Counterpoint:

In Southern California, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a mall that isn’t disgustingly crowded. disgusted.

And broken window regulators.

This would be the best.

Sunday’s for racin’, it’s already an oval, time for some circle track shenanigans. If we use those little side loops as “bus stop” chicanes, it could make a fine little drift course.

It does make sense in that way, and I certainly don’t mind having my own tool collection. The problem is that the burden of spending such money just to do the job, especially when young techs are starting out and need a lot of stuff, isn’t factored into wages at all.

Me too, bud. I’ve been at it almost 22 years on the independent side and now run the place, but if I find a way to support my family otherwise I’m fucking gone. Add customer service to the problems I already have with this business and it’s too much. Funny, none of the trade publications mention burnout when bemoaning…

This is how it works, absolutely. The best guys necessarily get the most particular cars, and aren’t always compensated for what it does to their productivity. My owner gets on my case for paying the best diagnostician and best old car guy what they have in things or throwing some time at them above and beyond when…

Eh, not really. But I’ve got some nice tools to work on my own projects or start my own place with.

You would hope, but they don’t give a shit. We’re expendable. I’ve been working on a post/rant for Oppo about the way mechanics are paid, particularly in the old car industry, I’d love for you to proofread or add to it.

Unions?!? We don’t have one of those. The UAW covers the people who build the cars, not those who fix them.

Aaand out of the gray for you, because I know we’re on the same page. Cheers man.

It has ever been thus, the industry was built this way long before today’s technicians were born. Even if it could be changed, it’s an awfully large ship to turn. Like a fully-laden supertanker with a broken rudder. It’s possible though, and as the tech shortage only worsens, our bargaining power should increase. In…

Yeah, not how it works here. We had an Austrian tech here for awhile who couldn’t believe we have to buy our own tools. We get the $40 a week for life plan with Snap-On or one of the other major tool companies. I’ve got over $60k into my tools over 20 years, and moving a toolbox that weighs as much as a car is a pain…

I used to get home to Los Gatos from my buddy’s shop in Danville this way. Put my old GTI into the fence out there once.

Ah, Calaveras. Miss that road. I’m pretty sure that hairpin is the one where I put my GTI into the fence one wet night...

Or, you can buy a short wheelbase Sprinter that’s better at everything for less.

Good. I had a Prius (surprise!) going under the limit hold me up recently as I cruised at a highly irresponsible 74mph in a wide open 65 zone, and after they eventually pulled over I saw the license plate frame:

That was arguably done to buy MATRA Le Mans wins, not to help the series. The FIA (read: France) was sick of Porsche and Ferrari (but mostly Porsche) destroying everybody after driving their cars through a loophole. The 5.0L class was intended to give old GT40s and T70s a place to race for a bit while manufacturers…

At least one is in the wild, I saw a white one on 101 South well between Superchargers over the weekend. Maybe an employee car though, it was only about 2 hours from the factory.