Cadillacmak
Well-Known Member
That's a bummer to hear, but if it does happen I hope a young guy finds that opportunity. Maybe he can work off some of the tools by working in your driveway? Learning from you would be very valuable to him!
Work out of my garage/driveway
- Thread starter ORVietVet
- Start date
99Sierra2500
Well-Known Member
The ride is some harsh, seats are more comfortable though. I had a girlfriend who used to complain about the ride of my old 3/4 ton, not always fun. Had to convince her that was the way it needed to be, to do what it did. Sort of strange this is "the oldest truck I have owned" as even the others were around 10-15 years old, where this one is 26.
She is just surprised at the ride because of her older light duty K2500 that we sold. She has no problems with owning the truck because she loves the truck and likes "trucks". She prefers the truck over my Tahoe and her TrailBlazer, for sure.
99Sierra2500
Well-Known Member
That is a win, it is a nice looking truck, and a "couples" camper can be fairly inexpensive; that is what I am looking at, mostly a place to sleep, take a shower, make breakfast. You can split driving as well, a big bonus. Something to be said for waking up and going outside to see the Rockies on a brisk morning. I would like that.
I am actually starting something here in about 20 minutes, where I lend/rent my tools and knowledge to someone that wants to do the work themselves and learn. This kind of fell in my lap by surprise. Not gonna advertise. Just word of mouth.
Turns out he was not 100% square with me. They were not just shocks. They are air shocks. Got the old shocks off and new on in 30 minutes. Now he is out there using my zip ties and driveway time plumbing in the lines. 
someotherguy
Well-Known Member
Something I've noticed in 20+ years of non-consent towing (car snatching) - people that you would expect to be grown-ass adults are really just oversized toddlers. They naturally try to push the envelope to see what they can get away with, at every opportunity. It's not an optimistic outlook on our fellow man but it's one I've observed only a few thousand times (when I get the chance to meet my new friends in person) so it's been reinforced, to me anyway, as more than just anecdotal.Turns out he was not 100% square with me. They were not just shocks. They are air shocks. Got the old shocks off and new on in 30 minutes. Now he is out there using my zip ties and driveway time plumbing in the lines.
However, my samples may be tainted by the possibility that people that park wrong are of a certain mentality/mindset anyway and that's how we came to meet. I deal with mostly arrogant, selfish, or at minimum, ignorant people and very rarely those that came to the party simply by accident.
Hopefully your good intentions can find those that deserve such an amazing opportunity. I do fear they're in short supply (both deserving people, and amazing opportunities) as to me, our current state of society seems horribly broken.
Richard
Agree 100%, I used to run a tow truck and I saw all kinds of ignorance.
The kid yesterday, with the air shocks, is 22 and the son of a lady that is my landlords wife's best friend. He was a nice enough kid and did listen when I suggested things. I watched and he was not going to clean up the metal shavings that dropped to the driveway concrete, for the air shock "tee" mount hole he drilled. I let him get all done and ready to go and just before he climbed in his Pilot to go, I reminded him that he should sweep up that metal before I kneeled down and got some of that metal in my hands/knees.
He apologized and did it.
When I was starting this work out of my driveway, I put up with a lot but now I don't. If a prospective customer contacts me about work, I ask how they heard about me and if the recommendation came from a former PITA customer, I start to think of either saying "no can do" or a higher rate. If they were recommended by a good customer then I still hold my decisions till I see how easy they are to talk to on the phone or in person. I have a disclaimer that I make clear: I do not do everything and I do not warranty parts since the customer supplies them or they get my military and business discounts. I do not make any money on parts. If there is a problem, I diagnose and if is my fault, then the labor/diagnosis is covered. If not my fault, I charge for all or it. That is known up front.
So far, only problem with one customer when he thought I should cover the labor for redoing a faulty thermostat that he supplied. He called me names and I kicked him off my driveway. He said he would tell everyone. I do not advertise and is strictly word of mouth. I told him go ahead. "Get the hell out of here". He was a big strong young guy and I think he thought he could scare me in to doing the work. I am big and can handle myself and at 72 years old, I just don't worry about it any more. I had plenty of tools around to smack the hell out of him, if needed.
So far, only problem with one customer when he thought I should cover the labor for redoing a faulty thermostat that he supplied. He called me names and I kicked him off my driveway. He said he would tell everyone. I do not advertise and is strictly word of mouth. I told him go ahead. "Get the hell out of here". He was a big strong young guy and I think he thought he could scare me in to doing the work. I am big and can handle myself and at 72 years old, I just don't worry about it any more. I had plenty of tools around to smack the hell out of him, if needed.
Cadillacmak
Well-Known Member
I try to pound this into my kids heads and my employees heads! CLEANER THEN WHEN YOU GOT HERE!!! And no, you cant use the clients garbage cans!
I did let him use my shop trash can for the nipped zip ties and metal shavings. I have a pallet that I stack metal on, the old shocks, and a friend of mine comes by once a month and hauls it off.
It pissed me off that he was gonna leave the shavings and even though I talked to him on the phone, 2 days before the work, he did not tell me about the air shocks. The reinstall was not a problem but the added time of me watching over him while he plumbed the air lines, ticked me off.
Easy work today. Cleaned MAF on a 2014 Ford Edge.
Then roadtest 1999 Silverado C1500 std. cab. Growling noise at rear that changes with speed. Found: lots of gear slop, filthy grey fluid, loose u-joints, transmission mount coming apart, rear clunk noise when apply brakes, rf turn lens busted and right t/s flashes fast, belt tensioner and idler noisey and loose and oil pressure gauge needle jumpy between 35 and 50 psi. 235000 miles. On it's last legs.
Then roadtest 1999 Silverado C1500 std. cab. Growling noise at rear that changes with speed. Found: lots of gear slop, filthy grey fluid, loose u-joints, transmission mount coming apart, rear clunk noise when apply brakes, rf turn lens busted and right t/s flashes fast, belt tensioner and idler noisey and loose and oil pressure gauge needle jumpy between 35 and 50 psi. 235000 miles. On it's last legs.
someotherguy
Well-Known Member
That 8.5" 10 bolt sure sounds like it's on its last legs, but they were doomed from the start in a fullsize truck.
The oil pressure is probably just a flaky sender, though.
Richard
Agreed. He only uses the truck for about a month when he comes in to town from Alaska. The rest of the time, it just sits. He is trying to get by on "wire and tape" repairs. That is not something I can work with. This all started out with a woman contacting me, that he knows for years. He was a friend of her deceased husband. The truck stays at her place. She used to work at a local parts warehouse, so she has knowledge. She supplied 2 new front rotors to replace the warped old ones. C1500 with sealed front bearings. Easy rotor swap and was done. He then heard a noise and said that I should have heard "the bearing noise" when I did the work. I explained to him that I was only dealing with the warped rotors and that got fixed and never touched the front bearings. Then I told him that further diagnosis was not free. Then I road tested and the noise is at the rear. His next comment was, "It did not make a noise till I touched it". I told him the road test was free but further diagnosis is minimum $80. The lady was on my side. He then changed his tone. Apologized and said please inspect further. I gave him the list of my findings but assured him that with 235k miles, this truck has been cobbled together for a long time and some repairs are iffy at best. No telling what I will find as I open it up. I also told him that I would require labor money up front and the lady can supply parts. I told him, "My driveway, my rules".
someotherguy
Well-Known Member
Ugh.. yeah that customer was ready to be fired the moment he arrived. The expectation level of "you should've heard it when" and "it didn't do _____ until you touched (unrelated parts)" would've been the 1-2 punch for me.
I didn't realize it was a GMT800, so 8.6" rear, either way it's toast. From the owner's attitude towards upkeep, sounds like that truck's next destination is the boneyard.
Richard
99Sierra2500
Well-Known Member
Rust free, straight body, worth it here in the midwest. People really prize them.
Cadillacmak
Well-Known Member
If someone isn't willing to keep up on their vehicle, I wont even touch them anymore. They always have that attitude that it was fine before you touched it.
Yes, @99Sierra2500, it is rust free but has the clear coat coming off everywhere, I mean everywhere. Don't know what has been hauled in that C1500 before but it did also have air bags.
@Cadillacmak and @someotherguy, that is why I made it clear that I want a deposit of labor money up front and under no circumstances will I take his bullcrap. He apologized and she jumped all over him for his accusations. She told him that I had fixed the brake pulsation and her girlfriends 2010 F150 on a whole list of concerns, with no hiccups.
He also know I am gonna pick and choose what I will and will not work on. Not doing rear diff gear work or swap in a used differential. I said as of now, tensioner and idler, transmission mount, right front t/s housing and will do a live data check on the oil pressure sender gauge needle fluctuation. Anything else I find during all this, will be shared with him. Needs an ignition switch too.
He also know I am gonna pick and choose what I will and will not work on. Not doing rear diff gear work or swap in a used differential. I said as of now, tensioner and idler, transmission mount, right front t/s housing and will do a live data check on the oil pressure sender gauge needle fluctuation. Anything else I find during all this, will be shared with him. Needs an ignition switch too.
Today, I installed side steps for my 90 year old American Legion friend. Took about 2 hours. He likes old tech. Window crank windows and key locks. Manual seat adjustment. Manual transmission.
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