Paycheck again at 71?

[Sean Buick 76]

You are doing a great job but work those fords are junk!

 

[termite]

You gonna make a career of this? Just kidding!

He's working on his next gold watch is all. Certainly should get one after working on that thing. Problem was circled before it left the assembly line.

 

[movietvet]

You gonna make a career of this? Just kidding!

I was in the automotive/light truck repair industry for 40+ years. First 10 years as a tech and then as a service manager/advisor/writer. Even when running shops, I worked on vehicles on the side. I like doing it. Now that I am retired, I want to stay active. I continue to do repairs for money at home and only on what I want to work on. I do not have a lift and my close friend is a current tech and 1/2 owner of a shop. He is in the shop by himself. I am working there to help finish the F150 because it belongs to my neighbor, across the street, and my tech/owner friend is swamped. All GOOD techs are. He knows my work ethic and has a lift and I don't have to move my tools there. As long as I can make decent money and it is worth it to me, I want to work. Again, I dictate what I work on and how I do it.

 

[movietvet]

You are doing a great job but work those fords are junk!

He's working on his next gold watch is all. Certainly should get one after working on that thing. Problem was circled before it left the assembly line.

I look at it this way. Does not matter what I work on for money. I can say no if I so choose. This Ford is my neighbor across the street. He has paid me lots of money for other work on this same truck, his wife's car, his small trailer for hauling cans and lawn stuff and his 26 foot travel trailer. When I was drinking, he would keep me supplied with cold beer when working and still pay what I asked. I have also worked on both of his son's vehicles.

I like doing the work and can say no if I want. It all keeps me active and I truly enjoy doing the work. To me, it is fun.

 

[Sean Buick 76]

you are a better man than I. I turn down any ford jobs, they are just engineered to screw you over… they design them to frustrate you.

 

[movietvet]

It all pays the same. In the end, I will be way ahead with favors being owed to me and mad money.

 

[termite]

I look at it this way. Does not matter what I work on for money. I can say no if I so choose. This Ford is my neighbor across the street. He has paid me lots of money for other work on this same truck, his wife's car, his small trailer for hauling cans and lawn stuff and his 26 foot travel trailer. When I was drinking, he would keep me supplied with cold beer when working and still pay what I asked. I have also worked on both of his son's vehicles.

I like doing the work and can say no if I want. It all keeps me active and I truly enjoy doing the work. To me, it is fun.

I've worked on a few. Nothing that major on newer fords (2000+). Just helping my nephew with small things when I've been in town visiting family.

Keep up the good work and positive attitude.

 

[movietvet]

When I was in the shops, as a tech and then as a service manager, I didn't get to pick and choose as to what came in the shop to be worked on and I also did not get to have as much control as I would have liked as to who the techs were. It was all about pleasing the customer, I have no problem with that, but the bosses were not realistic at times. There is a big shortage now of qualified techs for numerous reasons. Some of those reasons involve good techs that are tired of not getting paid for what they are worth. They also don't get to control the work flow. Great quality work cannot be rushed at times. I have fired customers before. Now I have no problem doing that. I CONTROL EVERYTHING. Even in the shop that my friend owns. It specializes in light duty trucks, 1 ton and smaller, and has a great reputation after being open 1 year in March. My friend is right up front about the time the work can take and the work that is already there and how the work flow can be. Because I have so much experience as a tech and running a shop, he can be freed up to stay working on whatever and not have to answer phones and be pulled away from the work. I am there to help with that and do vehicle work and be a second hand when needed and never a 5 day a week 8 hours a day employee.

 

[movietvet]

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[movietvet]

One thing I realized during this entire engine/transmission removal was that I am sure glad to have a cell phone to shoot pics with. During this process, I have taken numerous pics of "before" pics, especially of harness routing and harness connections. I also have dozens of small zip loc bags available to me that as I took components/systems apart, I would write where the attaching hardware came from, on the bag, and then zip them up in the bags. I also laid them all out in line in the order I took it all apart. Then during the reassembly process I did it all in reverse order. Took so much of the guesswork out of the process. Years ago, I did not have to do that but I was also working on old technology with just 1 or 2 harnesses. In the beginning, the entire "logging it in" process takes/adds time but on the reassembly, it saves so much time.

Out of all the many many many many many different fasteners, that I have removed during all this, can you imagine what it would be like to try to sort thru all of them as the reassembly takes place? Plus, the reverse order time saved? We are talking hours here.