Hey, I used to be a mechanic! 

 

Good Morning Charles,

Used to be a Mechanic, means still am, deep down inside. You can take the boy out of the Country, BUT,...............

Never be ashamed of being a Mechanic. Now they are trying to upscale the name, Technician. I own my own Shop and all of the guys that work for me are Mechanics. We fix things, not just replace parts.

Neil

The manufacturers, of cars at least, are pretty much putting "fixing things" out of business unless it's few and far between. They are forcing replace only on a lot of things.

Should visit Asia where a lot of stuff not designed to be fixable gets fixed anyway...

Here in the U.S. the liability would wipe you out. Sort of like "what I can get away with doing on my own vehicle" vs. "what I can do on a customer vehicle"  There are sure a Lot of repairs I could do and would morally stand behind myself, but in the business world of Ins. companies and liability, lawyers and all the wreck,  there is no way I'd go there.

Friday meanderings:  Most of my life I've read about mysterious bazaars where you could buy *anything*,  first on Earth and then in SF and Cyberpunk, in the stars.  Then in the 90's I had to spend a month in Jakarta Indonesia doing an installation.  Needing some stuff that missed shipment my local colleagues took me to a place in Glodok and there I was: multi story concrete building, low ceilings, knee deep in paper trash and *EVERYONE* smoking, a large shop would be 4'x8'. I felt that if I could just speak the right codewords I could buy thermonuclear initiators---and if I mispronounced one I'd be supporting the oceanic flora and fauna...

The best Toyota mechanic we ever had was a Vietnamese guy who had been a refugee at Fort Chaffee in the mid 70's and went to work for a car repair business.  He was so used to having to keep things running with NOTHING that when he finally could get access to parts and tools he could work Miracles---diagnosed and fixed stuff two dealerships had given up on!

I don't doubt it one bit. Those that grow up working with about nothing can work miracles when they have something to work with.

I remember reading suggestions for running expeditions in Africa and they said that *always* buy British Land Rovers; not that they were best or most reliable; but because *everyone* knew how to work on them---you would be stopped on the side of the road with your engine dead and a Masai Warrior would wander up in traditional dress with a spear and look over your shoulder and say---"have you tried fiddling with the jets on the carburetor yet?"

Listening to the drop test with the hammer i would guarantee it is wrought with steel face.