[Jeff Higgins]

Yup, the guy is a tool.

That said, there is always going to be a line drawn somewhere. I'll hand out free advice (and worth every penny) till the cows come home until I get the feeling someone is avoiding paying someone else for that advice. We can all kind of feel when it's getting that detailed, or time consuming, that it's no longer a "hey, whattaya think?..." kind of a deal.

Kind of along the same lines, I do all of my own work on all of my cars and bikes, up to and including motor rebuilds and the like. I really enjoy helping friends with their projects and helping them learn how to do it themselves. I've learned a great deal from some guys that kind of took me under their wings, helping me on my projects and allowing me to help on theirs. I'm quite happy to pass on to others what these guys have passed on to me. That's a large part of the enjoyment of this hobby for me.

The problems arise when folks who really have no interest in learning, or no interest in helping out later on, start asking for a "quick favor" by way of some help on their car. Folks I either barely know from our larger local Porsche or motorcycle community, or folks who never have and never will turn a wrench on their cars. I have a hard time saying "no" to these guys, but I'm learning. I still feel like a real dick when I do. Some of them must think that I am; as a matter of fact, I've had to listen to as much from a few - "you helped so and so, why won't you help me?". All they are doing is trying to avoid paying someone who actually makes their living by doing these things. I guess I'm running out of patience (and time) for these guys.