Man getting motivated is hard

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You guys are killing me!

All I have is motivation and very little mechanical skill. I took a couple of shop classes in high school but goofed off for most of them. Learning opportunities are limited...None of my friends know anything about working on cars. My father and uncle are good mechanics but they can only help out every so often...so I have to use the Max Power method (like the wrong way, only faster). I thrash my way through projects, rely heavily on this forum, break stuff, buy new stuff, repeat. I'm learning in leaps and bounds but it's slow going and very hard on the wallet. I love my car more than any other material object on the planet so I just keep going.

I'd gladly exchange 50% of my motivation for 50% of your mechanic skills. :D
 
MRGTX said:
You guys are killing me!

All I have is motivation and very little mechanical skill. I took a couple of shop classes in high school but goofed off for most of them. Learning opportunities are limited...None of my friends know anything about working on cars. My father and uncle are good mechanics but they can only help out every so often...so I have to use the Max Power method (like the wrong way, only faster). I thrash my way through projects, rely heavily on this forum, break stuff, buy new stuff, repeat. I'm learning in leaps and bounds but it's slow going and very hard on the wallet. I love my car more than any other material object on the planet so I just keep going.

I'd gladly exchange 50% of my motivation for 50% of your mechanic skills. :D
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sounds like a young me except for my dad wasn’t into cars. Except for driving them, using them to tow his RV, snd keeping them them spotless.
 
When I was much younger, 64 now , I went with my grandfather to a local lumber mill to get some things and an older man who worked there was shoveling sand into a pick up , I'm guessing he was in his late 60's , my grandfather started talking to him and he said that he works just as hard as he always did but he just doesn't get as much done as he used to , makes perfect sense now.
 
Topless69 said:
I’m there with you guys - I’m on a “Project” selling spree. Things I swore I’d get around to one day. Now I just want to simplify life and unload them.
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Topless69, that is what I've been doing the last two years (I'm 66). Time to let others have fun while they still can. I have kept some parts that I may need for my 69 340 Dart, but sold or selling items that I may never need myself. I just hope that I can still buy the fuel and zink oil that I need to keep my car happy.
 
Well then! If you are a MOPAR motor head, then you have to be a little off. (Especially me:)
Just installed(finished last week) my rebuilt 904 for the 3rd time, had my 8 3/4 gears changed to 3:55. Installed the lump with new axel bearings, and one piece 3" exhaust system. All with 4 jack stands under the car. I cannot say how many times I had to get from under the car to do anything. (I counted 40 times one day) My friends talk about how much they walk, once in a while) try getting off the floor 40 times a day. You will stay in relatively good shape. I do.
So hats off to all MOPAR motor heads.
Oh, I am on my 3rd pacemaker, looking to 4th one next month since 2003. Bought my Dart in 2013. Complete resto.
I am 74.
Keep up the great work and have fun.
 
I'm 53, and I don't do much of anything that I don't want to. A friend of mine who is hard up called and wants me to do a water pump on his 2002 Chevy Impala SS with a 3.8 instinctively I don't want anything to do with it because its always more than "just a water pump..." but I told him Id look at it then hung up and complained to the wife...I said "you know you are at a certain place in life when people call you and need help from you..." followed with "if I wanna work on cars for fun, I have my own to screw around with..." this is why I'm not in the wrenching business any more, even the customers want you to do them favors...
the guy said he'd pay me in installments but we both know he's full of crap...but he's like family so...I guess I'm dusting off the wrenches.
 
Dartswinger70 said:
I'm 53, and I don't do much of anything that I don't want to. A friend of mine who is hard up called and wants me to do a water pump on his 2002 Chevy Impala SS with a 3.8 instinctively I don't want anything to do with it because its always more than "just a water pump..." but I told him Id look at it then hung up and complained to the wife...I said "you know you are at a certain place in life when people call you and need help from you..." followed with "if I wanna work on cars for fun, I have my own to screw around with..." this is why I'm not in the wrenching business any more, even the customers want you to do them favors...
the guy said he'd pay me in installments but we both know he's full of crap...but he's like family so...I guess I'm dusting off the wrenches.
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Dartswinger70, been there, done that. Times I really don't want to do something for someone, because I don't want their money because of being a friend, family or they just don't have the funds. I will guide them thru the process for free or ask for a case of beer if I should do the work, that we would share. Reason is, you will be taken advantage of. I'm not only referring working on cars, but other projects as well.
 
Dartswinger70 said:
I'm 53, and I don't do much of anything that I don't want to. A friend of mine who is hard up called and wants me to do a water pump on his 2002 Chevy Impala SS with a 3.8 instinctively I don't want anything to do with it because its always more than "just a water pump..." but I told him Id look at it then hung up and complained to the wife...I said "you know you are at a certain place in life when people call you and need help from you..." followed with "if I wanna work on cars for fun, I have my own to screw around with..." this is why I'm not in the wrenching business any more, even the customers want you to do them favors...
the guy said he'd pay me in installments but we both know he's full of crap...but he's like family so...I guess I'm dusting off the wrenches.
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I went on a tyraid a while back, i helped out my buddy’s kids when they were teenagers keeping their cars running. One thought its a free for all every weekend, asking me to work on her boyfriend’s truck. I said that if im working for nothing, it will be on my own ****. I have maintained that as my mantra since then.

I’m not against helping someone in need,i do lots for nothing. To be asked and volunteering are 2 different things.
 
pt70 said:
When I'm under the car and I need the next size wrench !!!! Frustrating to deal with. The legs don't last very long nowadays. So it's not only the physical problems, but also the mental stress of not being able to do what you once did. I can only imagine the mental stress you must be going through ever since Brady announced he's coming out of retirement.
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I grab a handful of what I think I'll need.
End up using 2 of 6 tools in the handful..but I usually never have to get back up till I'm done.
 
I read a post on Facebook today about how much work he is doing to his car and all the upgrades HE is doing to it. He sent the engine to this guy to build it, and he sent the heads to this guy to port, then he sent the car to be painted to this guy, then the chassis needs updated so he’s sending it to this guy. Man if I worked like that I could race past 100 if I lived that long. Lol
 
MOPAROFFICIAL said:
I grab a handful of what I think I'll need.
End up using 2 of 6 tools in the handful..but I usually never have to get back up till I'm done.
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Me too. I set this rack of 3/8 sockets and slide them under the car. Then I grab my 1/4 inch rack of sockets and a few ratchets. Then I try to grab two of every size open end wrenches and several extensions. Then I grab some Allen sockets and my big 1/2 breaker bar and socket to turn the engine over. Lots of lights, a fan in the summer, creeper, paper towels and a drain pan, and a few extra tools like side cutters, wire ties, box of cotter pins, a can of brake clean and WD40, and when I got all that stuff gathered up and ready to go I head up to the house to take a NAP.
 
pittsburghracer said:
Me too. I set this rack of 3/8 sockets and slide them under the car. Then I grab my 1/4 inch rack of sockets and a few ratchets. Then I try to grab two of every size open end wrenches and several extensions. Then I grab some Allen sockets and my big 1/2 breaker bar and socket to turn the engine over. Lots of lights, a fan in the summer, creeper, paper towels and a drain pan, and a few extra tools like side cutters, wire ties, box of cotter pins, a can of brake clean and WD40, and when I got all that stuff gathered up and ready to go I head up to the house to take a NAP.
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Yep.
I use squares from Carpet remnants from jobs that I lay on and also put the tools on so I can slide the whole piece in and out from under the car when I'm done with all the tools and mess on top of it.
Sometimes after hrs of it.. I just pile the tools onto the bench for the next day to clean and put away.. if I'm not on another honey do already..
 
I'm doing some work not just in the garage, but on the garage. The other day I was up on the extension ladder, didn't have the bottom properly braced and the bottom slid out from under me. Took a pretty good fall to the concrete floor with the ladder landing on top of me. At 62 this kinda thing hurts more than it used to. Be careful out there when working on your rides, or on ladders and such.
I was lucky, didn't brake anything and didn't hit my head, just some bad scrapes and bruises.
 
MileHighDart said:
I'm doing some work not just in the garage, but on the garage. The other day I was up on the extension ladder, didn't have the bottom properly braced and the bottom slid out from under me. Took a pretty good fall to the concrete floor with the ladder landing on top of me. At 62 this kinda thing hurts more than it used to. Be careful out there when working on your rides, or on ladders and such.
I was lucky, didn't brake anything and didn't hit my head, just some bad scrapes and bruises.
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Sorry to hear that. We don’t bounce very well do we.
 
I'm 64 and getting motivated isn't my problem, it's usually my back but lately it's the weather. I pulled my intake weeks ago to reseal it and between the rain and the wind blowing the dirt and all the crap out of the trees this simple job is dragging on. My son came over this morning and we got the valves readjusted and all the gasket surfaces cleaned and here comes the wind. I miss my garage.
 
MileHighDart said:
I'm doing some work not just in the garage, but on the garage. The other day I was up on the extension ladder, didn't have the bottom properly braced and the bottom slid out from under me. Took a pretty good fall to the concrete floor with the ladder landing on top of me. At 62 this kinda thing hurts more than it used to. Be careful out there when working on your rides, or on ladders and such.
I was lucky, didn't brake anything and didn't hit my head, just some bad scrapes and bruises.
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You're very lucky not to be seriously hurt. I was up about 16 ft on a ladder in December 2013 when I had much the same thing happen to me. I was not as fortunate, broke both wrists, three teeth, took seven stitches about my right eye, had a concussion and a broken nose. My wrists have been pretty much finished since then.
 
missing linc said:
You're very lucky not to be seriously hurt. I was up about 16 ft on a ladder in December 2013 when I had much the same thing happen to me. I was not as fortunate, broke both wrists, three teeth, took seven stitches about my right eye, had a concussion and a broken nose. My wrists have been pretty much finished since then.
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:eek:
 
MOPAROFFICIAL said:
Yep.
I use squares from Carpet remnants from jobs that I lay on and also put the tools on so I can slide the whole piece in and out from under the car when I'm done with all the tools and mess on top of it.
Sometimes after hrs of it.. I just pile the tools onto the bench for the next day to clean and put away.. if I'm not on another honey do already..
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Like the carpet gimmick... that's pretty slick
 
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