In my childhood that was the question of my grandmother in the - naturally - car quartets. The lovely person tried to be so silly that she kept telling me what she was doing well before me. The car quartet is probably still somewhere. But in the meantime the search has come to the next level.
Nowadays real parts are searched for real cars. And that those are the cars I know from my car quartet time? Well, I am a car enthusiast, not a psychologist.
Tinker and parts yourself
Our cars - and the youngtimers just count there - are in our pure enthusiasts' corner. We - classic enthusiasts - know a lot more about our cars than the hard-core addition knights. And the technology of our cars is still quite understandable in the different degrees of 'difficult'. And what is better for the bond between driver and car than performing the maintenance and repairs ourselves as far as we can handle it ourselves?
Now also available for us
Among our advertisers are suppliers of workshop tools that used to be available for professionals - for a lot of money. The current price level of all that beauty, because tools are also just something that makes greedy, is extremely human-friendly. And if we then decide to get started ourselves, there are not only the workshop manuals of real paper or as a PDF, but there are also countless videos on YouTube where people explain step by step and show how to make repairs or replacements. That is why more and more people are tackling the fear of tinkering and discovering themselves working on their cars as a form of meditation. The fact that we are missing the hefty hourly rates of the current garage world is just a nice side effect.
A total block revision is too high for most of us
But we can do a lot ourselves. And for people who like to have some quiet professional space around them during work, there is the possibility of knocking on 'DIY change' at a DIY garage where the car can be parked on the bridge. This has the additional advantage that the DIY garage operator can always assist if there are questions or problems.
In terms of component supply, the internet is a useful thing that keeps our passion affordable. Because € 25 for a set of brake discs and a set of brake pads for one Citroën BX? There is little to say about that. And it is surprising how many parts such as exhausts, so brake discs, shock absorbers and all that kind of nice easy to replace stuff is just for sale at regular parts suppliers. For example, during our wanderings we found car parts at Carpardoo, the recent Dutch site of the German-Austrian webshop.
But with all self-reliance, ensure that safety is the most important thing. Both during tinkering and in the result. And to keep thinking economically, it is useful to know that the garage soap at the Action costs almost nothing.
Sometimes you get the idea that there are shares in the action.
Yes, we also suspected Dolf to own shares in the Action, Aldi and Lidl chains. But for the time being we could not prove it.
Good workspace and tools, that keeps me in particular. And the fear that I will end up somewhere halfway, I don't know anymore, I don't dare to go any further and then I have to call the mechanic.
Washing your hair thoroughly with head & shoulders the next day also works well, since there is a firm head of hair! Degreasers and micro wipes from Wibra, also great!
In the water there is also some all-purpose cleaner (from the Laidel? ☕️)
I always get my hands on garage soap where the sheets hang. With a 1982 GL1100 I can really indulge my 'key needs'. For the clean hands (and many clean parts) always provide a bucket of good warm water and a microfiber cloth. Without the sheets hanging.