So I Guess The Neighbor's Truck Needs Brakes

[Targa Me]

I have this neighbor who is new to the neighborhood and has rarely spoken a word to me, all our communication has been a casual wave. This past weekend he comes to me as I'm tinkering in my garage and the conversation goes like this:

Neighbor: Hi, how are you?
Me: I'm good.
Neighbor: So I see you work on your car's...
Me: Yup, I do what I can...
Neighbor: You know my truck needs brakes, do you think you can do that for me?
Me: (Trying to be the good neighbor) Umm, sure I can put some brakes on for you.
Neighbor: Great. You know, my mother-in-law's car needs brakes too.
Me: (Here we go...) I don't have a lot of spare time so I don't know if I'd be able to get to her car any time soon.
Neighbor: Oh, ok.

At this point the conversation drindles down.

I don't mind helping out a neighbor here and there, but I don't want to be this guy's personal mechanic either. He didn't offer up a beer, pizza or cash.

My wife thinks I shouldn't do the brakes because of a liability. I'm not sure I want to do his brakes because then he'll start coming over for every little mechanical problem he has.

How do you guys handle a neighbor like this. I guess I might feel different if he offered something in exchange.

[stomachmonkey]

This

Originally Posted by Targa Me

....but I don't want to be this guy's personal mechanic either. He didn't offer up a beer, pizza or cash.

and this.

Originally Posted by Targa Me

My wife thinks I shouldn't do the brakes because of a liability. I'm not sure I want to do his brakes because then he'll start coming over for every little mechanical problem he has.

Sorry, I don't work on other peoples cars, I'm not a mechanic, this is a hobby for me.

If you want to supply the beer I'll be happy to teach you how to do them.

[exc911ence]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

This



and this.



Sorry, I don't work on other peoples cars, I'm not a mechanic, this is a hobby for me.

If you want to supply the beer I'll be happy to teach you how to do them.

This. Let him do everything and just walk him through it. Have him buy and bring his own tools too.

[Head416]

Make it very clear that you'd be happy to show him how to replace brake pads and then he can use his new skills to impress his MIL.

[URY914]

I tell people I work on my race car but won't touch a street car besides changing oil/filters. Working on my race car is fun, working on a street car is too much like work and people understand.

[widebody911]

I've had the exact same problem. For tiny issues, like "can you listen to this and tell me what you think it is?" - not problem. But anything that requires dis/re-assembly or new parts is off the table. I've done minor welding, usually kids bikes and a trampoline leg one time, but they have to do all the prep. I never ask for anything in return.

A while back, I had an ex neighbor come by asking for a welding favor, years after he'd moved away.

[URY914]

I agree with welding. Simple little jobs are no problem. Don't ask me to fab and weld the gate for your farm.

[pete3799]

I'd move

[widebody911]

One of the best neighbor-favors that's been requested of me was the chick who used to live around the corner who had a Boxster. She came by one day and asked if I could take a look at the dent in her car's back bumper. I told her 'no problem, just bring it round back to the shop' A while later, the boxster pulls up in front of the shop - with some dude driving it. Classic bait-and-switch.

[RANDY P]

"Sorry man I'm busy"

Then the conversation should come to money. Charge him almost shop rate but not quite.

that'll end it. Guy like that has no shame only wants free stuff.

[tharbert]

I like the idea of being the enabler rather than the biotch.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Originally Posted by Targa Me

My wife thinks I shouldn't do the brakes because of a liability.

Your wife is smart.

No good deed goes unpunished.

You're setting yourself up.

I'd just say I'm too busy with my own projects and sorry, but I could probably give him a few pointers if he wanted to learn to do it himself.

[HardDrive]

I wouldn't touch the brakes on another persons car. No thanks. Liability. Big time.

[jyl]

"Sorry, I don't work on other peoples' cars. I'm not a professional mechanic and I don't want the responsibility." That should work.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by Head416

Make it very clear that you'd be happy to show him how to replace brake pads and then he can use his new skills to impress his MIL.

YES!

I have helped friends and neighbors do a brake job. I told them up front I would supervise, point and grunt and drink their beer. They have to do the work. Only a few have ever followed through. Most thought I would do a free brake job for them. That ain't gonna happen.

[Gogar]

Lawyer up immediately. You can't be too careful.


signed,

PPOT

[Groesbeck Hurricane]

I was the annoying neighbor at one point in time. Teenager looking forward to the first car. My Dad taught me some things, the man across the street taught me some others. I got my hands dirty sometimes, did step and fetch others.

Helped and was helped by buddies.....

Years on, I'd give opinions and show how to do something. Sometimes I'd do it so it was done right, moretimes I had ZERO clues.


YEARS ago, Wife put me up in temporary housing for a job. She did not tell me but it was FULL of coeds. I was the old guy they all went to with questions on things. Sort of like the dad away from home. BUT the rent was CHEAP!!!!!


Offer to show him how. Let him do the work. Explain why you need latex/nitrile gloves and when you will need leather/cloth gloves. Show him what tools. Let him get dirty. Drink HIS beer. If he is not willing then he can spend on someone else. He might actually end up being a good neighbor. Ya never know.


Otherwise, Gogar summed it up wisely...

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by Targa Me

How do you guys handle a neighbor like this. I guess I might feel different if he offered something in exchange.

Tell him you sprang your back, and cannot do the brake job.

Then every time he see's you, you will have something other than brakes to talk about.

Your back only last long enough for you to get your projects done. The pain in your back is him, but skirt around that.

[Jim Richards]

Originally Posted by jyl

"Sorry, I don't work on other peoples' cars. I'm not a professional mechanic and I don't want the responsibility." That should work.

^ This

[IROC]

I actually did the brakes (pads only - rotors were fine) on a friend/co-workers minivan one time. The guy watched me do it and was a freak. He hovered around and was like, "you've got fingerprints on the rotor!! Is that OK??!?", etc., the whole time.

A month or so later, he takes the van into the dealer for some 60k mile service or something and they tell him his rotors are shot and charge him a couple hundred dollars to replace them. He immediately comes up to me the next day and accuses me of either 1. Lying when I said his rotors were OK, or 2. Screwing something up when I installed the pads that ruined his rotors.

I tell him that there was nothing wrong with his rotors when I replaced the pads. I asked him if the dealership happened to let him keep the rotors (they did for some odd reason). I asked him to bring them in and that I wanted to look at them. When he did, I even checked the thickness and they were fine. He said, "I don't believe you". I said fine, take them to whoever you like and get their opinion. He took them to a local brake place and asked them and they said the rotors were fine also.

He went back to the dealership and when the service manager was confronted, the guy blew up and got pissed and grabbed the rotors and threw them in the trash and gave him his money back.

All this rambling to say that was the last time I ever did work for somebody else...