Those who have worked on/modified cars professionally

[Guest Hal]

We all do our best to make sure everything is perfect when a customer's car leaves the shop. That's just part of the business (for most). Most of us go the extra mile to make sure everything it going to function properly for the longterm. My question is; do you do this with your own car? Do you jimmy-rig things and hope they'll work? What do you do?

[RUTAN TA1647545492]

duct tape and wire ties! FTW

 

 

 

just kiddin

[boostedgtp]

I try to do the best job on every car, even my own. I hate being broke down or loseing time on something dumb so I figure just get it right the first time. On some stuff though you are forced to go through a learning procedure. Like on my car, when I got the turbo kit on I had problems with hoses blowing off and IC pipes rattleing, etc etc. I think some of that shit you just have to address as it comes up. I would think on your car that you may have to deal with getting the bugs worked out now but the payoff would be awsome.

[nurkvinny]

When I turned wrenches for a living, I treated customer's cars much better than my own daily driver. I think a lot of mechanics are like that. That's why I get a kick out of "owned by a mechanic" for sale ads.

[GSXRAntwon]

When working on my own car, I take the same approach as I do working on friends cars. I always do things the right way instead of cutting corners.

[Rotarded1647545491]

I worked at Advanced Imports/The RX7Store for 2 years building engines and modifying cars. It was very enlightening to see all of the fucked up kits, and correcting butchered installations which drove me to engineer better ways.

 

As most who know me will attest, I was very meticulous when it came to my car. I went so far as to put a blown up shortblock on an engine stand and test fitted everything prior to installation. I never spliced in wiring, instead I created harnesses with connectors at each end so they could be removed and/or reinstalled on the side of the road should something malfunction. I did the same with my fuel system routing all of my lines so that they could be changed easily, which did come in handy when changing a leaking hose on the side of Bethel road.

 

While I did do a fair amount of parts scavenging and whoring, every item was exactly what I desired and not a cheap chinese knock-off.

[V8 Beast]

I dont know about you but I never cut corners! Only the best rubberbands, zip ties, elmers glue, strings, and chewing gum go into holding my car together.

[Rally Pat]

I had a bolt that fit a hole I was trying to fill, but the bolt was too long. Solution? 5 Washers.

[medium fast]

I am this way when working on friends cars, I garuntee anything I do for someone else will be better then what I do on my own. I take the " we can fix that later" attitude when working on my own rides.

[Conesmasher]

Some people have unrealistic expectations for their own personal vehicles, but after working on them for long periods of time....you begin to realize....not everything works perfectly. Many, many, many thousands of race cars are utilizing zip ties and duct tape. But just because it uses those "features" doesn't marginalize the work.

[Buckeye1647545503]

Some people have unrealistic expectations for their own personal vehicles, but after working on them for long periods of time....you begin to realize....not everything works perfectly. Many, many, many thousands of race cars are utilizing zip ties and duct tape. But just because it uses those "features" doesn't marginalize the work.

sadly I can't get past the wanting it perfect, that is why mine are never done I think

[88lx5oh]

i try to be a perfectionist when detialing customer cars.. my own.. ehh.. i just dont have the time. or by the time im done with everyone elses car im not motivated enough to spend the time on my own.

[Guest Removed]

i dont like being asked to cut corners. if you cant afford to do it right the first time , dont even call me!

[Clifford Automotive]

i dont like being asked to cut corners. if you cant afford to do it right the first time , dont even call me!

 

I agree with this 100%...

[kenny]

The only car I've ever not put 100% effort into was my Talon, it was too rusty to care.

[Cordell]

If you don't care about your car neither do I. That is why I can't stand people like that. I won't cut corners, just comes back to haunt you. I do as little as possible on my daily, but the Camaro gets extra time and attention.

[Mopar]

i half-assed my own cars but never my friends or cars i do at work. but i am building my last car (hopefully) and i want it to be as perfect as my wallet will allow. whichs means it will never be done

[Zach1647545520]

Yeah I sometimes half ass the little things thinking I'll come back and fix it later. That usually never works. But I try now to do stuff right the first time so I don't have to worry about it later. (in most cases)

[Patrick]

I had to half-ass it tonight, because the track day is tommorrow (fan switch)

[baron_]

yea...most of the full-time mechanics that I know are ridiculously scary...with their own vehicles

 

They tend to think that they know what they can get away with...and what 'will work' rather than be right

[Sam1647545489]

Zip ties do wonders..

[StratusFear]

Just be more patient. I know I tell Brian all the time to just wait and do it right. He goes to, Wal-Mart, Meijers, Lowes, Home Depo, and even krogers to get parts because he doesnt want to wait.

[Guest 614Streets]

Dam .....Krogers? DAM.

 

Did you guys know on acura legends 3.2 v6 under the manifolds are two very expensive knock sensors?

 

Well CR , on say a 1992 model , after 16 years of heat soak they become very brittle. They are steel and plastic. When you remove the snap connectors gently , they can break.

 

Now , when this sensor breaks if your lucky and talented with a soldering Iron (thank you MMI) , you can resolder in super tiny jumper wires to the flat piezo base and epoxy the sensor plastic body back to the metal body.

 

As a precaution , you may head to radio shack and in the buzzer drawers below all the capacitors and resistors and transistors lie , yes , PIEZO transducers.

 

Now we can add a single ground to the new piezo transducer as well as tee soldering a long red wire into the oem knock to ecu wire and if needed connecting that wire to the new piezo sensor from radio shack. Mounted unridged in a vibration prone enviornment inside the engine bay the new 1 dollor and 53 cent piezo transducer if needed connected will provide the ecu with low voltage to simulate signals produced by the possibly still unfixed factory knock sensor.

 

LOL.

 

 

PS my s10 has a quick disconnect just after the factory fuel filter. It is infact an air compressor quick coupler and fuel has been running through it since 2003 albeit 1k 270 miles in 03 when the 270 sniper was about , and multiple garage start me ups. Poor s10.

 

 

Rare indeed but in certain situations quite proper.

[Cordell]

PS my s10 has a quick disconnect just after the factory fuel filter. It is infact an air compressor quick coupler

That's original, I'll have to use that one. lol

[Brrcats]

Nowadays I treat my cars a lot better than I used to. If something goes wrong that I cant fix myself, which is most things. I try to take it to someone who I feel comfortable that they know what they're doing.

 

But this question reminds me of my first car. A beat up 82 Audi 5000S, damn radiator was leakin on me, so me being the 16 year old genius that I was put some duct tape on it where it was leaking. Yeah, that didnt go very well for me.