At what age did you stop or plan to stop wrenching?

[Abscate]

[TDCTDI]

Professionally? Since the house is already paid for, my thought was within a few years of paying off the shop. However, both properties were just reassessed at 4x their previous value, looks like I’ll be working full time just to pay the fucking government.


If you work on them every day, it’s just another day. If I stay at home, the ever growing honey-do list makes me work with muscle groups that I don’t normally use, that’s when it hurts. I also tend to ache more on days off, so I’m fine coming to the shop & working.


However, I’m growing far less tolerant of stupid questions.
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Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.


GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!


An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.


Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it.

[Abscate]

[jspbtown]

[TDCTDI]

[OB Bus]

I was an accountant not a professional mechanic.
My skills were/are pretty nominal; enough to get it done but not necessarily done well.
At 71 I just do not have the interest in big mechanical work, whether on a car or our home. Thank goodness there are a couple of mechanics who work on air-cooled very close to us.

The march of time and aches and pain make wrenching much less interesting. For all of you that are still working and enjoying, good for you. Glad you can do something that you want.

For me I think by age 75 the bus will be gone and a bunch of the tools will be offered to the family as hand me downs. The spare parts will go with the bus or passed on to Robbie.
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Larry in OB
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!
69 Westfalia and 2002 Eurovan Camper.

[Abscate]

I just plonked down $1500 for the low rise car lift for my last 10 years of wenching. A two post was close in cost but I just don’t need it. I’ve got a great Indy 15 minutes walk from my house, and if they close up shop I’ll buy it and turn it into a maker space.

It’s good to have a plan.
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.ssS!

[wcfvw69]

I just ran into this thread. It's an interesting read about the joys of aging, eh? I'm deep into my 50's. I have been shocked with how differently my body feels today than in my early 50's.
I asked my doctor recently if it was normal to be stiff and achy at this age when I get up from the couch after 20 minutes. He's 62 and responded "Duh". lol
How I also know that I'm older is watching some of my favorite Youtube channels. These guys are in their 30's doing mechanical, machinist or other types of restoration work on homes, cars, etc. I watch the video and think to myself "I'm too old to do a project like that". lol.
The other thing that makes me cringe is watching these younger guys not protecting their bodies. Grinding, sanding and welding without a respirator. Using brake clean or other chemicals without gloves so their bodies absorb the chemicals. Back in our day I don't think we knew the risks of not using PPE. Of course a lot of us smoked 40 years ago too. Ugh...
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Contact me at [email protected]
Follow me on instagram @sparxwerksllc

Decades of VW and VW parts restoration experience.
The Samba member since 2004.

**Now rebuilding throttle bodies for VW's and Porsche's**
**Restored German Bosch distributors for sale or I can restore yours**
**Restored German Pierburg fuel pumps for sale or I can restore yours**
**Restored Porsche fuel pumps or I can restore yours**
**Restored Porsche distributors or I can restore yours**

[oprn]

I just had a serious eye opener! Went bowling with the family yesterday. First time in about 35 years. Holy Crap those balls are heavy! Could not hang on to them with one hand, not enough strength in the fingers and it was instant pain in my wrist!

Ended up two handing them between my legs like a little kid! That was humbling!
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We had the stone age, the bronze age, the industrial age and now we are in the age of mass deception and mind control for corporate profit. (The mass media age)

[Cusser]

[wcfvw69]

[16CVs]

I think differently at 64 then I did at 55 that's for sure. I have a lift and now am mostly doing doing customers cars that need tinkering. My father was cutting wood at 86 and still wrenching on his stuff.

I will still do things to Vans, but big stuff I farmout to a local shop, having a lift it's easier to get a freelance mechanic to come to your house.

Until I can't is the answer.

Stacy
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1987 Syncro Westfalia Triple knob (bastard)
1989 Syncro Tristar Triple knob "Swedish"
2013 Jetta Hybrid a true "Zwitter"
Samba member # 14980
Call anytime number 650 722 4914 .
Keep Your van running and upkept tastefully for the love of the hobby.
Don't let your van end up in an "abortions" thread.

[FPGT72]

Currently 58, and I plan to retire from "real work" next year. I have no plans however to retire from turning wrenches. In fact I am really looking forward to having more time to do it.

Make no mistake I am MUCH older, with MUCH more mileage and just a little bit of battle damage to the old meat suit. So I do a great deal of sitting during my time in the shop.

I cant tell you how often I will sit there and say, you know after this song I will get back up and put that lawn mower blade back on......ok well perhaps the next song......well.....at least I got the blade off and sharpened.

I go very slow, and I do pay for it if I push, but I don't plan on stopping.

[2type2]

Soon you will realize, like many of us retired folk, that the " destination doesn't matter". The satisfaction and peace you find in your sometimes unnecessary and inexplicably subconscious delay tactics will have you out in the garage often. Activity will be varying between feverishly hammering away to finish by a certain time or unconsciously finding ways to extend the time required to accomplish the task with little to no advancement so you can enjoy yourself. Regardless the world outside will continue to spin into oblivion. Nobody knows,we shouldn't care and it wouldn't matter anyway. Just don't fall to the dark side. smham
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"A life of peace and happiness depends on your own gratefulness"

[Red68]

I'm 62 and retired. I find it relaxing to work on my older cars. I won't touch the new ones. Too complicated for me. That isn't relaxing at all.

I recently had a nasty bout with throat cancer and was so happy when I finally had enough strength to go out and tinker with my toys again, even if it was only for 10 minutes or so. As long as I have the strength I will wrench.
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Paul.

1973 Type 181 "Thing'
1959 Baja Bug
1963 Baja Bug
1968 Baja Bug
1970 Baja Bug
1972 Super Beetle

[6T5 square]

I'm 65 and retired. Will always wrench on my car till I can't lift the wrench anymore. Problem is, the wife thinks I'm still 30 years old ad keeps giving me projects that wipe me out. So I try to hide in the garage as much as I can
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John
65 square 1500S (weezer) sold but always on my mind
60 beetle (Ned)

Quoting John Muir -- Open the rear boot. Get out the stool and sit down. Contemplate the air-cooled beauty before you. - How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive -- Step-By-Step Procedures for the Compleat Idiot

[Cusser]

Mrs. Cusser and I consider work around the house, on the yard, taking care of 2 horses, senior softball, me working on vehicles as exercise too. Exercise is not limited to working out at a gym.
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1970 VW (owned since 1972) and 1971 VW Convertible (owned since 1976), second owner of each. The '71 now has the 1835 engine, swapped from the '70. Second owner of each. 1988 Mazda B2200 truck, 1998 Frontier, 2014 Yukon, 2004 Frontier King Cab. All manual transmission except for the Yukon. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335294 http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335297

[KTPhil]