Car knowledge your older self would teach your younger self

[GryphonRunner]

1. Stop messing around and buy a 1/2" drive 12-point metric set, already!
2. Bag and label EVERYTHING
3. It's easier to buy the right tool the first time than to try to "make it work" for half a day, scrape you knuckles, and buy the right tool in the end.
4. Impact wrenches are powered by the dark arts and will pay for themselves in about 30 minutes of work on engine and suspension parts.
5. Don't go cheap, go right

 

[Dark Lord]

1. Stop messing around and buy a 1/2" drive 12-point metric set, already!
2. Bag and label EVERYTHING
3. It's easier to buy the right tool the first time than to try to "make it work" for half a day, scrape you knuckles, and buy the right tool in the end.
4. Impact wrenches are powered by the dark arts and will pay for themselves in about 30 minutes of work on engine and suspension parts.
5. Don't go cheap, go right

I turn thirty in a year, but hell yeah to impact wrenches! Makes things so much easier!

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[Ghostrider]

Your best tool may be a camera. Take some pictures before pulling things like brakes and hoses off. Also when pulling on stuck bolts - look for where your hand is going to smack the vehicle when the bolt breaks loose. Actually had to have surgery to remove a ganglia cyst from this mistake

 

[ZebRuaj]

Great stuff guys. Lots of wise old folks in here.

Forgot about the torque wrench .. one of my later 20's discoveries. Would've saved lots of broken studs and bolts.

My earliest 30's discovery .. tap and dies. You don't really need it until you need it.

 

[Powder_Hound]

Don't drink and purchase parts.

Don't drink and spend time looking at GB's on T4R.org :target:

 

[mnofpeace]

NEVER, under any circumstances, buy anything built by LandRover.



yeah, they look good, and have all of the luxury in the world...but it WILL NOT be reliable...even when parked.

1. You cant buy parts for it
2. You have to go to the dealer 85% of the time
3. its a certified POS
4. See #'s 1. 2. & 3. just to make sure you understand what i am saying to you younger-self.

 

[1engineer]

In my profession I have had to go underground countless times, from coal mines to tunnels under the Boston harbor, salt mines under Lake Michigan to the reservoirs located 800 ft under Chicago, mines in Nevada to Mines in China and South Africa, from super safe to super sketchy. My first trip underground was when I was 26 as a newly minted engineer and I received a piece of advice that even today still sticks with me:

Always listen and follow the old guys. They didn't get old by mistake.

 

[philsey]

Always listen and follow the old guys. They didn't get old by mistake.

... and they always tell long winded stories.

:lalala:

 

[GryphonRunner]

Your best tool may be a camera. Take some pictures before pulling things like brakes and hoses off. Also when pulling on stuck bolts - look for where your hand is going to smack the vehicle when the bolt breaks loose. Actually had to have surgery to remove a ganglia cyst from this mistake

I don't even want to know what that is, but too true. I've got scars on most of my knuckles to prove it.

 

[gm350reratliff]

Don't buy a fixer upper vehicle you don't have the tools, working space, budget, or skills to start in on.

Also, don't buy that vehicle in the dark, from a drunk British guy insisting that it just needs a little TLC. It will certainly need more than a little.

Advice I'd give my 12 year old self doing my first tune up on my own FJ 40 " Don't pull all the spark plug wires at once ! " . Advice I'd give my 16 year old self " Don't sell the Landcruiser you idiot ! ".

Don't sell that nice 1959 Chevy truck either. It will never come back.

Learn to work on something other than small block chevy's you may not think anything else exists but someday GM will piss you off and there will be a Ford and a Toyota in your driveway

So true!^^

I'll add,

A little bit of lift is ok, little bit bigger tires too but that huge lift and tires on your truck will really make it a pain to drive and it will be absolutely worthless in anything but a flat mud pit.

Slapping boost on everything is a sure way to go broke quick.

The Snap-On tools dealer isn't really your friend.

Find a decent daily driver then you can build the vehicle you love and not have to worry about not having a ride to work.

If you have the money, buy what you want for your ride and don't let your girlfriend or wife sway you. They'll either get over it or they're not worth the trouble anyway.

 

[PaulsTrail]

If you want a classic vehicle, don't buy someone else's "restoration" unless you know you'll be happy enjoying it as is. Otherwise, you’ll sink deeper and deeper as you find and correct your predecessor's mistakes, to the point that you'll end up completely redoing everything on it. Further, you may end up spending far more on it than will be worth for a long, long time. hwell:

Buy a solid original instead, even if it looks nasty. You'll know exactly what you're getting, and the restoration will be far easier when you don't have to redo someone else's work.

Also, taking it to a car show can make for a very long day, especially if you can’t get out until it's over.

Finally, if you over-restore it, you may hardly ever drive it, and it could become a garage anchor.

The first picture of the '67 GT is recent, and the second one is at a car show many years ago (1993).

The white '70 Boss 302 is shortly after I bought it and started its restoration. It looked rough, but was completely original. The restoration only got as far as completing the engine overhaul due to marriage.

 

[bob3dsf]

NEVER, under any circumstances, buy anything built by LandRover.



yeah, they look good, and have all of the luxury in the world...but it WILL NOT be reliable...even when parked.

1. You cant buy parts for it
2. You have to go to the dealer 85% of the time
3. its a certified POS
4. See #'s 1. 2. & 3. just to make sure you understand what i am saying to you younger-self.

LOL! ahhh, British cars.... Here's something that ought to make you chuckle:

Lucas - Prince of Darkness - Lucas Electrical Humor Jokes


Edit: I'd tell myself- It's going to take a lot longer than you think it will... :/

 

[hounddogman]

Don't sell that nice 1959 Chevy truck either. It will never come back.


.

Man , been there done that too . A one ton 59 Apache dully

 

[Old 97]

Old 97 to Young 97: "Stop taking your car to the mechanic, and learn to do it yourself!"

 

[BlackWorksInc]

-Make Friends with a mechanic
-Keep your mechanic friend happy so he fixes your car

...

-No I won't be your mechanic friend...wait is that beer?

Post Note-

Shameless plug:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/132953-toolbox-how-use.html

 

[t4r blinder]

Kroil or PB blast EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!! No not kidding, EVERYTHING you are trying to remove.

Use the right tool! That doesn't mean a 3/4" drive socket and wrench for a MAF sensor nut so you can snug it up real good.

Just because everyone knows to only go a 1/2 to 3/4 turns after making contact on the oil filter, doesn't mean they actually didn't hire a gorilla to tighten it.

If you MODIFY your vehicle for any reason, and such parts fails or breaks, you have NO RIGHT to bash said vehicle maker for not honoring your warranty. PAY TO PLAY! If you are not willing, then leave your vehicle STOCK.

 

[gm350reratliff]

Man , been there done that too . A one ton 59 Apache dully

Wow, that's the same truck I had. Mine was ridiculously low geared with a 235 straight six and a wood/metal flatbed. I inherited that truck from my great uncle but I had dirt bikes on my brain so I let it go for $800. :frusty: Needless to say, it sold within 8 hours of the news paper being published. I'll have to dig up a picture for you guys. I truly regret selling that truck for many reasons.

Sorry for the derailment.

 

[flipflopnfly]

1) Motor oil is motor oil. Your 60 sec ¼ mile DD won’t know the brand difference. Just keep on the oil changes.
Disagree. Synthetic everywhere in the driveline.

8) Anti-seize everything!
Heartily agree. And dielectric grease on electrical connections

What are some other tidbits you'd teach yourself at a younger age if you could?
Too many to list. The school of hard knocks is something everybody has to do on their own. One thing maybe is don't try to cheap out on things you want, get quality, buy one time, cry one time.

 

[flipflopnfly]

1. Stop messing around and buy a 1/2" drive 12-point metric set, already!
2. Bag and label EVERYTHING
3. It's easier to buy the right tool the first time than to try to "make it work" for half a day, scrape you knuckles, and buy the right tool in the end.
4. Impact wrenches are powered by the dark arts and will pay for themselves in about 30 minutes of work on engine and suspension parts.
5. Don't go cheap, go right

1. 6-point for me.

3. Yep.

4. Yep.

5. Yep.

 

[Ghostrider]

LOL! ahhh, British cars.... Here's something that ought to make you chuckle:

Lucas - Prince of Darkness - Lucas Electrical Humor Jokes


Edit: I'd tell myself- It's going to take a lot longer than you think it will... :/

I recently read that the famous Amphicar used Lucas components. A perfect storm - Lucas and water.