$3600.00 "WTF" fixing cars I don't even OWN!

[nswst8]

Two out work brothers and a mother widowed for 2 years now. Buying parts and tools nessasary for getting the repair jobs done, the only saving grace is that one brother is a new ASE mechanic.

Just venting some fustration. Sometimes I do wish that I lived closer to them, yet glad I'm 3000 miles away.

A car is a "PRIVILEGE", not a right!

[conozo]

??
Not sure I understand what your saying.

[DBMaster]

I hear ya, dude. At one point I lived 450 miles away from family. It wasn't far enough. Better to be close or REALLY far away. 450 miles made for too many weekend visits.

[nswst8]

My mother and brothers own 2 Lincoln Towncars and a Expedition, all three need brakes, suspension, cooling system, A/C work.

If I lived closer I could help with fixing them and eventually finding more efficient cars for them. Then if I lived closer I would be doing most of the work they need to be doing. They live in Northeast Florida and I live in southern California.

I tried telling them to find more economical vehicles. But guess who would be financing the economical cars for them.

What sucks is that I wish I could trust my family to do the right thing with the money they ask me for. But knowing them, I will only buy and have parts, tools sent to them to fix the cars.

[POS carb]

yea man, every time I go home I have to play handyman and mechanic, it's a bit annoying but it makes me feel good. I'm not going to pay for the parts but I'll do the work free and try my hardest to make sure they get a good deal. I taught myself everything I know through trial and error, research, and hard work. I couldn't afford mechanics when I started driving so I became one. I passed 3 of the 3 ASE tests I've taken without any formal training.

It's frustrating to see your own family taken advantage of but in the end a lot of it is due to their own ignorance. 1 hour of research can save you a lot of money.

[2oodoor]

Towncars and Expi's are economical cars dude!
Brakes last a long time on all except fRont pads on Expi brush off pretty quick, use oem Ford pads on them.
Towncars need very little repairs if not neglected, i would bet the hi speed fans quit... We replace the fan assemblies on those a lot , that affects ac and coolant. Intake manifolds on Those can leak externally to but other than that not much else. Transmission flush service is a must do every 40k on both those to avoid lazy shifts that can damage other components in them.

[nswst8]

What really sucks is that I just spent another $777.73 for a upgrade braking package for my Tundra, Powerslot Cryo rotors, Hawk LTS pads and Stoptech stainless steel brake lines.

[Dr_Snooz]

It's good you help your family out, Phil. I think a lot of people would just tell them to pound sand.

[Vanilla Sky]

Where in NE FL where you? That's my neck of the woods.

[DBMaster]

Ya know what? Snooz is a good grounding influence here. I feel guilty now for my earlier post. We are obligated by our creator to use our talents to help others. You would think that helping our own family members would be easier than helping friends or acquaintances. It's not. Believe me.

[nswst8]

I do, Mike.

Vanilla, We lived in Orange park, FL from 1986-2004

Snooz, I love helping out anyone in need. Especially family, just wish I could trust them more.

[DBMaster]

Yes, Phil, being handy is both a blessing and a curse. Does it seem these days that fewer people are "handy?" I know that most folks I know are very intimidated by their new cars. In studying up on mine I find that most maintenance is still pretty basic and similar to what I've been doing for years. Going from a 72 Pontiac to the Accord in 1989 was a similar experience.

I guess, sometimes, the issue I have with doing work for family is that they don't always express appreciation. I know, we're just supposed to do it cheerfully, but still...

It's a nice fallback position for periods of unemployment. I did a lot of handyman work for people at well below market rate. Helped me and helped them. If I am still physically able, I would like to do the same thing in retirement to supplement SS and my pitiful savings.

[nswst8]

Handy is a great thing in life. If I were an A**hole I'd just overcharge everyone for my efforts and sit back and indulge myself in life. I wasn't brought up that way though.

Since I've returned to Camp pendleton I've have been helping some very old friends of mine ( they are on their 80s now) from the mid 1980s while I was stationed here as a young sailor. 30 plus years of house maintenence. And I don't let them pay me one dime. I don't make money off family and friends. Just my way.