50+ thread

US Marine · May 14, 2021

Evening all

Just got back home from the car show and had alot of fun . Alot of people came up to me and told me how awesome my Camaro sounds . I must have started it a dozen times while at the car show . I also got flyers for other car shows that are coming up

Even the drive home was fun as I was following a nice Pro Street 67 Nova that had a blown sbc . The look from other drivers at stoplights was classic when they heard both cars cackling away

Here's a few of the cars there tonight

KRAMERICA · May 14, 2021

Tacoma Mike said: ↑

All I ever wanted to do was to fix things.

To do something most people couldn’t.

To do it with pride.

To do it with respect.

To do it with knowledge gained to make myself the best at my craft.

It started when the family moved and of course a new neighborhood and kids.

Was just riding around on my bike and down one street and I heard a loud noise.

It was a engine. I followed the sound to a house and in that yard was a oval track race car running. Numbers on the side etc. To me, it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

I just road by for weeks.

Come to find out there was a bunch of older kids that were working on it with the

Adult owner. So one day I stopped and actually went onto the driveway and talked to the guys.

One of the kids was actually a family friend’s son.

So this started be an a ritual after school. I started helping, a little. Christ I was 13.

I lied about my age to get into the races a few years later.

I gained a lot of knowledge.

I was a sponge.

I was reading hot rod magazines as fast as I could earn money.

I could recall little details and at one race the car was not right.

Backfire, skipping. The guys were lost.

I didn’t say much.

I was a tag along until this day.

They had given up on the car for the night and they were just going to start the race with no expectations.

When they were in line before going out on the track I ran up to the owner in the car

And I yelled.

“Take the air cleaner off ,Take the air cleaner off.”

They had changed the air cleaner a few weeks earlier but we had gotten rained out for 2 weeks.

I ran to the oldest kid and yelled the same thing.

Cars were starting and he just took off running.

Popped the hood and yanked it off.

He started last due to qualifying.

He finished third

Car was as fast as before.

Owner got out of the car and walked over to the oldest kid and

said “Good call”

The kid said “ Don’t thank me, thank Mike”

I became part of the Crew then and there.

Went to Vocational School.

Went to Vocational College. Did double classes and did two years in one.

I tore into things and with my race experience I was so far ahead of the others the

teacher asked why I was even there. I could use all the machine tools. Rebuilding

Connecting rods, pistons, cranks. Boring cylinders, honing.

You name it, I did it.

Had to be shown once and then, I was off and running.

Started working for Chrysler.

Got all my certificates.

Taught a few classes.

Became a Master tech

Big wigs came down cause they had heard I was fixing a problem they couldn’t.

Other dealers were towing cars from out of state to my shop.

I wouldn’t tell them unless they made me rich.

So I’m still poor. Don’t care.

Started working on Toyota’s

Got all my certificates.

Became a Master Tech.

I was not a back yard flunky.

Not a guy that tinkered.

Not a grease monkey.

I am a professional.

I mastered my craft.

I AM AND ALWAYS WILL BE A MASTER AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICIAN.

Honest

Never ever did something or upsold something that in my heart wasn’t needed.

Reliable

Always showed up on time. Even during a blizzard. Vary rarely closed.

Respectful

Even now when lots of customers are pieces of shit assholes, when I had to talk to them,

I never was demeaning, or insulting, or derogatory. I would explain why things had happened and how I could get them on the road.

UNTIL,,,, THEY DISRESPECTED ME.

Then, the gloves were off.

Calling me liar or a thief was the worse thing they could say.

Many many times it was not pretty.

I don’t have a filter.

Never got an apology when i proved I was right.

I’m human.

I make mistakes.

Not very many but I do.

I take the hit.

I make it right.

I tell the customer what happened and how it was resolved.

I did the right thing.

It’s been 48 years.

I’m beat and battered, like all other physically hard working people.

We get no thank you.

No pat on the back.

Just a faster, or how much longer ( which would infuriate me. WTF you think

I’m doing back here.)

Things change all the time.

Always going to school.

Learning to fix the crap and shit the car companies put in these vehicles.

Never ending.

But now, the end is here.

Today is my last day as a full time Master Auto Technician.

To all my faithful customers that followed me during my career

(Some of them as much as 33 years) that trusted me, gave me gifts of

Cards, Food, ( Dam your blueberry pie was always so awesome Diane) thank you notes, you have no idea what it means and how I respected our relationships.

I will miss you all.

To all the others.

Unfortunately I cannot change your opinion.

I tried all my career.

I was talked to from the higher up’s so many times about my low

Upsell numbers I can’t begin to count.

If I wasn’t as good as I was I think I would have not been around.

When I first started, it was a service. To help.

Now, it’s a business, to make money.

Big business changed the industry.

Big business didn’t change me.

I am sorry you didn’t trust me.

I have done all I could do.

I gave it everything I had.

I have no more to give.

I have my integrity

I have my honesty

I can go to sleep well tonight knowing I did it right.

I’m Done

Click to expand...

Contgratulations!

But what are you going to do now???

MQQSE · May 15, 2021

Tacoma Mike said: ↑

All I ever wanted to do was to fix things.

To do something most people couldn’t.

To do it with pride.

To do it with respect.

To do it with knowledge gained to make myself the best at my craft.

It started when the family moved and of course a new neighborhood and kids.

Was just riding around on my bike and down one street and I heard a loud noise.

It was a engine. I followed the sound to a house and in that yard was a oval track race car running. Numbers on the side etc. To me, it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

I just road by for weeks.

Come to find out there was a bunch of older kids that were working on it with the

Adult owner. So one day I stopped and actually went onto the driveway and talked to the guys.

One of the kids was actually a family friend’s son.

So this started be an a ritual after school. I started helping, a little. Christ I was 13.

I lied about my age to get into the races a few years later.

I gained a lot of knowledge.

I was a sponge.

I was reading hot rod magazines as fast as I could earn money.

I could recall little details and at one race the car was not right.

Backfire, skipping. The guys were lost.

I didn’t say much.

I was a tag along until this day.

They had given up on the car for the night and they were just going to start the race with no expectations.

When they were in line before going out on the track I ran up to the owner in the car

And I yelled.

“Take the air cleaner off ,Take the air cleaner off.”

They had changed the air cleaner a few weeks earlier but we had gotten rained out for 2 weeks.

I ran to the oldest kid and yelled the same thing.

Cars were starting and he just took off running.

Popped the hood and yanked it off.

He started last due to qualifying.

He finished third

Car was as fast as before.

Owner got out of the car and walked over to the oldest kid and

said “Good call”

The kid said “ Don’t thank me, thank Mike”

I became part of the Crew then and there.

Went to Vocational School.

Went to Vocational College. Did double classes and did two years in one.

I tore into things and with my race experience I was so far ahead of the others the

teacher asked why I was even there. I could use all the machine tools. Rebuilding

Connecting rods, pistons, cranks. Boring cylinders, honing.

You name it, I did it.

Had to be shown once and then, I was off and running.

Started working for Chrysler.

Got all my certificates.

Taught a few classes.

Became a Master tech

Big wigs came down cause they had heard I was fixing a problem they couldn’t.

Other dealers were towing cars from out of state to my shop.

I wouldn’t tell them unless they made me rich.

So I’m still poor. Don’t care.

Started working on Toyota’s

Got all my certificates.

Became a Master Tech.

I was not a back yard flunky.

Not a guy that tinkered.

Not a grease monkey.

I am a professional.

I mastered my craft.

I AM AND ALWAYS WILL BE A MASTER AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICIAN.

Honest

Never ever did something or upsold something that in my heart wasn’t needed.

Reliable

Always showed up on time. Even during a blizzard. Vary rarely closed.

Respectful

Even now when lots of customers are pieces of shit assholes, when I had to talk to them,

I never was demeaning, or insulting, or derogatory. I would explain why things had happened and how I could get them on the road.

UNTIL,,,, THEY DISRESPECTED ME.

Then, the gloves were off.

Calling me liar or a thief was the worse thing they could say.

Many many times it was not pretty.

I don’t have a filter.

Never got an apology when i proved I was right.

I’m human.

I make mistakes.

Not very many but I do.

I take the hit.

I make it right.

I tell the customer what happened and how it was resolved.

I did the right thing.

It’s been 48 years.

I’m beat and battered, like all other physically hard working people.

We get no thank you.

No pat on the back.

Just a faster, or how much longer ( which would infuriate me. WTF you think

I’m doing back here.)

Things change all the time.

Always going to school.

Learning to fix the crap and shit the car companies put in these vehicles.

Never ending.

But now, the end is here.

Today is my last day as a full time Master Auto Technician.

To all my faithful customers that followed me during my career

(Some of them as much as 33 years) that trusted me, gave me gifts of

Cards, Food, ( Dam your blueberry pie was always so awesome Diane) thank you notes, you have no idea what it means and how I respected our relationships.

I will miss you all.

To all the others.

Unfortunately I cannot change your opinion.

I tried all my career.

I was talked to from the higher up’s so many times about my low

Upsell numbers I can’t begin to count.

If I wasn’t as good as I was I think I would have not been around.

When I first started, it was a service. To help.

Now, it’s a business, to make money.

Big business changed the industry.

Big business didn’t change me.

I am sorry you didn’t trust me.

I have done all I could do.

I gave it everything I had.

I have no more to give.

I have my integrity

I have my honesty

I can go to sleep well tonight knowing I did it right.

I’m Done

Click to expand...

Mike,
Words don't cover my respect for you and how much I appreciate your friendship and advice. I wish you all the best in your retirement. If you and your sweetheart are ever up our way you're always welcome in our home. Enjoy doing what you want when you want, you've earned it my friend.

Respect GBA
With Sincere Gratitude
Rob

MQQSE · May 15, 2021

Pointeman said: ↑

This weekend I move the remaining items out of my dad’s house and send them on their way to Surprise Arizona. Be lying if I said it doesn’t make me a little nervous to have him relocate at 88 years old. I will be putting the truck and new trailer to work, so in preparation I’m changing brakes and making sure everything is good to go. I dropped off the truck at the dealership early for rear brakes (something I’ve never learned to do). They called 15 minutes later stating that my mechanic reported that my shoes had plenty of life left on them and to come see him at 100k. I picked up the truck “No Charge” and he even vacuumed my truck. I apologized for taking their time but told my service writer that this earned a high level of trust. Another service writer overheard and quietly stated “see...I told you so” He beamed with pride and said he wouldn’t have it any other way. I slipped him and the mechanic a $20 and voiced my appreciation. @Tacoma Mike thought about you and what you bring to the table as I drove away. Nice to know there are others that stand for the same principles.
Click to expand...

Good deal!

BTW, my 2007 2nd Gen Access Cab had 124K miles on it when I traded it on the POS Ram ... the last few years I owned it I checked the brake pads (front) and shoes (rear) every 6 months for wear, but I never had to replace either. Only vehicle I ever owned that I never did a brake job on, aside from my wife's Highlanders and the POS Ram which only had 28K miles on it when I traded it on my current 3rd Gen.

Good luck with your Dad's move. I'm sure your Tacoma is up to the task.

Tacoma Mike · May 15, 2021

KRAMERICA said: ↑

Contgratulations!

But what are you going to do now???

Click to expand...

Yeup..lol

jwctaco · May 15, 2021

MIKES REPAIR SHOP

Closed Today. GONE FISHING

Tacoma Mike · May 15, 2021

jwctaco said: ↑

MIKES REPAIR SHOP

Closed Today. GONE FISHING

Click to expand...

That’s Great

vssman · May 15, 2021

Good morning all. It looks like a nice spring day is on tap here.

Cwopinger · May 15, 2021

MTgirl said: ↑

right now hoping that i can get into one of the RV dealers i'll be passing in a week. theres a bypass valve so i can still fill up the fresh water tank and leave the water heater empty. i've tried everything i can think of but dontwant to get carried away for fear of making the problem worse. night give it one more go in the morning. i dunno. just frustrated.
Click to expand...

Weesa, also check with a plumbing shop while you’re in town. They should be able to run a tap through the threads on the water heater to clean them up. If this is a regular problem you run into you may just want to buy the appropriate tap from a hardware store. Good luck with it.

Hardscrabble · May 15, 2021

Good morning all. Happy Saturday - it’s my Friday!

I was lucky enough to have gasoline in my vehicles for this recent shortage. I’m going to need to refill before next Wednesday. There’s 3 gas stations about a mile from me that have all been out of fuel several times the past few days. When they would get a tanker truck for re-supply, they were limiting each customer to 10 gallons.

Anyone else have issues with the pipeline shutdown?

Cwopinger · May 15, 2021

Good morning everybody. Grab that extra cup of coffee and enjoy the day.

Tacoma Mike · May 15, 2021

Hardscrabble said: ↑

Good morning all. Happy Saturday - it’s my Friday!

I was lucky enough to have gasoline in my vehicles for this recent shortage. I’m going to need to refill before next Wednesday. There’s 3 gas stations about a mile from me that have all been out of fuel several times the past few days. When they would get a tanker truck for re-supply, they were limiting each customer to 10 gallons.

Anyone else have issues with the pipeline shutdown?

Click to expand...

Nope, not here as far as I know.
Just the price

newb13 · May 15, 2021

morning all still hanging in there.

Taco-Grinder · May 15, 2021

Good Morning
Looks like a good day not to be at work.
Wife wants to visit a cheese factory today. They have a store were you can get fresh made cheese and other crap. In Wisconsin you can't swing a dead cat without hitting cheese and brats.

jwctaco · May 15, 2021

Taco-Grinder said: ↑

Good Morning
Looks like a good day not to be at work.
Wife wants to visit a cheese factory today. They have a store were you can get fresh made cheese and other crap. In Wisconsin you can't swing a dead cat without hitting cheese and brats.
Click to expand...

Finding cheese in Wisconsin, good luck with that.Good morning everyone, nice weather today.

CVYota · May 15, 2021

Morning all

Tacoma Mike said: ↑

All I ever wanted to do was to fix things.

To do something most people couldn’t.

To do it with pride.

To do it with respect.

To do it with knowledge gained to make myself the best at my craft.

It started when the family moved and of course a new neighborhood and kids.

Was just riding around on my bike and down one street and I heard a loud noise.

It was a engine. I followed the sound to a house and in that yard was a oval track race car running. Numbers on the side etc. To me, it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

I just road by for weeks.

Come to find out there was a bunch of older kids that were working on it with the

Adult owner. So one day I stopped and actually went onto the driveway and talked to the guys.

One of the kids was actually a family friend’s son.

So this started be an a ritual after school. I started helping, a little. Christ I was 13.

I lied about my age to get into the races a few years later.

I gained a lot of knowledge.

I was a sponge.

I was reading hot rod magazines as fast as I could earn money.

I could recall little details and at one race the car was not right.

Backfire, skipping. The guys were lost.

I didn’t say much.

I was a tag along until this day.

They had given up on the car for the night and they were just going to start the race with no expectations.

When they were in line before going out on the track I ran up to the owner in the car

And I yelled.

“Take the air cleaner off ,Take the air cleaner off.”

They had changed the air cleaner a few weeks earlier but we had gotten rained out for 2 weeks.

I ran to the oldest kid and yelled the same thing.

Cars were starting and he just took off running.

Popped the hood and yanked it off.

He started last due to qualifying.

He finished third

Car was as fast as before.

Owner got out of the car and walked over to the oldest kid and

said “Good call”

The kid said “ Don’t thank me, thank Mike”

I became part of the Crew then and there.

Went to Vocational School.

Went to Vocational College. Did double classes and did two years in one.

I tore into things and with my race experience I was so far ahead of the others the

teacher asked why I was even there. I could use all the machine tools. Rebuilding

Connecting rods, pistons, cranks. Boring cylinders, honing.

You name it, I did it.

Had to be shown once and then, I was off and running.

Started working for Chrysler.

Got all my certificates.

Taught a few classes.

Became a Master tech

Big wigs came down cause they had heard I was fixing a problem they couldn’t.

Other dealers were towing cars from out of state to my shop.

I wouldn’t tell them unless they made me rich.

So I’m still poor. Don’t care.

Started working on Toyota’s

Got all my certificates.

Became a Master Tech.

I was not a back yard flunky.

Not a guy that tinkered.

Not a grease monkey.

I am a professional.

I mastered my craft.

I AM AND ALWAYS WILL BE A MASTER AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICIAN.

Honest

Never ever did something or upsold something that in my heart wasn’t needed.

Reliable

Always showed up on time. Even during a blizzard. Vary rarely closed.

Respectful

Even now when lots of customers are pieces of shit assholes, when I had to talk to them,

I never was demeaning, or insulting, or derogatory. I would explain why things had happened and how I could get them on the road.

UNTIL,,,, THEY DISRESPECTED ME.

Then, the gloves were off.

Calling me liar or a thief was the worse thing they could say.

Many many times it was not pretty.

I don’t have a filter.

Never got an apology when i proved I was right.

I’m human.

I make mistakes.

Not very many but I do.

I take the hit.

I make it right.

I tell the customer what happened and how it was resolved.

I did the right thing.

It’s been 48 years.

I’m beat and battered, like all other physically hard working people.

We get no thank you.

No pat on the back.

Just a faster, or how much longer ( which would infuriate me. WTF you think

I’m doing back here.)

Things change all the time.

Always going to school.

Learning to fix the crap and shit the car companies put in these vehicles.

Never ending.

But now, the end is here.

Today is my last day as a full time Master Auto Technician.

To all my faithful customers that followed me during my career

(Some of them as much as 33 years) that trusted me, gave me gifts of

Cards, Food, ( Dam your blueberry pie was always so awesome Diane) thank you notes, you have no idea what it means and how I respected our relationships.

I will miss you all.

To all the others.

Unfortunately I cannot change your opinion.

I tried all my career.

I was talked to from the higher up’s so many times about my low

Upsell numbers I can’t begin to count.

If I wasn’t as good as I was I think I would have not been around.

When I first started, it was a service. To help.

Now, it’s a business, to make money.

Big business changed the industry.

Big business didn’t change me.

I am sorry you didn’t trust me.

I have done all I could do.

I gave it everything I had.

I have no more to give.

I have my integrity

I have my honesty

I can go to sleep well tonight knowing I did it right.

I’m Done

Click to expand...

BTW, that was the best post I have ever read.

Tacoma Mike said: ↑

That picture will become my new avatar so your skill will be displayed.
Click to expand...

These are Weesa's mad skills. We are fighting over mice at this point. Lol

MTgirl said: ↑

its not.
Click to expand...

Stinky Weesa

Taco-Grinder said: ↑

Good Morning
Looks like a good day not to be at work.
Wife wants to visit a cheese factory today. They have a store were you can get fresh made cheese and other crap. In Wisconsin you can't swing a dead cat without hitting cheese and brats.
Click to expand...

My Dad grew up in Racine.

Every trip back he would take a deep breath and say, " ahh smell that dairy-air"

It's funny if you know french. (derrière)

Tacoma Mike · May 15, 2021

CVYota[OP] said: ↑

Morning all

BTW, that was the best post I have ever read.
Click to expand...

Summary of my automotive life.
For better or worse.
Thank You

MTgirl · May 15, 2021

jwctaco · May 15, 2021

MTgirl said: ↑

Click to expand...

Don’t forget about us non-vacation people, we like pictures. You have fun Wessa.

ImpulseRed008 · May 15, 2021

Morning all. Beautiful day here. Get out and enjoy it.

So what's Mike up to this morning? His first real day of retirement....

Get moving Weesa.... mooses await....

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50+ thread

#203841
US Marine Semper Fi

#203842
KRAMERICA Old Man Mike

#203843
MQQSE Bannable Galloot

#203844
MQQSE Bannable Galloot

#203845
Tacoma Mike 48 Year Chrysler/Toyota/ASE/ Master Tech.RETIRED

#203846
jwctaco Retired

#203847
Tacoma Mike 48 Year Chrysler/Toyota/ASE/ Master Tech.RETIRED

#203848
vssman Rocket Engineer

#203849
Cwopinger Random guy who shows up in your threads

#203850
Hardscrabble Well-Known Member

#203851
Cwopinger Random guy who shows up in your threads

#203852
Tacoma Mike 48 Year Chrysler/Toyota/ASE/ Master Tech.RETIRED

#203853
newb13 Well-Known Member

#203854
Taco-Grinder It's all part of the adventure.

#203855
jwctaco Retired

#203856
CVYota [OP] Damaged goods

#203857
Tacoma Mike 48 Year Chrysler/Toyota/ASE/ Master Tech.RETIRED

#203858
MTgirl too many frogs, not enough princes... Moderator

#203859
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ImpulseRed008 Gone But Not Forgotten

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50+ thread

#203841 US Marine Semper Fi

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#203845 Tacoma Mike 48 Year Chrysler/Toyota/ASE/ Master Tech.RETIRED

#203846 jwctaco Retired

#203847 Tacoma Mike 48 Year Chrysler/Toyota/ASE/ Master Tech.RETIRED

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#203849 Cwopinger Random guy who shows up in your threads

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#203851 Cwopinger Random guy who shows up in your threads

#203852 Tacoma Mike 48 Year Chrysler/Toyota/ASE/ Master Tech.RETIRED

#203853 newb13 Well-Known Member

#203854 Taco-Grinder It's all part of the adventure.

#203855 jwctaco Retired

#203856 CVYota [OP] Damaged goods

#203857 Tacoma Mike 48 Year Chrysler/Toyota/ASE/ Master Tech.RETIRED

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MQQSE Bannable Galloot

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Tacoma Mike 48 Year Chrysler/Toyota/ASE/ Master Tech.RETIRED

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Cwopinger Random guy who shows up in your threads

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#203853
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Taco-Grinder It's all part of the adventure.

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