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At what age did you stop or plan to stop wrenching?
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cantdrv55
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 06, 2024 1:10 am    Post subject: At what age did you stop or plan to stop wrenching? Reply with quote

I’m 60 and in good health despite having diabetes. I exercise a lot but I also eat a lot. I can still get up relatively easy from a laying on my back position under a car. However, I can see my wrenching days coming to an end in less than 10 years, if that. It’ll be sad but I will still enjoy my cars. Just have to swipe my credit card more.

What about you? When did you stop or plan to stop? Are cars just as enjoyable for you if you’re no longer working on them?
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 06, 2024 1:15 am    Post subject: Re: At what age did you stop or plan to stop wrenching? Reply with quote

Age 80

I won’t be punching too many doggies by then but I still find doing my oil changes and tire swaps therapeutic. Power tools have really helped take strain off my joints and fingers. Crack a bolt with a big breaker after heat and lube, then a flex on a small Bosch tool to zip them off keeps fingers,wrists, arms happy

After that, I will sit in my diaper and write internet posts about how people are fixing their cars wrong or just posting wrong, or making fun of Xevin.
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markswagen
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 06, 2024 1:46 am    Post subject: Re: At what age did you stop or plan to stop wrenching? Reply with quote

having had my retirement in my late 20's through to my mid 30's, l'll be wrenching until the day before l get put in the ground.
unless l can find folk willing to pay me not to work on their vehicles.
l'm 54 right now, my health is declining.
so time will tell.
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 06, 2024 5:09 am    Post subject: Re: At what age did you stop or plan to stop wrenching? Reply with quote

I had stopped doing some of the heavier stuff a few years back on my Dodge 3500 due to arthritic joints. I have used my hands and wrists without mercy most of my life and the chickens are coming home to roost now. It certainly takes the fun out of it.

That said I am back to wrenching again on most everything due to failures that should not have happened. For instance, I lost 4 wheel studs out of 8 two years back on the Dodge due to improperly torqued wheel nuts. Then just a month ago I had the water pump changed on the TDI and half way home it flagged on low coolant level. They had failed to run the engine long enough to get the air out! Just stupid stuff!

There are 3 reasons now for me to take a vehicle in.

1) Too cold out, I don't do well working in a snow bank anymore.
2) Too technical, I don't own the diagnostic tools.
3) Too heavy for this old body, pain meds, power tools, tractor bucket and jacks are helping with that.

As to when I will quit altogether? When the old body looses enough function I suppose or when my mind goes south on a permanent holiday. All I know is I won't have the luxury to pick the time and date. It won't be planned.
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 06, 2024 5:48 am    Post subject: Re: At what age did you stop or plan to stop wrenching? Reply with quote

I was okay until 2 or 3 years ago (now a few months shy of 80).
Short on strength and getting up after crawling around on the floor has become
rather difficult.
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 06, 2024 6:53 am    Post subject: Re: At what age did you stop or plan to stop wrenching? Reply with quote

I'm only 60. Are you guys saying it gets worse than this? Shocked
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Glenn Premium Member
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 06, 2024 7:08 am    Post subject: Re: At what age did you stop or plan to stop wrenching? Reply with quote

I ASSume when I sell my house and move to a place with out a garage or workshop, i'll give my son my toolbox and tools.

I'll go buy an inexpensive toolkit to have in the event I need a screwdriver or wrench.

As of now... I have no plans in the future to move.

As 68 and with a bad shoulder, I limit doing major work under a car, but still build engines. 4 hours is my limit standing on a concrete floor, so it takes a few days.
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 06, 2024 7:11 am    Post subject: Re: At what age did you stop or plan to stop wrenching? Reply with quote

cantdrv55 wrote:
I’m 60 and in good health despite having diabetes. I exercise a lot but I also eat a lot. I can still get up relatively easy from a laying on my back position under a car. However, I can see my wrenching days coming to an end in less than 10 years, if that. It’ll be sad but I will still enjoy my cars. Just have to swipe my credit card more.

What about you? When did you stop or plan to stop? Are cars just as enjoyable for you if you’re no longer working on them?


As if we had a clue as when things are gonna happen. I almost hit a fucking deer this morning, I didn’t see that coming. One of my mentors an old baggage handler recovered alcoholic airline mechanic told me “Jimmy nobody makes it out of here in one piece” He was referring to how the body wears out but you just don’t know when. I didn’t plan on a torn rotator cuff that put me down for months. From my observations people myself included hang on to things. Another of my mentors finally parked his 67 Ghia at 84 after he wrecked the car, but I saw him 2 days before he died he was at peace. I guess my rambling point is some of it you see coming some not. John Lennon said “Life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans” my only plan is to not leave too big a mess for my family to clean up😂
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kingkarmann
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 06, 2024 7:38 am    Post subject: Re: At what age did you stop or plan to stop wrenching? Reply with quote

I stopped when it was no longer bringing me joy.....
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Dusty1
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 06, 2024 7:54 am    Post subject: Re: At what age did you stop or plan to stop wrenching? Reply with quote

My buddy Bob was a motorcyclist, a blacksmith, a welder and a machinist. Most welders of his era eventually develop emphysema from the flux dust and metal vapor. Bob always had a stubby Connecticut cigar under his helmet. He would breathe through his cigar. Every couple hours he would toss his chewed up and sub- stubby stubby and get a fresh one. Seems it functioned as a respirator. The cigar caught the flux and vapor.

We've all been exposed to crap that had we known we'd live this long we would have taken better care of ourselves. Still, Bob made it into his early 80s. I'm almost surprised he wasn't buried with a wrench in his hand, one hand stickin' outta his grave.

Motorcyclist, remember? He had some unkind words for our current crop of posers. As far as Bob was concerned you didn't have much street cred if you didn't fight the Japanese and win.

Bob had a '64 Kombi and a '70 Bug. And a basement fulla ancient Harleys. Like, ancient. Stuff you never see much less see running on the road.


I have a bucket list of hot VWs to build. I'll quit when I stop breathing.


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2type2
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 06, 2024 8:56 am    Post subject: Re: At what age did you stop or plan to stop wrenching? Reply with quote

I like Glenn's approach, after a short while you learn that overextending those hours/attempts will have you paying for it the next day or two.I think the biggest ache is crawling under- repeatedly-- because you didn't bring all your tools below.
The best part for me is that I can tear up the garage, shut the door then come back at any intervals without worrying that anything got disturbed. I'll be tinkering till I'm dust.
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scottyrocks
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 06, 2024 9:08 am    Post subject: Re: At what age did you stop or plan to stop wrenching? Reply with quote

I had always done regular maintenance on my cars and bikes. My issue these days is cold weather, as previously mentioned. I just don't wanna be cold, whereas in the old days I could stay out in the driveway or back yard for hours working on a vehicle.

I've never had a garage larger than a single-car. And a lot of stuff. We're planning on moving. The new house must have at least a 2 car garage, and if it's not insulated and heated, that will be a first project.

Did I mention I don't like the cold?
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 06, 2024 9:56 am    Post subject: Re: At what age did you stop or plan to stop wrenching? Reply with quote

scottyrocks wrote:
I had always done regular maintenance on my cars and bikes. My issue these days is cold weather, as previously mentioned. I just don't wanna be cold, whereas in the old days I could stay out in the driveway or back yard for hours working on a vehicle.

I've never had a garage larger than a single-car. And a lot of stuff. We're planning on moving. The new house must have at least a 2 car garage, and if it's not insulated and heated, that will be a first project.

Did I mention I don't like the cold?


l'll trade you cold mechanicing for summer weather. I die in the heat, but will pull a cylinder head in the snow, happy as a polar bear.

Glenn made a great point. I keep my jobs to under 4 hours a day so I dont get hurt, frustrated, and start busting stuff.

10 years left for me, I hope
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Shonandb
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 06, 2024 10:53 am    Post subject: Re: At what age did you stop or plan to stop wrenching? Reply with quote

I did a lot of wrenching from when I was a kid (8 years old until about 19) and then when needed (travelling in a 73 Bus until 25) but then have worked a desk job the next 30 years up until now. I don't see myself fully retiring so doing something physical will keep me honest.

The first major mechanical work after 20 years was in 2015 when I did an engine swap in my 2005 Ford Freestar using a set of ramps, jack stands, and a borrowed engine hoist. I found a used low mileage 4.2L engine from a 2006 for less than the cost of a new water pump and swapped it in. Started right up and there were zero complications. Nice!

That built my confidence to buy a 76 Westy and as the engine was dead, and the undercarriage rusty, do a Subaru swap myself including the harness and sheet metal work to get the Bus back on the road. All the things I learned as a kid came back to me and I enjoyed doing the work myself and now have a nice, reliable, non stock Bus.

I enjoy getting out in the garage and working on it or fixing our other 2 cars, bicycles, trailer, etc. It's almost therapeutic and I hope that I've got another 20 years in me at least but time will tell.

The problem is that all the men in my family/ancestry all die young so who knows what's around the corner.
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Last edited by Shonandb on Sun Mar 10, 2024 1:49 pm; edited 3 times in total
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 06, 2024 11:04 am    Post subject: Re: At what age did you stop or plan to stop wrenching? Reply with quote

In my head at 66 I can do what I used to do in my 20s. It's almost true. What's changed is that after day-long "car yoga" exercises, it takes 3-4 days to recover, not one. So I plan workloads accordingly. I also buy Motrin at Costco!

I also don't like sliding in and out from under the car. I even get a little dizzy if I do it too quickly. So now a QuikJack and mechanic's slider make that a little less problematic. A scissor engine/ATC jack make engine R&R much less backbreaking. I used to just use a floor jack, blocks, and 2/4 shims and prybars.

I pulled the engine and tranny from my Bus, and am halfway putting them back. One of the reasons for the tranny work is that it won't be too long before I don't want to do those heavy back-challenging chores. So I am doing it while the engine is already out, and while I still can do it; and (hopefully) won't have to ever again. That was never part of my thinking before.
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 06, 2024 11:14 am    Post subject: Re: At what age did you stop or plan to stop wrenching? Reply with quote

Im getten close to it....
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 06, 2024 11:56 am    Post subject: Re: At what age did you stop or plan to stop wrenching? Reply with quote

kingkarmann wrote:
I stopped when it was no longer bringing me joy.....


That's my place right now. I've worked my whole life in the trades. When I was young, I could go to work and "dance all night". Now life has taken its toll on my body. I just don't recover as easy as I used to. Everything hurts all the time... hands, knees, back... name it.

I still work on the motorcycles and the buggy because it "brings me joy".

I take my truck and my wife's car to the local Goodyear for an oil change and anything else.
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 06, 2024 12:09 pm    Post subject: Re: At what age did you stop or plan to stop wrenching? Reply with quote

Lots of good points made. When I was 18 and dating my wife her dad would usually say in a nice Irish brogue, “Nothing like the youth boy.” Didn’t think much of it then but think about it everyday. I’m 77 and still wrenching. Present project is a 61 ragtop. I work in spirts and take breaks multiple times. I still love wrenching on the bug and I’ll keep it up as long as it doesn’t become “work”.
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 06, 2024 1:56 pm    Post subject: Re: At what age did you stop or plan to stop wrenching? Reply with quote

if you get too old for wrenching on the old stuff just steal a new luxury car
https://www.stroudnewsandjournal.co.uk/news/24167939.man-charged-stealing-mercedes-gloucestershire/
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Dusty1
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 06, 2024 2:33 pm    Post subject: Re: At what age did you stop or plan to stop wrenching? Reply with quote

kingkarmann wrote:
I stopped when it was no longer bringing me joy.....


I thought about that all afternoon. The work itself has never brought me joy. I do it because it's better than the alternative. I started out working on farm machinery because if I didn't fix the tractor we wouldn't get the hay in. If we didn't get the hay in we'd have to pay to feed the cows. If we had to feed the cows hamburgers would be priced outta reach...

Never occurred to me that we still had all the pork we could eat. We would never chew our way through all those chickens.


Still, I got into workin' on cars because it was more cost effective for me to work on my own than it was to pay someone. Never mind no matter how much you pay the only way to be sure of what you're gettin' is to do it yourself.

Way I figure it it costs me close to nothing to work on my vehicles. It costs me $85 per hour to have someone else work on my vehicles and that's still no guarantee I'm payin' for quality work.


I never really understood which world some people live in where they get paid for what they enjoy. Ben 'n' Jerry used to say,

"If it's not fun why do it?"

Silly hippies! They should have tried prostitution. Twisted Evil

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