How mad do you get when you work on a car? (or anything for that matter?)

[LEAKYSEALS951]

Just curious...
On a scale of 1-10. Some days it is like sticking an icepick in your forehead. Is it even healthy?
And maybe this relates to the recent "should I be a mechanic for a living" thread- but-
Today I was working on my volvo xc70. It is overwhelming at this point. I still haven't got the AWD to work, I discovered a torn CV boot on the front, it needs a brake job, and I decided to tackle a clogged PCV system. Really needs all new shocks/struts too. Took all day to fix the venting system by pulling manifold and such. Scraped hands/ sore/ a lot of work just to get the case to vent right and not blow seals and such.

I always reach a dark point, right before the light, where I ask myself "why the f#%% do I do this?"... I mean, NONE of my friends can even change a battery, and most volvo owners can't even change the batteries in their key fobs... so why do I do this to myself??? ... And it's just a volvo... There is no passion to the end result....

And I'm not just talking volvo- any car- people say "they enjoy it", but really, in every project there is a moment of pure anger- a stripped bolt, a snapped bolt, a rusted bolt, an inaccessible bolt... etc.. etc... surely this must be a sign of insanity! On my 911, I can see the payoff- It inspires, but even that is pushing it sometimes!

I don't know..am I psychotic? I can't be the only one. Maybe it's fun when we want to work on something, and sucks when we have to. Maybe it's the context. At any rate, today was an overwhelming ordeal spent getting the engine to make a sucking sound at the oil filler cap. Unlike the still broken AWD, at least the crankcase has vacuum- but how does one relate that to a clever facebook post for your non car driving friends? You can't.
Rant over! (and tomorrow I get to put snow tires on my 2wd volvo!)
Ron

[afterburn 549]

Never........is a useless emotion payed to a inanimate object. Walk away and come back, It will fit then. .

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by LEAKYSEALS951

I always reach a dark point, right before the light, where I ask myself "why the f#%% do I do this?"... I mean, NONE of my friends can even change a battery, and most volvo owners can't even change the batteries in their key fobs... so why do I do this to myself??? ... And it's just a volvo... There is no passion to the end result....

I so totally identify with this. After I curse up a storm, throw some tools, maybe punch the car and hurt my hand..........I figure it out and beat the mf'er. In some ways it's like golf, you have 100 terrible shots that put you in a rage, but there's that one good shot that keeps you coming back. For me that's a how I feel working on cars. There's the frustration of a challenge, and the satisfaction of solving it. Plus I'm an anal-retentive SOB and there are very few people that meet my standards.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Even 911s can make you mad. Parking brake backing plate was fused to the control arm. Thought oxy-mapp would expand it enough to be hammered off. No. Had to make precision cuts with a cutting wheel and chisel the rest enough to pry it off. Fun Monday night.

[Arizona 911]

I always have my 9 year old son help me. It teaches him how to do repairs and it keeps me in check from swearing and losing my temper.

[TechnoViking]

It's not even considered a project until I'm dropping F-bombs, bleeding and throwing tools.

[Rick V]

I just do it for a living, It make sit so much better

[RANDY P]

It was a lot worse pre-internet days. Now to minimize hassle I research the hell out of everything.
Reliable tools also helps, and not letting things get too fouled up to intervene.

Otherwise, I always say the same thing: Why the **** do I do this ****?

rjp

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by TechnoViking

It's not even considered a project until I'm dropping F-bombs, bleeding and throwing tools.

True dat!

I have reached a point where if it is going to take more than 4-6 hours on the cold concrete floor I just save myself the pain and take it to a mechanic...

And a few times I have got 2-3 hours into a project and realized I am over my head... put things back together... and head for the mechanic.

Mind you I do enjoy working on cars, I installed the coil overs on the Miata (had to remove/adjust them three times before I got the ride height I wanted) install new hoses and radiator, installed a new radio/speakers/power amp.

[nynor]

i would get so mad at my '77 triumph bonneville that i invented swear words and phrases. i got rid of it. since then, i am able to stick to conventional swear words and phrases.

[Oh Haha]

I have very little patience so when a simple job turns into something bigger I get frustrated. Yes, I have thrown tools across the garage.

Forcing myself to leave it and come back usually works for me, though.

Also, I don't like having a continuing project, be it in the house or a vehicle.

Right now, I am stripping the paint from the 911 wheels BUT I am purposely not hurrying to get it done. I don't like the wheels on my bench half done but I figure it's a growing experience.

[fastfredracing]

Originally Posted by Rick V

I just do it for a living, It make sit so much better

Ha, tru dat. Try doing it for your paycheck flat rate, and tell me how frustrated you get. Get paid for a 3 hour job, then have a bolt break, or strip that takes up 2.5 hours to fix by itself.
I seriously do still love it though. I do most of my p car work, and my own projects on the weekends, and it really helps to go in with no real time constraints, and a good attitude . I love to take my sweet time, clean up, and paint everything, keep all my tools organized, and laid out on the workbench etc.. Something goes wrong? Just walk away , hit some other easy part of the project till you are in the right place in your head to tackle the pia part of the project. I almost always come home feeling all warm and tingly inside when I do weekend work on my own timetable.
I gotta admit though, I spaz sometimes. I am getting better with age, but I have completely lost it in the past, threw **** at cars , spit on them, broke my hand taking a hissy fit punching a cabinet before.
One of my older shops that I rented had 6 inch thick styrofoam insulation on the walls. It was amusing to see how many tool shaped holes were in that material when I was done with it .
I kicked over r2d2 ( a 30 gallon metal drum of gear oil with an air powered pump on top), spilling it's contents all over the floor. Yeah, I've got anger issues
I think the secret is to realize when you are starting to get frustrated. Nothing good will happen when you are in this state of mind. Sometimes, you just have to take 5 or 10 to cool off, and regroup. Seems I can fight a fitting for 20 minutes till I am ready to spit nails. I walk away, come back in 5 , and it slides right back together, first try.
Sometimes though , things just go horribly sideways, and you gotta buck it up and deal with it. Always better to carefully think your next move through , b
before you go in all rambo and make matters worse.
Great thread.

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

....I gotta admit though, I spaz sometimes. I am getting better with age, but I have completely lost it in the past,
....Yeah, I've got anger issues
...I think the secret is to realize when you are starting to get frustrated. Nothing good will happen when you are in this state of mind. Sometimes, you just have to take 5 or 10 to cool off, and regroup. Seems I can fight a fitting for 20 minutes till I am ready to spit nails. I walk away, come back in 5 , and it slides right back together, first try.
.....Great thread.

I don't do it for a living, yet I can relate. Especially the temper part.

BUT!

Is it ever great when you have a whole day of things going right! You find needed bolts in your junk drawer. Exhaust parts come apart easily and go together easily.

Brakes are bled rock hard the first time and they stay rock hard for months! Electrical gremlins are chased, found and corrected. Transmission splines line up the first time. Grease smears on upholstery swipe off easily...

Life can be good for the mechanically minded!

[stealthn]

Having the time to myself working on the car, bloody knuckles, swears, sore muscles, it's still better than listening to other people's crap. Sometimes it's just nice to not think about other things.....

[billybek]

Oh ya,baby. The air can get pretty blue sometimes.
I don't throw tools in my garage but there were a few times on an overhaul site that the company's tools felt the effects of weightlessness...
I am getting more able to realize when I am about to go over the border into crazy town when working. I may call the rotten piece of crap lots of nasty names but it seems to focus me more on the task at hand. In the end it gets done... Correctly.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by afterburn 549

Never........is a useless emotion payed to a inanimate object. Walk away and come back, It will fit then. .

This. Getting mad at a car is a waste of emotion and energy. I may cuss at myself for doing some bonehead thing but I never get mad at the vehicle.

[sc_rufctr]

Car fixing is fun although as I get older I may rethink this. Just walk away when you've had enough and if you often loose your temper you're better off paying a mechanic to do it for you.

I rarely loose it but when I do it's usually something to do with my kids.
Something happens or they do something stupid and then it's up to me to clean up the mess.
Dealing with the stress is the worst part. It certainly can take a toll on you.

I need to get better at dealing with that.

[sugarwood]

Originally Posted by LEAKYSEALS951

Maybe it's fun when we want to work on something, and sucks when we have to. Maybe it's the context.
Ron

You just nailed it right there.

Working on your car b/c you feel like it
is a lot different than working on your car b/c it's broken and you need to drive to work tomorrow.

Originally Posted by TechnoViking

It's not even considered a project until I'm dropping F-bombs, bleeding and throwing tools.

LOL, this made is spit my coffee.

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

Is it ever great when you have a whole day of things going right! You find needed bolts in your junk drawer. Exhaust parts come apart easily and go together easily.

This has been happening more often lately.
I think part of it is getting more experience, and having a more complete tool set.

A big part is not getting in over your head.
I've been pretty careful about what to try myself.

[Nostril Cheese]

Working on 944/951s makes me angry. Volvos are easy to work on.

[Evans, Marv]

I used to get mad from frustration. Over a long period of time of telling/training myself it doesn't do anything to solve the problem, I just look at a poor situation as a problem to be solved. That doesn't mean I won't walk away and take a break. Sometimes I sort of worry something has gone wrong (with myself) when I just look at something I'm having problems with and take the attitude it's just a problem I have to solve when I know I should be feeling mad & exasperated.