OT-I need a well qualified mechanic!

[steve210]

I've got news for you, some heater cores and blower motors have been been a b!tch to change for 50 years. My memory fails me what year Chevrolet passenger cars it was but somewhere in the 60"s you either removed the fender well or cut a neat little door in it to change the heater core. Been a long, long time since the engineers gave a hoot about the mechanic.

Camaro's

 

[Tommie]

I've got news for you, some heater cores and blower motors have been been a b!tch to change for 50 years. My memory fails me what year Chevrolet passenger cars it was but somewhere in the 60"s you either removed the fender well or cut a neat little door in it to change the heater core. Been a long, long time since the engineers gave a hoot about the mechanic.

How to design a vehicle:
1) start with a heater core
2) build a car around it

 

[JB10]

The dealership im at is always looking for help. Ive trained 2 apprentices that quit after 1 year on their own. The 3rd i just got done training and has only been on his own 3 months. I do everything but specialize in transmissions. We have had enough work for transmissions thats all ive been doing for last 7 years. Fine by me since i actually enjoy them. They have had adds out for another guy for last 5 years with no serious applicants. Us transmission guys are a dying bread i think.

 

[Jon Leary]

Butch I think you are barking up the wrong tree.

 

[Retired shooter]

I didn't know it's been that long ago, 1954 Chevy truck, was a lot easier.

53 Mercury. $ 27.50 @ an auction. Barely running, I was 14. Got it home . Dad told me, if it don't run, you figure out how to fix it. You can't fix it, you can walk, or use your bicycle.

 

[joshb]

How to design a vehicle:
1) start with a heater core
2) build a car around it

Wasn’t there a Lincoln model where you had to unbolt and lift the engine to change the spark plugs? 70’s maybe Continental?

 

[Tommie]

Wasn’t there a Lincoln model where you had to unbolt and lift the engine to change the spark plugs? 70’s maybe Continental?

The factory V8 Monza was like that

 

[chop house]

Kids (for the most part) are not the same

Yup. Starts there. I hired the neighborhood highschool kid to clean up my yard. Before he even started he asked if he could partner with his classmate. They hauled leaves for 45 minutes and asked for a 'hydration break'.

And they had some sort of mechanical interlock on their arms where both rakes could not move at the same time. Reminded me of the county road crews.

Basically I got half the work output at twice the price. And the kids Dad later came by to make sure I was happy with their work. Sheesh.

 

[chop house]

Plus they are inflating away my retirement.

This. The government solution to all economic problems.

Grow our way out of national debt, generating more (deflated) tax dollars. Cashing in on the permanent lien they hold on IRA and 401k money (rmd tax bomb). Nulling out the ssa cola by increasing medicare 'contributions'.

 

[Steve Donlon]

53 Mercury. $ 27.50 @ an auction. Barely running, I was 14. Got it home . Dad told me, if it don't run, you figure out how to fix it. You can't fix it, you can walk, or use your bicycle.

I remember my first car was bought at a city auction. A 1956 Chevy 210 business coup. A light and power car with a flat area and open from the back of the front seat all the to the end of the trunk to haul meters around. Like a truck. Those where the days. Life was simple.

 

[hogpatrol]

Wasn’t there a Lincoln model where you had to unbolt and lift the engine to change the spark plugs? 70’s maybe Continental

IIRC, Sunbeam Tiger with the Ford V8, right rear spark plug change through the glove compartment.

 

[FNSafari]

I didn't know it's been that long ago, 1954 Chevy truck, was a lot easier.

As easy as my Chevy 1.5 ton YS? Now that was easy to work on from stem to stern! All the 235 needed was clean fuel and a good set of points, plugs and wires.

 

[KMart]

I've got news for you, some heater cores and blower motors have been been a b!tch to change for 50 years. My memory fails me what year Chevrolet passenger cars it was but somewhere in the 60"s you either removed the fender well or cut a neat little door in it to change the heater core. Been a long, long time since the engineers gave a hoot about the mechanic.

I had a 66 Chevelle that was like that. It took me and Dad the better part of the day t do it....And he had been a body man since 1946.

 

[KMart]

Wasn’t there a Lincoln model where you had to unbolt and lift the engine to change the spark plugs? 70’s maybe Continental?

And in the not so distant past, there was Ford pickups that required taking the cab OFF to do some of the engine work

 

[FNSafari]

And in the not so distant past, there was Ford pickups that required taking the cab OFF to do some of the engine work

I once had a 1948 Ford 1 1/2 ton Marmon Herrington 4 WD conversion truck. It had a V8 flathead. The distributor pointed directly forward horizontal style. There was a machine to hook it up to so you could time it accurately. Not easy to work on.

 

[rr2030]

I provide engineering support for dealers with one of the Big Three. In recent years, I’ve noticed many mechanics have moved out of California to states like Texas, Arizona, Florida, and Tennessee. Others—often the top technicians at their locations—have left the industry altogether for companies like Raytheon and SpaceX, and many have simply retired.

As noted earlier, the high demands for education, training, certifications, and a massive personal investment in tools have made this trade less appealing. Modern technicians must not only know mechanics, welding, machining, hydraulics, and electronics, but also multiple types of data bus communication systems. Yet the pay and benefits remain low: most techs get only two weeks of vacation even after 30 years, holidays are limited, the day after Thanksgiving is unheard of, and 401(k) matching is minimal. It’s easy to see why people entering the workforce look elsewhere. Of course there are exceptions.

Additionally, there are very few trade schools left and virtually no high school auto shop programs available. It will be a long time—if it happens at all—before this trend turns around.

 

[brokeasajoke]

And in the not so distant past, there was Ford pickups that required taking the cab OFF to do some of the engine work

Yep, and some of the Duramax (LB7 I think) had to have the cab a least lifted to do a head gasket. It's been said long ago a caterpillar field tech had an affair with a Cat engineers wife and that's how some of this asinine gosh awful design stuff started.

 

[ebb]

A set of twins lived 3 houses up the street from me, their mother used to watch me and my younger brother when my mother had to work night shift so she could get some rest in the day. They were flown from thier carrier to the USS Forrestall Fire as they were trained aircraft carrier fire fighters. When discharged in San Diego they bought a brand new Pontiac firebird and drove home. It was winter they stopped in the mid-west at a Pontiac dealer when the blower motor quit. The Mech cut the inner fender replaced the motor, covered the hole with duct tape and sprayed undercoat over the tape. When they found the patch they took it to the local dealer yelled and screamed but GM did nothing. When Japan started making quality cars Detroit had too eventually start doing better. What about a GM pickup that a flat tire tears half the bed off?

 

[NorCalMikie]

The factory V8 Monza was like that

And a Chevy Nova with a 327 V8. Hole saw in the wheel well.
And the 60s T Bird heater cores were a PITA!!!
Get paid by the hour. Get after it till you were done.
Work flat rate? Work 3 hours and get paid for 1 hour???
The only folks that made out in that situation were the shop/dealership Owners.
No wonder the mechanics move on to better paying shops.
And the dealership owners would ship the "not enough $$$" for the job to independent shops.
Last 10/15 years, first one in the shop in the AM, move the cars out, get the coffee pot going, get the air turned on and open the doors.
Had medical issues and figured SOMEONE was trying to tell me something so I hung it up. Still got $nap On tool box at the shop.
Boss called asking if I would "hold down the fort" while he went on vacation. Got to see folks I hadn't seen in a long time, got paid CASH and had a good time.
Came real close to firing one IDIOT that thought he was God's gift to the Automotive repair world. Shop "owner" said "we need him, don't fire him. A week later, he was GONE, The shop boss came back and fired him.
Idiot had moved to California to grow and smoke DOPE!!! He had more comebacks than good repair jobs. He didn't like me telling him "if you can't do the job, get out of the way and I'll show you how it's done"!!
Had one young kid learning in the shop. He said, never done that before! This is how you do it so NEXT time YOU can do it.
Been out of it for 10/15 years and surprised at how fast you forget and how fast things change.
Still wake up at 4:00 every morning but don't have to leave the house till "I want to".

 

[Retired shooter]

And a Chevy Nova with a 327 V8. Hole saw in the wheel well.
And the 60s T Bird heater cores were a PITA!!!
Get paid by the hour. Get after it till you were done.
Work flat rate? Work 3 hours and get paid for 1 hour???
The only folks that made out in that situation were the shop/dealership Owners.
No wonder the mechanics move on to better paying shops.
And the dealership owners would ship the "not enough $$$" for the job to independent shops.
Last 10/15 years, first one in the shop in the AM, move the cars out, get the coffee pot going, get the air turned on and open the doors.
Had medical issues and figured SOMEONE was trying to tell me something so I hung it up. Still got $nap On tool box at the shop.
Boss called asking if I would "hold down the fort" while he went on vacation. Got to see folks I hadn't seen in a long time, got paid CASH and had a good time.
Came real close to firing one IDIOT that thought he was God's gift to the Automotive repair world. Shop "owner" said "we need him, don't fire him. A week later, he was GONE, The shop boss came back and fired him.
Idiot had moved to California to grow and smoke DOPE!!! He had more comebacks than good repair jobs. He didn't like me telling him "if you can't do the job, get out of the way and I'll show you how it's done"!!
Had one young kid learning in the shop. He said, never done that before! This is how you do it so NEXT time YOU can do it.
Been out of it for 10/15 years and surprised at how fast you forget and how fast things change.
Still wake up at 4:00 every morning but don't have to leave the house till "I want to".

60 T Birds had 140 mph on the speedometer. They came close to doing it, if you had enough hiway.