Greetings Community-
Name is Dan, I retired 2 years ago from 45+ years of toolmaking (plastic injection molds specifically) and currently have a very modest machine shop in my garage, mostly centered around a small CNC mill that I rebuilt and a manual engine lathe and all the other assorted tools and instruments associated. I've been a life long shade tree mechanic, beginning with my and my friends' bicycles before graduating to my dad's cars (he was so patient with me LOL) and finally my own vehicles.
I found my way here via 'that other site' (as people here like to refer to it) and decided to spend more time here than there since it didn't seem as helpful as it was.
So anyway my related vehicle is a 2004 TB LS that we bought on its 1st birthday with 12,000 miles from a dealer used lot, and we've been really happy with it all these years. It's still in pretty decent shape appearance wise, just a little scratch n dent here and there; even the clear coat is mostly intact which is unusual here in Phoenix, Arizona. Plus no dash cracking, but just in case I just added a dash cover (hoping I'm not too late, nothing has started yet). Oh yeah, the current mileage is 190K, all of it here in Arizona, so thankfully I have next to no corrosion to deal with, just frequent battery changes and dry rotting tires with decent tread left
.
I've been threatening for the last several years to upgrade before I began facing increasing repair bills, but the only reaction I ever got from the wife was a frown--it was love at first sight for her and she's never looked back! It was mostly her car until I retired and sold my Saturn Ion (bought new in 2005 and had 413K miles when sold, still ran solid and my nephew uses it for work commute now). But with the outrageous prices on both new and used cars (and no indication of getting any better) I made the decision to 'let it ride' a few more years and just maintain it, figuring that even major repairs would still save me money in the long run--time will tell. I'm not a 'car guy' beyond keeping it well maintained (even washing is an unwelcome chore for me) so I don't require periodic ride changes. I'm still capable of doing my own work for the most part, and now that I'm retired, as the saying goes, I have more time than money now
So with that said I have already spent many hours reading up here and will most likely be seeking help as I continue keeping my ride going for a while yet!
Name is Dan, I retired 2 years ago from 45+ years of toolmaking (plastic injection molds specifically) and currently have a very modest machine shop in my garage, mostly centered around a small CNC mill that I rebuilt and a manual engine lathe and all the other assorted tools and instruments associated. I've been a life long shade tree mechanic, beginning with my and my friends' bicycles before graduating to my dad's cars (he was so patient with me LOL) and finally my own vehicles.
I found my way here via 'that other site' (as people here like to refer to it) and decided to spend more time here than there since it didn't seem as helpful as it was.
So anyway my related vehicle is a 2004 TB LS that we bought on its 1st birthday with 12,000 miles from a dealer used lot, and we've been really happy with it all these years. It's still in pretty decent shape appearance wise, just a little scratch n dent here and there; even the clear coat is mostly intact which is unusual here in Phoenix, Arizona. Plus no dash cracking, but just in case I just added a dash cover (hoping I'm not too late, nothing has started yet). Oh yeah, the current mileage is 190K, all of it here in Arizona, so thankfully I have next to no corrosion to deal with, just frequent battery changes and dry rotting tires with decent tread left
.I've been threatening for the last several years to upgrade before I began facing increasing repair bills, but the only reaction I ever got from the wife was a frown--it was love at first sight for her and she's never looked back! It was mostly her car until I retired and sold my Saturn Ion (bought new in 2005 and had 413K miles when sold, still ran solid and my nephew uses it for work commute now). But with the outrageous prices on both new and used cars (and no indication of getting any better) I made the decision to 'let it ride' a few more years and just maintain it, figuring that even major repairs would still save me money in the long run--time will tell. I'm not a 'car guy' beyond keeping it well maintained (even washing is an unwelcome chore for me) so I don't require periodic ride changes. I'm still capable of doing my own work for the most part, and now that I'm retired, as the saying goes, I have more time than money now
So with that said I have already spent many hours reading up here and will most likely be seeking help as I continue keeping my ride going for a while yet!
