Working on cars.....

[Old Homestead]

I have an aircooled vw and they are extremely easy compared to todays cars, ( I own a auto restoration bussniess)

 

[Gardengirl 2011]

I miss my 78 Pontiac Grand Prix! Anyone could work on it. Now everything is made where it HAS to go to the shop.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Quote:
The one I had I drove 60 miles a day to collage an back. I believe it was a 1972 type 3. Anyway it was a yellow station wagon with the hidden pancake engine... If it wasn't for the bosh fuel injection acting up I would still have it.

 

[Old Homestead]

Quote:
The one I had I drove 60 miles a day to collage an back. I believe it was a 1972 type 3. Anyway it was a yellow station wagon with the hidden pancake engine... If it wasn't for the bosh fuel injection acting up I would still have it.

I have 66 bug with hot rod motor and close ratio trans

 

[Desert Rooster]

I'm a mobile mechanic, and yes todays cars are so difficult to work on, my labor manual calls for 3 hours to change 6 spark plugs on a 03 Cadillac CTS, the intake has to come off to get to 4 of the 6 plugs

 

[Dunkopf]

It helps to be a real mechanic that does it all day though. I had a power steering pump go out on a 91 Suburban. Middle of winter and the garage was mighty cold. At any rate what should have been a 1 hour job took about 5 because I couldn't get to the bolts behind the pulley on the pump. I couldn't see the face of the pump. Finally pulled the fan and the shroud and saw there were access holes in the front of the pulley. Being a mechanic you've been there and done that. That was probably pretty common on a lot of GM vehicles.

I've always felt that the dealer mechanics have it the best. They work on the same cars all the time and see the same problems and know exactly what they need to take off for access. Not to mention any special tools needed. They also have the latest software for the OBD's and almost always have a great working environment, at least equipment wise.

 

[bakerjw]

This thread makes me love my Jaguar. Sure it's a V12 but everything is there nice and exposed.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

It's gotten so dang hard to work on modern cars I've pretty well stopped trying. IF you can even diagnose the problem to begin with without having access to the computer necessary to read the diagnostic codes it turns out you have to do stupid stuff like drop the blasted motor just to change a spark plug.

 

[ChooksinChoppers]

Quote:
I have a 97 Caterra too!!! same danged thing with the oil cooler! So once the engine is half dismantled mechanic finds ALL kinds of things that need replaced done..hoses all soft and ready to blow...sensors hanging by one wire and not working

most of the parts are not even available anymore......... He calls it the Cadilac Catastrophy!

I have been riding my bike to the store for 6 weeks now

 

[Dunkopf]

Quote:
I have a 97 Caterra too!!! same danged thing with the oil cooler! So once the engine is half dismantled mechanic finds ALL kinds of things that need replaced done..hoses all soft and ready to blow...sensors hanging by one wire and not working

most of the parts are not even available anymore......... He calls it the Cadilac Catastrophy!

I have been riding my bike to the store for 6 weeks now

Get rid of it. With 100k and in very nice condition they are only worth bout 2000.00. The have ridiculously high priced parts. Example, battery from Checker was 165.00 when you can buy one for just about any other car for around 85.00. I was able to dump mine before it developed all the typical problems. I went to an internet forum that was just for Caterra owners trying to fix their cars and saw the same problems listed over and over.