Some might think summer weekends are for getting out and about. Wrong! Why go through the faff of actually driving a car when you could be lying underneath it, mug of tea just out of reach and skinning knuckles trying to reach that final bolt that just refuses to come loose? So much fun!
Not selling the whole DIY maintenance thing? Maybe we're just a little bitter and twisted. Or have chosen the wrong cars to do it with. So to our Thread Of The Day, inspired by PHer funkyrobot's question: "Anyone bought a cheap car to learn spannering?"
You can probably predict one of the popular replies, sirsquidalot among many to vote for the car in our lead photo. "I'd go for a cheapy MX-5. The engine bays have tonnes of room and are easy to work on, suspension and braking systems are also easy to work on. One issue is rusted bolts, and trust me they all will be rusted!"
Whether the MX-5's small size will be ideal for a lanky bloke with a bad back like OP funkyrobot is another question. Perhaps he needs something newer and less dependent on contortions and physical labour? PH regular Kambites suggests modern cars aren't entirely unsuitable for the DIY mechanic. "I find modern OBD equipped cars far easier to maintain than older cars," he says. "One £5 dongle to read fault codes and half your diagnostics are done for you."
Two very different approaches there; old-school simplicity and spanners versus modern-day laptop led maintenance. Which do you subscribe to? Join the discussion here.