joint exploded) and changed a hyd. hose on the front wheel drive motor on the grader today.
Some of the heavy work is not so enjoyable any more......i'm getting old.
The grader won't fit in the garage so have to work on it outside. It was 12 below this morning. I waited till it warmed up some before doing that job.

I still enjoy working on my own stuff in my own garage.

I wrench "professionally" in a semi retirement sort of way.

I had some slack time the other day. Put Mobile 1 "old ass car oil" in my 2004 Rav 4. More expensive than regular Mobil 1 5W-30.

Checked ball joints/tie rods/bearings and took it in for an alignment this am. Long time relationship alignment guy refused to take my money as it was my personal car.

A good day.

Since SS kicked in in Oct, I have enough scratch to breathe easier.

I love the shiet out of fiddling with my car. I will say this Rav is relatively rust free. It's enjoyable to work on.

330iX I have to wrench on in the AM. Brakes and floppy mirrors. Brakes on BMW's are a little different but a touch more rigor with sensors. Not caustic.

If rust is not falling in my eyes like the F-150's when underneath, I am happy.

I have reached the point of no longer fixing corroded body panels/rocker arms with grinding, sandblasting and stuffing with fiberglass resin/bondo. Replace with an insert piece or no go.

It depends on how smooth the wrenching goes. Its all wonderful until I screw something up, or the damn BMW computer won't cooperate.

So Pete, you waited until the temp climbed to 2 below to start wrenching outside? :eek:

I still love wrenching on stuff and I have a good place to do it. Problem is I can't believe how many times I drop some little thing. I'd be a mess if I still had to wrench for a living.

Long about noon the sun was out and it got up into the teens above.
Still had to come in several times and warm my fingers up.

X10

I like figuring things out and it burns me when I cant. I'm finally figuring out i need to outsource some things, haven't figured out how to make more time yet.

I still like wrenching, but I pay a price doing it in the winter with my increasingly arthritic hands. They swell up like catchers mitts. And I'd be done forever were it not for having a low rise lift that lets me do lots of stuff without too much bending over or worrying about jack stands.

Pete, your story reminds me of a day many years ago when my cousin and I changed a transmission in a Fiat 124 Spider in the snow at night in 12 degree weather. We'd go in every few minutes to get the feeling back in our hands, the head out again. Can't imagine doing that now. . .

Like doing electrical. Today and tomorrow am installing aux LED backup lights in the rear valence of the Cayenne since the stock lights are piss poor.

Find regular maintenance a bore but enjoy upgrades, like adding a LED which illuminates the ignition switch of the SC when the door is opened and driving lights.

I could enjoy working on a car if it's my choice to work on it and I don't have to work on it.

Right now, there's not much that I can do because I'm in an apt and got rid of a bunch of my tools and have most of the rest in storage.

+10

Upgrades>>regular maintenance

Yay! Found the worlds slowest motorcycle shop. Gonna be a bit before I worry about reassembly.

Yes of course, as time allows it.

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I still enjoy wrenching but it is much better doing it because you want to vs. have to . Now that I'm retired and have a new man cave shop complete with lift/AC/heat I can work upright and comfortable . Here is a short list of future projects.

1.Replace all four rotors and pads on the Boxster .
2.Install coilover shocks on the Boxster along with new rear trailing arms.
3.New front brake pads on the wifes RAV4 .
4.Install outboard motor on new used boat purchase and get boat ready for summer.
5.Complete restoration of 1968 Avion truck camper.
6.R+R wood deck boards with composite on deck at the back of the house.
7.R+R dually truck bed and install metal flat bed.
8.Move metal carport to new location and raise it 3 ' so truck camper will fit under it.

This is just a small list and it seems like I'm busier now in retirement than when I was working ! :D Add to the list trying to spend quality time with my wife , my kids and the grandchildren . Not much down time at my house ;)

I've wrenched my back and knee...but the knee was from dropping somethin' and breaking my big toe...enjoyed it as much as ever....

Does that count ;)?