guys over 50 doing maintenance

Well I’m quite a ways from 50 but doing this mechanic thing professionally really takes a toll on your body even if your a young buck like me. I turn 23 this month on the 23rd. Some days I feel 50 though. I entered the field June 2019 when I was 17 so this is going on my 6th professional year of automotive. As far as motivation for me it’s zero. There are several things I need to get done to my cars but I just don’t have the motivation or energy to do it. And I’d never pay anyone to work on my stuff so that’s not an option. So I do work at work 10x the effort and work hard then I come home and I’m done. And on the weekends I’m done too. Unless it was a really good week or I’m just in a really good mood. Sometimes though my back or knees are killing me so I have to take a break for a bit. I hear from every technician in my shop that they have back and knee pain even the ones younger than me. So that’s a big thing of where my motivation goes too. But I have no issue crawling up under a car or anything it’s just the fact of having to actually do it that I don’t want to do it unless I’m making a paycheck.

Right now though my priority over cars is trying to find a relationship. I’ve literally been using all my free time trying to get out and meet women but to no success so I’m going to give it a rest for a bit and go back to thinking about my cars on my free time and spend some time working on those and getting done what I need to get done. This weekend I’ve got a few oil changes and tire rotations to do and then I’ll be good for awhile.
 
AutoMechanic said:
Right now though my priority over cars is trying to find a relationship. I’ve literally been using all my free time trying to get out and meet women but to no success so I’m going to give it a rest for a bit and go back to thinking about my cars on my free time and spend some time working on those and getting done what I need to get done. This weekend I’ve got a few oil changes and tire rotations to do and then I’ll be good for awhile.
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Stop taking advice from @Zee09 on women. Actually just do the opposite of what he says :D

On the topic and not directed at @AutoMechanic: I agree the kneeling pads for gardening are amazing. I LOVE mine for underdash work. The Husky is like ~$14 at HD but I see HF sells theirs for more like $4 and wonder if they're decent?

I also use mine as a crash pad for axles under the bed of my press :D
 
D60 said:
Stop taking advice from @Zee09 on women. Actually just do the opposite of what he says :D

On the topic and not directed at @AutoMechanic: I agree the kneeling pads for gardening are amazing. I LOVE mine for underdash work. The Husky is like ~$14 at HD but I see HF sells theirs for more like $4 and wonder if they're decent?

I also use mine as a crash pad for axles under the bed of my press :D
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@AutoMechanic is now collecting sand dollars.. inside joke
 
D60 said:
Stop taking advice from @Zee09 on women. Actually just do the opposite of what he says :D

On the topic and not directed at @AutoMechanic: I agree the kneeling pads for gardening are amazing. I LOVE mine for underdash work. The Husky is like ~$14 at HD but I see HF sells theirs for more like $4 and wonder if they're decent?

I also use mine as a crash pad for axles under the bed of my press :D
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I couldn’t work without my kneeling pad. Nothing like comfort for your knees when you have to kneel down. Bare knee on concrete isn’t any comfort at all.
 
AutoMechanic said:
I couldn’t work without my kneeling pad. Nothing like comfort for your knees when you have to kneel down. Bare knee on concrete isn’t any comfort at all.
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In just the past year I've got something going on in my left knee from kneeling on concrete. It's like shooting pain the second my knee touches. Maybe a bone spur....I really don't know.

The point is I wish I had been more careful in years past.
 
Going on 78 in a couple weeks and I still do everything I can. I am working up to head gasket replacement on the V6 1990 Ford Ranger. I have everything to do it thanks to Rock Auto except they don't have any motivation in stock. Its like me cause its on back order. My 2005Yukon needs a new brake hose and a window motor. Don't need the vehicle right now. You Tube before I fix anything so i can learn from others mistakes
 
Knee pads are sure a game changer. I bought my first and cheapo set to save my knees at gun range, when you go down quick with one or both knees into gravel; then started using same pads while working on cars. I'm in very late 50s now and am glad I protected my knees.
Working on cars is almost therapy while also a game to me, I don't do complex stuff, mostly maintenance, not a mechanic and don't have a shop. I still look forward to a weekend when I can take tools out, replace old fluids, brakes, plugs, sensor etc as needed and sometimes a little prematurely according to manufacturer's schedule. I enjoy this manual work, my wife doesn't understand it thou, she hates manual labor.
 
I'm over 50, and enjoy doing all my/immediate families maintenance in my garage where I have all my tools from when I worked as a mechanic for a living, and the big one is the 2-post lift. The exception is one vehicle, because it has 'free' maintenance. I make the exception because a former colleague is the one doing the work, he is as picky as me, and I get to hang out in his bay, and visit while he gets paid to do the routine maintenance.

I realized early on that working on consumer cars all my working life, wasn't for me. The toll on the body was part of it, but the directive from management to constantly up-sell, even when the service or repair wasn't needed, bothered me. So I left the profession I had trained for from an early age, and took a huge risk and started my own unrelated business, after taking night classes for several years to improve my chance of succeeding in starting my own business. That was the best career decision I even made.

I work to stay in shape because it makes everything I want to do easier, or in some cases simply possible.
 
AutoMechanic said:
I couldn’t work without my kneeling pad. Nothing like comfort for your knees when you have to kneel down. Bare knee on concrete isn’t any comfort at all.
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It also helps keep you off the cold, wet or hot ground. My Dad is fortunate to have a pit in his garage (my Grandpa built it) - way better than crawling. It could be a bit deeper, I've got to duck a bit all the time.
 
Opelman said:
I'm 58 and retired from 34+ years of wrenching on school buses. 16.5x10 brake drums are pretty heavy, heck most things on a bus have a lot of gravity in them with one mounted tire coming in at 215 lbs. I was born to wrench and love it still. Mornings are at the saw shop down the road and afternoons are at a Gravely/ Echo dealer and all makes OPE repair shop. That one has me on my knees and on the floor a lot. As far as car maintenance, no big deal. So far so good thankfully.
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Those drums really did me in. To much for me to lift often. I started using a dolly to lever them up and a shovel to put 11r22.5 tires and wheels on and off
 
Wheel said:
Nice, but did all your 10mm sockets wander off like everyone elses ?
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If and when that ever happens, Greggo will come and haunt me from the great beyond...
3/8 drive Std, Med Deep and Deep Snappies:
1744141562265.webp

3/8 Impact:
1744141603804.webp
 
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