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I can't be the only person that can't be bothered to work on the project car when I spend 45hrs a week fixing and servicing other people's cars. I'm a technician for BMW and as much as I love my job and working on cars, I find it such a struggle to get motivated to work on my own stuff. Wife's fiesta needs a speed sensor, my e39 daily needs work for its impending MOT as does the project audi 80 yet every weekend I spend about an hr staring at one car or another before I decide there's better things to do. 😂
Always kind of jealous of people who have the passion to spend their weekends under the bonnet when I can't even be bothered to bring tools home.
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fad
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,781
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I get that sometimes (engineer by trade).
Other times I'm so motivated I hraft too hard and do myself an injury (like now... laid up with a knackered back).
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I spend my working week as a plant mechanic/general dogsbody at an agricultural contractors fixing things as farmers break them.
Finishing work and spending a couple of hours on projects I want to be working on in my own workshop is a real boon. There are occasions I'd rather go home and vegetate, but generally -unless I've really fallen out with something- I enjoy doing my own stuff.
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I'm kinda the same but different. I work 45hrs a week importing & selling timber and other building materials. I also have a separate business project managing for a builder. I love tinkering with cars but unfortunately, I am so knackered come the weekend, I just don't have the energy. I would love to be Grizz lol - He just seems to have energy in reserve! I am even paying someone today to swap out my alternator! Probably a 20 min job!
Still, I take solace in the fact that in a year or two, in theory I won't need to work so hard and I can start another 'Proper Build'
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96 E320 W210 Wafter - on 18" split Mono's - Sold :-( 10 Kia Ceed Sportwagon - Our new daily 03 Import Forester STi - Sold 98 W140 CL500 AMG - Brutal weekend bruiser! Sold :-( 99 E240 S210 Barge - Now sold 02 Accord 2.0SE - wife's old daily - gone in PX 88 P100 2.9efi Custom - Sold
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Definitely.
I got to work and have everything I need to take a train to pieces in the warm, dry, well lit workshop.
At home I'm on a drive, in the rain scrabbling for tools and parts in the garage.
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- Kerbside Kustoms -
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BT
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,772
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This is a big part of it. Definitely. I got to work and have everything I need to take a train to pieces in the warm, dry, well lit workshop. At home I'm on a drive, in the rain scrabbling for tools and parts in the garage. I had to make a tool last week to release tension on a supercharger belt so I could replace it. At work I managed this in about 30 minutes. If was to have tried this at home it probably would have been 3 hours! At work I deal with a lot of fabrications of varying sorts. I also have a very rusty Mini in the garage. I kind of detest turning a welder or grinder on when I have a day off because it's all I hear 45/60 hours a week. Glad to know we're not alone.
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This is a big part of it. Definitely. I got to work and have everything I need to take a train to pieces in the warm, dry, well lit workshop. At home I'm on a drive, in the rain scrabbling for tools and parts in the garage. I had to make a tool last week to release tension on a supercharger belt so I could replace it. At work I managed this in about 30 minutes. If was to have tried this at home it probably would have been 3 hours! At work I deal with a lot of fabrications of varying sorts. I also have a very rusty Mini in the garage. I kind of detest turning a welder or grinder on when I have a day off because it's all I hear 45/60 hours a week. Glad to know we're not alone.
Lol, although I didn't say it, this is my point exactly. I spend 10 hrs a day advising people way beyond my pay grade how to build something or fix something etc in their houses, garages, gardens etc etc and when the Mrs asks me to put up a shelf or something I freak out lol. I'm not sure I could write a book about it but the paying public would be horrified at some of the dumb ass questions I get from 'Qualified' builders, plumbers, decorators etc etc.
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96 E320 W210 Wafter - on 18" split Mono's - Sold :-( 10 Kia Ceed Sportwagon - Our new daily 03 Import Forester STi - Sold 98 W140 CL500 AMG - Brutal weekend bruiser! Sold :-( 99 E240 S210 Barge - Now sold 02 Accord 2.0SE - wife's old daily - gone in PX 88 P100 2.9efi Custom - Sold
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BT
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,772
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I'm not sure I could write a book about it but the paying public would be horrified at some of the dumb ass questions I get from 'Qualified' builders, plumbers, decorators etc etc. You're certainly not alone. I had a project manager go bonkers when he discovered all of the washers on a job were broken... I was baffled by this and asked him to show me one as an example. He came over with a split/Spring washer and wanted to know why inferior broken washers had been used on his job. Plonker.
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Davey
Posted a lot
Resident Tyre Nerd.
Posts: 2,325
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I can't be the only person that can't be bothered to work on the project car when I spend 45hrs a week fixing and servicing other people's cars. I'm a technician for BMW and as much as I love my job and working on cars, I find it such a struggle to get motivated to work on my own stuff. Wife's fiesta needs a speed sensor, my e39 daily needs work for its impending MOT as does the project audi 80 yet every weekend I spend about an hr staring at one car or another before I decide there's better things to do. 😂 Always kind of jealous of people who have the passion to spend their weekends under the bonnet when I can't even be bothered to bring tools home. I decided because i loved working on my own cars taking it on as a profession would be my best bet.... How wrong i was. As of a year ago i stopped fixing other peoples cars and now sell tyres and the enjoyment of working on my own car has all come back.
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K11 Micra x3 - Mk3 astra - Seat Marbella - Mk6 Escort estate - B5 Passat - Alfa 156 estate - E36 compact Mk2 MR2 T-bar - E46 328i - Skoda Superb - Fiat seicento - 6n2 Polo - 6n polo 1.6 - Mk1 GS300 EU8 civic type S - MG ZT cdti - R56 MINI Cooper S - Audi A3 8p - Jaguar XF (X250) - FN2 Civic Type R - Mk2 2.0i Ford Focus
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I started an apprenticeship in mechanics doing a 10 hour day and my own car quickly fell by the wayside, i wasn't disappointed when the place I worked for couldn't accommodate me any more, doing my hobby for a job sucked all of the fun out of it for me, Mrs keeps saying go work in a garage, go back to college but i don't want to lose my love of cars being around them all day everyday again. They're a bit of break from the real world for an hour or 2 here and there.
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I'm a panel beater, spend most of my time doing restoration work on customers' cars. Have my own few projects but never seem to have the time or motivation to work on them. Of course the money is a big motivator on customers' cars.
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I'm an IT Engineer. I find myself the same way with my home equipment. Usually id sort it out at if i had issues at work but at home i cant be bothered as ive been doing it all day already
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1973 MK1 2600 Capri - Located in Texas 1976 3.0S Capri - X-Pack long term Project 1978 2.0S Capri 1984 Transit County MK2 4x4 LWB 2.5DI 1985 2.8i Special Capri (v8 5.0L) 1986 2.8i Special Capri 1987 280 Turbo Technics Capri 1993 1.8TD P100 - Beater, parts collector 2008 BMW 320i Touring - Daily
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I've been a mechanic for 47 years and had one or six projects on the go for longer than that! I used to say that I was one of the lucky folk who could do what they loved doing and get paid for it! But no longer! It's not the work that has sucked the joy from the job for me, it's modern cars. In the old days, a car would come in running like a bag of nails and you could give it a touch here and a tweak there and send it out purring, there was satisfaction in this, I was making something better. Now cars come in running OK (or not at all) and go out running OK and there's nothing I can do to make them better, just change bits till they work OK again. This is the main reason I still have old cars around as projects, they still have the joy of "I done that!" in them.
Steve
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I've been in the trade for about 10 years now, started off on coaches, now working for BMW. I've always been into cars and I totally agree, modern cars are basically shells on wheels that carry a huge computer system around. The past year alone has been a major crash course in modern car electronics, and to be honest it's more like I'm learning for an I.T. qualification. The stuff I learned in college can only be applied to classics now. Shame really.
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Ive been in the motor trade for 16 years, both as a fully qualified mechanic and for the last 8 years as a partsman. I can fully relate with both Carledo and Nattman. Years ago cars were simple technology. Very few if any sensors. Carburettors or basic fuel injection. No obd. And definitely no sodding canbus.
And dare i say it but a joy to work on.
Like i say I'm currently a partsman working for a motor factors and as a result of the changes in modern technology in cars we see no end of problems. We now get asked all sorts.
The ageing mechanic working from the back of his house, the weekend tinkering guy, the garage mechanic, literally anybody willing to pick up a spanner........
"What is a fuel pressure regulator?, where does it fit?
"these calipers wont wind back" (they are electric, you need a computer).
"i have a faulty egr valve" (its not faulty, there is a fault further down the line causing a blocked egr, same with cats and dpfs and lambda sensors, there is nearly always an underlying fault).
"do i need a cam or crank sensor?" (you're supposed to be the mechanic).
"ive been on ebay and fitted led lights and now ive got a dashboard full of errors" (welcome to canbus)
"this clutch doesnt feel right after fitting" (have you bled the slave cylinder?, to the answer of) "no".
These are all ages of people and all varying in experience. I do genuinely feel for some of these people as its literally becoming harder day by day to save a bit if money and work on a car.
Another example. We had a customer that had an exhaust stolen from under their van (yes they do this), we quoted on cat, dpf and rear exhaust, what we also quoted on was things like dpf temp sensors, dpf presssure sensors and the customer hadnt got a clue things this even existed or what they did.
Pretty soon there is going to be tyre pressure monitors added to mots. There are so many different sensors and monitors now that i seriously don't think the cars you see today will be around in ten years or so. Gradually the old school mechanic is either going to be pushed out of the trade or is going to have to learn how to use a computer.
Sad days.
Long live the retro.
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fad
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,781
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Even learning a computer... You need the correct software to interface. And need to understand canbus (I don't - not enough). As you say it is how things are... The hotrodders of the future will be programmers, not tinkerers.
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Here's a funny thing, in 1970 when I left school, I was turned down for an apprenticeship by a major Mercedes Benz dealer because I was "over qualified!" I had 3 "O" levels (remember them) in maths, English and technical drawing! They thought I was too clever to put up with the greasy grind (and endless hazing of apprentices) In hindsight, a bit of a short sighted attitude! Nowadays, a degree in electronics and a second in computer science would not go amiss in someone wanting to start out in the motor trade! I'm due to retire in 3 years and quite honestly, I can't wait! Not that I will sell all my tools or EVER stop tinkering with motors, but then I will be able to CHOOSE what I work on - and it won't be modern rubbish and "white goods" cars!
Steve
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Last Edit: Apr 3, 2017 22:20:56 GMT by carledo
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Before i google it, and in blissful ignorance, what the bloody hell is 'canbus' ??
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Noqhere near a nechanic myself, but i totally alreciatevthe sentiment from reading the above posts. This also serves to demonstrate why in viryually every issue of Practical Classics mag they are begging for young people to learn 'classic friendly mechanics', or basically, to learn real mechanical skills.
I want to drive a car, nor a dishwasher. And i want a craftsman, which ultimately a mechanic is, to work on my car, sgiw me tips, chat with passion etc, and inwant to be able to tinker myself. I don't want a laptop to tell me what my car is doing. Long live older cars indeed, and proper mechanics, i salute you!
For a footnote, i'm a lawyer by trade (not a slimey one i might add, to junior dor that!) And if anything related to that followed me home i'd go and fetch a gun, and find a good vantage point.
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Last Edit: Apr 3, 2017 22:45:12 GMT by s1105117
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Before i google it, and in blissful ignorance, what the bloody hell is 'canbus' ?? I may be wrong, I am, after all, an old fart of a mechanic with a brain addled by lead fumes, but as I understand it, the Canbus system is a way of making one wire do the job of 6. Old fashioned car electrics were so simple that even a doddering old fool like me could understand it, a live feed went to a switch, thence to a unit (light, wiper motor, whatever) and then to earth. Even with looped feeds, this uses a lot of expensive copper wire. Canbus uses one wire to feed a mutitude of things that are somehow switched later (and presumably earthed eventually) but it's jolly complicated, don'tcha know! As far as I can tell, the only advantage, is that it uses less wire and is therefore cheaper to produce! Steve Thinking some more about this overnight, I reckon the next thing in automotive electronics will be fibreoptics. In fact i'm surprised it hasn't happened already!
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Last Edit: Apr 4, 2017 11:06:40 GMT by carledo
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