What are some car-repair jobs you always wished you could do but have never done?

What are some car-repair jobs you always wished you could do but have never
done?

Mine are, in this order of "I wish I could do it" order
1. painting
2. alignment
3. replace/rebuild engine
4. clutch replacement
5. tire mounting and balancing
6. timing belt
7. head gasket and vcg

I've done electrical, brakes, shocks, cooling systems, alternators,
ujoints, pitman/idler arms & tie-rod ends and ball joints, tuneups,
emissions hoses and sensors, exhaust, electrical components, fuel pumps,
and fluids, but not the six things above.

What are some car-repair jobs you always wished you could do but have never
done?

On 11/03/2017 08:42 PM, RS Wood wrote:
> What are some car-repair jobs you always wished you could do but have never
> done?

Painting is something I have done and wish I never had... The best
paint guy I ever knew was someone you had to catch in the zone between
sober but shaky and falling down drunk. The runner up was a complete
stoner.

rbowman wrote:

>> What are some car-repair jobs you always wished you could do but have never
>> done?
>
> Painting is something I have done and wish I never had... The best
> paint guy I ever knew was someone you had to catch in the zone between
> sober but shaky and falling down drunk. The runner up was a complete
> stoner.

Long ago, in the 80's, at Sears, I bought the compressor, the sprayer, and
the sandblaster, and the welder (but I bought gas welding equipment which
turned out to be a mistake because the skill set needed is great compared
to arc welding on thin metal with wires below them).

Not wishing to merely fill with bondo, I cut out the rust, and welded steel
plates (melting the harness bundle below the rocker panels by mistake but
repairing that easily enough).

I was still working on it, when it was totalled after I lent it to a
friend, so the only thing I have left is the memory and the tools.

What I learned from all that was never lend your car to a friend, and in
the end, I never learned how to paint it because I never needed to paint a
car ever again.

Ever since then, I farmed out my painting, but I wish I had finished that
one job.

On 11/04/2017 07:00 AM, RS Wood wrote:
> Long ago, in the 80's, at Sears, I bought the compressor, the sprayer, and
> the sandblaster, and the welder (but I bought gas welding equipment which
> turned out to be a mistake because the skill set needed is great compared
> to arc welding on thin metal with wires below them).

I've been going to get a gas setup with the portable tanks. I used to be
okay but it's been a long time. Gas is more versatile and works anywhere
you can drag the tanks but the inexpensive point and shoot wire machines
do make life easy over stick welding.

rbowman wrote:

>> Long ago, in the 80's, at Sears, I bought the compressor, the sprayer, and
>> the sandblaster, and the welder (but I bought gas welding equipment which
>> turned out to be a mistake because the skill set needed is great compared
>> to arc welding on thin metal with wires below them).
>
> I've been going to get a gas setup with the portable tanks. I used to be
> okay but it's been a long time. Gas is more versatile and works anywhere
> you can drag the tanks but the inexpensive point and shoot wire machines
> do make life easy over stick welding.

Definitely pros and cons to gas and stick welding.
I have both.

The arc welding takes a skill that is difficult with crappy 220V equipment,
where I tend to have the ugliest beads you've ever seen, and where I
"stick" to the metal all too often.

Then again, with thin plate such as that used on a vehicle, I tend to burn
through with the gas welding.

In the end, it's a skill set that is useful, but difficult to master.

On Fri, 3 Nov 2017 21:04:42 -0600, rbowman wrote:

> The best paint guy I ever knew was someone you had to catch in
> the zone between sober but shaky and falling down drunk.

I know who you mean. My Dad took care of his dog while he did a few months
in the slammer for DUI.

On 11/04/2017 08:02 AM, Mike_Duffy wrote:
> On Fri, 3 Nov 2017 21:04:42 -0600, rbowman wrote:
>
>> The best paint guy I ever knew was someone you had to catch in
>> the zone between sober but shaky and falling down drunk.
>
> I know who you mean. My Dad took care of his dog while he did a few months
> in the slammer for DUI.
>

I don't know if the new paints and HVLP guns are any better but the guys
shooting lacquer had half a buzz on to start with. The shooting isn't
bad but the prep, prep, and more prep followed by sand, sand, and more
sand and then buff and buff gets to me. I can only massage the same car
so many times before I'm utterly bored.

rbowman posted for all of us...


>
> On 11/03/2017 08:42 PM, RS Wood wrote:
> > What are some car-repair jobs you always wished you could do but have never
> > done?
>
> Painting is something I have done and wish I never had... The best
> paint guy I ever knew was someone you had to catch in the zone between
> sober but shaky and falling down drunk. The runner up was a complete
> stoner.

From the paint?

--
Tekkie

On 11/4/2017 3:13 PM, Tekkie® wrote:
> rbowman posted for all of us...
>
>
>>
>> On 11/03/2017 08:42 PM, RS Wood wrote:
>>> What are some car-repair jobs you always wished you could do but have never
>>> done?
>>
>> Painting is something I have done and wish I never had... The best
>> paint guy I ever knew was someone you had to catch in the zone between
>> sober but shaky and falling down drunk. The runner up was a complete
>> stoner.
>
> From the paint?
>

The paint fumes didn't help but the #1 guy's choice was Budweiser. #2's
choice was anything he could get his hands on but speed makes painting fun.

On 11/3/2017 7:42 PM, RS Wood wrote:
> What are some car-repair jobs you always wished you could do but have never
> done?
>
> Mine are, in this order of "I wish I could do it" order
> 1. paintingDid it.
> 2. alignment
Bought Firestone "lifetime alignment" for each vehicle.
> 3. replace/rebuild engine
Did it.
> 4. clutch replacement
Did it.
> 5. tire mounting and balancing
I've thought about this one
> 6. timing belt
Never had a vehicle with one.
> 7. head gasket and vcg
On the rebuild - Honda 600 Sedan
>
> I've done electrical, brakes, shocks, cooling systems, alternators,
> ujoints, pitman/idler arms & tie-rod ends and ball joints, tuneups,
> emissions hoses and sensors, exhaust, electrical components, fuel pumps,
> and fluids, but not the six things above.
Ditto, plus a ring replacement on the 66 Chevy van.
>
> What are some car-repair jobs you always wished you could do but have never
> done?
Replace transmission - I did pay someone else to replace an automatic
with a manual transmission I provided, on a 66 Chevy van. Glad I did it
- got 3 mpg out of it and way better performance (repl. power glide).
The shop that did it said "never again.

a