<VV> Necessary Repairs

[Byron Comp]

Matt,
 
How does my mechanical skills, or lack thereof, enter into the equation? If the rubber bushings are dried out and need to be replaced, or if the steering box is dry or leaking, or if the rear bearings (EM) have likely never been replaced or properly maintained by a PO, what good does it do to be a certified mechanic when something I overlooked or failed to fix, because I wouldn't spend the money to do so, comes apart at highway speed?
 
As for my other cars, one is a '97 Ford Explorer which has been a constant headache. The other is an '89 Mazda B2600i which I just put a second new master clutch cylinder into. That truck has over 225,000 miles on it and the Explorer has over 185,000.
 
I ruined several perfectly good cars in my "youth" because of neglect and/or recklessness. Hopefully I've outgrown those problems by now.
 
Look, I'm not trying to pick a fight here or castigating others who see things differently. I just think we should perhaps differentiate between a vehicle that is being maintained as a daily driver and one which is being restored as a show piece. In either case, enough care should be taken and money spent to make sure it's safe to put on the road, both for the driver's sake and the other vehicles it shares the road with. Perhaps everybody else already sees those differences being discussed here and I've just missed them. In that case, Mea Culpa!
 
Byron Comp
'64 Monza Vert
Gainesville, FL
 
PS to Hank: Bring 'em on! Me and a few friends will give them a some lessons in southern etiquette!
 
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>Message: 6
>Date: Sun, 8 Jan 2012 22:00:37 -0500 (EST)
>From: Matt Nall <patiomatt at aol.com>
>Subject: Re: <VV> Making necessary repairs.
>To: virtualvairs at corvair.org
>Message-ID: <8CE9C91FF330DED-1B5C-7E00D at webmail-d010.sysops.aol.com>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
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>My point is that if I'm going to do something like this, I'd never do it 
>half-a$$ed! That negates the whole concept of restoring something, to my mind. 
>Am I in my right mind? No, probably not! I'll have ten times as much invested in 
>this car than I'll ever recover; but I knew that going in and still decided it 
>was something I wanted to do. Do I expect everybody else to be such a purist? 
>Certainly not, but to boast about how cheaply you've done something also doesn't 
>seem right to me.
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>Byron Comp
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>If you are not a true mechanic that can reliably  access the condition of parts.. then going all new is the correct way.
>If you've only driven NEW / Newer cars most of your life... then that's the only way to be comfortable!
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>Many  are "really "re-living" their youthful days....  cars with patina....safe..but not perfect....
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>Please do not confuse  owners with little or no spare $$$  for with  those that just aren't caught up in "look at me", or "cruising".
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>Especially in these rough economic times....we need  to help those unable to help themselves..
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>One forum I frequent even has a "pay it forward"  topic....where some even pay the shipping!
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>This, of course is mainly on "safety items"
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>Matt Nall
>Charleston, Oregon
>http://tinyurl.com/The-Patio
>http://tinyurl.com/Matts-Tech-Pages
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