Are you afraid of your car?

fasttracktobanned · #1 08-01-2010, 03:36 PM

This is something that I tell everyone I come across - Don't be afraid of your car.

Let me tell you something, I've broken stuff on my car and I've occasionally hurt myself too. I'm still here, and my car is too. Some of the most sage advice I've ever gotten was "If you're not breaking something you're not learning". That was said by the owner of a local plumbing store and a close family friend.

Should you learn how to work on your daily driver? It depends. I can access another car if mine is ever down, if you can't then it may not be for you. However, that doesn't mean you can't get a $500 beater and have it waiting in the wings until you need it. In fact, you shouldn't ever have just enough cars. You always need to have one more so you can get to work if something happens. You could be in an accident that isn't your fault and you'll still need a car to get to work the next day.

So I hope that will get you over the fear of working on cars.

Next thing, you may think you're not smart enough to work on cars. My question is: Have you ever seen an engines class? The people in an engines class get called dumbasses by the short bus riders. If they can do it you can too. Look up how-to's on the internet, start by practicing on your lawn mower, get a Haynes manual for your car.

Finally, you may worry you don't have enough tools or know what tools to get. Here's how you remedy that. For hand tools (and hand tools only) go to Sears and get the absolute biggest set of Craftsman tools you can afford. I'm talking about putting at least $200 into tools. For a couple grand you can get their 8,000 piece tool set -- a great price and plenty of tools to get you started. From there, buy tools as you need them. Craftsman, Gear Wrench, Snap-On and Mac are all great hand tools. For air tools, get what you can afford or get Snap-On. For power tools, get Milwaukee. Always Milwaukee for power tools -- corded and cordless. For tool boxes, get what ever fits the bid. I have a Stanley 22" toolbox in my car and a couple Craftsman Mechanic's tool boxes with the slide-out drawers in my garage.

Also, when lifting your car on a jack, always carefully position jack stands to catch the car on the frame if it falls. When a jack breaks, a lot of force is going to be exerted on the stands. Get 20-ton steel jack stands. Only use the aluminum if you're going to rest the car on the stands -- a falling car weighs a lot more than a resting car. It's a good idea to keep a friend around too if you're not experienced in lifting a car. Don't lift near the center or you'll have a 2-ton see saw.

Just don't use a bottle jack period. Get a floor jack on wheels - at least 3-ton, short reach, low-profile.

Use this thread to ask me any questions about working on your car.

tizzahell · #2 08-01-2010, 03:46 PM

Interesting

BUT my only car is an $800 beater, and I have a good mechanic when I need something done. It is easier for me to shell out a few dollars to him when needed than to buy a bunch of tools, or a second set of wheels... some of us do not work outside of the home; if my car is out of commission, I use another mode of transportation... feet, cab, bus...

NeNe · #3 08-02-2010, 12:45 PM

If I had a piece of crap car, I would not care so much about it. I paid good monies for my car and paid for it outright last year. That was a lot of money to get into a certified cheque so I take it to the dealer only and I don't fiddle with anything on it. If I leased it, perhaps I would but I miss that money in my account.