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Hey Monkey wrench,
My friend has the Earthquake series.
When it comes to the HF power/pneumatic tools, just hold on to that receipt through your warranty period and hopefully you get a good one too.
Thanks for the DeLorean kudos. I did a pretty extensive restoration that i’m working on posting up in the General Discussion section. I’m currently in the market for another one. I’m starting to miss doing car shows. So far i’ve worked on/restored about a dozen of them. Labor of love.
Hey Monkey wrench,
My friend has the Earthquake series.
When it comes to the HF power/pneumatic tools, just hold on to that receipt through your warranty period and hopefully you get a good one too.
Thanks for the DeLorean kudos. I did a pretty extensive restoration that i’m working on posting up in the General Discussion section. I’m currently in the market for another one. I’m starting to miss doing car shows. So far i’ve worked on/restored about a dozen of them. Labor of love.
http://www.rockauto.com
http://www.c-f-m.com/performanceparts/pc/Suspension-Chassis-c20.htm
http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/c2/shocks-struts/15010 (Virtually ANY auto parts store carries replacements for your car)It’s not a performance car, so go with any major brand company, or even just replace with OEM.
http://www.rockauto.com
http://www.c-f-m.com/performanceparts/pc/Suspension-Chassis-c20.htm
http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/c2/shocks-struts/15010 (Virtually ANY auto parts store carries replacements for your car)It’s not a performance car, so go with any major brand company, or even just replace with OEM.
Have you tried a 2nd hand parts place (i.e. a junkyard, you-pull-it, parts recycler, etc.)?
It can’t cost more than a buck or two at those places…
Have you tried a 2nd hand parts place (i.e. a junkyard, you-pull-it, parts recycler, etc.)?
It can’t cost more than a buck or two at those places…
People giving advice will usually tell you to find out what you are passionate about and do that for a living. Your fear of starting to dislike cars im sure was felt by every mechanic. But I think you should look at it from another point of view. While yes, there are going to be tedious and repetitious chores to do on a daily basis, look at the big picture. Take a step back and realize that where you are right now, you don’t know HOW to do those so-called repetitious chores. You have gotten so good at doing something NOW, but a few years ago you had no idea how to do such a thing. You’ve mastered a skill!
What you DO with that skill is completely up to you. Any job you do eventually gets to be…well, a JOB. That’s part of life. Forget what you see on TV, life is getting up early and doing what you are good at.When you find yourself disliking cars, try to look at them from another view. You now have skills to maybe resurrect a car that you’ve always liked. You can now cruise around the USA on a road adventure in a car you built. Give yourself a goal and keep working at it! If you get tired of the mechanical side of it, why not take a look at the BUSINESS or financial side of the industry? Don’t think the second you walk into your garage that that’s all your life is going to be! You have OPPORTUNITY to keep pushing yourself forward. Your automotive knowledge, when tied together with some good business classes may put you into another direction entirely. Your only limitation is YOU. Don’t be afraid to keep learning.
As for when you get to the dealership, ignore the people who are not willing to help you. Trust me, they don’t know everything. The dealership is NOT going to just let you start turning bolts and hope you eventually fix something. School and training go hand in hand. You will learn, and you will succeed. Don’t worry now about things that MAY happen, because that will drive you crazy.
Get your mindset ready now that when you get to the dealership, you will 1) ASK QUESTIONS. You are new… they expect you to ask things that you do not know. But, do not just keep asking, WRITE THINGS DOWN AND LEARN!!! I tell everyone that I will help you with something 3 times. If you haven’t learned it by then or haven’t bothered to take a single note on something that I’ve gone over with you 3 times already, then i’m sorry, but you need to try to figure it out on your own. TAKE NOTES AND MAKE SURE YOU CAN READ THEM!!!
2) Don’t be afraid to mess up. When you do, LEARN from your mistakes. Don’t try to cover it up, because you won’t be able to. Be a man, fess up, explain what your mistake was, learn and move on.
3) Be helpful. Guys will respect someone with a “can-do” attitude that’s willing to get their hands dirty versus someone who is just going to shrug their shoulders and say they can’t do something. Watch what other techs do and learn from it. If they need a second pair of hands, VOLUNTEER. That’s how you learn. Plus, you will earn their trust and respect that at least you are willing to make an attempt. And remember, when a new guy starts AFTER you, treat him with the respect that he deserves as well. Help him out. If no one helped you, show the new guy that at least you have more character than the others.We’ve all hit our heads (hell, my last car was an 83 DeLorean. I walked into my door at least 3 times, one hard enough to almost knock me out!), burned ourselves, ground knuckles, etc. IT HAPPENS. Just learn from it! Keep up with your studies, and make sure you make your education your priority. The time to play around will come later. Good luck!!!
People giving advice will usually tell you to find out what you are passionate about and do that for a living. Your fear of starting to dislike cars im sure was felt by every mechanic. But I think you should look at it from another point of view. While yes, there are going to be tedious and repetitious chores to do on a daily basis, look at the big picture. Take a step back and realize that where you are right now, you don’t know HOW to do those so-called repetitious chores. You have gotten so good at doing something NOW, but a few years ago you had no idea how to do such a thing. You’ve mastered a skill!
What you DO with that skill is completely up to you. Any job you do eventually gets to be…well, a JOB. That’s part of life. Forget what you see on TV, life is getting up early and doing what you are good at.When you find yourself disliking cars, try to look at them from another view. You now have skills to maybe resurrect a car that you’ve always liked. You can now cruise around the USA on a road adventure in a car you built. Give yourself a goal and keep working at it! If you get tired of the mechanical side of it, why not take a look at the BUSINESS or financial side of the industry? Don’t think the second you walk into your garage that that’s all your life is going to be! You have OPPORTUNITY to keep pushing yourself forward. Your automotive knowledge, when tied together with some good business classes may put you into another direction entirely. Your only limitation is YOU. Don’t be afraid to keep learning.
As for when you get to the dealership, ignore the people who are not willing to help you. Trust me, they don’t know everything. The dealership is NOT going to just let you start turning bolts and hope you eventually fix something. School and training go hand in hand. You will learn, and you will succeed. Don’t worry now about things that MAY happen, because that will drive you crazy.
Get your mindset ready now that when you get to the dealership, you will 1) ASK QUESTIONS. You are new… they expect you to ask things that you do not know. But, do not just keep asking, WRITE THINGS DOWN AND LEARN!!! I tell everyone that I will help you with something 3 times. If you haven’t learned it by then or haven’t bothered to take a single note on something that I’ve gone over with you 3 times already, then i’m sorry, but you need to try to figure it out on your own. TAKE NOTES AND MAKE SURE YOU CAN READ THEM!!!
2) Don’t be afraid to mess up. When you do, LEARN from your mistakes. Don’t try to cover it up, because you won’t be able to. Be a man, fess up, explain what your mistake was, learn and move on.
3) Be helpful. Guys will respect someone with a “can-do” attitude that’s willing to get their hands dirty versus someone who is just going to shrug their shoulders and say they can’t do something. Watch what other techs do and learn from it. If they need a second pair of hands, VOLUNTEER. That’s how you learn. Plus, you will earn their trust and respect that at least you are willing to make an attempt. And remember, when a new guy starts AFTER you, treat him with the respect that he deserves as well. Help him out. If no one helped you, show the new guy that at least you have more character than the others.We’ve all hit our heads (hell, my last car was an 83 DeLorean. I walked into my door at least 3 times, one hard enough to almost knock me out!), burned ourselves, ground knuckles, etc. IT HAPPENS. Just learn from it! Keep up with your studies, and make sure you make your education your priority. The time to play around will come later. Good luck!!!
I can’t say what is the BEST, because in all honesty it’s one of those questions you will get opinion after opinion on, and all will be different.
Personally, I have a Craftsman, Husky, and Snap On 1/2 inch that I use on a regular basis. I tend to use the Husky first (650ft lbs) and the Craftsman because most everything gets removed by those. The Snap On (1100 ft lbs) I break out when the other two fail. Yes, I could use the Snap On all the time, but I like knowing it’s my hard hitter of the two. My 3/8 Craftsman is a straight up go to and has never failed me on the smaller things that i just know the 1/2 inch impacts are just overkill for.
Now, my friend has a Harbor Freight 1/2 drive equal to my Husky, and even though we know the rep of HF tools, he’s had it for 4 years and it is still doing just fine.
I’ve been happy with all my IR, Snap On, and Husky air tools. It really is a user’s preferred choice. I’m also NOT an every day mechanic, so I would think it also depends on what you are going to be using the tools for.
I can’t say what is the BEST, because in all honesty it’s one of those questions you will get opinion after opinion on, and all will be different.
Personally, I have a Craftsman, Husky, and Snap On 1/2 inch that I use on a regular basis. I tend to use the Husky first (650ft lbs) and the Craftsman because most everything gets removed by those. The Snap On (1100 ft lbs) I break out when the other two fail. Yes, I could use the Snap On all the time, but I like knowing it’s my hard hitter of the two. My 3/8 Craftsman is a straight up go to and has never failed me on the smaller things that i just know the 1/2 inch impacts are just overkill for.
Now, my friend has a Harbor Freight 1/2 drive equal to my Husky, and even though we know the rep of HF tools, he’s had it for 4 years and it is still doing just fine.
I’ve been happy with all my IR, Snap On, and Husky air tools. It really is a user’s preferred choice. I’m also NOT an every day mechanic, so I would think it also depends on what you are going to be using the tools for.
Without knowing either person personally, I’ve been able to watch virtually all the episodes from both channel hosts and honestly, there is a reason I’m on Ericthecarguy.com and not the other site, and it has to do with presentation and respect.
While both gentlemen produce auto info advice, I frankly like the explanations Eric gives, the “well, that didn’t work!” moments, and just the way the material is presented here. Kilmer’s show always seemed more like a quick overview, which is fine, but for me it really comes down to which guy would I rather sit around and BS with on a Saturday afternoon over a BBQ and a few cold drinks while working on a project car?
I do find the advice decent on both channels, but I just prefer one style more than the other.