Yep. Did that for 10 years on my first '74 911... then a high school kid hit me and totaled it. I just can't get that same enthusiasm with it's replacement '74 (although I started with a much better car in most ways). Now I see why there are so many barn finds of cars that were started and never finished.

I bought an '89 to use as a daily driver...but it is so pristine that I am almost afraid to drive/park it.

I haven't lost my temper working on a car in a long time........right up till I bought an 04 Ford F-550 4X4 with a 6.0 diesel. Had to remove the turbo to get at the Y pipe that was leaking (common problem). About an hours work just to get to the turbo which is conveniently wedged between the top rear of the motor and under the cowl. This was 2 weeks ago and my arms are still scabbed up from the tips of my fingers to my elbows from trying to reach the F'n bolts and clamps on EVERYTHING. My chest is even bruised up from having to lay across the top of the motor to reach stuff. I was seriously thinking about cutting a hole in the firewall to gain access from in the cab.
Not a Zen like experience.
I'm quit sure that if you take one of these to the Ford dealer the first thing they do is lift the cab off to work on it.

Good dad.
(but remember you are upper management now ;) )

I do get frustrated and drop F-Bombs but only in my head! I think this came from a few experiences
with a mechanic that I went to for years. Sometimes I would get there a bit early and he would say
"Just finishing it off-take a seat" So I would sit down, leaf through a few car mags and just wait. Invariably it would happen- everything would by quiet and then " What the F**K!" followed by this
explosion (all this to himself-doesn't seem to realise I am 10 foot away) "Its always the f**ken same" "Every f**ken time" "Jesus f**ken Christ- why do they design it this f**ken way!" " I get it all back on and its always this last f**ken c*** "Every f**ken time-its always the...." and so it goes on for maybe 5 straight minutes and then nothing for 10 or so minutes and then he appears wiping his hands with a rag with this coy sort of smile and says " All good- I'll just right up the invoice" This has happened maybe 5 times- I laugh to myself but think that rage has got to be doing him some damage. Just one final thing- I would always get frustrated if there was a deadline,it was hot or if I couldn't find a tool.

Ding.Ding.

The mechanic is the pilot in command:
-Plenty of energy and lack of distraction,
-Personal protection against any mishaps........i.e. WEAR YOUR GLASSES and have a FIRE EXTINGUISHER NEARBY!
-Safe and complete light source (don't be stupid and use a halogen spotlight to change out the fuel tank),
-Proper work space (creepers, bench, tools in reach, etc.)
-Be comfortable (shade/fans in hot environments or stacks of cardboard/spaceheater in cold)
-All tools needed or others available,
-All data.......and um...........parts.......to complete the task.

The first priority is the captain.
The task can sit for another day, or three.

Know exactly on what you are talking about. Im finishing up with new heads ,arp.studs new turbos, and a timingncover on a 2008/f 250 6.4 diesel. I did it cab on, because this is a side job for myself , and I did not want to clog up a money making lift. I knew I would be into it for weeks
..This is the easily one of the hardest jobs I have ever done. The up pipe bolts.were sheer brutality. Everything is packed in there, and super tight and heavy. Still, I enjoyed nearly every minute of it. No.timetable. I just come in in the am. , kick on the tunes, and go at it.

A 1 here. Can't afford to get mad. Feel blessed to be where I'm at. When rushed I say I have one other speed and it's slower. Speed at anything comes with smoothness. When things don't go perfectly I walk away, returning after a short time. Love what I do, do what I love.

Yesterday I was able to keep it at a 1. :) I have new seals for the intake manifold and loads of vacuum lines to replace on the 560SL and yesterday's task was only to remove the fuel-air mixture control unit. It's off, my hands are not shredded and PB Blaster is soaking the intake manifold bolts overnight. If I'm lucky removal will be complete by this evening. I'm trying to do the project in small, bite sized pieces instead of forcing things.

I agree with "no pressure" making it a much more pleasurable experience. For years most of my wrenching was by necessity. Typically we couldn't afford two nice cars, so I would buy my wife something nice as our family car and I had something older that needed TLC. Frantically wrenching on a Sunday so you can drive your car to work on Monday is no fun. Definitely a vote for having an appliance for commuting to compliment your fun car, or at least having a spare car.

Other than brakes and some small cosmetic things like replacing bulbs or waxing I am done working on my daily drivers. When I was in college and poor it was necessary, but I find no joy in it now. None.

However I still love working on cars, just on my time. Last summer I rebuilt the engine and transmission on my current project a 1990 Corrado G60. I would work on it Saturday mornings or late at night when everyone was asleep. 1-2 hours at most and just until I got tired or frustrated. As soon as I felt the least bit angry at something I was done. Took me better part of 4 months but I got it all done.
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As a hobby I love it. Otherwise it pisses me off and I just don't enjoy it anymore.

I don't get mad much anymore, but anxiety does rank pretty high until a week passes, and no other problems arise.

The last repair was a crank seal and timing belt on our 2000 Camry, but the rear cam cover became the next oil leak. I kicked a leg off the table in the garage over that. Small leak not yet fixed, possibly to be farmed out.

I'll report later on today's headaches as I have to replace the water pump on the 91 Land Cruiser. BTDT, so I don't have to hassle with Mr. Toyota's impossible to get to clamps. They've already been positioned in my favor.

There is always that nervousness after working on a car, yesterday I had to take the "newly fiddled with" volvo to work. It's post tinkering maiden voyage was a 1.5 hour drive across the mountains in the dark. Gives me a lot of time to wonder if I didn't tighten something right.

I also dread starting engines after I change the timing belt. I always crank it through a turn by hand before I start it, just to make sure everything clears, but it still freaks me out every time.

This is one area I relish! Repositioning hose clamps so I can get to them just to spite the demons that originally placed them:D

BTW, yesterday, it never snowed, just rained. I also got a code reader for my volvo. It gave me some good leads to work on with the AWD. While I was inmy house happily looking up codes, water started pouring through the ceiling on my enclosed porch right behind me filling up pots of water as fast as I could empty them. I spent last night in 32 degree dark rain trying to fix the roof.

Anger level 12. Much cursing. Neighbors turned on lights to check things out!:D

I don't work on my car that much. But that did not stop me from messing up a few weeks ago. Called myself a few choice words.
I decided to take a look under the rear passenger side of the car to see why I seemed to be getting less heat from the passenger side vents compared to the driver's side. I backed the car up my makeshift ramp, overshot the ramp, and put a dent in my oil line, the one connected to the thermostat on the rear passenger side.
The shop I took it to fixed the oil line for $480.00. I still seem to be getting less heat from the passenger side vent. I decided I get enough heat anyway.

Not a week goes by that I don't want to go find an automotive engineer, and beat them in the face until I feel satisfied, but I don't often get bent out of shape about the lack of concessions towards easier service and repair anymore. I see now that this is the reason I'm in business in the first place; Not everybody can fix this stuff.

I spent a bit of my time early last week with a GM Tech 2, a laptop, and a GM MDI on my tool cart, and during one of those jobs, I was wondering why I had to have over $5000 worth of equipment on hand, and pay the General a subscription fee to replace a driver's door window switch on a Silverado. Seems entirely unnecessary to make a window switch part of the CAN, and not a plug-n-play part, but they did.

Sure, I get angry at some of the jobs that are made harder because of neglect, or abuse by the vehicle's operator (especially landscaping trucks, and equip.) and I'll yell at it, or call it ugly names when a vehicle doesn't cooperate, but I always try to extrapolate the amount of extra time necessary, and supplies needed, and estimate that into the price of the work.

you've got to be kidding. How many makers are this ridiculous? I need a list of cars to avoid.

Ever since about 2004, or 2005, most automakers have used one host computer, and multiple peripheral computers data-linked together in a controller area network in their cars, and trucks. Used to be, there was one computer for drivetrain control , and maybe three other computers on board for sub systems like ABS, and climate control, etc... Now, there's as many as 71 in one automobile, all on a network.

GM seems the worst right now, but they, Chrysler, and to a lesser extent, Ford/Lincoln/Mercury have these systems in use. Their rationale for making so many sub systems controlled by their own individual module is that they save money on copper used in wiring harnesses. The problem is that those modules fail, and after replacement, many of them need to be either initialized by, or programmed with manufacturer specific scan tools, and software in order to communicate with the 'host module' on the controller area network. Failing to do that leaves that sub system non-functional. On major systems, like body control, or engine control, it would cause a no-start. Ancillary systems usually leave a check engine light on, and render the vehicle unable to pass a state inspection.

So far as I know, all manufacturers do this now. By far, the least reliable ones are from the big three. The least reliable of those, in my experience is GM.

Just read this entire thread...haha....good stuff!

Yeah - I'm not above throwing F-bombs and the like.....usually I'm very even tempered but it seems like no matter what the job is - you always drop a fastener and it goes into some black hole - or there's a clamp that doesn't want to come loose - or the way something is engineered you'd think it was purposely designed to frustrate the hell out of whoever had to work on it.

The key really is to have the right amount of time so you're not in some huge hurry. And like Fred said....when something isn't working out...just bail on it for a while and re-group.

My latest job was replacing the water pump on my 4.8 Vortec and it was an easy job - 2 hours - and that's not rushing.

Few years ago R and R my tub starter to replace worn bushing...check out the hose clamp on the top bolt which is only accessed through the engine bay - so it could be held while being tightened - that's something from the PO but just shows the kind of resourcefulness necessary to get the job done.

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Good thread. Yesterday I almost removed the intake manifold on the Benz Almost because one hex bolt came pre-stripped and another one is about to follow suit. I called it quits for the day; put some more PB blaster on that one and hope that it frees up tomorrow (today), and I'll try hammering a torx bit into the stripped bolt and see how it goes after work.

If it's like the one that holds the bellcrank next to the toilet bowl on an M117.968, I know what you mean. You gotta hose it down, and come back a while later. A small 3/8 pull handle is nice to use because you'll still have to work it back, and fourth an eighth turn at a time.

Damn Fred! I thought beheading a 6.4 with the body on was impossible.