You do work on someone's car, do you get thanked?
 

I get to go to my G/F's sister's house to pull that Ranger out of the snow. Her brother took my battery; without asking, that son of a beech. In the end, I practically took it back by force: I charged the battery he was trying to replace with mine and told him in no uncertain terms I wanted mine back. In the process of installing the Everstart out of his BII I broke the terminal off the positive cable (yes, it was that cold here for a few days) and had to replace it at 5:30am, found out the battery he had in his truck (2.9l) won't source enough amps to spin my five liter and got so p-o'ed I lost sleep over it.

And I still have to put my battery back in myself after waiting two days after telling him to put it back.

I'm still trying to get him to help me fix his BII (clutch and hoses were shot after driving 3k miles on a bad clutch and leaky cooling system) but he keeps telling me that it's too cold and he doesn't mind using his g/f's parents car another week. Two weeks in a row after I spent most of a day dropping the tranny to get the clutch out for him. That and I fixed the hoses, reinstalled his t-stat the right way and changed his oil for him. Next time I'm charging a security deposit and rental fee hefty enough to buy myself a new Optima battery and enough toggles to move the column harness onto the dash.

I'm beginning to form the opinion that driver's ed should include how to strip and rebuild a car blindfolded in under a minute. I'd have more time on my hands to work on my own vehicles and projects

On the flip side, my buddy and I are starting a two vehicle build after fixing his car. He's actually helping out and trying to learn something at the same time. I find all the parts and he puts up half the cash and doesn't mind simply paying attention while I show him how to do something or letting me talk him through something he's better off doing himself. After this project, he wants me to help him with a van build (convert to diesel and 4wd, I think). He's atleast showing me he's interested in taking care of his own and not getting me to do it for him. I'm happy to help him simply because he's willing to do what he can and learn what he can't.

What about you guys: What sort of horror stories involving fixing someone else's car do you have? What sort of things have happened that keep you trying to pass your skills along?

i warned about doing for family... hmm i just screwed me

Carl, all you got to do is remind me and I can do those brake cyls. In fact, I might have time this weekend or tomorrow.

That sounds cool the way you said that if you imagine you saying it the way you talk.

I limit myself to only immediate family as I just don't have the time. Lucky for me a buddy of mine owns a shop so I just refer everyone to him so I don't have to deal with it.

BTW, I would rethink the Optima battery as their quality has been slipping for the past 5 years or so. If I was going to get a different battery right now it would be an Odyssey.

Sure, but if someone gave you enough cash to buy one, would your feelings be hurt?:-X10

No, but I would take the cash and buy the Odyssey instead!!! :-X04

And we have a solution.