Hobby Mechanics - Manace or not?

Hobby Mechanics - Manace or not?

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Carrot

Original Poster:

7,294 posts

201 months

Sunday 14th September 2014
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I would consider myself an average hobby mechanic, in the sense that I can do pretty much anything to fix a car barring deep engine, engine out work and transmission. Mainly due to lack of space, time and specialist equipment to do this (engine hoists etc and space to leave a car for a week while slowly working on it).

I have done head gaskets, timing belts, brakes, replaced all kind of parts from radiators to exhausts. All repairs I have done have lasted and I have very rarely had anything come back to bite me. This is all self learned with assistance from a mechanic friend of mine on occasions. I imagine a lot of people on this forum are at this level, if not way above it.

The reason I mention the above is...

I was having a debate with what you would call a professional mechanic recently. The argument started when he said my front brake discs and pads are low after an MoT (advisory not failure), and I replied saying "You are right, I have the parts at home and plan to fit them this weekend". This started with a whole nobody who is "untrained" should ever touch brakes, and that as I am not a full time mechanic there is no way I could know what I am doing etc etc. He seems to think that working on cars should be regulated with a "Part P" style thing from the electrical industry, making it illegal to work on your own car unless you are certified.

Interested in hearing the opinions on the forum regarding this, as there is a mixture of people that really know and work on there cars here, along with people that wouldn't even open the filler tank without assistance of a silk handkerchief and the main dealers telephone number hehe

Do you think "people like me" are a menace and killing the motor trade, or should we go legislation and prevent anyone from working on their cars / motorbikes?

chrisxr2

1,127 posts

193 months

Sunday 14th September 2014
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Untrained?? Surely read the haynes manual makes you as qualified as some mechanics who only know how to plug in a computer for fault diagnosis nowadays. Ask him if he shoddily paints and decorates his own house or does DIY jobs he has no "training" for.

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

125 months

Sunday 14th September 2014
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Carrot said:
I was having a debate with what you would call a professional mechanic recently.
...He seems to think that working on cars should be regulated with a "Part P" style thing from the electrical industry, making it illegal to work on your own car unless you are certified.
Apart from the rampant protectionism in his attitude, perhaps he ought to note that Part P has not been exactly the most successful legislation in the history of mankind.

I've really only got one word for him. Kwik-Fit.

BFG TERRANO

2,172 posts

147 months

Sunday 14th September 2014
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I do the same as you, DIY mechanics but nothing to deep.
Car spares places better stop selling brake stuff if were not meant to do it then!


vikingaero

10,256 posts

168 months

Sunday 14th September 2014
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I'm sure some of these hobby mechanics are Ace Men...

AndyS2

869 posts

257 months

Sunday 14th September 2014
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How old is this mechanic? Just interested to see if he's a 'plug it into the diagnostic machine to see what's wrong' type or a proper old school mechanic who really can fix things?

Gixer

4,463 posts

247 months

Sunday 14th September 2014
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I've always maintained all my cars and motorcycles apart from when they were in their warranty period. Going by the issues I had when these vehicles were worked on by main dealers, I will always work on my own cars, just so I know that the job has been done properly and that I'm not another job card that's running out of time.

Of course your MOT guy is not going to want people working on their own cars, that'll mean the possibility of more business for his garage. Oddly all my vehicles get MOT'd at a local garage that is owned and run by enthusiasts and they love the fact I work on my cars. MOT time can take all morning on a quiet day when they can share their progress on the latest restro project

Carrot

Original Poster:

7,294 posts

201 months

Sunday 14th September 2014
quotequote all
chrisxr2 said:
Untrained?? Surely read the haynes manual makes you as qualified as some mechanics who only know how to plug in a computer for fault diagnosis nowadays. Ask him if he shoddily paints and decorates his own house or does DIY jobs he has no "training" for.
Thankfully I won't be having contact with him again hehe

Does bring back the question of what you have to be in order to be "Qualified". If there is a guy working on cars for 30 years generally at an indie unqualified because he doesn't work on one make of specific car despite being an excellent mechanic? Is someone who has only ever worked on Peugeots then completely unqualified when working on a VW despite a lot of the general principles being the same?

Tough one.

I think he was more pissed that he couldn't charge £190 to do the discs and pads

Parts cost me £58... (both sides discs and pads)

steveo3002

10,494 posts

173 months

Sunday 14th September 2014
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im a hobby mech , been putting right several jobs the local garage have been paid by the previous owner to do well but theyve busted and bodged almost everything they touch - but thats fine theyre trained pro's

BFG TERRANO

2,172 posts

147 months

Sunday 14th September 2014
quotequote all
AndyS2 said:
How old is this mechanic? Just interested to see if he's a 'plug it into the diagnostic machine to see what's wrong' type or a proper old school mechanic who really can fix things?
Exactly this. Ask some of these lads to balance carbs or set points!

VinceFox

20,566 posts

171 months

Sunday 14th September 2014
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Tell him i said to fk off.

spaximus

4,230 posts

252 months

Sunday 14th September 2014
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Having seem some work DIYers have done it is no worse than some of the professionals I have seen.

There is a movement to get car repairs regulated as clearly if you do the electrics at home wrong in blows a fuse or an individual gets killed. Do it wrong on a car and the potential for loss of life is higher.

The big problem is that at present there is nothing in place to regulated garages let alone individuals, so whatever this guy thinks it will not happen.

As a mechanic by trade I can understand where he is coming from as if there was such a law, mechanics would be valued more and their wages would rise as there would not be enough to do the jobs.

VinceFox

20,566 posts

171 months

Sunday 14th September 2014
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Most of the stuff i've learnt to do on cars and bikes over the last 25-30 years has been because i've not been satisfied with the quality of work done by garage mechanics.

Carrot

Original Poster:

7,294 posts

201 months

Sunday 14th September 2014
quotequote all
VinceFox said:
Most of the stuff i've learnt to do on cars and bikes over the last 25-30 years has been because i've not been satisfied with the quality of work done by garage mechanics.
Spot on

Liquid Knight

15,754 posts

182 months

Sunday 14th September 2014
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Jay Leno said:
If someone else works on your car it's not your car anymore.
If someone has any issue with me working on my fleet I politely suggest they watch "Love the Beast". I'd rather spend money on parts than waste it on prats.


GreigM

6,726 posts

248 months

Sunday 14th September 2014
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Two sides to this - I prepare my own car for track days and would consider my "amateur" skill, attention to detail and understanding of my particular cars to be way beyond your average low-end spanner monkey.

On the other hand, a friend who turned up at Spa on Monday had driven from Scotland having fitted a brake-pad the wrong way round (yes, backing plate touching disc) redface

I can see both sides of this argument.

Dbest92

300 posts

132 months

Sunday 14th September 2014
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Thing is, when us 'untrained mechanics' do a job at home, we spend a good chunk of time reading say the manual, internet research etc. Then spend plenty of time on the job, double checking things making sure it's right. Whereas some 'proper' mechanics would do a half arsed job as quickly as possible leading to occasional mistakes. Yes there are many good garage mechanics and many DIY fools, but for some more basic jobs it's fine to do it yourself in my eyes.

kambites

67,461 posts

220 months

Sunday 14th September 2014
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I've seen more dangerous things due to garage mechanics screwing up than home mechanics.

B'stard Child

28,324 posts

245 months

Sunday 14th September 2014
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BFG TERRANO said:
AndyS2 said:
How old is this mechanic? Just interested to see if he's a 'plug it into the diagnostic machine to see what's wrong' type or a proper old school mechanic who really can fix things?
Exactly this. Ask some of these lads to balance carbs or set points!
My nephew is a BMW technician - and he is pretty much buggered if the computer can't tell him what is wrong and what to replace.....

He really didn't understand what the heck was going on when I set these up with a length of rubber water pipe



To his credit he is starting to rely less on a computer and more on common sense and sensible diagnostic processes as his daily drivers are not brand new BMW's

Toltec

7,159 posts

222 months

Sunday 14th September 2014
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Is there not a difference between a mechanic and a fitter?

I would suggest most of the work done at dealers and nationwide chains is done by fitters.