Do people at work think you can fix their car?

Yea Well, Since I Am In The Auto Repair Biz Its Kinda Unavoidable -

 

"Do people at work think you can fix their car? "

only my boss.....
but then again, i'm supposed to....

 

I work for one of the big three(if you can still call it that) with a bunch of engine engineers, the opposite is true here, they think they know everything about cars. I like to sit back and listen to some of the things they come up with, most of them have no analytical skills whatsoever, MIT might teach them thermodynamics but not why their car won't idle, kind of funny.

 

All the fucking time, stupid piddling shit like changing wiper blades and light bulbs. I'm never less than amazed by the utter incompetency of people, I guess there are those that this comes to naturally, but I can't see how the others even dress themselves in the morning what with their baffled outlook on all things (vaguely) mechanical. Zippers and shoelaces must drive them around the bend.

I always help though, not without loud cursing and great brow-beating mind you, afterall you never know when you might need them to push your car or help lift an engine.

 

No, they don't...

I guess because they see me out in the parking lot trying to get my heap back together so I can make it home.

"He probably could help us.. but do we want him to?"

 

I get it quite a bit, but I strictly limit to giving advice an what they should do. Never work on the coworker's car myself.

 

I maintain/work on only 5 cars.....my Mustang Convertible, my wife's Camry, both my daughters' Exploder and Honda, and my hot rod 32 Ford Coupe........I often get asked to accompany friends when they are going to look at a used car, and I am more than happy to help save them some grief if it looks like a bad deal, but that's the extent of it......

People know that i do my own mechanical work and paint work, etc, but they also know that I am not for hire!

Brucie

 

I,ve been a mechanic for Chrysler dealerships for 25 years....I got tired of fixing cars on the side and quit it because they always wanted to pay with a case of beer no matter how big the job. I can only drink so much beer and the bank won,t take it on the mortgage.They still call though.....

 

No, not funny. As a mechanical engineer, I have to work with these book-learning-only geeks who have never turned a wrench, hammered a nail, or fixed a doorknob. It's agonizing. One benefit is that when prototypes need modification, they send it home with me so I get to spend the day at home in the shop. I just consider myself fortunate that my old man taught me how to build and fix things. That's the reason I pursued an engineering degree.

I used to have people come by my office and say, "hey, you work on cars..." Inevitably, they were driving late model trash. I just told them that I only work on classics and antiques, not late model junk. Now they pretty much leave me alone.

Chris

 

Always tell them I work on old cars with a carb, but I'll look at yours. Then simply tell them you think it might be a sensor and they need to take it somewhere where they can hook it up to a computer. "Sounds like a sensor" is my pet answer. If they won't accept that then tell them the computer needs a BFH.

 

No, frightening........

 

Wow...that's a sad commentary...that you have to hide the fact that you are compitent with mechanical things.

The dumbing down of America is real- people...

 

No, I think he is admitting that he works with a bunch of image conscious tight asses.

 

Haa,,, yep! That, and the fact that I am the "computer guy" here so I get the double whammy... I always get the "I have this computer at home which is doing... " I normally stop them right there, and tell them that I have "Laundry at home, and I can't get the skid marks out of my shorts... Any Suggestions?" If you keep a straight enough face, they actually believe you and eventually walk away....

 

Since I work at a small company, not really. All my friends ask though - I tell them how to fix it, so that they can do it themselves. If they don't want to do it themselves, fine.... I'm done (unless she's smokin' hot!)

I currently maintain a family fleet of 6 non-HAMB cars. In part, because of lazy, cheap relatives. No wonder I have no time for anything else.

 

Yes... but I call them POSERS.

 

Ummmm yeah, but then again, my 18 month old coworker thinks I can fix anything.......

 

Yes and it,s a pain in the ass but unfortunately I don,t have much choice as I,m the manager of a garage. Ha!

I don,t mind helping friends and relatives out but what winds me up is when they speak of me, they say I,m into cars. I try and explain that I,m not and I,m only interested in very specific types of cars.........then they send me Birthday Cards with Ferraris on. *sigh* Bless em. My kids God Parents bought me a plastic kit of a Ford Focus rally car for Christmas last year. Thanks!!

 

years ago I did a brake job on friend of a friends car for free, that person later was involved in a traffic accident, guess what his reason for the crash was? you got it it, the brakes, it did'nt matter that he was arrested for being three times the legal limit for alcohol.

 

When I was turning a wrench for a living years ago I did alot of "side work" at home to feed my racing habit, but as I got closer to management at work and retired from racing I did less and less side stuff. Now that I've been a Service Manager for the past 10 years I only work on our hot rods at home. Oh I still get the occasional "can you listen to this" from friends and relatives but I just dole out a little advice and remind them that I only have tools to work on old cars in my garage now. After 40 years in the business I've just about had all I can take of this "retail" repair business.

 

...heh heh heh...yeah "rottenpop"!! I got this desk pen set as a gift, looks like a bunch of Ferrari junk in miniature.....threw it in my bottom drawer!!

 

im in basically the same boat as "Derek Mitchell". I'm ASE certified, but not master, still missing one test. i dont have to worry about co-workers just family. My brothers the biggest mooch ever....

 

Ha! you should try being a Shop Teacher. The ENTIRE COMMUNITY is asking if you will fix their everything from lawn mowers to cars to patio furnature(for free of course because it's a "learning experience" for the students )

 

no coworkers (self employed) but when neighbors/ friends ask i just tell them i don't work on anything newer than 36 and that usually works well except i do end up doing a few welding jobs for people in my neighborhood with , boats, bikes, trailers, desert toys etc.

 

That is the single biggest reason for me. The liability. I get asked all the time "do you work on cars for people outside of work?" along with the usual assortment of "my car is making a noise...can you look at it"...or..."this guy said I need a XXX, how much for one of those is a good price?"

All I say is...1) I don't have the time or the space to work on other people's cars, and 2) if I do it, it won't be any cheaper for you than if you take it someplace...and with me you won't get a warranty.

Their next question is, "Do you know of any good places I could take my car?"

I learned at the body shop- for friends or family, you either do it for free, or you do it at full price. If they come to you trying to save money, you're the only one who winds up getting screwed in the end.

 

I am in a corporate IT environment, and get asked about peoples 2006 Eco-mobile, and I am quick to point out that my newest car is made in 1958.

On a side note, I am also asked if I make a lot of money on "those" old cars...like keeping and maintaining a couple of old cars is a money maker...

...maybe they are just jealous.

 

My Favorite line to use on the Family is "Take it to JNR and tell Jim I sent you" Jim knows me and he is going to charge them just like anyone else and appreciates the business.

 

I work for a billion dollar company. Our VP makes upwards of $200K a year. He wrecked his $50,000 Jag asked me to fix it for him in our machine shop.


YES!

 

I'm an accountant and co-workers that pay attention know I'm into old heaps and hotrods. A few have asked for a mechanics referral but have yet to hit me up to turn a wrench... but then again I'm an accountant who doesn't do his own taxes!

s.

 

Happens all the time to me and I don't really mind much.
It gets me out from behind this freakin' desk and it's all ways on company time.

All though I did do the bosses nephews brakes for him at home.
Scored big point there.

The boss has a 68 firebird that I've tuned up for him, timing plugs stuff like that. I'm not sure he knows how to change a tire.

The best was the 6 weeks I spent going to work in jeans and a t-shirt building an old scout for the company deer lease.
I did brakes, shocks,starter, engine and carb etc basicaly a whole car tune up.
Then got my ex Iron worker/ shipping manager to stick weld a bunch of stands for it.
Then Painted it with sray cans in the covered dock.

Really big points.
Funny I get more aculades at work for messing with cars then doing my real job.