50+ thread

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....

jwctaco · May 15, 2021

ImpulseRed008 said: ↑

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....
Click to expand...

Miss Susan

US Marine · May 15, 2021

Good Morning

Rascal was bored this morning and made sure I was wide awake at 0530hrs and that she was hungry

Car show season is in full swing up here in the High Desert !! , I've got numerous car show flyers in my car even have been invited to the Hesperia Day's parade and let a city council member ride in my Camaro

There was even a car show this morning but staging or lining up to get started at 0500hrs and I do believe my neighbors wouldn't have been happy hearing my Camaro idling at 0400 hrs

Tacman19 · May 15, 2021

US Marine said: ↑

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

Click to expand...

Nice pics Chuck. Your car is looking good. Love the Falcon too.
Zim

MTgirl · May 15, 2021

ImpulseRed008 said: ↑

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....
Click to expand...

coffee first.
then errands.
then final packing.
then hitting the road. not going far today, only about 100 miles.

i'm on vacation, what's the rush?

Tacman19 · May 15, 2021

Morning folks. Got the roof rack back on the truck yesterday. The Mrs. and I heaved it up there and hammered it in. (re welding some things drew it in a little, had to pry it in). Its not secured yet but I'm in no hurry. The Forester is saving us for transportation. Love that car. 25mpg average and it will get better with a tune up.
Y'all be careful out there, roof racks flying off cars is a real thing.
Zim

Tacman19 · May 15, 2021

Forgot, daughter drove from Austin Texas to the Georgia coast with no problems on gas. Other daughter lives right on the FL/GA line.
Zim

Tacman19 · May 15, 2021

MTgirl said: ↑

coffee first.
then errands.
then final packing.
then hitting the road. not going far today, only about 100 miles.

i'm on vacation, what's the rush?
Click to expand...

Be safe out there, and enjoy. You deserve it.
Zim

MQQSE · May 15, 2021

Tacoma Mike said: ↑

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

Same up here, Scott

CVYota[OP] said: ↑

Morning all

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

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

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)
Click to expand...

Indeed on Mike's retirement post.

Maybe we could have a poll to decide the "mice argument?"

I don't knowlike French, but that's a good joke. Reminds me of Kristi's great uncle in Iowa referring to hog stink as the "smell of money."

MTgirl said: ↑

Click to expand...

ImpulseRed008 said: ↑

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....
Click to expand...

Mornin' buddy

Yes'm

Good question... Sunshine

Yeah Baby Sister get a move on!

US Marine · May 15, 2021

@Tacman19

Dave you'll like this

https://youtu.be/dTsY6mughVM

US Marine · May 15, 2021

MTgirl said: ↑

coffee first.
then errands.
then final packing.
then hitting the road. not going far today, only about 100 miles.

i'm on vacation, what's the rush?
Click to expand...

Have fun !!

Cuffs · May 15, 2021

Nothing but today at FedEx. Been trying to put them out all morning.
Y’all enjoy it for me.

camper should be here around 1500!

CVYota · May 15, 2021

MQQSE said: ↑

Maybe we could have a poll to decide the "mice argument?"
Click to expand...

Ketchup would win

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