nvseabee

i don't know if you would classify this as life, but anyways. a few days ago a friend of mine asked me if i would like to help work on theier car. and me being the good, mechanically inclined friend that i am said sure, i'll help you. bad move on my part. so today was the only day when our schedules didn't clash with each others, so we met up at the D.I.Y. auto shop on base where we, i mean i, started to work on it. and i say "i" because he did nothing to help me with his car. he just sat there sipping on soda and smoking his cigarrettes while i got covered head to toe in grease and oil. and i mean covered. i have washed my hair four times now, and i still have grease in it. well, anyways, i'm complaining about the fact that part of maintaining a vehicle is WASHING THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION, and keeping them free of grease, dirt, and other build up. several reasons for this: 1) it keeps your engine cooler, meaning more mpg's, 2) you can shed almost 50 lbs off your cars weight if haven't done this, meaning more mpg's, 3) it's easier to spot leaks of any kind, and 4) your mechanic will like you alot better and might even be more willing to give you discounts, meaning more cash stays in your pocket. my buddies car has over 75,000 miles on it and it's a 2004 dodge charger. it was so badly covered in grease underneath that i could barely see his starter. his car lost over 40 lbs of excess weight when i was done cleaning it. he has never cleaned the engine or tranny since he's owned it. i spent almost six hours cleaning it just to spend 45 minutes to put on a new oil pan gasket and change his oil. honestly, how hard is it to go to a self spray car wash and spend ten minutes every spraying down your engine after every oil change? i have a truck that has over 170,000 miles on it and it still looks brand new under the hood, and it's my daily driver. i've had work trucks back home that saw continuos use off-road everday and still looked brand new under the hood each time it when it the shop. i know if i was mechanic and came into my shop with vehicle that was as filthy under the hood as my friends, i would charge them extra to work on it. if it's clean, it's easier to work on than if it's dirty. well, that's enough of me complaining for the day. y'all have fun now, ya hear!