Never again will i opt to work on a car.

[Acheron]

Screwed the timing up and let the chain slip on a headgasket job.

Trying to get the timing chain cover off at the bottom, and the whole job has come to a stop thanks to a 10mm bolt. I bolt placed behind the engine mount. what a fking top move. cant get the engine mount bolt out either to remove the mount and ive now rounded the 10mm because you can only get at it from one side.

Time for the big scrapyard in the sky.

[Davie_GLA]

I feel your pain.

5 hours to replace a thermostat on a V6 omega, only for it to leak everywhere upon re-assembly.

Stick to what you're good at.

[Negative Creep]

A while back I thought I'd give my Golf a quick oil change before putting it up for sale - then stripped the sump plug thread

[paintman]

OK. Someone has to ask. What car are we talking about?

[MGJohn]

I've always enjoyed working on my cars. Have done so for close on fifty years.

I've had the occasional rounded bolt head, usually already mutilated in previous ownership. Even had a head bolt go 'ping' just as I was tightening the last one to the correct torque. I've usually had more than one car or Motor Cycle about the place for most of that time so if problems arise, the resulting delay does not mean I do not have transport. I sleep on the problem and next day, I have the answer.

It's a long time now since I got any kind or excitement from picking up a new car. Breathing new life into someone's previously owned car where they have given up in exasperation and not a little financial outlay gives me far more enjoyment than taking delivery of a new car. Be that new car a company one not chosen by myself, or my own choice of new car.

Unlike the OP's sentiments shown in the thread title, I now look forward to the next time I open up my tool box for the next project. So far, every ome a winner.
.

[robsco]

Its stories like this which are the precise reason I don't even bother trying to work on my own cars. I'll pay a trusted specialist to do the job efficiently and properly, rather than spending 9 times as long sweating, bleeding and cursing and then knacking things up anyway.

[Billy Hunt]

Working on other peoples cars

Working on my own wker bd st!
It ALWAYS goes worng, the most simple job turns into a stressful experience...

[lance1a]

I do this from home for a living.....mostly on old BMW's and Mercs. I have just spent three months on and off working at sorting a cold start and sluggish/no power issue on one of my old BMW e30's, hard to identify as it's a much earlier motor than the normal ones. anyway....with a lot of swearing, knuckle bashing, lying on crappy muddy ground, I sorted it. No better feeling.

[sim16v]

As already said, what car, and er.... where abouts are you based?

[CampDavid]

From previous threads I'm going with Vauxhall Vectra SRI