Oppo Poll: Who Owns Only One Car and Wrenches On It?

"mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/" (mxxxxxm24)
04/01/2018 at 23:40 • Filed to: wrenching, Arisu

I ask because, as I have done the majority of the work on my only car myself, there is always the risk that when I start a project that there will be complications. Maybe I get in to do a timing belt only to find the belt I received isn’t the right size and Mazda has to order the new part leaving me without a car until the part comes in. Or maybe I just can’t free a stuck bolt, or don’t have the right tools to finish the job. This is always in the back of my head, as I have no car to fall back on if something doesn’t go as planned.

In the past it has made me apprehensive to work on my car and to be honest I still see it as somewhat of a justified response, less so than a cop out. It’s a lot easier to work on a car knowing you have the option to fail. I mean sure as it is, I could always get rides from friends or something, but I don’t like to rely on other people that much and failure can only go so far before it ends up costing me.

Even still as I have done more and more work on my car, I have gained confidence in my abilities and doubt myself less and less. In actuality I have much more faith in myself to do things correctly, than I do in most mechanics because I know I will be thorough and do things properly.

Anyways, I am getting tired and losing my train of thought, but that’s my question. Who has only one car and wrenches on it?

DISCUSSION (51)

AestheticsInMotion > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
04/01/2018 at 23:49

Me! Well... Kind of. It’s complicated.

But I’ve always wanted to buy a little scooter so I don’t always worry about finishing Miata projects in time.

Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
04/01/2018 at 23:50

I only have the TA. Jayhawk Jake and I upgraded the front swaybar on it a couple weeks back and we’ll be upgrading his (on his only car) next week hopefully.

Maxima Speed > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
04/01/2018 at 23:50

Me. Thankfully I live with my parents so if anything terrible goes wrong with the car I can borrow someone else’s.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > AestheticsInMotion
04/01/2018 at 23:56

I have also thought of getting a little (jdm) scooter! The thing is in my thought process a little scooter always turns into a crotch rocket, so yeah...

Also just saw your post last night about your car :/. Really sorry that happened dude.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
04/01/2018 at 23:57

This was me for the longest time. I had just my Miata for 3 years and I drove it 70k miles during that time so I definitely incurred some maintenance to do. This was actually my main motivation for buying another car, so that maintenence could be fun rather than stressful. No more replacing a brake caliper at 1am because I need the car the next day and had to bum a ride just to get to the store to buy the part in the first place. I always just dealt with it since it wasn’t realistic to have a second car. But now that I’m settled in on the west coast it’s just much nicer to have two cars that I can equally enjoy driving for different reasons. And never have to worry about ending up in a rental just to get to work.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now)
04/01/2018 at 23:58

Nice! One of my next projects is going to be front and rear sway bars! How did it go? I’ve never done them before or worked on suspension at all actually.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > Maxima Speed
04/01/2018 at 23:59

That is convenient haha. Used to borrow my parents cars all the time when I lived with them.

Urambo Tauro > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
04/02/2018 at 00:00

I have two vehicles, but all too often I still find myself taking chances by wrenching on the one that’s blocking the other in. I know it goes against the whole concept of having a second car, but I always find myself more motivated to fix things on the one that I’m driving at the time.

Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
04/02/2018 at 00:01

We snapped one of the end links getting the bar off. The new bar came with endlinks, so that wasn’t an issue, but it was definitely a “well, we’re committed now” moment.

AestheticsInMotion > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
04/02/2018 at 00:01

It blows, but the build will resume at some point. Hopefully soon! What really sucks is knowing that it was probably another car guy who did it. Removing harnesses without cutting them would be pretty tricky for a random dude in the dark worried about being spotted

Yeah I’m right there with ya. But I see decent scooters for 1k fairly often and decent (read: running) sportbikes seem to start at double that

NKato > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
04/02/2018 at 00:02

Me. Thankfully, my Ford Crown Victoria Interceptor is relatively easy to work on.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
04/02/2018 at 00:03

See yeah that is why I’ve been thinking it would be nice to be settled where I can have a second car and really take on some projects, I would never do with things as they are. Though there is something more in the bond between you and your car when she is all you have.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > Urambo Tauro
04/02/2018 at 00:05

Makes perfect sense. It is a strong motivation when there is no option other than finishing a project.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now)
04/02/2018 at 00:07

Oh man haha. Yeah it’s nice when you realize there’s no turning back, so might as well go all in at that point!

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
04/02/2018 at 00:12

i had one car and wrenched on it... then i sold it coz i dont really need it and could use the few bucks that would save a month.... then i got a job that pays much better than me last one

now i just miss me panda

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > AestheticsInMotion
04/02/2018 at 00:15

Damn yeah that is a shitty thought. Whoever it was, they are the worst kind of person. Messing with other people’s stuff... that’s a bs thing to do. No true car guy/girl would do that.

I haven’t went as far as to look at scooters, but they are very popular around me so they shouldn’t be hard to find.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > NKato
04/02/2018 at 00:16

Yeah for sure. Must be nice to have room in the engine bay haha

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
04/02/2018 at 00:17

Go to her.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
04/02/2018 at 00:21

no can do... she’s gone and gone and gone (i just took the dudes cash and didnt ask where it was going)

ill find a new beater to give my heart to one day (but for the moment my daily commute is about 3 miles... so i guess ill save me pennies for now and buy something nice when the time comes)

Urambo Tauro > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
04/02/2018 at 00:26

True dat.

But the motivation I’m referring to is not so much the motivation of having only one way out. Rather, it’s about how when I’m daily-driving a car with issues, I’m so much more motivated to fix those issues, rather than work on the one that’s parked.

BeaterGT > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
04/02/2018 at 00:32

What you got in mind?

Mini Guy- Now has a 4Runner > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
04/02/2018 at 00:37

I do. God help me

winterlegacy, here 'till the end > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
04/02/2018 at 00:41

I beat the hell out of my Legacy, and as such I have to wrench on her.

If I screw up I generally have very little margin for error, unless I arrange some time with my parents to borrow one of their cars, or their mechanical ability in the garage

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > BeaterGT
04/02/2018 at 00:48

if the money allows it... ill probably get a nice volvo amazon.... if im still dirt poor.. i think ill buy a 90s ford escort :)

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > BeaterGT
04/02/2018 at 00:52

tho... tbh..... with what im earning now.... i might go full stupid and buy an 80s roller :)

Wagon Guy drives a Boostang > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
04/02/2018 at 01:12

I only have the boostang, and have done 90% of the work on it myself. I always plan out any work so that I have what I need and the knowledge to do the job before I start. So far I’ve had to walk to the hardware store only three times because for all of the planning in the world I still didn’t have the right tool...

BeaterGT > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
04/02/2018 at 01:16

I’d say an Amazon is definitely worth saving for :)

and 100 more > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
04/02/2018 at 01:30

Guilty party, right here. We’ve been a one-car family since 2009 or so. It’s a scary proposition when your one method of getting to work, grocery store, school, etc needs surgery. I haven’t had to do any major work on my own - I know the limits of my capabilities. But yeah, if I can’t knock it out in a weekend, I worry.

Possibly my most useful tool in home car repair has been Enterprise.

dannyzabolotny > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
04/02/2018 at 03:42

Me. I have a 2000 BMW 540it with 206k miles on it. I used to have multiple cars but I never ended up needing them because the car hasn’t needed anything more than an occasional weekend day for maintenance/repairs. I just make sure to get *all* the parts I would need in advance, along with making sure I have all of the appropriate tools.

So far I’ve replaced the entire suspension front and back, the shocks, the rear air struts, the cooling system, the brakes, the brake lines, the head unit, transmission fluid + filter, spark plugs, driveshaft, etc. A lot of those things were done before they failed, so I could plan for them and purchase parts accordingly.

Kinja'd!!!

I have a few semi-major things planned out for it, like doing a mild top-end refresh on the engine, swapping in a 6-speed manual, and doing a full interior swap to black.

I do plan on buying a second car in the future though, but that’s mostly because I’ll eventually run out of things to do on this car, and I want something small and sporty to accompany the wagon.

Captain of the Enterprise > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
04/02/2018 at 06:39

I do, I’m a college student and can’t afford to pay someone to fix my car. I was also on my schools FSAE Racing team for a few years so I have some experience working on cars.

Long-Voyager > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
04/02/2018 at 07:30

I have a car in pieces in the driveway, a 6.0ps with a junk injector, and daily my 24yo engine swapped minivan.

Stuff has come up since the car went under the knife and the truck shit the bed, which means I’ve had one vehicle which has needed some wrench time (it’s 24 yrs old with 225k on the body).

Key things:

1. Have all the parts you will or may need before starting a project. It’s easier to return an unused part than it is to find said part at 6 p.m. Sunday night.

2. Account for things you may have over looked. Like a failing CV axle that turns out to be a bad wheel bearing.

3. Limp it through til the weekend if at all possible. This gives you more time to complete your task.

I’m able to do #3 quite easily as I try to keep her in top shape anyway, so things that do fail usually have some sort of warning, which makes my life easier.

BigBlock440 > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
04/02/2018 at 08:04

Not since college, when I didn’t really need a car. I’ve got a somewhat strict rule, don’t modify the DD. Also, I’ve got a fleet of beaters now, so if something takes a few days, no big deal.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
04/02/2018 at 09:06

Aww yea I feel you

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > winterlegacy, here 'till the end
04/02/2018 at 14:04

yeah it’s nice to have parents/friends to lean on once in a while. My family and friends for the most part aren’t mechanically inclined. Though my stepdad got me started with some simple jobs on my first car, which definitely helped me begin.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > Wagon Guy drives a Boostang
04/02/2018 at 14:07

Definitely a key you pointed out there: planning! If you can prepare yourself the best you can that definitely alleviates the potentials of risk.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > and 100 more
04/02/2018 at 14:09

Haha yea it is a dangerous game, especially with a family!

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > dannyzabolotny
04/02/2018 at 14:15

Pretty car. That is smart replacing things before they fail. When I haven’t done that it has led to some bad situations, for sure.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > Captain of the Enterprise
04/02/2018 at 14:17

FSAE Racing team? Is this in college? Would have been cool if I knew about that option!

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > Long-Voyager
04/02/2018 at 14:21

Completely agree. I find it hard to buy all the parts I ‘may’ need, as I have the mindset of buy only what you need, but you are right, it would make sense to buy extra things and return what you don’t need if that is an option

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > BigBlock440
04/02/2018 at 14:23

I personify cars too much to ever have a beater lol.

Long-Voyager > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
04/02/2018 at 16:08

I usually just replace whatever is required to get to the part that is bad.

For instance, to do a timing belt on a 3.0. I could just get the belt as the water pump/tensioner are still good, but while it’s apart, I’m going to replace them and save the trouble of tearing it down again in 5k.

Or while I’m doing the motor swap on my car, the engine got all new gaskets, the trans will as well. That way when they go in, I know I won’t be tearing it apart again later to do gaskets I over-looked.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > Long-Voyager
04/02/2018 at 16:47

Yeah for sure. That definitely is the way to do it. Plus it’s much easier to work on an engine not in an engine compartment lol

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
04/02/2018 at 17:05

100% on that bond. Bond through suffrage lol. Now I kind of get lazy sometimes and just don’t fix things since I know I don’t have to rely on the car to go places. I have a few outstanding maintenance items that do not immediately strand me anywhere so they don’t get fixed.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
04/02/2018 at 17:18

Yeah I put things off too, though now that spring is here, I’m getting them done 1 by 1!

Long-Voyager > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
04/02/2018 at 17:28

Eh, it’s a 3.0, I can have it tore down to the bare block in car in about 4 hrs if I’m lolly-gaggin’. Lol.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
04/02/2018 at 17:37

Once im home more frequently, I plan on tackling things. There are no seasons in Socal and my parking is indoors so I have no excuse at any time of the day or year lol. Annoying oil leak and screechy brakes are my number one tasks to attack. The Miata valve cover is annoying so that may still be my issue. Brakes I have no idea but will try replacing the pads to see if I had just ruined them by not bedding them properly.

Captain of the Enterprise > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
04/02/2018 at 21:14

Yeah it’s in college.

Kinja'd!!!

This was our car one year. I was CVT tuning lead while I was there but worked on every system of the car during build and race season.

winterlegacy, here 'till the end > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
04/02/2018 at 22:40

My family is mechanically inclined enough to understand how to do their own brakes (i.e. rotors, pads, calipers, bleeding brake lines, etc.) They also know how to diagnose most issues i.e. bad CV shafts, worn out bearings, etc pretty easily. My mother is a stickler for having extremely good brakes, and if they’re even the slightest bit mushy she complains. She doesn’t like the brakes in my Subaru because the actuation point for the brakes comes on pretty late, and that’s been a constant with all of the same generation Legacies I’ve been able to test, so I’m pretty sure it’s just how the brake system was built on mine.

They don’t entirely understand how their infotainment systems work in their cars, though. The 6 disc CD changer in one of their cars was like black magic to them until they spent a good ten minutes figuring it out. They get really concerned when I bypass half the steps they do to do the same thing they try to do, and are amazed when I pull up some function that they didn’t even realize was in their car.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > Captain of the Enterprise
04/02/2018 at 23:47

Man that’s sick... you got me thinking. I’m gonna have to look into that sort of program around here

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > winterlegacy, here 'till the end
04/02/2018 at 23:50

You come from an awesome family for sure!

Captain of the Enterprise > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
04/03/2018 at 19:14

Baja is pretty cool too!