you'd be suprised. having worked retail for a long time ive actually had a hand in a few..... lets call them Relationship-endings with employees at other stores.

 

I actually grew up in upstate NY and changed my oil every time often outside in the winter. But I will say that my grandfather was a mechanic and so was my uncle and my father was one full-time until I was about eight, when he started working as a welding shop foreman but still worked on cars on the side for extra $. I didn't follow suite and have never worked on vehicles for a living, but taking one in for non-warranty repairs just wasn't done around my house.

I have paid for work to be done that I'm not comfortable doing but to date I've only paid for my gear & LSD install. When I told my old man over the phone that I got 4.56 gears and he learned that I paid to have them installed, he basically ridiculed me and used a few words that aren't re-printable here...

 

I hear ya! My father was a bank manager (but he grew up on the farm). We spent many a cold night on the floor of an unheated garage fixing cars, lawn tractors, snowmobiles etc. I quickly learned where to hold the trouble light so he could see without his head casting a shadow - just to avoid the ratchet flying back towards my head.

I do as much as I can now in a half-paved driveway - trying to teach my 12 y.o. son the little bit I know, letting him do as much as he his able and maybe just a little more.

 

Northgator -----> are you saying that you change your own oil in the driveway in February in Ottawa? Not for me! I've always had my young lad work on the motorcycle maintenance and upgrades with me, so is handier at that stuff than many of his peers, but I suspect I would lose his interest if I pulled that!

 

That's great that you do that. I really wish my dad taught me more about cars when I was younger. I'm sure he would have once I turned 16 and bought a car but he passed away before that.

 

Timing is everything! I'm about to change it around now! Won't need one in February. I'd be out anyhow in the middle of February! Cross-country skiing, show-shoeing, hockey down at the park, and, sadly, camping with Scouts (ouch).

 

Sorry for your loss. My father is still kicking around at close to 80. He now takes his truck and car in for service at the dealer (this one is different - how they should be), more for the social interaction and news than anything.

None of this is really rocket science! A good set of wrenches and sockets and a few specialty tools when you need them, then have at it!

With all of the videos and how-tos out there anyone that isn't afraid to get dirty can get most of this stuff done. Changing oil (as long as you don't twist off the drain plug) is as easy as drawing a bath.

 

Yeah I ended up teaching myself a lot of stuff. I have plenty of friends who I can ask questions and of course the internet is an awesome resource too. My first car (a Ford) was not easy to work on at all but I did learn a lot about auto mechanics from it. The Dakota is super easy to work on compared to that Ford but I haven't had a single problem with it yet (i'm only at 50K miles).