hpr-knowledge-base/hpr_transcripts/hpr0649.txt

Episode: 649
Title: HPR0649: Doing your own auto repairs
Source: https://hub.hackerpublicradio.org/ccdn.php?filename=/eps/hpr0649/hpr0649.mp3
Transcribed: 2025-10-08 00:23:02

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This is Cove Mo and I'm here with my old friend, Van Hawk. Today we're going to talk about transportation on the cheap, at least relatively cheap.
We just had a friend of ours from work tell us that they spent $400 to have the brakes brought up to spec on their car.
They probably had $100 worth of parts you'd say in there.
I would imagine that would be about right if you bought all the brand new parts.
Maybe what? Two hours worth of work?
Yeah.
Savings is about $300.
This is something we often run into.
We've been used to...
That's a real word, isn't it?
Working on our own cars.
Not? Well, it's not difficult. How did you get into working on your own cars?
Basically, I started out when I was a kid. I used to tear things apart, figure out how things would work.
That progressed into automobiles.
I took some high school classes and just with help of manuals.
A hands manual is a really good manual. It's a step-by-step.
Lots of pictures, so if you don't know what it is, you can figure out what it is.
You can progress to now I feel confident doing just about anything in a vehicle.
Even in a modern car with electronics and stuff, a lot of that stuff is a lot of that.
There's forums online that you get a lot of good information from.
There's a lot of people out there willing to share their experiences and techno with their skills with you.
With that, I've been able to do just about anything.
It's a building process. You start off saying like, you haven't done any wrench turning at all.
You've got a car, brakes going out, it's got a squeal, something's not right.
You get with a friend that maybe has a little bit of skill.
Have him sit down with you, maybe go through one brake job.
Once you do that, they let you handle the tools.
You change everything out, maybe with them standing over your shoulder telling you what to do.
That's a skill that you'll have for the rest of your life.
You never have to pay for another somebody else to work on your car ever again.
At least up to a point.
Right, at least your basic maintenance.
Once you get into transmissions and rear ends, I'm a lot of that pretty technical equipment that is required for such repairs.
A lot of times it's beyond what somebody would probably be wanting to pay for to have in their garage for a one-time use.
But as far as like brakes, tune-ups, change in spark plugs, air filter changes, oil changes, all that stuff's well within most people's capabilities.
You mentioned the manuals, they're usually 25-30 bucks.
It's been a while since I priced them, but I believe 25-30 bucks.
Another thing is that on eBay, a lot of times you can get good manuals such as hands or children.
But also, quite frequently, you will be able to get actual dealer used manuals that they used in the certain departments.
They're a really well-done book and they talk you through step-by-step with a lot of nice photos and everything as well.
So, like I said, even if you don't know what something is, when they refer to it, the picture a lot of times will point you right in the right direction.
A lot of times you will find these manuals at the local library and a lot of reference material.
And then like you were saying, the forums are just invaluable.
If you have a problem on a vehicle, something that you can't track down, somebody else has had that same problem.
Just like on the computers, just like trying to debug something.
Somebody else has had that problem.
You type it into your favorite search engine and somebody who's got a fix or can at least point you in the right direction.
Right, yes. I've repaired a lot of my newer Jeep and I have repaired quite a few things by using the forum because I don't have a manual for that vehicle because at this point, I don't really need a manual.
I pretty much know what I'm doing, getting into stuff because I've used manuals enough.
I've just gotten unformed. Usually I'll try a search because usually they like you to do a search first before you post a, hey, I've got a problem.
If you can't find it in a search, then I'm sure if you just post a simple question, you know, this is a type of problem that I have.
Has anybody encountered this problem and what did you have to do to correct it?
And a lot of times somebody will chime in right away. I've had responses as fast as 15, 20 minutes.
I mean, not every forums that way, you're going to have to find a good forum and there's a lot of them out there, but there are some forums that aren't quite as good.
But if you do any type of forum, you know, not necessarily car forums, but any other type of forum, you can get a fill whether the people know what they're talking about or not.
So in using that, I actually saved myself quite a bit of money here a couple years ago.
A couple years ago, my Jeep viscous clutch went out in the transfer case and just the part alone was $350.
So I posted on there my viscous clutch was bad and they actually came back right away with why replace the viscous clutch when you get a better transfer case or less money.
And you had to do some modification to the transfer case, but they had a real good step-by-step instructions on how to modify a transfer case out of a different Jeep to get you back up to speed.
And it took me a weekend to do it without ever doing it before and I am quite satisfied with the way it turned out.
And it cost me and I had to buy a couple special tools for it.
And I looked around and I got a whole transmission with a front rear drive shaft and with the tool and a drive shaft, I had to take the drive rear drive shaft down and have it shortened.
It came together to a right around 200 bucks.
Wow. So you saved $100 over the cost?
Yeah, 250 bucks just for the part as what I say.
Not to mention if I would have paid somebody to do the labor to install it, which I was quoted, I believe, between $8 and $1200.
So wow.
Doing the work myself, I got a better transmission in the end and I saved myself $250 over what just the part cost would have been to fix the other transmission.
And I got a better transfer case. I should say a transfer case. I got a better transfer case out of the deal.
Now I kind of wanted this to go towards also saving money and transportation.
We live in a county that is pretty large and our public transportation sucks.
We both work at the same place.
We carpool 22 miles one way. We have to actually go into another county.
So pretty much you got to have set of wheels.
If a person wanted to needed a car, get ready for winter.
Winter is coming up. You're going to have to put the bicycle away.
I've put the scooter away.
You got $1,000 to find a good car.
What would you be looking for to make sure that you had a good solid car to get you through the winter?
Well, first off, it's going to be hard to find a good runner for $1,000.
You're obviously going to have to put some time or a little money into something.
In my case, I was looking for a vehicle because I did get a job this 25 miles one direction.
So to save wear and tear on my Jeep, which is more of my off-road vehicle and not really suited well for commuting.
I decided to look for another vehicle that was going to be economical on gas.
One, because the Jeep's a V8's gas hog.
Two, I wanted something that was fun to drive.
I actually went back to vehicles that I used to drive 20 years ago.
One reason is because they're still not readily available in my case.
But are still available at a reasonable price and parts that are available for them.
And I'm familiar with them already.
So, in fact, I cut a lot of my teeth on mechanically on these vehicles because they are very simple.
So I checked my eyes on Craigslist and this particular vehicle showed up and they wanted $650 for it.
And I called the gal up and I told her that I'd be willing to purchase a vehicle.
But I was not going to be able to drive in my case 500 miles to pick it up and come back and be in my budget.
And she informed me that if I was willing to pick it up, she would make her an offer and she would think about it.
So I went ahead and offered her $300 for the vehicle and picked it up side on scene.
And when I showed up there, I was quite disappointed because the pictures, not that she was trying to scam you or anything.
But the pictures looked awesome.
But when I got there, the car was in pretty sad shape.
And so I figured in a worst case scenario, I would use it as a parts vehicle.
So if I was pretty much committed to purchasing it anyway.
So we brought it home and it's been about two weeks cleaner it up and replacing some added sap for nine years.
So I had to replace some fuel line vacuum lines that had brought it with age, which is all within a normal person's capability.
And pretty much it fired up the first time I tried to start it.
And so I did a tune up at all and it actually ran quite well and it turned out it only had a hundred thousand miles on it.
And once I got the paint buffed out, it is now my daily driver.
So now I'm getting between two miles to gallon, two and from work rather than 14.
And the wear and tear on my truck is not existent now because I'm using this vehicle to commute.
I'm actually saving money in two ways because this vehicle is so much easier to work on and parts are cheaper for it.
I'm saving money on the first replacement, being said it is a daily commuter.
And also I'm saving money on my Jeep because I'm not driving it as much and I'm using it for what it was intended for.
So I don't have to maintain it.
I'm saving myself money in two ways.
Also, it's an older vehicle.
So the insurance on this vehicle is a carry full coverage on it.
And it is, let's see, it's $154 for six months.
So I still have coverage so if it should be damaged like a windshield or which is quite expensive for it.
But if it does get damaged, it's covered under my insurance clause.
So I'm saving money on that as well because my Jeep is actually $350 for six months and it's still quite an older vehicle.
But I'm saving quite a bit on insurance as well.
I know you replaced a lot of rubber on that car, including the tires.
If you had to put tires on that car here in town at a shop at a big chain store, what would it have run yet to put tires on that car?
Well, the price of the tire is a specific tire that I was looking at because there's an online tire vendor that I was looking at tires.
And I've heard that they were, should I say, cheaper to buy it through them.
So I thought I would put it through the test.
So I went on the site and I found myself a set of tires that I wanted.
And then I called all the tires stores locally and I was quoted anywhere between $450 up to about $450 for this same particular tire that I was able to order online.
And so I went ahead and found out that it was going to be a lot cheaper.
And I managed to get the tires for $220 with shipping and at that time they were actually offering a $50 gift card with the purchase of four of these tires.
So I actually only paid $100 for the tires and then I took them down to Walmart and had them mounted and balanced there and it cost me $25 for all four.
And so basically I got a full set of tires for $200 that if I went and bought locally what it cost me $450 plus depending on where I have the purchase on for the same exact tires.
So it's a matter of knowing what you need getting on doing some looking around, do some shopping, compare and save some money.
Don't jump at the first store that says, oh yeah, we put some tires on there for you.
Right. And online is, I mean you can save so much money by just looking around online, especially even with just parts a lot of times you can save money buying parts online as well.
There's a few automotive parts suppliers, especially if you have some vehicles that might be considered hard to get parts for like some of your older vehicles.
You know, you might not be able to run right down to your local parts supplier and be able to pick it up, but you'll be able to pick them up online.
And another thing is on eBay a lot of times, especially if you're driving an older vehicle, sometimes they try and clear out their warehouses because they need to make room for newer parts for the newer vehicles.
So there are people that buy up these parts and then they sell them like on eBay.
So if you keep your eyes open, you can pick up parts on eBay for quite substantial less money than you would if you had to go through a regular retailer.
So you can save money on that as well. That's great.
So now if we've discussed the car that you picked up, but if you were to tell people they needed a good solid cheap car to keep on, what would they be looking at?
What would you push them towards smaller older Japanese Germans?
Yeah, that's a tough question because I mean I have my preferences and I feel that they're easier to work on.
I'm sure other people would beg to differ with me on certain aspects of that, but I for one don't buy different wheel drive vehicles.
I find most of them very difficult to work on and unfortunately that's the majority of the vehicles on the road now.
But if you can find a nice rear wheel drive vehicle, I feel they're easy to work with because you don't have so much components in the way and the engine sitting in there in a way that you can actually get to it a lot easier.
You shouldn't have to pull a fender off to change a fan belt.
Right, right. And you know there's still plenty of nicer older vehicles around that you can pick up.
In fact, this particular car I got, I paid 300 bucks for it, but you could probably find a good runner at somebody you know just willing to sell to you.
Probably while there was one that just came up here and I think they wanted $1,500 for it and it had 66,000 miles of it.
Granted it's for 40 years old, but you know it still gets you to point A to point B and you know in some cases people don't look down upon an older vehicle, but I find that my vehicle gets quite a bit of attention wherever I drive it.
And so it's kind of more unique because I own it and nobody else does.
So to me it's a joy to drive not only because I'm saving money, but because I'm getting attention that you know other people ain't getting in their car.
Yeah, you can buy a Ford Mustang, but you know everybody's got a Ford Mustang.
But you buy something that a little more unique and it's you know easier to get parts for or people are like coming up to you and asking you in the parking lot.
Where did you get it? You know I remember my dad had one of those. You know I remember when I was a kid I had one of these.
So it's a lot of fun driving an older vehicle.
But there is a point like in the 80s they had a lot of vacuum lines that you know they were just a mess and a lot of those vehicles today would probably be a little over the top for some certain people.
I don't want to work on their own vehicles, but not all of them, but some of them.
So when you're looking for a vehicle it's something you've got to keep in the back of your head.
What are you willing to get into?
If you get something in the 70s they're actually quite basic.
They hadn't gotten into the computer control era yet.
And all of your vacuum lines and all are pretty straightforward.
In the 80s they started going to computer based ignition systems and they get a little more involved because they're trying to do things with vacuum, engine manifold vacuum.
And as it turned out that didn't really work out well for them now. That's why we have all electronic now.
And electronics isn't that bad.
It's got a lot of electronic components on it, but it's pretty straightforward.
The computer will actually talk to you if you have a problem.
That's the first thing you want to check is see if the computer has anything in storage and it's memory storage.
It's self-diagnosis all the time.
And if you ever have a check engine light on that's telling you that it's got a code waiting to be pulled.
And it will tell you what's wrong.
It won't necessarily be what the problem is.
But it gives you this circuit that you need to look at.
A lot of times it is the component.
But it could be, you know, you've got just some corrosion on a connector somewhere in the system as well.
And which, you know, on a forum.
The first thing to do is go to them and with the code number.
And then they can tell you what that code is.
And then you can either replace the part.
And if that takes care of the problem, then you're good to go.
If not, then you've got a problem in the circuit.
And it's not that big a deal.
Check your connectors.
Make sure they're nice and clean.
A lot of times those codes, the car will actually, there will be a procedure, turn the key, step on the brake.
Put your arm out the window and the car will give you the codes by flashing the codes at you on the dash.
And that will be in a manual.
But if you can't get it to do that for you.
Or you can't find the manual.
If you can get the car down to any of your major car parts places.
They will loan you the tool to run out and parking lot and plug into the connector underneath the steering wheel.
That's where it's located.
And it will tell you what that code is.
And then that will be one step closer to finding your fault.
You mentioned earlier about older cars maybe not being for everybody.
Because you know, they got some paint peeling in there.
Looking a little rough, they're a little tired.
Before we wrap up today, I was hoping maybe you would describe to everybody a little bit about the $50 paint job.
But it's actually an online forum on the $50 paint job now.
And I don't remember what it's called now.
I'll find it and put a link in the show notes.
Oh, okay.
Yeah, it's actually, I first read about this about, oh, I don't know, about four or five years ago.
And a guy had originally done it because he had a old charger.
And he did the bodywork himself, actually.
And he actually went to some places and got paint quotes.
Now all they had to do was paint the thing.
And they were getting like, I don't remember.
But this particular paint job he wanted, I think they were getting the quotes of like $3,000 to $6,000.
And he just thought, that's way too much to paint for paint on this vehicle.
And so he decided he was going to train and paint it with restoling paint.
So I don't know where he came up with the idea, but he actually, and it was originally a roll, what they call a roll-on method.
And they used rollers, they dilute the paint down to a water consistency.
And they used these foam rollers about three inches wide and rounded on the edges.
And now it doesn't go on real thick, and it looks like crap.
The first three, four codes.
And then they sand in between every two or three codes.
And I think ideally they want anywhere between six and nine codes of this.
And when they're done, some of these cars are just phenomenal.
There's one guy that actually has a old Ford fairly 500, I think it's a 64.
And he actually takes this thing to car shows.
And it's one of some prizes with this vehicle.
And a lot of people can't believe it's a $50 paint job on this vehicle.
It looks that good.
Now they've gotten, I mean, they still have the restoling.
You can still do it that way, but there's also another product on the market now.
And I can't recall what it is.
It's actually a boat paint, and they're getting really good using the same technique results with that as well.
But it's a little bit more durable from what I understand to this more UV resistant over the restoling.
And now there's actually spray applications as well for people who don't like to sand as much.
Right.
And you can get away with two or three codes with the spray.
And I've actually tried this on, I haven't done a gloss yet, but I did a flat black on my hood.
And it actually turned out quite well as pleased with the results.
Although, you know, it's got to keep the bug down.
But with the gloss paint, when you're done, you actually buff it.
So you don't have to really worry about bugs and stuff getting into your paint.
So you can do this right into driveway, embroider paint, let it dry, do your light sand, paint it again.
And you do this over a day.
You can't paint it right away. You've got to let the original, the first coat dry.
So most people that do it seem to, if they're doing it quickly, they'll paint it in the morning and sand it in the evening and then paint it again in the morning.
All right. That is some good stuff.
I hope everybody was able to get something out of this today.
Please leave some feedback, ask any questions.
I'd be glad to get back with you on it.
Hey everybody, help out HPR, put out an episode.
Famhawk, thanks for being here in the shop today and helping out with the podcast.
Appreciate it.
No problem.
All right, take it easy everybody.
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