I'll Never Be Abble To Find A Part For Your Old Car? (brake, Honda)
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I had a 1978 Chevy G20 and a piece on the sliding door broke. Itw as important as it kept the door up instead of falling down. Original part? $85 and junkyards didn't have them as that was a common part to break. Got a slightly different one, had a auto mech friend grind it down to make it fit....
About 2 years ago, my power window on the driver side got stuck, and a couple mechanics told me I probably needed a new motor for the window and it would be all but impossible to find the part, this was in Las Vegas. I actually believed them, and I drove for over a year unable to roll down the window, and then I saw a sign outside a car window shop that stated: We fix power windows! I went there and come to find out the motor was good, the window had merely gone off the track. To think, I had gone a whole year unable to roll the window down because I took the advice of these two mechanics!
Again, how many have gone through what I went through, not getting more opinions or doing more research. I'm going to copy the responses from this site and hold on to them for dear life!
I had a BMW X5 that started having problems. Went to my regular mechanic, he told me it wasn't worth fixing and advised not to put more money in it. I liked the car and wanted a second opinion, so went to a shop opened by a former BMW mechanic who told me to keep the car and he could fix it. He had good ratings online. Also gave me a laundry list of things I should take care of, that totaled close to 10K to fix. I had him fix what absolutely needed to be done and hold off on the rest, still cost me about $3000. A recall came up and went to the dealership. It also came with an inspection, and most of the items the former BMW Mechanic weren't even on the list. They did confirm an oil leak and quoted pretty much the same price the former BMW mechanic did. I asked my regular mechanic how much he'd do it for and he undercut them both by half. Took care of it and a year later, other problems started showing up, as well as a check engine light. Regular mechanic told me, seriously, I'm not fixing anything else on this car. You need to trade it in. I took his advice this time.
If your mechanic is reluctant to work on your car and do whatever you want done, you need to fire him and find another mechanic. ...But I am a pretty good mechanic in my own right, I know who is good and who is a hack, my check never bounces, I don't quibble about the bill, I don't ask them to wait for my payday, so they can have their payday. I send the good guys business all the time,..
Good points! The best approach is to become an amateur mechanic oneself, while maintaining a relationship with 1-2 professional mechanics in the area, for example by referring potential customers to them, or taking the more thorny and inscrutable jobs to them. Ultimately, such a mechanic becomes more of a mentor, than a service-provider.
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Originally Posted by tijlover
..I just wonder how many other older car owners surrendered their cars without getting 2nd, 3rd, or 4th opinions.
My general habit has been to relegate my cars to "occasional" duty once crucial systems start failing, or at least becoming unstable, and I can no longer adequately service them. Unfortunately, "occasional duty" can lead to "perpetual garage queen".
Currently I'm in the process of rescuing a not-terribly-old car (1991 model) that slept for several years in the prior owner's garage. It appears to have had water leak into the engine (or just condensation), preventing the crank from turning. The lesson is that even such limping, "occasional use" cars need to be exercised with some regularity, even if that's limited to being run up and down the driveway, with a grinding gearbox, blown head gasket and missing brakes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tijlover
... To think, I had gone a whole year unable to roll the window down because I took the advice of these two mechanics!
In an alternative view, there's something liberating and relieving, when one's older car is so far gone, that mechanics are reduced to shrugging shoulders and dispensing useless nostrums... one reaches a state of equanimity and acceptance, so that if one goes ahead and tinkers with the car in amateurish fashion, and something goes horribly awry, it's no big loss.
With such an attitude, one can tear into complicated systems, knowing that if the result is a pile of parts strewn about the floor, fine, so be it.
When you trust people you set yourself up for disappointment. I always validate repairs to determine if I want to perform the task or let someone else do it due to tools, time or whatever is prohibitive to me.Then I know that it can be done and I can get past the crap quickly.
I forget what all else. So far I have ever been unable to find one part that was a suspension system switch for the T-bird.
The Jensen there are maybe 2500 of them in the USA at most. Still no trouble finding parts. There is even a place in Arizona that specializes in parts for them as well as plenty of other places on the internet that make parts for them or refurbish parts. Hardest thing to find for it is tires.
I forget what all else. So far I have ever been unable to find one part that was a suspension system switch for the T-bird.
The Jensen there are maybe 2500 of them in the USA at most. Still no trouble finding parts. There is even a place in Arizona that specializes in parts for them as well as plenty of other places on the internet that make parts for them or refurbish parts. Hardest thing to find for it is tires.
Try Coker Tire, and other similar vendors who advertise in Hemmings Motor News.
Have any of you other older car owners run into this? Why would these other mechanics tell me differently? Hidden motives perhaps? Laziness?
I'd guess they don't want to work on a 33 yr old tired Toyota. In most cases, old cars have SMALL budgets in mind when the repair easily exceeds the car's value......so the mechanic is expecting to be beat up on the price of the repair. Plus being 33 yrs old you start moving stuff out of the way to get to the repair and end up breaking 33 yr old plastic parts who's fault is it the mechanic or the old parts?
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