Grumpy (not very) old Man

[Cup ov Ste 53]

Why does nobody want to work on there cars anymore ?
If we'd have had access to this amazing tool, "The on-line forum" 15-20 years ago, it would have been full of useful infomation and advice from people doing all sorts of work on their R5s 205s etc.
These days it seems like most of my fellow Renaultsport fans are wasting such a great tool by constantly discusing who can do what,and for how much.
Why does nobody want to get their hands dirty ? Surely if you're intrested in your car enough,to talk about (at great length) how to get a couple of bhp here and there,that you'd want to get stuck in and work on it when and if req'd ?
If for no other reason than to save a fortune in service charges,that you could then spend on 20 inch rims and 6 inch tail pipes!

 

[Daniel]

Feel better now?

 

[Donut]

It bemuses me as well bud.

I'm not old (24 at last count) and don't understand why everyone doesn't work on thier cars. It saves you cash, you know it's done right and most of all it's good fun.

Aslong as you make sure you have the right tools and do you research you can't really go that wrong.

You only have to do one cambelt and one head gasket, then you can pretty much do anything.

Laters, Donut.

 

[Pep]

I do most of the stuff on my cars, suspension, brakes, little fixes etc.

But i will never try to save a bit of money and not get the stamp in my service book. Just not worth it come sale time.

I love messing about with them, but at the same time I'm happy to hold my hands up and admit that I havent a clue what to do and take it to a pro!

 

[Daniel]

What about time?

I work 7 days a week, 10 hours a day. I have a family to go home to....

(And i'm a r****d when it comes to fixing my car!)

 

[brownale01]

I do most of the stuff on my cars, suspension, brakes, little fixes etc.

But i will never try to save a bit of money and not get the stamp in my service book. Just not worth it come sale time.

I love messing about with them, but at the same time I'm happy to hold my hands up and admit that I havent a clue what to do and take it to a pro!

+1

 

[jamesp24]

Most people don't have the time to work on their cars for hours these days, i do as much as i can but id rather be having a beer lol.

 

[Henry]

i think there are still plenty of people on here who look after their own cars. may be it's that the RS Clio wasn't built in the same numbers as some of the cars you've mentioned and hasn't developed the same sort of 'hands on' following (i do know what you mean. think i do anyway). it'll 'improve', though, as people realise that their cheap French hatchbacks are getting older, cheaper, and more expensive to maintain at dealers.

i'd be perfectly happy leaving mine well alone but needs must whenever things go wrong and i'm glad i've the facilities and a little of the know-how; i'm only 2 years in (or thereabouts) and have already saved a boat-load by trying to glue what's fallen off so far back on myself.

forums like this are invaluable as well and i think this one will probably become more technical over the years, as the cars age and those who are less inclined to maintain them themselves move on to more modern cars.

 

[NOT! gary l]

Its the credit crunch innit.

Those who have been made unemployed have loads of time but cant afford a car

Those still in jobs are working like bluey ar**d fly's trying to make a living and have no time for learn as you go car mechanics.

I work 12 hour shifts, more often than not i have weekends off but that time is spent with my kids.

In the days (i think) you are referring to cars were generally more complex, with modern cars the majority of the things that go wrong are computer controlled, every garage has diagnostic software that can quickly and easily diagnose then solve most problems at relatively low cost and with little inconvenience to the owner.

It may be less fun but its certainly less hassle to drop you're car off at the garage in the morning then pick it up on the way home from work.

If i did have the time i'm still not sure id do it myself, the way i look it is that my time is money, if im not making it then im spending it with kids, time i wont get back.

Cheaper, easier, less stressfull and more convenient for me than to do it myself.

That said i have had a haynes manual for every car i owned and in my days as a skint apprentice i changed the brakes, suspension, oil changes myself.

But for a job that would take me 2 hours i can get it done in half the time at my garage for a very reasonable price and seeing as im friendly with the owner as ive been going so long i will get the keys to his car if i have things to do and dont want to wait.

 

[M8XY G]

most of the people here are cs millionaires remember?

i try to and do as much as possible but it is isnt much tbh

 

[Cup ov Ste 53]

Its not hard once you get stuck in. I know the first time you open them manuals it all looks a bit alien but it soon becomes clearer the more you do.
It doesn't take long to figure out that the majority of people are getting taken for a ride when it come to repairs/servicing. Havn't you noticed how everybody seems to have a "good mate" who works at a garage and repairs his/her car to a very high standard,for a very reasonable cost?:dapprove:

 

[NOT! gary l]

Havn't you noticed how everybody seems to have a "good mate" who works at a garage and repairs his/her car to a very high standard,for a very reasonable cost?:dapprove:

Yeah, but i'm missing you're point?

 

[Cup ov Ste 53]

It bemuses me as well bud.

I'm not old (24 at last count) and don't understand why everyone doesn't work on thier cars. It saves you cash, you know it's done right and most of all it's good fun.

Aslong as you make sure you have the right tools and do you research you can't really go that wrong.

You only have to do one cambelt and one head gasket, then you can pretty much do anything.

Laters, Donut.

Exactly right mate.
I've been looking for info on a Cam belt change, n its just a series of debates on weather it's worth paying one guy £300 to do it, or another guy £350. I'll tell you what i've noticed though, all the cam belt fails i've read about on RS clios,apart from one caused by the other belt going, have happened after its been changed by one of these highly paid mechanics !

 

[DannyR]

I try do most stuff on my car as SH stamps don't mean much after about 7 years I'd say, car didn't come with much history anyway but I've built a lot up.

Cambelts, head gaskets, gearboxes and clutches I'll take it to a garage.

If anything else is wrong with the car I may get a garage to look it over make sure I know whats wrong then replace the part myself.

Older cars are definitely easier to work on though!

 

[ijaen]

It was easier before, now you need special working tools and diagnostic tools to work on these cars...

Take the cambelt change for an example, it is rather expensive on Renault garages but to do it yourself you need the camshaft locking tool and deal with the tiny working space and stupidly thought procedure...

 

[Alexander]

I'm a very special boy when it comes to doing anything mechanical to my car.

I would rather pay money than f**k it up myself.

 

[Tigger]

i try to do as much work on mine as I can, if I'm stuck I ask for help on here or a few mechanicly-sound mates.

For the major stuff like Cam belts etc I would get a garage to do it

 

[jack_davey]

Some people just dont have the ability to be fair, I always get people on my street stopping and saying "you're always out here working on your car" like I shouldn't be!

 

[davebem]

I sometimes wander how some owners manage without working on the cars themselves. Their mechanic bills must be huge.

 

[DrR]

I sometimes wander how some owners manage without working on the cars themselves. Their mechanic bills must be huge.

+1 Stuff i've done for free would have cost £100+ at a garage.

 

[trile]

i know a lot 'in theory' but when I open the bonnet my eyes go sideways at all the magic in the engine bay lol

no seriously...was always interested in cars, but no male (or female) members of the family knew much about cars so ....

 

[jack_davey]

^same here, but my dad used to be the one teaching me when I was 15, now I'm the one teaching him.

 

[MarcoB]

I think ive got it easy. Uncle owns a garage with 4 mechanics , other uncle works at it, dad was a mechanic. Parts for cost and free labour ftw

 

[caister]

I sometimes wander how some owners manage without working on the cars themselves. Their mechanic bills must be huge.

If I didn't do most of the work to my car then I would be taking the bus/train as I wouldn't be able to afford it.

Though when I fitted braided brake lines the other week the union nut shredded and I had to replace the solid line. The job wasn't actually too bad but I would have been stuck without the knowledge of people on this forum.

 

[mattjk]

Jobs are cars are "fun" as you call it as long as everything goes as it should, for example a job can quickly go from good > bad > f**king nightmare when your installing your new coilovers and strut bolt snaps inside.... (not personal experience but you get my point)

I can think of many a jobs that certainly werent fun due to things not going to plan (they rarely do lol)

 

[caister]

^^Such as my braided brake lines which I told my girlfriend were 'Simple' to install! 2 days, a new brake line, several more tools for the garage and lots of brake fluid later they were on!!

 

[jamesp24]

So true,every time i work on my car something WILL break round off etc.

 

[partyboy23]

warrenty reasons aswell

 

[NOT! gary l]

There are people who may do it for fun, in which case fair enough, but if people are doing it as they cant afford garage bills then i'd have to question wether or not they should be owning a car if they cant afford to maintain it.

Theres simply no logic spending all available income on loan repayments then having no money should anything go wrong.

 

[caister]

There are people who may do it for fun, in which case fair enough, but if people are doing it as they cant afford garage bills then i'd have to question wether or not they should be owning a car if they cant afford to maintain it.

Theres simply no logic spending all available income on loan repayments then having no money should anything go wrong.

I don't see whats wrong with doing stuff yourself if you cant afford to pay someone else to do it and your more than capable of doing the work.

What you have said is similar to saying "Well ive bought a house but I can't afford to pay someone to decorate it so maybe I shouldn't have a house at all" Or "Well ive brought some clothes but I can't afford to get anybody to wash them or iron them so maybe I shouldn't wear anything". Even though anybody can do simple decorating or use an iron and washing machine.

I'm just glad some people on here are obviously earning enough money to pay people to do everything for them!!

 

[NOT! gary l]

bought

 

[caister]

There are people who may do it for fun, in which case fair enough, but if people are doing it as they cant afford garage bills then i'd have to question wether or not they should be owning a car if they cant afford to maintain it.

Theres simply no logic spending all available income on loan repayments then having no money should anything go wrong.

If we are going to play that game then you need to learn how to spell 'whether'

 

[rich-6]

+1 Stuff i've done for free would have cost £100+ at a garage.

Agree with that, Every car ive owned bar my 1st ive maintained them myself, To get the stamp i send it in for an oil change The only thing i havent yet done is a Cambelt becauswe none of my cars have needed them and i aint touching the on on the Clio the aux belt was difficult enough in the small space you have :dapprove: