Met my first wine and cheeser Options

[Brad Smith]

yeah its amazing how many people dont know basics of car ownership, let alone anything even close to complex. I work w/ a bunch of women mostly and i dont think any of them ever knew that not changing the oil for over 10k would mess the motor up, even the owner-a man- who has a $80k lexus two door thingy hasnt changed the oil yet-13k miles!!!!! Its amazing, and then i say i have two porsches and they look at me like im a millionare. Then talk about pulling the motor and stripping the suspension in casual conversation and theyre like WHAT!! are you junking it??? HOpeless. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif)

OMG! Am I f'ing up my Jaguar? I only change the oil every 10,000 miles. (That's the factory schedule.) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Oh... and I take to to the dealer, since it's factory paid.

Does that make me a "wine and cheeser?"

Let's see... past projects: '68 Mustang, I rebuilt the engine, did the body work and paint, and reupholstered the interior (with kit parts- I didn't sew them.) '88 Mazda RX-7 convertible. Changed out the entire drivetrain to Turbo II components. Aftermarket radiator that I fabricated mounts for, electric fan, 3" custom exhaust that I laid out but had a shop weld up, modified the "6 port" arrangement.

I guess not. But I still take my car to the dealer for the (free) oil changes and other items.

[Brad Smith]

Lunatic Fringe

any of you hardcore MAC users out there remember that game ???

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/type.gif) Andy

I remember the song. Can't think of the group right now. Red Rider?

Soft Sell (cell?). One hit wonder.

-Ben M.

Nope... that was "faded love" or something like that. "Lunatic Fringe" was Red Rider.

[aircooledboy]

...indocation of a penis for a probiscus....

what hell does that mean? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/chairfall.gif)

Actually, penis for a proboscis would be a dick nose, or a dick mouth (think about the possibilities on that one for a minute (IMG:style_emoticons/default/w00t.gif) )

YES!!!!!!!! A RED LETTER DAY!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/boldblue.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/boldblue.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/boldblue.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/boldblue.gif) Only 17 years after I graduated with a minor in biology and I finally used something I learned. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/monkeydance.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/chairfall.gif)

Those who don't enjoy turning a wrench just can't understand those of us who do, and they never will. When I come into the office on a monday with my knuckles all busted up, or a trace of grease under my finger nails that I couldn't scrub out, the boss's reaction is always the same: "painters should paint, mechanics should fix cars, and lawyers should practice law". I've tried explaining it to him a few times over the years, but I finally realized if you have never felt the satisfaction that comes from making a broken car run, the idea that a person might not just have the ability, but truely enjoy wrenching on a car is inconceivable. ("You keep a using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means" )

[ppickerell]

I'm just shy of 50 years old and have owned many sports cars since my firs MGA at 17 years old. I wrenched on most of them (although I must admit I was a hack) until I hit my 30's when business and other hobbies took all of my attention. My business is successfull and now I have time again to play with cars. But at this stage in life, I just can't get it up for crawling under a car every weekend. I just want to drive! I can wrench vicariously through my son if I want. Checkbook mechanic, hell yes! I earned the right, and if you don't like it :finger2: (IMG:style_emoticons/default/bootyshake.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ar15.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sawzall-smiley.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/chair.gif)

[Mark Henry]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif)

Lunatic Fringe

any of you hardcore MAC users out there remember that game ???

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/type.gif) Andy

I remember the song. Can't think of the group right now. Red Rider?

Soft Sell (cell?). One hit wonder.

-Ben M.

Nope... that was "faded love" or something like that. "Lunatic Fringe" was Red Rider.

Tainted Love and the group is Soft Cell

Ahhh...my punk/new wave days....
In the early eighties I could have passed as Andy's brother.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif)

[Mark Henry]

Don't knock non-wrenchheads...some of us would be out of biz without them.

Everyone should have basic knowledge though....My wife knows more about cars than both her brothers. One is a total duffus, he can barely check his own oil.

But then she is the only one in her whole family that isn't a total :dhead:

(did I say that????.....)

[spare time toys]

Its not so much he does not work on his car. Its the fact he looks down at me because I do. To me that is a true wine and cheeser. If you work hard and can afford to take it to the dealer for repairs great Im happy for you. I could also but choose not to I enjoy working on it. It is what I do to relax. Some play golf like my brother in law that game agrevates me to no end (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif) . I dont look down at him for spending time and money hitting a little ball then trying to find it so he can hit it again. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif)

[lapuwali]

Hear, hear.

There's a big difference between can't and won't. I have no problem with people who'd rather take their car to someone to have them do the work. To have NO idea what goes on there strikes me as baffling, however. If you can do it, but simply choose not to, that's one thing. To be incapable of doing it, and more to the point, to ridicule those who DO, is what I have a problem with.

I suppose the worst case are those people who've managed to blacken the Porsche brand in the eyes of most. Rich assholes who buy the things to lord it over the unwashed masses, rather than drive an interesting car. The unwashed masses, as a result, tend to assume that if you own one, you're a rich asshole, or a rich asshole wannabe.

[aircooledboy]

I suppose the worst case are those people who've managed to blacken the Porsche brand in the eyes of most.  Rich assholes who buy the things to lord it over the unwashed masses, rather than drive an interesting car.  The unwashed masses, as a result, tend to assume that if you own one, you're a rich asshole, or a rich asshole wannabe.

That is the ironic part. Those clowns think they are better than the rest of us just because they can afford to hire somebody to help them wash the parts of their masses that they can't reach because of too many trips to the sunday brunch buffet at the country club. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/finger.gif)

I work on my own car, and I wash my own mass, and do a decent job of both, if I do say so myself. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/w00t.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/monkeydance.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/chairfall.gif)






Can ya tell I'm not real motivated to do any actual income generating work today. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif)

[aircooledboy]

Ooops, you said masses.
My bad. Nevermind.

[mightyohm]

I am seriously jealous of anyone who can own a 914 and not know how to fix cars. Because if that person were me I think I would have sold mine a looooong time ago, ther e is always something to fix.

[lapuwali]

I am seriously jealous of anyone who can own a 914 and not know how to fix cars

ANY 30 year old car, not just a 914. They all need about the same amount of fixing. I certainly can't afford to pay someone else to do everything to my car(s)...

Over lunch today, some (non-car) guy was complaining about his 10 year old Ford and how a mechanic was wanting to hit him up for $300 to repair the rear brakes + $700 to replace the timing belt. The car has 90K miles on it, so he's decided it's time to retire the car and move on to something else. It's obviously worn-out. Now, if he'd learn to do these two relatively basic things himeself, it would be about $200 in parts plus a weekend of cursing and swearing to get a car he'd probably use for another 5 years, versus $1000 in repairs OR donate the car to charity and spend $20K on something new.

[anthony]

Your lunch friend obviously doesn't understand car payments and depreciation costs! $1000 is what, 2 or 3 car payments? If he buys a new car for $25K out the door, it's only going to be worth $15K 4 years later. That's $2500/year in depreciation plus the cost of financing. $1000 to keep his 90K mile car running for another 2 years is cheap.

I pick and choose my battles. So far I've been able to do everything on my 914. On my daily driver VW Jetta I've done everything except the 90K mile service and the timing belt. I didn't want to mess with cam timing and just wanted to know the car would be good for another 90K.

On the 911 I just bought I had the mechanic do a full service because he gave me a killer deal (free 2.5 hour PPI if I did the service). It wasn't because I couldn't learn how to adjust valves, timing, and change fluids on the 911 but it's nice to know that for $600 I got my 911 properly tuned, checked out, and all the fluids replaced. I don't need to do anything to it for 2 years now except change the oil and get to know the car. It's a nice feeling. And during the service he also found a leaky fuel accumulator. That could have easily been an engine fire so I'm glad I had a pro check it out this time.

[jim912928]

hmmm...guess we all have our biases! I'm a car nut and wrench on my own 928, 911 and 914. And yes I could afford to have them all worked on if that is what I chose to do. But I have a love for the engineering of the Porsches and the reward for self-accomplishment of fixing something for it's intended use. I also do my own home renovations with the same sense of accomplishment.

Some people enjoy their cars for other reasons (not just being able to wrench it or describe it's intricasies from top to bottom). I'd dare say some people just like to drive them, some people just like to look at them and yes some people like them for the statement they make to others. But, in just a different dimension..they are enjoying their cars like we do.

Does that make it wrong? No, just different. And different is what makes life fun and interesting!

Just think, if we were all the same and everybody wrenched themselves..there would be no market for paid mechanics!

So, do I have a problem with...let's say another porsche owner that doesn't understand what is under the hood? Nope, becausethey love their car for other reasons..different but yet the same. And for those occasions where I run into that...I get to give alittle knowledge to someone who maybe didn't have the opportunity growing up to see the mechanical side of life!

The rarely philosophic jim (jim912928).

p.s. way cool the other day a new 911 was driving towards me (I'm in my 914) and he waved and blinked his/her lights first!