|
|
Jan 18, 2012 11:56:05 GMT
|
I'm quite lucky, I've found a garage that I trust implicitly and it's not too far away. Same for an MOT Testing centre. So if anyone in Sheffield needs a good mechanic, www.bjmasonmechanic.co.uk/
|
|
|
|
|
MWF
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,945
|
|
Jan 18, 2012 11:56:52 GMT
|
I'm hopeless working on cars, despite having quite a bit of experience I still suffer an acute tool dyslexia. I've also used a very good tuning specialist before and that can get very addictive.
|
|
Last Edit: Jan 18, 2012 11:57:13 GMT by MWF
|
|
|
|
Jan 18, 2012 15:55:14 GMT
|
Yep! I'll swap wheels, light bulbs, and do oil changes! I used to do more but i cant be bothered. It's all down to the garage now! Sometimes i'll BUY the parts they need for them to fit. That's about it lol
|
|
|
|
luckygti
Posted a lot
I need to try harder!
Posts: 4,912
|
|
Jan 18, 2012 19:58:51 GMT
|
I've done all the work on the Escort, easy to work on and in very very good condition. I've done most of the work on the 205, it's taken forever and that's one of the reasons I gave it to my local garage in the end, it's run by my neighbour which is handy when you live in the sticks. I'm about to speak too a fellow RR'r about the van. I've come to the realisation that welding structural stuff on a 2 ton+ VW is beyond my skills. All in all I am happy to pay sometimes but feel guilty with a big garage and loads of tools if I'm paying for something that I can do myself. There are photos of me working.............. Somewhere But I'm on an iPad, and ther are wibblepoo at copying images across
|
|
Last Edit: Jan 18, 2012 20:07:45 GMT by luckygti
|
|
|
|
Jan 18, 2012 21:01:58 GMT
|
Got to be my 65 type1. Never-ending but when it's done...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Righty. Thanks all. Looks like I'm not all alone Car is at the garage. And on the way back (walking - yikes!) I discovered, we actually have a bodyshop, a blaster and a painter in our smal little village (I live here for all my life - never knew... ;D) Now that's handy to know... ;D
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Broke the rule of a lifetime only last month. First time I have ever paid someone to work on one of my cars. And it was only for a service. I think I am getting old.
|
|
There is nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes
|
|
ToolsnTrack
Posted a lot
Homebrew Raconteur
Posts: 4,117
Club RR Member Number: 134
|
|
Jan 19, 2012 16:53:38 GMT
|
MWF, last time a seen a pose like that it was some ropy mutton in a dodgy rhythm-magazine that was pulling it. Very readers wives!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jan 19, 2012 19:58:56 GMT
|
It seems trust is the big issue with garages. A number of jobs on mine have been done by a friend at the garage he works at in his free time. This is because said friend is awesome, a fact he isn't reminded of often enough.
Paying a garage is not something I can afford to do. This past year I've barely been able to afford to pay to run the car, let alone drop it in at a garage for some of the special stuff I want doing that I don't yet have the skills to do myself. But 2012 is going to be good, I decided this at the end of 2011, so a garage nearby is very likely to get some trade off me.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jan 19, 2012 20:09:49 GMT
|
Seriously, my mechanic is awesome. It's not a million miles from you either.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I don't get all this pious and snobbish attitude towards people who use a garage/mechanic.
I break cars for a living, but do I really want to be underneath my Alfa doing the subframe bushings? No, I do not. And last night, when my welder was annoying me, it was cold and wet and the guys in the next unit fabricate truck bodies with big fancy welders, I was all too happy to pay them to sort the sill patch on one of my cars with the MOT due in less than an hour. That said, I welded up a car last year that no garage would touch and was getting quotes upwards of £200 for three sill patches. Couple of hours sorted it. Just because I can weld doesn't mean I want to though. Same with fitting parts, making repairs, and especially diagnosis and fault-finding.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jan 21, 2012 19:34:32 GMT
|
Heres me working on the various cars ive owned since i got licence: Starting with the rusty as hell hillman hunter getting some welding done before the MOT: Then the mighty Polo, getting a was after some welding for the mot: and my current project the Mini Jiffy (trying to get it to turn over so i can get it onto a trailer and home! ):
|
|
Too many projects, not enough time.
|
|
|
|
Jan 26, 2012 12:50:03 GMT
|
I curse word knew it!!! Why was I so naive... Story short: guy who fitted the ball joint bent & cracked the backplate (dust shield) which in turn wore a beautifull groove into my unmolested wheel! FFS!! Got 50% of my money back, they sort of fixed the dust shield an I'll never give my car into other hands again!! Isn't it ironic? I once said, I will never ever give a car into the hands of someone else, not paying for someone elses bodge. I'll do it myself. And so I did. Untill now. And when I broke my own golden rule - of course this had to happen ;D ;D They DID curse word it up... Sort of funny, actually ;D Lesson well and truly learned! ;D Cheers, Jan
|
|
|
|
ToolsnTrack
Posted a lot
Homebrew Raconteur
Posts: 4,117
Club RR Member Number: 134
|
|
Jan 26, 2012 21:38:41 GMT
|
|
|
|
|
speedy88
Club Retro Rides Member
"Nice Cortina mate"
Posts: 2,279
Club RR Member Number: 118
|
|
|
Yep, I took my car in for an MOT once and someone stole all my CDs. Made them pay for it, naturally. But one of them was a white label I'd just thrown in there in excitement of a new purchase. The next time I took it in for an MOT the tester snapped my bonnet holder bracket. Fair to say I don't really trust garages either... Last MOT I took it to a garage owned by someone on driftworks, I got to sit there and watch
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
It's always been about 70% lack of funds and 30% lack of trust for me. If I'm able to do the job, I'll do it, even if I don't want to in the Winter/Summer, whenever. I do my own servicing, pad & disc changes, ball joints, wheel bearings, exhausts etc. Mostly, because I can't afford garage prices 99% of the time and having worked in garages/dealerships (as a Valeter) I've seen how careless and half arsed a lot of mechanics are (I'm not paid enough/not my car/hurry to next job) I'm lucky to have a VW tech/MOT tester as a best mate so I know I'm not going to get shafted and jobs I can't do myself will get done by someone I trust. I think if I was in a financial position to pay top buck and just get it done, I'd still go over the car with a tooth comb because I just don't trust garages. Sorry to hear your trust wasn't repaid with good service mate, gutting
|
|
1993 Mercedes-Benz 190e LE in Azzuro Blue.
|
|
prey
Part of things
Posts: 856
|
|
|
i must be weird then - i'd rather do something myself just for the sake of doing it myself - like even if i can buy a bracket for a tenner, i'd rather spend an hour making one...... i have used garages in the past, but only when i didn't have the confidence to tackle certain jobs, now i'll pretty much research/ask/look at/figure out and have a go at anything.
i've also had bad experiences with garages though, not necessarily cowboy on purpose but sloppy, something which if you do the job all day every day you shouldn't be.
probably the worst one was a car coming back after a cambelt change with a fried airbag ecu which cost 500 to replace, the garage didn't want to know and thats why i've never been back.
|
|
|
|
nofrills
Posted a lot
my wings are made of Steeeeeeeel!!!
Posts: 1,243
|
|
Jan 27, 2012 10:29:28 GMT
|
i try and do alot myself, but to be honest sometimes there is stuff i just cannot do/be bothered, but then i have a very good specialist fiat/alfa garage in basildon about 20 min drive from me, and he has been getting all the work for the last 8 years (well stuff i can't be bothered to do or know how to do)
I recently (before driving to paris) decided to pop our daily picasso into citroen for a service, they said it would £210 all in..... so with that i went to the local motor factors and bought everything i needed, oil, oil filter, air filter and pollen filter, i used millers fully synthetic oil too, any way cost me £67 all in and 25 mins of my time, saved me a few quid, not into it at all but still when you can save that amount of money for a 20 min job its well worth while.
I also find it hard to trust garages, my dad was ripped of 2 years ago massively and i have had cars damaged in the past too, so now i would rather do alot myself as i know it will be done properly.
plus the specialist i take my car too now if i just cannot do it, you can sit and wait and watch if you like, same with my mot tester too, i always have a good chat with him as he has a collection of mk1 and mk2 escorts and a couple of cosworths too, so my half hour mot means i am usaully chatting for at least 2 hours lol
|
|
|
|