BobinVirginia Posted February 26, 2022 Share Posted February 26, 2022 (edited) Seems that I enjoy troubleshooting and mechanical repairs the best. Some prefer detailing and basic maintenance. What are your thoughts? Edited February 26, 2022 by BobinVirginia (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted February 26, 2022 Share Posted February 26, 2022 Everything that I can not afford to pay someone to do for me. Seriously, I enjoy most of it except some of the heavy (weight wise) like picking up truck tires, etc.... and work that I do not have the tools for. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skvitt Posted February 26, 2022 Share Posted February 26, 2022 Everything except body work and paint job. But i will have to change it soon. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobinVirginia Posted February 26, 2022 Author Share Posted February 26, 2022 2 minutes ago, Skvitt said: Everything except body work and paint job. But i will have to change it soon. Body work is Pandora’s box for me. I never think it’s perfect and can never be satisfied Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted February 26, 2022 Share Posted February 26, 2022 I really enjoy body work and all the prep work for perfect paint. Electrical stiff I'm totally clueless on and sell my projects before any wire work is started. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted February 26, 2022 Share Posted February 26, 2022 (edited) I like doing inremental improvements. And detailing can be relaxing and rewarding. It took a while with our SL to correct years of deferred maintenance. Some I did myself, other sections were done professionally, which is still rewarding when you reallize your a step closer... Drives A1 now and I am going through the A now, same approach. Back to the MB. It is far from perfect but the single stage factory paint cleaned up well enough that I was at an event a couple years back, guy with a 10,000 original mile example of same car looks mine (124k) over and says "they don't look all that different, do they" made my day! 😊👍 Edited February 26, 2022 by Steve_Mack_CT (see edit history) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted February 26, 2022 Share Posted February 26, 2022 (edited) What kind of automotive work do I enjoy? Going to work.......it’s kind of a nice place to spend time. Fixing things that others haven’t been able to........sort of a trademark for our shop. Making a early car drive as run or better than new, most people have never driven a great early car operating at 100 percent. Edited February 26, 2022 by edinmass (see edit history) 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossil Posted February 26, 2022 Share Posted February 26, 2022 Whatever it takes to keep June Bug running. Electrical, Body work, or mechanical. Upholstery is out of my league though. If it takes more than some 3M 77 and a staple gun than I'll leave it for someone else. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PONTIAC1953 Posted February 26, 2022 Share Posted February 26, 2022 i enjoy restoration work, in the 1980s i worked in a classic chevy and corvette restoration shop part time, and i have helped a good friend restore corvette seats before he installed the new seat covers he either sew together or ordered from a corvette restoration company. i have rebuilt several engines, and took automatic transmission rebuilding in college. but mostly i really enjoy upgrading my 1953 Pontiac Chieftain Custom Catalina with options and accessories from 1953 to 1959, not with aftermarket items, but with actual GM parts from Pontiac as well as the other four GM divisions. if you visit the "Our cars and Restoration Projects" section and search for 1953 Pontiac Chieftain Custom Catalina Restoration, you'll see the work i've done, and continue as work in progress. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne sheldon Posted February 26, 2022 Share Posted February 26, 2022 The thing I really seem to enjoy the most? Is repairing pieces, or "restoring" cars that several other people have declared unfixable! My 1915 model T runabout that I am trying to work on is one such car. The basic original car was in poor enough condition that it bounced from one person to another for twenty years, finally settling in a friends "behind the barn" for another decade or two. Anything that was any good? Someone along the line kept it! I already had collected a big pile of 1915 parts, most of them rejects from other people's restorations. The car is shaping up nicely, certainly NO show car. But for being mostly correct? Not many others can match it. And it is almost ALL original steel! (Except for small patch panels I made, some nuts and bolts, and a few later parts mostly unseen.) There is one significant piece of the car that is not a reject from someone else's (or several?) restoration. And that is the engine. I got lucky. I bought a crusted in dirt and grease long-block out of the estate of a long time model T driver. It was one of the last things out of the estate to be sold. It looked nasty, and like it had sat under a work bench for years! The price was right, and I had a few dollars to spare, so I took a chance. When I cleaned it up? It was one of the nicest low mileage engines I have ever seen! Someone had updated it (probably about 1950 from the look of it?) with newer timing gears and later lighter rods, bore was tight and standard. No significant rust anywhere. No apparent cracks. I replaced the two-piece valves and freshened it up a bit. I can hardly wait to hear it run! (It has been nearly ready for almost four years now, family needs got in the way.) Almost everything else, needed some significant repair. But if one piece is going to be the best part of all? The engine is the right piece. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted February 26, 2022 Share Posted February 26, 2022 Two piece Model T valves, had to stop and think about that.... then remembered the forged heads attached to the stems that predated the common one piece modern valves. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne sheldon Posted February 26, 2022 Share Posted February 26, 2022 2 hours ago, 1937hd45 said: Two piece Model T valves, had to stop and think about that.... then remembered the forged heads attached to the stems that predated the common one piece modern valves. Actually, they were cast iron heads on steel stems (cast in place!). With age, corrosion, and unknown miles and abuses, the heads have a nasty habit of breaking loose and dropping into the cylinder, usually at speed. Sometimes, an owner gets lucky. No serious damage. Other times, even good blocks can be practically destroyed if the valve head lodges just wrong between the piston and the engine head. Original two-piece valves should never be used in an engine that is going to be driven. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avgwarhawk Posted February 26, 2022 Share Posted February 26, 2022 (edited) Trouble shooting mechanical and electrical. Then the repair itself. I'm just a mechanical minded person. Probably got it from my uncle who took apart his father's 39 Dodge because he wanted to see how it worked. Then put it back together. Edited February 26, 2022 by avgwarhawk (see edit history) 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 26, 2022 Share Posted February 26, 2022 The greatest pleasure in life is doing things that others say can not be done. I enjoy metal work and fiber glass, along with structural work, fixing things that are beyond repair. I get a little bored with the finish work and the painting, (I've done it all my life) but fortunately , I have good body men and painters working for me. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt G Posted February 26, 2022 Share Posted February 26, 2022 11 hours ago, 1937hd45 said: I really enjoy body work and all the prep work for perfect paint. Electrical stiff I'm totally clueless on and sell my projects before any wire work is started. I echo what my friend Bob said. I used to do mechanical work and found if interesting, but now reaching over a motor or laying on the ground under a car for hours has no real appeal. Electrical work I don't go near , I have a pace maker and if that gets short circuited due to some spark I am done forever. I had a master painter/craftsman teach me how to prep, prime, sand, paint in lacquer exactly 50 years ago and still do that, but not on a complete car. Panels, and mostly on large pressed steel toys and pedal cars ( which are easier to handle/store and work on a bench ) I still take great pleasure in working on. The fellow who taught me ( we were doing the total paint restoration on two of my pre WWII era cars.) told me " I am going to ruin you, you will never be able to look at a car again without being able to pick up on some possible poor body or paint work" What he said was true. I do not know how to paint in enamel, or two part /hardener etc. that is all "to new" for me to want to even think about. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Roth Posted February 26, 2022 Share Posted February 26, 2022 19 minutes ago, Walt G said: I used to do mechanical work and found if interesting, but now reaching over a motor or laying on the ground under a car for hours has no real appeal. Electrical work I don't go near , I have a pace maker and if that gets short circuited due to some spark I am done forever. I had a master painter/craftsman teach me how to prep, prime, sand, paint in lacquer exactly 50 years ago and still do that, but not on a complete car. Panels, and mostly on large pressed steel toys and pedal cars ( which are easier to handle/store and work on a bench ) I still take great pleasure in working on. The fellow who taught me ( we were doing the total paint restoration on two of my pre WWII era cars.) told me " I am going to ruin you, you will never be able to look at a car again without being able to pick up on some possible poor body or paint work" What he said was true. I do not know how to paint in enamel, or two part /hardener etc. that is all "to new" for me to want to even think about. I'll echo what my friend Walt has noted. I've always been good at diagnostics, and used to be really good at mechanical repairs. Now approaching age 80 and dealing with arthritis, cataract surgeries, trigger finger, and a brand new pacemaker (my fifth since 1998), I'm nowhere near as fast, strong, or even as active as I had been. My body, as well as my wife and also the weather, remind me of this. Still, I enjoy tinkering, puttering, less major repairs. Sure, I have to be more careful with the electrical stuff, especially since I blew out my first pacemaker while helping on a friend's 1929 Buick when the sparkplug leads fell across my wrist and my other hand was on the firewall, leaving my chest and pacemaker as the shortest path to ground. Most of all, I guess I enjoy diagnosing the cause of an issue, finding the best fix, doing it myself when appropriate, and then driving the great-running car as a reward. A close second wold be reasonable maintenance, but driving is still the reward. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buick35 Posted February 26, 2022 Share Posted February 26, 2022 12 hours ago, BobinVirginia said: Body work is Pandora’s box for me. I never think it’s perfect and can never be satisfied 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted February 26, 2022 Share Posted February 26, 2022 4 hours ago, avgwarhawk said: Trouble shooting mechanical and electrical. Then the repair itself. I'm just a mechanical minded person. Probably got it from my uncle who took apart his father's 39 Dodge because he wanted to see how it worked. Then put it back together. I fit in here. And driving. I like to drive. Like it a lot. Ben 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JV Puleo Posted February 26, 2022 Share Posted February 26, 2022 (edited) I think my answer should be very much like Ed's. I like (or, more accurately, feel driven to) making things and solving otherwise insoluble problems. The little outside work I've taken is generally this sort of thing...jobs no commercial shop would want or take but still have to get done. That said, I do not enjoy working on my every day car...I resent the time it takes and the cheapness of many modern parts. I've given up on electronics...in fact, my everyday truck is an '89 simply to get away from the electronic rubbish that is so prevalent in the past 20 years. Edited February 26, 2022 by JV Puleo comma (see edit history) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kelso Posted February 26, 2022 Share Posted February 26, 2022 Steam 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pilgrim65 Posted February 26, 2022 Share Posted February 26, 2022 (edited) I enjoy any job that results in solving a problem , like starting , perhaps after long period standng or after I have flooded carbs , eliminating vibration or rattle , and regaining power steering or brakes after cylinder leak or solving an electrical issue but probably I would choose clean and polish , like my cars looking pristine as possible Edited February 26, 2022 by Pilgrim65 (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carroll_1 Posted February 26, 2022 Share Posted February 26, 2022 (edited) For some reason I can't quite explain to myself, I seem to be drawn to "old iron", and the dirty, frustrating, and sometimes rewarding job of disassembling and identifying usable parts. My now 80 year old friend and mentor got me involved with REOs a few years ago, but I can't blame it all on him, as I continue to find and rescue more pieces. I'm working on restoring two cars, a 1918 & 1920, and I found a complete 1918 driver for my puzzle guide, but I'm a sucker for returning old yard art into usable pieces. I'm trying to learn how to hold myself back, but sometimes the iron just pulls me in. Last fall I spent several hours heating and re-shaping six cast iron running board brackets from a mid-teens REO The Fifth crusty frame that spent decades bent by a bulldozer as the chassis was pushed to sit by a lake as a conversation piece. My hope was they might someday find their way back to a useful life. Unfortunately, they'll probably end up laying on the shelf until some future auctioneer says, "I don't know what they are or what they fit, but it looks like someone spent some time on them". And then they'll sell for $.50 cents. But regardless, I'm going to keep my cutting torch tanks full and my induction heater working. There's always more parts to harvest. Edited February 26, 2022 by Carroll_1 (see edit history) 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pfeil Posted February 26, 2022 Share Posted February 26, 2022 12 hours ago, pontiac1953 said: i enjoy restoration work, in the 1980s i worked in a classic chevy and corvette restoration shop part time, and i have helped a good friend restore corvette seats before he installed the new seat covers he either sew together or ordered from a corvette restoration company. i have rebuilt several engines, and took automatic transmission rebuilding in college. but mostly i really enjoy upgrading my 1953 Pontiac Chieftain Custom Catalina with options and accessories from 1953 to 1959, not with aftermarket items, but with actual GM parts from Pontiac as well as the other four GM divisions. if you visit the "Our cars and Restoration Projects" section and search for 1953 Pontiac Chieftain Custom Catalina Restoration, you'll see the work i've done, and continue as work in progress. This invitation to look at Charles 53 Pontiac is worth a look. Charles is doing something that Pontiac division was going to do but was stopped by the corporate 14th floor of GM. GM blocked so many of Pontiac's projects it's a wonder Pontiac lasted as long as it did. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAKerry Posted February 26, 2022 Share Posted February 26, 2022 I enjoy doing body work and painting. Taking a rusty, bent piece of metal, refurbishing and making it look new again. I have never been mechanically inclined and barely know what makes an engine run, but that is something I am up to the challenge of doing one of these days. Most of the stuff I have worked on would probably be scrap to a lot of guys but the buy in price is within my budget. I find a lot of inspiration is seeing work a lot of you have done that started with not much more than a frame resulting in a beautifully restored car. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonMicheletti Posted February 26, 2022 Share Posted February 26, 2022 I enjoy replicating parts that are "unobtanium", either for rarity or being missing. A real fun challenge is working with just old photographs or sales information. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caddyshack Posted February 26, 2022 Share Posted February 26, 2022 After college I was able to purchase two early ('04 Cad and '12 Brush) vehicles. Not knowing exactly what I had, I found the research side of the hobby to be the most rewarding. Back in the early '70's I also had to purchase 3 year bonds in relation to the title search, before a title and plates could be issued. This 3 year period meant no work on the vehicles. During this period, restoration methods, parts searches, and verification of build sheets were all valuable experiences. Later purchases (Ford T's and A's) let me do more hands on tasks like body work, electrical, welding, etc.. It was all fun. Now in my mid 70's it's time to let others do the work for me. I find that today, I enjoy helping others or bringing a vehicle to local car gatherings and letting the younger generation ask some of the darnedest questions. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickelroadster Posted February 27, 2022 Share Posted February 27, 2022 i started out doing body work because you could go home when you felt like it. Mechanical work usually had to be finished before you could come home. The older I get the more I like working on little stuff that need a lot of close attention. I don't like pulling engines and big stuff any more 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobinVirginia Posted February 27, 2022 Author Share Posted February 27, 2022 (edited) 9 hours ago, DonMicheletti said: I enjoy replicating parts that are "unobtanium", either for rarity or being missing. A real fun challenge is working with just old photographs or sales information. That’s what attracted me to machine work as a teenager. Machining and fabricating needed obsolete parts. Very rewarding work creating parts from scratch. Edited February 27, 2022 by BobinVirginia (see edit history) 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobinVirginia Posted February 27, 2022 Author Share Posted February 27, 2022 I enjoy reviving old forgotten things period. Thanks to all of you for sharing your thoughts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
32buick67 Posted February 27, 2022 Share Posted February 27, 2022 Tinkering, mechanical, thermodynamic, time handling devices, carb and electrical is fun, especially troubleshooting complex gremlin and ghost issues. Italian inventors are mi amici. Upholstery and paint, not so much, kudos to those who have a Juki machine and a DuPont account, wow, you are most impressive! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Kingsley Posted February 27, 2022 Share Posted February 27, 2022 With my health problems, I'm limited to just looking at them and photo documenting them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max4Me Posted February 27, 2022 Share Posted February 27, 2022 I enjoy doing any type of automotive work that turns out right! Seriously. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbking Posted February 27, 2022 Share Posted February 27, 2022 Early career - collecting carburetor literature, learning about carburetors and restoring them Mid career - (same as above) Today - learning about carburetors, and trying to share my knowledge of them with younger folks. My "carburetor virtual museum" was set up for the latter: Carburetor virtual museum Jon 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buick35 Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 (edited) I would love to get an unrestored old car and seeing what artifacts were left in it. Edited March 1, 2022 by Buick35 Spelling (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobileparts Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 On "ME" days --- picking out which car I will use that day --- And *** DRIVING *** to Beach / Park / Restaurant / Highway Cruise.... AAAAAAAAAHHHHH....... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1935Packard Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 I enjoy the work of inserting the key, turning it, and pressing the starter button. I then enjoy the work of shifting gears as I drive. Those of us without much mechanical knowledge don't have much other work to choose from. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozstatman Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 4 minutes ago, 1935Packard said: I enjoy the work of inserting the key, turning it, and pressing the starter button. I then enjoy the work of shifting gears as I drive. Those of us without much mechanical knowledge don't have much other work to choose from. Agreed, but it turned out I was a pretty good parts cleaner/washer! 😉 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hidden_hunter Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 Mechanical and the problem solving that comes with it, I generally find that if I try and do things how they were done "back in the day" it works out ok and most attempts to be smarter than the designer.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted March 2, 2022 Share Posted March 2, 2022 I read all the comments to the end and unless I missed it, no one mentioned wood working in our old cars. Like most here, I enjoy making something out of what little you might have back to what it once was. I find wood work extremely gratifying and I am really amazed at how good quality wood work can yield a rock solid body. I don’t find any real pressure when making up new wood because if you screw up, you just start again. Many times I also enjoy the planning and process one has to go through when adding wood to an already assembled body. Many times a repair can be much more involved and the pieces themselves more intricate than originally designed so they can work or fit into an area that is not accessible with the body metal on. I’ve literally made rear roof bows that had pivots in the center like a pair of scissors so I could get both ends into place, then pivot the the arms of the piece to force the bow out and up into its location. The addition of screws, glue, dowels, etc., made that piece as strong as it originally was. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Cole Posted March 2, 2022 Share Posted March 2, 2022 Anything that works right the first time, and as designed. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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