It's official: I no longer like working on cars

[UTRacerX9]

...And I'm not even talking about my Stealth, although I guess this is where this is headed. My gf's car is a Hyundai Tiburon, still with the factory warranty. However, to actually be approved for warranty work in case something happens, you have to have documentation that all oil changes/maintenance have been performed according to the service specs. And so, for that reason, we take her car in for oil changes and what not as they provide a receipt for work and the date and mileage.

We take the car into NTB for an alignment, tire rotation, and oil change. Of course, they also look over the car and point out things that also need to be done ($$$) like rear brake pads, which I was already aware of. They quote us $260 for pads and labor. I never had any intention of paying those prices, as pads cost $20 and changing them SHOULD be an easy job. Well, Murphy's Law...

Both calipers are seized. I actually broke a 6" C clamp trying to compress the piston back into the caliper. I can only imagine how much NTB would have charged at this point, since they had no idea both calipers were shot. Anyway, long story short, the car now has new rear pads and non sticking calipers, and my back is killing me from working under the car. Also had to mop up a small lake of oil from the car, as NTB didn't bother to tighten the drain plug, and it was just barely threaded in. If I hadn't caught it, it's not the sort of thing my gf would probably even notice until it was too late and her engine seized.

So after all the work and cleanup was done, I started thinking whether it was worth it to save a couple hundred dollars by doing the work myself, and to be honest... I'm not sure. I find that I dislike doing maintenance and such on cars these days, even performance upgrades. I have a 300M output shaft that's been sitting for 3 years now, and a billet TC that I haven't bothered to install either. Same goes with the fixed headlights that I didn't get around to painting and installing permanently either, and several other parts gathering dust.

Maybe I'm in a funk or something, but the thought of working on cars these days is just completely unappealing to me. I don't know if I'm ever going to like it again either, and that doesn't bode well for owning a 20+ year old modded car.

[FeaRpb]

I love it some days, hate it others.

[IronmanTT]

Everything no matter how enjoyable at one time get OLD and I do mean OLD ... take a LONG break from it and maybe the passion for it may return.. :D

[UTRacerX9]

Everything no matter how enjoyable at one time get OLD and I do mean OLD ... take a LONG break from it and maybe the passion for it may return.. :D

That's just it... I haven't really worked on cars at all for the past 4 years, as we only had a 1 car garage. Now we have a 3, and I just don't feel that passion for it at all, even though I assumed it would come back (hell, that's why we got a house with a 3 car garage!)

[Valhallaz]

Uh... On a Tiburon, the rear caliper pistons have to be screwed back into place, takes a special tool.
They won't just compress.

[UTRacerX9]

Uh... On a Tiburon, the rear caliper pistons have to be screwed back into place, takes a special tool.
They won't just compress.

That's true... if you don't bleed the brakes. If you bleed the brakes and then use a clamp, as you compress them it turns the piston as it pushes it back in. Didn't want to go buy the tool, easier to just bleed the brakes.

[MADMarc]

Just like he said, sometimes there are aspects that make you want to pull your hair out...I'm sure we have all been there. At least you don't have to touch those brakes for a little bit? ;) After you sit on it for a little you'll NEED to get back into it.

[green-lantern]

Maintenance or repairing something that broke isn’t really ever fun. It seems you have just lost interest in the 3s. It happens to me like after I did all this work, AWD conversion, total rebuild ect. I basically went through the whole car. Then a LMI turbo blew, I kind of expected it so not a big deal but I still wasn’t all that excided on changing turbos even though they were new 19tHL from IPS. Then my VSS popped off the guides (another problem that was caused by a so called pro). Now it really took some will power to get motivated to repair those because I had lost some passion for the car. If it wasn’t for BRG and NG coming up I probably wouldn’t have it done right now.

I think if you get excided about the car again then the urges to work on it will return.

[MADMarc]

Maintenance or repairing something that broke isn’t really ever fun. It seems you have just lost interest in the 3s. It happens to me like after I did all this work, AWD conversion, total rebuild ect. I basically went through the whole car. Then a LMI turbo blew, I kind of expected it so not a big deal but I still wasn’t all that excided on changing turbos even though they were new 19tHL from IPS. Then my VSS popped off the guides (another problem that was caused by a so called pro). Now it really took some will power to get motivated to repair those because I had lost some passion for the car. If it wasn’t for BRG and NG coming up I probably wouldn’t have it done right now.

I think if you get excided about the car again then the urges to work on it will return.


Jebus! I'd be broke off too!

[Valhallaz]

That's true... if you don't bleed the brakes. If you bleed the brakes and then use a clamp, as you compress them it turns the piston as it pushes it back in. Didn't want to go buy the tool, easier to just bleed the brakes.

I've had a couple Mazda's that had similar setups. Had nothing to do with fluid pressure, it was the way the emergency brake mechanically tensioned. On the Mazda's, there was no possibility of forcing the caliper back into place even without any pressure being built in the lines. Bleeding the brakes made no difference.

I suspect the Tiburon rears are the same way, and that it's the emergency brake system that prevented compression.

[TonyM]

Maybe I'm in a funk or something, but the thought of working on cars these days is just completely unappealing to me. I don't know if I'm ever going to like it again either, and that doesn't bode well for owning a 20+ year old modded car.

Word, I don't mind the easy stuff - oil changes, brake pads, etc. I actually find some relaxation in that as long as everything is going well. The Stealth, for some odd reason, I just have no desire to work on, drive, etc anymore. Hence the reason it's for sale . . .

[BigTyla]

Take a break from it. I started feeling the same way about my car a couple of years ago. I ended up selling it because it was impractical for me to keep at that time in my life, but I would have loved to have been able to keep it and pick up where I left off after I had moved to Huntsville. So for about two years I drove around in my Z and did absolutely NO car maintenance except for oil changes, which I only did twice on the Z since I only drove it to and from school (my wife's car requires changes only once per 10,000 miles and we get that taken care of at the dealership along with the other required maintenance for that particular mileage milestone). Once I moved up to Huntsville, I started to get the itch again, especially with seeing my newly acquired shop empty. That's why I picked up this DSM a couple of months ago.

If you take a good, long break from working on cars, you'll eventually get the itch back. :)

[UTRacerX9]

If you take a good, long break from working on cars, you'll eventually get the itch back. :)

I hope so. I think part of the reason is that I'm doing more work on/around the house that perhaps I would have spent in the garage. After a day of mowing, trimming, edging, landscaping, etc... Not in the mood to work on anything else that weekend. I'm not getting any thoughts of selling my car, but I am considering selling a few parts for the car that I really don't NEED to install, and just enjoy as is.

[AdamVR4]

I hope so. I think part of the reason is that I'm doing more work on/around the house that perhaps I would have spent in the garage. After a day of mowing, trimming, edging, landscaping, etc... Not in the mood to work on anything else that weekend. I'm not getting any thoughts of selling my car, but I am considering selling a few parts for the car that I really don't NEED to install, and just enjoy as is.


I'm with you. I can barely even think of working on the VR4 right now. We're moving into the 3-car garage to help me get my drive back... lol... Our situations sound eerily similar. First thing I'll do is seal the garage floor. Then install the sink.

...But, I do feel the itch now that I bought a new OEM trans. Once I get it, all I have to do is swap in the quadco OS, throw it in, take my Hoosiers out of the bags and I can drive it... :) It's been YEARS since I regularly worked on the car. As long as the shift linkage isn't fucked up somewhere that I've been unable to spot, it will be race ready. That's one of my favorite things about this car... It can hibernate for years and then tolerate 30 psi again. haha

[FeaRpb]

I can't wait to get my car finished, when it is done. I will be heading up to OKC to run with the 1% crew for a night, but on my trip we should cruise Adam.

[jba3]

I broke a piston spreader (twice) and my friggin impact gun on my wife's 07 Pontiac G5 GT, doing the rear brakes. It took over 2 hours for a set of rear pads, between profanity, throwing tools, and finally saying "WTF is going on?!?" and looking online for help. I've done rear pads plenty of times, just not on this car. And I did the front pads and rotors too, since they were almost shot and one of the caliper bolts FELL OFF while my wife was driving down the highway (before I ever worked on the car).

F pontiac. I'm glad they're belly up, and I owned 3 (1 firebird, 2 LS1 trans ams) and used to love them.

The piston literally "screws in". It has to be rotated clockwise to compress. Whoever designed that ... they can kiss my hairy, pale white bawls.

Walk away from it for a while. Hopefully, it'll come back to you.

[BigTyla]

I hope so. I think part of the reason is that I'm doing more work on/around the house that perhaps I would have spent in the garage. After a day of mowing, trimming, edging, landscaping, etc... Not in the mood to work on anything else that weekend. I'm not getting any thoughts of selling my car, but I am considering selling a few parts for the car that I really don't NEED to install, and just enjoy as is.

I know that feeling. I've had a lot of housework to do over the past few months as I've had to take over some of the things my wife helped with now that she's working part time AND began grad school this semester. Sometimes it's like I don't have enough hours in the day to do everything, and once I have I'm so worn out I decide to use my free time doing something less strenuous. But that absence from working on the car makes me want to do it even more, and makes the time I do get to work on the car that much more special.

[Alex3000gt]

I can make you feel better, make a list of all parts you have & may want to get rid of - PM me and you can make $$.

:)

[FeaRpb]

How much for that 300m output shaft?

[Alex3000gt]

How much for that 300m output shaft?

Step down, I got here 52 minutes earlier.

[FeaRpb]

Hah, he is local, I have a better chance ;)

[UTRacerX9]

LOL I haven't decided to sell anything yet, and if I did, it wouldn't be much of a discount since it's all brand new, never used stuff LOL. But I'll keep you guys in mind if I do decide to go that route... hell, the car isn't even registered yet back in TX since I moved from FL last year.

[stealthee]

I really haven't liked working on cars for a long time now. I don't mind minor tinkering, or giving someone a hand, but to do actual work on cars sucks. Thats part of the reason I parked the Stealth and bought the Grand Prix.

Hell I bought everything I need to do a custom intake on the GP and its sitting in the car. All I have to do is make a cut on the piping and install.

I actually have plans to do some work on a guys NA this weekend. But most of that is because its going to pay good for little work.

[TUFFTR]

I can see where your coming from as we all do. A simple job turns into a headfuck. I know all too well of it and I'm only 22! on the weekend (over the course of 7 days in total) we took out an engine, basically stripped it all down paint wise (all brackets bolts exhaust etc) and repainted everything, along with a new clutch, engine mounts, w/p, wiring tidy up etc, all for it now not to start! I'm not too fussed as I know it's just a timing issue but my mate, whos car it is, on the other hand is FLIPPING IT.

I go by a small rule of thumb now, if I've never done the job now, regardles of what it is, its a 4 hour job minimum. That way in my head if I have something stuff up, i dont mind, as I knew it'd take 4 hours. when the job is done before 4 hours your a little happier! I do love working on the cars for now.....but NOT being in the industry anymore, certainly helps that aspect 10x over. When i was in the industry I had not one ounce of motivation to work on them

[RL7]

Is this the senior members forum?

[thor'svr4]

everyone’s been there. modifying a car is a ton of fun, but having to work on it when you don’t want to really sucks. put the car aside and don’t even think about it for a while. eventually you’ll start to miss the feeling of boost, the sound of a bov, 5500rpm launches, and being able to actually take advantage of passing zones. my backup car is a 92 Mazda 929, after driving it for a day or two I start to miss my vr4.

[AdamVR4]

is this the senior members forum?

Well played, haha...

[TonyM]

everyone’s been there. modifying a car is a ton of fun, but having to work on it when you don’t want to really sucks. put the car aside and don’t even think about it for a while. eventually you’ll start to miss the feeling of boost, the sound of a bov, 5500rpm launches, and being able to actually take advantage of passing zones. my backup car is a 92 Mazda 929, after driving it for a day or two I start to miss my vr4.

My daily is Grand Cherokee, I'll be honest, I haven't missed the Stealth too much in the last 18 months . . . and the hotter cam in the 4.7HO makes the Overland kinda fun, it sounds good anyway.

[JasonY]

Me too, i had these among other things installed on my car this week and didnt feel like i missed a single thing :shrug:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a48/JasonVR4/2011-04-27_15-47-55_383.jpg

Jason

[Iron Mike]

I've had a couple Mazda's that had similar setups. Had nothing to do with fluid pressure, it was the way the emergency brake mechanically tensioned. On the Mazda's, there was no possibility of forcing the caliper back into place even without any pressure being built in the lines. Bleeding the brakes made no difference.

I suspect the Tiburon rears are the same way, and that it's the emergency brake system that prevented compression.

Look up Eric The Mechanic on youtube. He does a good job with showing how different jobs are done. I watched his rear disc brake change not knowing that the 3000GT has a different setup than the car he was working on. The car he was working on has the parking break setup like what you mention. I made sure to double check mine after seeing the video to make sure they weren't the same. I spend a couple hours watching his videos. Even if he isn't working on a Mitsu there are common things you can learn from.

I stopped working on cars for years until I got my 300GT and now I'm looking forward to getting it all in good shape. Like everything, you need to take a break from things and then find something else for a while.

[KeithMac]

I`ve had a 300m output shaft in my toolbox at work for 4 years now and also bought and OS Geiken RC3 clutch to go in as well 2 years ago, loads of £££ in them but just can`t be bothered to fit either..

Out of principle I wouldn`t pay anyone else to do I lob I can do myself!.

[UTRacerX9]

Haha, this thread got bumped after a year and considering I just posted I'm going to sell my car, seems that back then, my decision was inevitable LOL.

[green-lantern]

:lo5l: I thought Alan changed the title of the thread.

[sethduncan]

I had a bad experience at NTB as well. I'm not sure there's any shop that's globally bad, but NTB sure seems to focus enough on commission and turnaround time that they don't do a good job. I'm pretty sure when I took my Stealth in for the 1-year re-alignment they just held it for a few hours and sent it back to me without looking at it.

[Jimvr4]

Look up Eric The Mechanic on youtube. He does a good job with showing how different jobs are done. I watched his rear disc brake change not knowing that the 3000GT has a different setup than the car he was working on. The car he was working on has the parking break setup like what you mention. I made sure to double check mine after seeing the video to make sure they weren't the same. I spend a couple hours watching his videos. Even if he isn't working on a Mitsu there are common things you can learn from.

I stopped working on cars for years until I got my 300GT and now I'm looking forward to getting it all in good shape. Like everything, you need to take a break from things and then find something else for a while.

I've done alot of brake jobs on different cars so I agreed to help my son do his 2000 Audi A4 rears. It was the first time I faced an E-brake setup like that. You have to be able to compress and turn the pistons at the same time to push them back in. Needless to say a simple brake job took alot longer as I had it halfway apart and couldn't figure out how to continue until I googled and found I needed a special tool. I was able to rent it at the local auto parts store but still had trouble as the setup binds up unless you do things properly. It did end up alot cheaper than having it done and I learned something new so it was OK in the end.

[Streamln1]

I took about a 5 year break from working on mine, now I have renewed interest like never before.