Do you ever MISS car work?

[Kurtatron]

Ever since Covid, I’ve found my hands longing for the wrench. I don’t drive nearly as much as I used to. I’ve been reduced to one insured car, so one car that doesn’t get many miles means very little work to do.

I know it sounds crazy, but when I see my neighbors working on cars or forum posts about tune ups, I get kind of sentimental. I’ve not felt the satisfaction of a job well done in a while. Changing clean oil just doesn’t do it for me.

I confess. I miss working on my cars.

Am I alone?

 

[Ken_K]

I agree there's a sense of satisfaction wrenching on your own vehicle. Knowing all fasteners are torqued to spec and put together properly gives me piece of mind. There's always the risk some knucklehead was in a hurry and missed a step. I've experienced this with both dealerships and independent garages. Some are fine with others working on their vehicles, but I'm a firstborn, type-A personality

 

[oldhp]

I miss working on them because if I was working on them I would be younger. Change oil/filter and basic maintenance now. All pretty new vehicles now so I get your point.

 

[Exhaustgases]

I don't miss working on anything outside in cold, snowy, rainy crappy weather. And its only marginally enjoyable if its not a car you need to use, and can be done at a nice slow pace. If you miss it go buy some old junker as a project.

 

[Bailes1992]

I find working on cars therapeutic and relaxing. Especially when everything is organised, planned and researched.

I enjoy being able to be methodical. Cleaning, lubricating, torqueing everything up to spec etc.

A job popped up on our local community hub the other day. A local garage looking for an 'experienced mechanic'. I was very close to sending a message asking if they'd be interested in a qualified and experienced electrician who is a good DIY mechanic. Unfortunately, the pay would be 30-40% less than what I earn now, so I've decided not to. Maybe that's the wrong decision. Who knows?

 

[billt460]

The less time I have to spend under a hood these days, the better.

 

[97K15004WD]

Only when I want to work on a vehicle.

When the vehicle wants me to work on it (it breaks down), no, not so much!

 

[SC Maintenance]

I am with you. For years with two young kids and a busy job I had too much to do. Now with the kids in college I have been looking for a project car. If the honey do list ever gets shorter

 

[supton]

Nope.

Maybe if I had bought a house with a 5 car garage, where I could work on the care in comfort, with plenty of space around it, and a spare car to get by with if the job goes sideways… that’d be different.

 

[FowVay]

I specifically miss having to crawl under the car when it's 19ºF and 30 mph winds. For some strange reason things never seem to break on the gorgeous springtime days.

But, NO, I don't miss having to spend money to fix things.

 

[Eric Smith]

If anyone in MO/KS misses car work I have a Focus that needs work That car will change your mind real quick. Between the house and cars the only thing I miss is not doing anything when I get home everyday.

 

[RooflessVW]

Only when I want to work on a vehicle.

When the vehicle wants me to work on it (it breaks down), no, not so much!

Same.

I was performing an overdue rotation on the Trooper last night and noticed one of the hubs was a little greasy at the seam. Pulled the cover off and the smell of the nasty million year old wheel bearing grease almost made me sick.

So I spent a few hours pulling the auto hubs apart and cleaning them, removing the races and seals, figuring out who could get me bearings and seals for today, and ordering them.

And I get to put it all back together today.

And its frustrating, because it has decent brakes on it. So some shop in the last few years put pads and rotors on it without re-packing the wheel bearings. Which doesn't make any sense because you have to remove the wheel hubs to replace the rotors.

 

[repairman54]

After 46 yrs as an onsite tech. in my previous life, NO I don't get enjoyment out of repairs. Maintenance work I accept as it is repair prevention.
Once a job has been initiated, I do settle back into my diagnostic tech mode though and take care of business.

 

[Chris Meutsch]

Today I do, as it's -4 temp outside and -33 wind chill!

 

[atikovi]

I confess. I miss working on my cars.

Stupid question but why don't you just pick up a cheap fixer upper to mess around with?

 

[AZjeff]

I was performing an overdue rotation on the Trooper last night and noticed one of the hubs was a little greasy at the seam. Pulled the cover off and the smell of the nasty million year old wheel bearing grease almost made me sick.

Didn't you expect to do some maintenance on that Troopie to get it 100% good to go? Enjoy it, they aren't making them like that anymore and that's a nice one.

 

[RooflessVW]

Didn't you expect to do some maintenance on that Troopie to get it 100% good to go? Enjoy it, they aren't making them like that anymore and that's a nice one.

I expected some for sure, I just didn't *want* to do it last night lol

 

[John105]

Ever since Covid, I’ve found my hands longing for the wrench. I don’t drive nearly as much as I used to. I’ve been reduced to one insured car, so one car that doesn’t get many miles means very little work to do.

I know it sounds crazy, but when I see my neighbors working on cars or forum posts about tune ups, I get kind of sentimental. I’ve not felt the satisfaction of a job well done in a while. Changing clean oil just doesn’t do it for me.

I confess. I miss working on my cars.

Am I alone?

No, you're not alone. I had to rush and do an oil change before mass last Sunday, and that's not fun at all. I had left a jack stand to the right of the car and a wheel chock--that's what happens when one is rushing. Luckily my wife backed straight out.

I need to do her plugs, and so for that, I'm not excited, because it's a need to do. But I like to do things when I can just relax and take my time. There are so many jobs now, where we spend our time, and $300 say, and avoid a $1,000+ dealer charge.

My dad was in no way interested in cars, yet he worked on them himself. One was to save money. But he too got satisfaction knowing he did it right. I hate finding broken stuff after a dealer touches a vehicle.

 

[LDB]

Ever since Covid, I’ve found my hands longing for the wrench. I don’t drive nearly as much as I used to. I’ve been reduced to one insured car, so one car that doesn’t get many miles means very little work to do.

I know it sounds crazy, but when I see my neighbors working on cars or forum posts about tune ups, I get kind of sentimental. I’ve not felt the satisfaction of a job well done in a while. Changing clean oil just doesn’t do it for me.

I confess. I miss working on my cars.

Am I alone?

Volunteer at the local high school auto shop class if they have one? Find a shelter that helps women escaping abuse etc. that some/many likely have less than optimal cars and could use some work to make them safer and more reliable? Probably plenty of places that could use the help of a good mechanic to either bring up a better crop of new mechanics or help unfortunates. Good luck.

 

[joekingcorvette]

I do not miss working on cars/trucks. I change my own oil and filters but other than that I hire everything done. My son and I rotated the tires on his 2020 Jeep Cherokee and he thought it was a real PITA because the wheels and tires are so heavy. I taught him how to lift the tire by putting the breaker bar underneath the tire and lifting it with the bar. I also told him when his tires wear out to go to a tire shop that offers free rotation. I always wanted to do a body off restoration on a Corvette (1967 or older) but it will never happen due lack of garage space. I still change spark plugs and little things like that. Most cars are just harder to work on than they used to be in the old days. My daily driver Honda Civic is very easy to maintain and I do appreciate that car.