You still enjoy wrenching on things?

[pete3799]

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.

[Bob Kontak]

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.

[peppy]

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

[Jim Richards]

Originally Posted by pete3799

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.

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

[dar636]

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.

[pete3799]

Originally Posted by Jim Richards

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

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.

[VincentVega]

Originally Posted by Zeke

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.

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. . .

[RSBob]

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.

[masraum]

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.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by RSBob

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.

+10

Upgrades>>regular maintenance

[vash]

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

[rusnak]

Yes of course, as time allows it.

[rfuerst911sc]

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 ! Add to the list trying to spend quality time with my wife , my kids and the grandchildren . Not much down time at my house

[KFC911]

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 ?