here's the story: my brother-in-law took my father-in-law's pu truck out of town for a meeting. he had a flat tire on the way back. my fatherinlaw being 67 carries a floor jack in the back of his trk (has a shell on it) so he doesn't have to deal with the factory jacks.

anyway, my 36 yr old bro-in-law can't figure out how to use the floor jack, so he calls out a wrecker and has the spare tire monuted for $40. yeah pretty cheap.

i just wonder? don't most people, most guys anyway, by the age of upper 30's, know how to change a flippin tire? i admit that some of those factory scissor jacks and bottle jacks are a pain to use. but a floor jack? it has a knob and a lever! tighten it, jack it up!

i'm not a mechanic. i've never rebulit anything. never swapped an engine. i can change your oil, do a tune up, change brakes and certainly change a tire.

is this hard for most people? i've known how to use a floor jack since i was 12?

i'm just wondering...

I have a friend that needs a 3 page manual to operate a screw driver and I know a few other people that way too. Everyone I've ever met that drives a Fiero though seems like a natural mechanic, I guess you have to be to drive a 21 year old car.

Funny story on the subject. Back in the early 80's I was the maintenance director for a large high rent apt complex in Calif in which we had a free light bulb exchange system. You bring in your burned out light bulbs whether or not they were from one of the apt fixtures and we give you a new one. I tried to explain our policy over the phone to one of our tenants and he explained to me, rather sheepishly, that I had to send one of my maintenance guys because he had never changed one in his life and didn't know how.

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When I change the way I look at things,
the things I look at change.

quote Originally posted by paulcal: Funny story on the subject. Back in the early 80's I was the maintenance director for a large high rent apt complex in Calif in which we had a free light bulb exchange system. You bring in your burned out light bulbs whether or not they were from one of the apt fixtures and we give you a new one. I tried to explain our policy over the phone to one of our tenants and he explained to me, rather sheepishly, that I had to send one of my maintenance guys because he had never changed one in his life and didn't know how.

Mom lives in an 'Assisted Living' place, they'r told not to change the light bulbs. (maint will do it for you/ less chance of a patient falling) The Lady, across the hall from Mom, was opening her refridgerator door before she went to bed. Wanted a night light incase she woke up in the middle of the night. I explained things to her, so she could understand what management actualy ment by 'don't change the light bulbs'. I got some nice cookies out of the deal. Crazy part of the whole thing was the staff went along with her wishes for the beter part of 2 weeks? Just the high cost of minimal wage employees.

Back to the subject at hand. I've changed the WP on my 88 coupe with AC, flushed the cooling system, replaced LR caliper, changed out the radio, installed a ham radio and antenna, wired up an inverter/ battery charger, mastered the wiggly stearing wheel thingy, changed out a PS door lock cylinder, redid my head liner, reglued a lot of interior parts, etc. But I still have 'Jiffy Lube' change my oil. Changing a tire on a Fiero isn't as easy as they teach you in 'Drivers Ed', I wonder how many coolant tubes have been squashed by owners over the last 20 years. I'd sugest there is a diference between mechanical apptitude and mechanical competency. I'll be the first to admit, I've had to repair some of my repairs.

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Ol' Paint, 88 Base coupe auto.
Turning white on top, like owner.
Leaks a little, like owner.
Doesn't smoke, unlike owner

My girlfriend watches Amazing Race religiously which means I watch it occassionally.
On one of the episodes a pair of contestants had a flat and could not operate the bottle jack, it was frustrating as heck sitting there watching these two guys struggle and finally concluding the jack was faulty. A native came along and had the tire changed in no time, the guys did not realize they had to turn the little valve (whatever the technical term is) closed. It was one of those situations you just want to reach into the TV and slap the guy, it just seems like something you could figure out in a matter of a few minutes! I think the two contestants were male models so that may partially explain their lack of what I would call common sense (hope I didn't offend any male models with that comment).
Come to think off it, I don't remember anyone teaching me how to use a bottle jack, seems like a very simple mechanical device.

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Don't take life too seriously -- you'll never get out if it alive.

I would say the average person is not very mechanicaly inclined. I don't feel like I'm a great mechanic, but I would say I know more than most people. I can change a tire, alternator, belt, starter, oil, filters, pads and rotors, and muffler. When I know whats wrong I can usually replace a sensor. Thats about it. I might be able to attempt more..but never have.

Most people don't know the slightest thing about cars, yet they depend upon them daily, entrust their lives to them. That alone is enough to encourage me to learn a little about them. Maybe it is just driving an old car that forces you to learn something about them.

I guess my point is that you have to learn about something if you want to be "inclined." It's not just a natural ability,

[This message has been edited by Red2m4 (edited 11-19-2006).]

Tell your bro-in-law you want a lefthanded metric screwdriver for Christmas.

http://kalecoauto.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5&products_id=21

quote Originally posted by Wolfhound: Tell your bro-in-law you want a lefthanded metric screwdriver for Christmas. http://kalecoauto.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5&products_id=21

okay thats awesome i wonder how many ppl will think its not a joke

OK

Lets put this to rest.

Some people should not even own a screwdriver, never mind try to use it.

Back in the early 70’s I walked by a neighbor at a gas station parking lot. He had a flat tire. I went in to by butts, when I came out he was jacking the car up.

Now back then we had bumper jacks, you know the kind with the tongue that went in the slot in the bumper.

My neighbor had the jack in the center of the wheel well, hooked to the top of the fender well and was jacking away.

Naturally the jack ripped the sheet metal all to shreds.

I had to lean up against the side of the station and light a butt before I could even stop laughing long enough to go over and show him how to do it.

Now I asked him as I was removing the jack from the slot he had created in the fender.

“How did you think you were going to get the tire off with the jack dead center in front of tire?”

You just looked at me with a sheepish grin, and lit a joint.

I have three daughters, everyone of them when they reached driving age. Where shown the proper way to block wheels, loosen lug nuts, jack a car safely, and the rest of the process. For changing a tire.

You never know when you are going to have to change a tire yourself.

Cell phones don’t always work, you could be in the middle of nowhere and need to do it yourself.

If you drive you should at least know how to change a tire.

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Technology is great when it works,
and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't.
Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.

It always amuses me when I see an individual with no understanding of how things work.

My parents always said that I was taking things apart, putting them back together, and using tools almost as soon as I left the womb.

I remember amazing my grandfather by threading an old 16mm movie projector when I was 4 or 5 years old, and getting it to work.

I completely rebuilt and overhauled a motocycle engine when I was 14. A Chevy small block and 4 speed tranny when I was 16.

I read where it may have to do with the ability in the mind to visualize the three dimensional relationships between solid objects. There seems to be an area in the brain that deals with this, and it has varying degrees of development in different people.

My answer would be "not at all". Otherwise places like Jiffy Lube would have a lot of trouble getting people to pay $20 to have a $3 air filter replaced.

Ed

I am pretty talented when it comes to cars. I've actually had a few new car dealers send me cars they couldn't fix. BUT when it comes to ANYTHING with house repais or construction...I've had friends ask me how much I've had to drink before I built that birdhouse.
To each, their own...I guess
Dave

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I've got a buddy whose mechanical abilities are streched to the max by just puting a key in a lock and turning it.

quote Originally posted by bmwguru: I am pretty talented when it comes to cars. I've actually had a few new car dealers send me cars they couldn't fix. BUT when it comes to ANYTHING with house repais or construction...I've had friends ask me how much I've had to drink before I built that birdhouse. To each, their own...I guess Dave

OK it must be a thing with dave's with fiero's... lol... i'm pretty good with cars, computers, and various other mechanical and electrical things but... i suck at construction or anything that has to do with wood... it's weird. I can cut just about everything perfect... when i try and cut wood or sheetrock... forget it. I look like corky banging a football when i try. lol.

~Dave~

I can never remember which way to turn the key to open the trunk, but I never forget which direction loosens a bolt.

quote Originally posted by Finally_Mine_86_GT: OK it must be a thing with dave's with fiero's... lol... i'm pretty good with cars, computers, and various other mechanical and electrical things but... i suck at construction or anything that has to do with wood... it's weird. I can cut just about everything perfect... when i try and cut wood or sheetrock... forget it. I look like corky banging a football when i try. lol. ~Dave~

Get yourself a quick square. Use it as a straight edge.

They sell them at most all hardware stores under $10.

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Technology is great when it works,
and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't.
Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.

quote Originally posted by Jarhead 2m4: I never forget which direction loosens a bolt.

Me either. They work just like the top on a wine bottle .

I think most people are mechanically inclined but not necessarily mechanically motivated. I have people ask me how to do something on their car and I go over there and tell them to look at the problem and ask how they think it should be done. Most are actually pretty close to right but they need some prompting to just think for a second. A lot people just don't want to do it no matter how capable they are.

Then some people shouldn't be allowed in a sandbox with crowbar........

Few people ever understand the first thing about the machines they use every day. Here are some examples from my own family.

My father: Mechanically clueless. He always figured that if a car would move under its own power that it was God's way of telling him it was OK. Starting the lawnmower was just about the limit of his mechanical skill.

My brother: He inherited our dad's mechanical abilities. As a kid, he would never look at the assembly instructions for a new toy until after he had broken it on his own. Later in life he was an instructor pilot in the USAF, but to this day has no understanding of the technology in cars or airplanes. Any more, changing a light bulb is just about the limit of his mechanical ability and patience.

My grandmother: At the age of 16 she became the first woman in Greenville county, TX to drive an automobile, and a few years later she and my grandfather drove all over North America ... back when long distance travel by car meant doing a lot of your own maintenance along the way. When I was a child, she could make just about anything imaginable from an old cigar box, random pieces of wood, rubber bands, tape, and a few nails. I consider the many projects we built together (e.g. musical instruments, boats, cars, airplanes, etc.) to be at the root of my mechanical skills.

Me: While in high school I decided that if I were going to own and operate interesting cars, motorcycles, or airplanes that I would either 1) have to be rich enough to pay someone competent to maintain them, or 2) have to learn to do most of the work myself. I started learning on bicycles and lawnmowers, and eventually became an aeronautical engineer ... paying part of my way through college by rebuilding Jaguar engines and transmissions, back when they were still considered "exotic." I've been more or less successfully wrenching around on cars, motorcycles, and airplanes for over 40 years. Along the way, I've accumulated quite a few licenses and professional certifications (welding, HVAC, ASE, electrical, plumbing, etc.) unrelated to my formal engineering education. I love learning and there's always something more to learn!

I don't think being mechanically inclined is as common as you might think. We just see a lot of us who are because we're all into cars. Most people don't know how to work on a car, and they don't want to know. Anyone should be able to change a tire - IF they read the manual. But most people can't even be bothered to RTFM.

My grandfather owned a car dealership, and my father grew up around cars - working at the dealership, wrenching on his '32 Ford dirt track race car, etc. So, I grew up working on cars with my dad. Education has a lot to do with it. Being mechanically inclined means you can learn, but you still have to be taught.

Even then, some people just can't grasp mechanical stuff. A friend of mine was changing the engine in his car. He broke off the valve cover bolts from over tightening them, and forgot to install the engine mount bolts. And then couldn't figure out why the fan hit the fan shroud when he was driving. Yes, he drove it for a couple days like that until someone showed him the problem.

quote Originally posted by Formula88: Even then, some people just can't grasp mechanical stuff. A friend of mine was changing the engine in his car. He broke off the valve cover bolts from over tightening them, and forgot to install the engine mount bolts. And then couldn't figure out why the fan hit the fan shroud when he was driving. Yes, he drove it for a couple days like that until someone showed him the problem.

Ha-ha! That reminds me of why my Fiero leaked oil. It leaked and leaked and leaked, wasn't the distributor. I eventually looked at the valve cover, and found the answer. The bolts had been tightened by hand by the previous owner. lol...

Back on topic... The mechanical skill of most teens (and their parents) today does not exceed the ability to throw a wad of money at a mechanic. A few exceptions here and there, but they are few and far in between...

I'd like to think I'm mechanically inclined. But there's always stuff I don't know. One of my differences is, if I don't know about something, I'll do what I can to learn about it. I'm redoing everything in my house from simple painting to electrical and plumbing and structural. I've rebuilt engines and entire cars. Going to try my hand at a four speed later. An earlier post said something about having the ability to visualize things in your mind and I think that does have something to do with it. As an estimator for a construction company I have to visualize entire jobs from start to finish to get the most accurate estimates I can. All in all, I'd like to think I'm mechanically inclined. However, the whole concept of feng shui still eludes me. lol

Edit to add a note: Those who want to know about how things work are considered mechanically inclined. But there's some people who could learn but just don't want to. It's easier that way. I call them mechanically re-clined.
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Whade' "The Duck Formerly Known As Wade" Duck
'87 GT Auto
'88 Ferrario
'84 Indy (8/26/06)

[This message has been edited by whadeduck (edited 11-19-2006).]

quote Originally posted by 84fiero123: “How did you think you were going to get the tire off with the jack dead center in front of tire?” You just looked at me with a sheepish grin, and lit a joint.

Dude! I just KNEW I knew you from SOMEWHERE!!

As far as getting the tire off, when you're HIGH, you got MAGIC on your side!

quote Originally posted by Boondawg: Dude! I just KNEW I knew you from SOMEWHERE!! As far as getting the tire off, when you're HIGH, you got MAGIC on your side!

Dam, took me 5 min. to stop laughing long enough to post this.

I thought that was you!

Still got the magic on your side I see.

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Technology is great when it works,
and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't.
Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.

quote Originally posted by 84fiero123: Still got the magic on your side I see.

And a flat tire.

Not to worry though. The tire was only flat on the bottom.

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Whade' "The Duck Formerly Known As Wade" Duck
'87 GT Auto
'88 Ferrario
'84 Indy (8/26/06)

quote Originally posted by whadeduck: Not to worry though. The tire was only flat on the bottom.

Tires are just shock-absorbing wheel protectors, anyway!
Who needs um'.
Just as a locomotive!

lmao wow