I CHANGE MY VOTE...FOREVER...anything under the dash. I forgot, how could I? Last night reminded me. Replaced the vacuum hoses on the ignition switch, knocked off the little metal clip holding an adjacent bowden cable for the ACC system and can't get it back on. Grr. My 9 year old daughter likes helping me with the car. I think I'll start supplementing her diet with cigarettes and coffee so she can do the work under the dash as I grow older

My word man, you have a very charmed life. All my daughter's wanted was to spend money, and run the roads in the car.

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'10 Chrysler T&C Stow-N-Go White. Grandpa's ride.

'13 Chrysler 200 Touring Candy Red. Grandma's ride.

Age and cunning will always over come youth and vigor.

Thank you, yes I know it - I count my blessings every day.

I wouldn't exactly call it 'hated' but a filter change in the 115 is somewhat amusing.

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

Probably the worst for me was redoing the front end on my Fairlane. First there were the ball joints that needed to be seperated, and I didn't have a nice tool for it like I do for tie rods and other steering links. I had to wail away at them with a 20lb sledge and ball joint fork. Amazing how those parts can bond over the years. Then I had to get the springs out, which was maybe the biggest pain because they are tall and go way up in the fender. I just about couldn't get them out, the spring compressers I was using weren't that great. One with a vivid imagination should probably avoid looking at a big tightly compressed spring sitting on the floor. The one thing I do like about those jobs though is that you can generally get in and do them. You don't have to have thousands of dollars of equipment (although it doesn't hurt), you don't have to have years and years of experience to do it, you just go at it, and if all goes well it's done in a reasonable, if not enjoyable, amount of time. Or maybe not, the boot on one of the ball joints I put in has, for no apparent reason, split almost completely in half and the joint itself is ruined. Now I just hope the people I got the kit from don't try to tell me it has anything to do with normal wear; I've already got a local service place trying to worm their way out of fixing the transmission cooler fitting that they cross-threaded on my sister's Escort, and I'm not in the mood to have someone try to take advantage of me.
Actually, I think maybe my most hated repair is the one that I'm redoing because of a bad part, or worse, the one I'm doing because someone else screwed it up. That's part of the reason I don't want a newer car, as often as not you're stuck having to pay someone who may or may not be honest or even competant to fix a problem you either wouldn't be having or that would be a simple fix on an older car.
But I digress. Suffice to say that the benefits of doing my own work far outweigh the costs.

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Once and future king:
'64 Ford Fairlane w/approx 238,000 - looks rough, but amazingly reliable if you know how to look after it; I will soon begin work to totally restore and modernize it.
Family vehicles that I lay some claim to:
'78 300D w/approx 350,000 original, '62 Ford F100 4x4, '90 Ford E150 w/171,000 original

Dave, I couldn't agree more. I'm just two years behind you, LOL!

Buying tools may be my favorite part.

Most hated repair - the one I need, but can't afford the time to do it myself, but needs to be done urgently!
I don't like; No, I LOATHE, paying someone to do something I am competent to do for myself.

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Tony from West Oz.
Fatmobile 3 84 300D 295kkm Silver grey/Blue int. 2 tank WVO - Recipient of TurboDesel engine.
Josephine '82 300D 390kkm White/Palamino int.
Elizabeth '81 280E, sporting a '79 300D engine.
Lucille '87 W124 300D non-turbo 6 cylinder OM603, Pearl Grey with light grey interior


Various parts cars including 280E, 230C & 300D in various states of disassembly.

Any repair that ends up costing $$.
Honestly anything that I couldn't do myself and would require taking the car to a shop.
One thing though, I thought adjusting the belts on my '85 300D was a PITA because getting to the mounting bolts on the various accessories was tough. I did like the fact I didn't need any sort of pry bar to add tension to the belts was great.

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DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012

R&R front sway bar on a 123 or 126, any of them with the swaybar bolted to the firewall.

R&R sunroof complete on a 210(specifically removing the headliner).

R&R rear brake caliper bracket bearings on a 126 with the anti-squat rear axle setup.

Gilly

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Click here to see the items I have up for auction at EBay

Click here to see a photo album of my '62 Sprite Project Moneypit (Now Sold)

How about high speed (> 70 MPH) shimmy problem. Is it tire problem or wheel out of round? Is it front end alignment? Is it front end joints? High speed rotational problem may require lots effort and $$$ to solve.

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Shane83SD

I'm also not a big fan of "heavy" work, like removing/installing transmissions and the like. I have
no problem building one after it's out though. My favorite is "clean" work...like diagnosing weird
problems and tuning. Some guys prefer the opposite, the real champs are equally OK with (and skilled)
doing either.

Recently I had to completely overhaul the rear end on a 123 coupe (requires removing the rear
subframe)...the job came out nicely and didn't really take that long, but it took some serious
internal "pep talk" to keep me motivated to the finish. NOT something I want to do again anytime
soon...course my dad would just say I'm a wuss

Grrrr!!!
Kidney stone put me in the hospital....
Rear shocks exploded on a giant pot hole.
Took it to a national repair shop chain..
Been there, done that, they botched the job and I ended up fixing it myself, 30 days later..........

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ASE Master Mechanic
asemastermechanic@juno.com

Prototype R&D/testing:
Thermal & Aerodynamic System Engineering (TASE) Senior vehicle instrumentation technician.
Noise Vibration and Harshness (NVH).
Dynamometer.
Heat exchanger durability.
HV-A/C Climate Control.
Vehicle build.
Fleet Durability
Technical Quality Auditor.
Automotive Technical Writer

1985 300SD
1983 300D
1984 190D
2003 Volvo V70
2002 Honda Civic

https://www.boldegoist.com/

That is my greatest hate - spending good money to have a "professional" ruin the job.
My Mazda had an oil leak from the head gasket - needed a new gasket ,but could have had warping. He said that it had a slight warp and took a "light cut" off it. Then the valves kept hitting the pistons
Had to sell the car.

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Tony from West Oz.
Fatmobile 3 84 300D 295kkm Silver grey/Blue int. 2 tank WVO - Recipient of TurboDesel engine.
Josephine '82 300D 390kkm White/Palamino int.
Elizabeth '81 280E, sporting a '79 300D engine.
Lucille '87 W124 300D non-turbo 6 cylinder OM603, Pearl Grey with light grey interior


Various parts cars including 280E, 230C & 300D in various states of disassembly.

Any job that makes me bleed. :Grrrr: