I built my own go cart when I was about 14. I had a couple of field cars and my first road car was a 62 Buick Special which needed a motor mount when I purchased it for $100. No money to pay anyone so I did it myself. Then in 1968 (9?) I purchased an MG Midget with a bad clutch and a tooth out of first gear. Had to pull the engine to get at the clutch and tranny but I was working at a Chevy dealership as a car washer/gofer and they let me use the shop. All downhill from there. Lots of real mechanics taught me a lot over the years.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

wheres the canoe thing from

Did a 3 week long canoe trip in Algonquin Park in 1977. It was a religious experience. Pleasure for pleasure, a paddle beats a reciprocating engine anyday.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Helped a buddy change a timing chain on a 63' Bonneville when I was about 20.

Then it was just an alternator here and there for the next decade+... diddn't drive much.

Then I got the Benz and found Mercedesshop.

Who wants to wrench on a rusted toyota?... working on the Mercedes is a pleasure and a satisfaction.

Almost everything I learned was from reading and turnning the 'wrench', there is no classroom like trial and error... but the 'Tech' section on this site and the factory manual can get you to the right point of attack.

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-Marty

1986 300E 220,000 miles+ transmission impossible
(Now waiting under a bridge in order to become one)

Reading your M103 duty cycle:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showpost.php?p=831799&postcount=13
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showpost.php?p=831807&postcount=14

Bought my first car at 16, an 8 year 1966 Mustang. Learned basic
maintenance and mechanics by books and DIY initiative. Drove it for about year and moved up to a '69 T-bird, now that was a car, 375 hp stock. Thats where I learned alot about more complicated systems, like engines, ignitions, suspensions, voltages, and especially interior stuff (power windows,l ocks, guages, under dash kinda things). 50+ some cars, trucks, and boats later , I rarely let a paid indie touch my mechanical stuff.

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Question Authority before it Questions you.

Started with boats 454's, Atomic 4's, AQ125B's, big V8N Cummins, than progressed from there.

Buying the MB a couple of years ago forced me to! Its fun as a hobby but I am looking forward to only wrenching when I feel like it.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I think it all started the day that my grandfathers Ford Taunus 17m (Badewanne) threw a rod, or died in some other permanent way. (I was 6 or 7). I remember the frantic search, and everybody being happy to find a used motor from a butt-ugly burnt orange/red donor car. From that point on, I thought that maintaining your automobile was one of the more paramount things in life, and I started to pay attention when work was being done (either by my grandfather or my uncle - who has smashed more cars than I care to know about).
Once I moved to the states, I decided to change oil at the beginning, and quickly moved up to thermostats. A few years later I got my own car (a $950 Malibu) and graduated to radiator swaps, exhaust repair, carb mixtures, brake repair, master cyl. swap, and whatever else broke on that thing.

This illness has progressed mildly since then, and is currently being treated by my 3 Benzes, with relatively good success - I haven't had withdrawal symptoms in years.

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It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so. Robert A. Heinlein


09 Jetta TDI
1985 300D

Got a disassembled A-4 in my basement which I bought for parts and to learn more about them by taking one apart. Great engine.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

I'm a natural born gearhead. Everything else in my life takes effort. I suppose one could say I'm an idiot savant....whatever that means

I blame it on legos.


I used to play with them for hours upon hours.

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-1983 VW Rabbit LS Diesel (5speed, VNT/Giles build)

Well they are a neat engine, and parts are pretty easy to get. But compared to a nice 20hp diesel no contest. The A4 lacks the punch to really push a boat that a small diesel delivers.

Although there are a lot of them around, and I sell tons of A4 parts every year.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Unless you are a cruiser--bad CO poisoning risk and less than good fuel temperance in other countries.