I quit working on cars for a living in disgust way back in 1999.
This is the perfect example of why I have never regretted that decision.
Bustednuckles
Documenting The Death Of America
I quit working on cars for a living in disgust way back in 1999.
This is the perfect example of why I have never regretted that decision.
Gotta do all that work to change the exhaust…and what does the
book say is the time required & what does it pay???
You gotta be motherfucking kidding me !!
I pretty much stopped back when my wife had a mini-van with a v6 mounted sideways. 100k miles, time to change the plugs, no fucking way to get to them. Finally took it to a shop and asked – oh yeah, for those, disconnect the motor mounts and pull the engine and trans halfway out to get to the back 3 sparkplugs.
There’s examples of this crap going back to the early 80’s. I remember digging for THREE HOURS to change an alternator out of Buick version of a GM “J” car… only to have to do it AGAIN three weeks later as the crap POS “Rebuilt” unit I installed took a shit.
Fortunately, having done it once before, I was able to cut that time down to one and a half hours, but still…. to have to jack a car up to change an alternator?
Oh yeah, about 20 years ago my mom had a Cadillac with a Northstar in it. Alternator was on the bottom of the engine (and was transverse mounted, being FWD). Only way to remove it was from underneath, after removing a small trapezoid shaped metal panel, and having to loosen the mounting bracket for the alternator and AC compressor (both were on a shared bracket) then lower the alternator out through the small opening where the aforementioned metal plate usually covered.
Oh, and you had to have GearWrenches (ratchet action box end wrenches) to get on the mounting bolts, since there was no room at all for a conventional socket wrench up in there. Even then, one bolt could only be backed out about a 1/6 of a turn at a time due to lack of space to swing the GearWrench..Took me 5 hours to replace it (including a trip to the store to buy a set of GearWrenches, which I didn’t own at the time.).
Got it done, and less than a month later, the Delco rebuilt alternator died. I almost took a sledgehammer to that fucking car. Just about halved the time needed to replace it the second time, but ever since then, I will never buy another remain alternator. If it isn’t a 100% brand new unit, it’s shit.
I drive an old Toyota 08 tundra would really like to replace it but I’m getting tired of this shit too. Chevy just as bad warranty voided if you don’t pull the body and change the internal timing chain at the hundred thousand mile mark. I would get there in about four years, it’s all bullshit.
My oldest is a GM Master Mechanic and makes about $140K per year. Per him he is the most trained in his Dealership. He always spends the time on the most hardest and expensive vehicles. He would like to spend more time on easy stuff but the owners want to use him.
These new cars are bullshit. You have to be more of a computer tech than a mechanic. 2003 dakota is the newest I have, won’t buy newer.
and now I understand WHY cars/trucks from the late 1960’s and early 1970’s bring such big bucks ! I like to find a nice 67-72 chevy or GMC pickup under 30 grand
if possible. sold my 1989 4runner last year inside of 2 days on Craigslist.
the guy drove up from 3 states away with a trailer ! it only needed some body work and new hoses and other small things. I regret selling it now. stupid of me to do so. was thinking of replacing the 2016 4runner, but damn the prices have gone thru the roof on them. and all of the stupid lights and whatever is just insane.
I don’t need ABS braking. I know how to brake the truck. nor do I need lane whatever. or traction control . new cars/trucks are built for morons.
people who never really learned how to drive.
many years ago, my Dad told me to engage brain before the gas. I guess a lot of people never learned that bit ?
See?……working on your truck does require copious amounts of beer.
And to think I quit drinking, Dammit.
This is why my wife gets pissed off when I say my next new car is either a 71 Bronco or a 69 Firebird. She doesn’t get it.That video explains it all.
Creeping Featuritis is one of the worst things to happen to car manufacturers the world around. That, and half-assed Engineers that have never had to change parts on a vehicle engine, body, or anything under the dash.
I almost lost my religion putting headers on a ’75 Firebird back in ’76. It’s only gotten worse.
Was ’75 the year Pontiac quit using the center bolts on the exhaust manifolds? It was OK for cast iron manifold, but headers needed those two bolts to keep the flange against the head.
So far back I don’t remember. Four of us took an entire day to get the old stuff out and the headers in!!
Newer cars require complex, proprietary computer tools purchased at a premium from the monopoly manufactuer. Only dealers need apply.
Even if you restrict your work to older vehicles, the licensing, auditing, and insurance are a prohibitive cost of entry.
What works? Buy broken shit. Repair your own broken shit. Sell your repaired shit. Now you are in a peer-to-peer relationship with your trading partners, and contracts are completed as quickly as they are created.
Wise words, Fido. My sentiments as well – the *newest* car/vehicle I own is an ’03 Grand Cherokee with a new top end due to dropped valve seat – which it is known to do after 100K miles. Mine lasted 230K, though.
Mechanical work is cheaper and you can get to stuff that breaks or wears out. Sorta. Insurance is cheaper, but only get minimum coverage because the insurance ghouls will immediately total it if they see a dent on it – which is why I do my own body work, electrical, and mechanical.
Active Fuel Management… (Displacement on Demand)
A solution in search of a problem that causes more problems.
In 2023 work replaced a bunch of trucks, went from Ford to buying Dodge. Everyone of the dozen trucks 1500 and 2500’s have had complete dash replacements. One truck is on dash number 3, 5 have had 2 replacements. They have dashes that are sealed units, anything fails and the whole dash including passenger airbag and central info panel get replaced. We started selling them off as soon as they approached end of warranty. Each dash change us a 7k repair.
Bosses decided no more dodges for us.
It’s funny the 2013 and 2014 F-150’s are maxed out with most over 300k km’s but they still run.