Taking a Break from Cartalk - The ol' corner garage

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Taking a Break from Cartalk

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transman618

Posted: Monday, March 01, 2010 11:20:32 PM

Rank: Old Wrench Experienced Member
Groups: Founding Member , Old Wrench Member

Joined: 8/27/2008
Posts: 76
Points: 228
Location: Cumming, GA

ok4450 wrote:

I've always said that about 90% of the engine problems I've seen have been due to owner negligence or abuse but I guess one way of looking at it could be "job security", huh?

If everyone maintained their car religiously there would be a lot of mechanics out of work or sitting in the shop on a tamale wagon and twiddling their thumbs.

BigGrin

Yea.... and trying to find a hiding place when the Snap-on guy shows up for his weekly visit. I remember the days of sitting in the break room playing cards waiting on a customer to drive into the service dept. Everyone would go up front to see what they were there for. Back then the transmission guy stayed busy. I was hired on as a trans guy but that wouldnt be in effect until the old trans guy retired so I spent 3 months doing heavy engine and electrical until the other guy retired. Didnt see much of the break room after that.

transman

GM MASTER TECHNICIAN
SR. TRANSMISSION BUILDER

ok4450

Posted: Tuesday, March 02, 2010 8:57:43 AM

Rank: Old Wrench Long Time Member
Groups: Founding Member , Old Wrench Member

Joined: 8/27/2008
Posts: 641
Points: 1,926
Location: Dust Bowl of Oklahoma

Dreading the Snap-On guy (along with the Mac and Cornwell brothers), playing cards on top of the toolbox, and hovering around the service counter like a vulture on a carcass all sounds familiar.

Back in the 80s a large bank in OK City closed and this caused a nationwide ripple. The economy here died totally in just a few short weeks and it was common to show up at 7:30 in the morning and do nothing more than an oil change (.2 of an hour) by noon.
Ninety bucks gross for 5 days work will certainly shorten the temper fuse. So much for "thieving mechanics". BigGrin

On one of my last days there I never even unlocked my tool box so I found a job in a major metro area and started making a 160 miles a day commute; a 190 miles when heavy rain came and the highway did its usual flooding routine.

Working for import dealers we did not have a transmission specialist as you might find at GM, Ford, etc. Everyone got what was assigned no matter the car make and I agree that when it comes to automatics that one should become a specialist in that. Most of my automatic experience has been with Subaru although the vast bulk of my transmission work has been with manuals.

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