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**DizzDizz** · 08-26-2010, 03:28 PM

it's pretty run of the mill in my neck of the woods and my neightbors are always looking at my garage funny when they here air tools and welders all the time and amazed at usually what comes out of there like it's abnormal

**Lawn Guyland** · 08-26-2010, 03:30 PM

you know where i stand on this...i grew up in a family where taking your car to a shop is the WEIRD thing to do...having a father who has worked on cars since he was in high school, i have always seen him do his own work when it comes to cars. he has always fixed whatever it is, whether it's his car, mine, my brothers, friends, etc...he doesn't like seeing people get ripped off and tries to hook everyone up if they do need a shop...having lots of mechanic friends has definitely been a plus for us hahaha

but unlike you will my neighbors don't stare us down when we're working on our cars

**WAD357** · 08-26-2010, 03:32 PM

Sometimes I feel like the people that bring their car to a shop look down on people that fix their own. They might see it as a lower class thing to do because its cheaper... However I'd love to move into some kind of rich class neighbor hood and put up a huge shop to wrench on my shit in the backyard

**LittleD** · 08-26-2010, 03:35 PM

I live in a very blue collar neighbor hood so it's not that bad when it comes to my neighbors. But when it comes to school, everyone is like why are you working on your car? and my common response is if i know how to fix something, why would i bring it to someone else? My dad FLIPS OUT if i say something about letting someone fix something that i don't want to do, for ex: i told my dad i might have someone build me a rear bumper cause i wont have time during school, and he went on for like 20 mins about how easy it would be be, and if i did have someone do that, he would hand over the insurance and everything else on my jeep on my 18th.

**Kyle** · 08-26-2010, 03:36 PM

I think its because people look at those who work on their own car as poor or something. I guess in their eyes only "professionals" work on cars. Also even the professional mechanics are looked down upon. Its grungy blue collar work and if you ask any mechanic they will say its a very unthankful business. Noone ever thinks, wow these guys know their stuff or have some skill. They just see some guy covered in grease who they think has no education or teeth.

Just go ask anyone you see who only goes to the dealership to get their oil changed. They would most likely never go to an oil change shop or small town shop let alone do it in their drive way.

I currently work at Town Fair Tire and every day people look down on me as i had them their car keys.

**grundlepunch** · 08-26-2010, 03:40 PM

seems like averyone around me is always in their driveway working on cars / trucks. and everyone seems to have a car that doesnt run or is in "project mode" for ever.

but i guess it can be broken down quite simply:
White collar area = pay someone to work on car.
Blue collar area = work on car yourself.

If you have money, you tend to buy nice cars that dont break down / have warranties. and are also harder to work on. If you dont have money you buy older used cars that tend to need work and its cheaper to do the work yourself, and you arnt as apossed to "getting your hands dirty"

make sense?

**HeavyMetal** · 08-26-2010, 03:41 PM

Where is the line drawn?

Why is it respectable to build your own deck or addition to your house?

Remodel a room in your house yourself, also considered accepted and respectable.

Hell, someone who cooks from scratch.

Vehicles get the raw end.

Probably some truth in what you guys said about social "class" and money...for whatever reason, vehicle maintenance is considered a poor or redneck thing

**WAD357** · 08-26-2010, 03:42 PM

a big part of it is there are mechanics out there who dont do the right think and fuck people over selling them brakes that arent needed and stuff like that. This make many people worried about being screwed over. Sad part is its tough to find a good trust worthy shop especially one to rebuild an automatic transmission..

**Lawn Guyland** · 08-26-2010, 03:43 PM

i dont agree with the comments about how only lower class people work on their cars....my dad is and has been a mechanic for over 30+ years, and anyone who has been to my house, met my family....i'm not even trying to brag here, but my dad makes good money doing what he does...people just don't assume it. just because he comes home covered in grease and oil and whatnot doesn't mean he's not making money. sure, he works hard, but i guess it's just the environment i grew up in

**HeavyMetal** · 08-26-2010, 03:43 PM

Originally posted by Lawn Guyland View Post

i dont agree with the comments about how only lower class people work on their cars....my dad is and has been a mechanic for over 30+ years, and anyone who has been to my house, met my family....i'm not even trying to brag here, but my dad makes good money doing what he does...people just don't assume it. just because he comes home covered in grease and oil and whatnot doesn't mean he's not making money. sure, he works hard, but i guess it's just the environment i grew up in

its the perception by society, not the reality

and i think theres truth in that theory about societys perception...not the actual truth.

**Kyle** · 08-26-2010, 03:45 PM

I spent $15000 on my wk and its only 5 years old and i still work on it all the time. I think its completely a social class or area you live kinda thing. Nice areas frown upon people working on their cars or having messy property etc. These areas dont like to have the people on the street that "make others look bad" in their eyes.

I dont think ONLY lower class people work on cars but if your in a nice neighborhood and you have money and are well off etc, but you work on your own car in your drive way, i bet others in the neighborhood will bitch about it.

**Lawn Guyland** · 08-26-2010, 03:45 PM

well there definitely is. when you hear people are making good money, the first occupation you assume most definitely is not a mechanic...you think wall street, VP, CEO...that kind of stuff.

it's just sad that because somebody knows how to do an oil change in their driveway it's seen as 'lower class.'

**LittleD** · 08-26-2010, 03:45 PM

Another part i forgot to mention, i think people think down on people who work on cars at their house, think that it's not appropriate cause when we give an estimate it includes what needs to be done which in return isn't as pricey, if you walk into a shop with a suite on, all they see is money signs and say you need all this random stuff done and the person just says ok cause they don't know what half the shit is.

**grundlepunch** · 08-26-2010, 03:45 PM

Originally posted by Lawn Guyland View Post

i dont agree with the comments about how only lower class people work on their cars....my dad is and has been a mechanic for over 30+ years, and anyone who has been to my house, met my family....i'm not even trying to brag here, but my dad makes good money doing what he does...people just don't assume it. just because he comes home covered in grease and oil and whatnot doesn't mean he's not making money. sure, he works hard, but i guess it's just the environment i grew up in

so hes a mechanic, that rules him out of this classification. and obviously hes going to work on his own car

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Spin off of the Fairfield County thread...a question to ponder

Spin off of the Fairfield County thread...a question to ponder

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