Post by Peter on Sept 18, 2013 17:21:35 GMT
Just for a laugh, honestly.
Description of various levels of kit car owner/builder
Bodger,
This is a temporary none-fix to an unfixable part so that one may break down again nearer home each time using materials never intended to be on a vehicle in any way shape or form. Usually leads to the complete destruction of associated parts requiring a great deal of time money and work to correct. One never sees his car at a show as it is always breaking down as he hasn’t fixed the last bodged job.
MacGyver,
Named after the TV programme of that name with Richard Dean Anderson and usually means making something out of next to nothing found lying about in the darkest reaches of the garage, (one of my favourite pastimes), to get a desired result. This can mean the destruction of a perfectly good item, usually expensive, to re construct it into the required unit. Usually works once, if at all and renders the original item junk and most often the vehicle also, sometimes can be a resounding success though and work for years.
Sinking submarine,
One of my favourites, named after my post military instructor’s saying, “if you were in a sinking submarine you would be sure to find a way to fix it”. Using what ever materials and tools are to hand to repair a part sufficiently well to complete the journey, cut off section of washer hose to insulate contact breaker post springs to mind, drill, tap, peg and file a tooth into a gear wheel in another. Sometimes these repairs can out last the original part. As my last employer used to say when a Buggy broke, “Can you weld it?”
DIY,
Usually fairly successful using materials from the local DIY superstore normally meant for household use. With careful covering and concealment the finished item can look as good as a ‘proper made’ one and last several years, well, months. Usually has a pile of off-cuts, un-used sections, profiles and sheets of materials with bits cut out that he had to buy a meter of to get 10cm. This owner usually has a lot of DIY tools that usually break when given a proper workout in the garage.
Hobbyist.
This is usually found to be someone who has the entire inventory of the local professional tool shop in his garage and knows how to use half of it, or al least know what it’s supposed to do. Normally the home of the over thinker who attempts things way outside his skill set because he has the tools, resulting in personal injury and many a scrapped kit car. Knows how to take/hack things apart but not too good with the rebuilding part.
Life long tinkerer,
Now this person has had many years to establish a skill set, but isn’t an engineer by trade and it shows why he is a shop manager. Capable of above average work as long as sufficient research is undertaken first, which is rare, as he knows best having done it for years. Normally well equipped because like the ‘Hobbyist’ he too has a load of tools he likes to think he understands. Tends to be a grasshopper in his working and that’s why things never get finished.
Professional engineer/mechanic.
Rarely gets anything finished or takes a heck of a long time to do so as he works on machines/vehicles all day so isn’t keen to spend his spare time doing more of the same, (been there, done that), tends to work in busts of activity, quite often just before a show and fails to get there because of a small ‘unforeseen’ problem he should have seen and fixed weeks before if he hadn’t been so unwilling to get into the garage again. Capable of high standards and completed work will stand the test of time, should it all get done.
The engineer,
Time served, years of experience and has access to a machine shop and knows how to use it, (3 out of 4 isn’t bad), tends to take ages to over engineer everything and produces great works of engineering to a high standard, usually when a simple solution would suffice. Never gets a car finished as he always needs to perfect that ‘final’ part and machine a better one, constantly re-inventing the wheel.
Now, I know these examples are nowhere near typical and very much ‘tongue in cheek’, and everyone is a bit of each somewhere along the line but I bet everyone can pick out at least two traits they have, I know I can.
Description of various levels of kit car owner/builder
Bodger,
This is a temporary none-fix to an unfixable part so that one may break down again nearer home each time using materials never intended to be on a vehicle in any way shape or form. Usually leads to the complete destruction of associated parts requiring a great deal of time money and work to correct. One never sees his car at a show as it is always breaking down as he hasn’t fixed the last bodged job.
MacGyver,
Named after the TV programme of that name with Richard Dean Anderson and usually means making something out of next to nothing found lying about in the darkest reaches of the garage, (one of my favourite pastimes), to get a desired result. This can mean the destruction of a perfectly good item, usually expensive, to re construct it into the required unit. Usually works once, if at all and renders the original item junk and most often the vehicle also, sometimes can be a resounding success though and work for years.
Sinking submarine,
One of my favourites, named after my post military instructor’s saying, “if you were in a sinking submarine you would be sure to find a way to fix it”. Using what ever materials and tools are to hand to repair a part sufficiently well to complete the journey, cut off section of washer hose to insulate contact breaker post springs to mind, drill, tap, peg and file a tooth into a gear wheel in another. Sometimes these repairs can out last the original part. As my last employer used to say when a Buggy broke, “Can you weld it?”
DIY,
Usually fairly successful using materials from the local DIY superstore normally meant for household use. With careful covering and concealment the finished item can look as good as a ‘proper made’ one and last several years, well, months. Usually has a pile of off-cuts, un-used sections, profiles and sheets of materials with bits cut out that he had to buy a meter of to get 10cm. This owner usually has a lot of DIY tools that usually break when given a proper workout in the garage.
Hobbyist.
This is usually found to be someone who has the entire inventory of the local professional tool shop in his garage and knows how to use half of it, or al least know what it’s supposed to do. Normally the home of the over thinker who attempts things way outside his skill set because he has the tools, resulting in personal injury and many a scrapped kit car. Knows how to take/hack things apart but not too good with the rebuilding part.
Life long tinkerer,
Now this person has had many years to establish a skill set, but isn’t an engineer by trade and it shows why he is a shop manager. Capable of above average work as long as sufficient research is undertaken first, which is rare, as he knows best having done it for years. Normally well equipped because like the ‘Hobbyist’ he too has a load of tools he likes to think he understands. Tends to be a grasshopper in his working and that’s why things never get finished.
Professional engineer/mechanic.
Rarely gets anything finished or takes a heck of a long time to do so as he works on machines/vehicles all day so isn’t keen to spend his spare time doing more of the same, (been there, done that), tends to work in busts of activity, quite often just before a show and fails to get there because of a small ‘unforeseen’ problem he should have seen and fixed weeks before if he hadn’t been so unwilling to get into the garage again. Capable of high standards and completed work will stand the test of time, should it all get done.
The engineer,
Time served, years of experience and has access to a machine shop and knows how to use it, (3 out of 4 isn’t bad), tends to take ages to over engineer everything and produces great works of engineering to a high standard, usually when a simple solution would suffice. Never gets a car finished as he always needs to perfect that ‘final’ part and machine a better one, constantly re-inventing the wheel.
Now, I know these examples are nowhere near typical and very much ‘tongue in cheek’, and everyone is a bit of each somewhere along the line but I bet everyone can pick out at least two traits they have, I know I can.