Nasco12
Active Member
Hello, everybody, this is my first post.
A few weeks ago I saw Pit Start Garage mentioned somewhere in these forums (not quite sure where). What they are is a 24-hour self-service garage. In return for £10 an hour (or £20 for a lift bay) they will rent you a bay and supply you with a range of basic car maintenance tools.
Now, I have no mechanical skill whatsoever. I used to have agonies over basic cycle maintenance so I have always thought that things like changing the oil were beyond the talents of mere mortals like myself. But after seeing this place mentioned the idea started to take form that maybe, just maybe I could have a go at something mechanical. Like changing the oil for instance.
Which is exactly what, the other day, I did. Pretty much all by myself but I did have a friend along to stop me panicking.
I know this sounds bizarre - it's only an oil change for goodness sake - but I got a huge buzz out of it. And so, it would appear, did the car. Everything feels and sounds smoother. And this on a car that was already pretty smooth. I have seen other members suggest changing the oil every 6 months and I can see where they are coming from.
Now, as I said before, I am no mechanic, so I have no real idea if they are any good or not but they had everything I needed. As well as the lift bay they had oil filter wrenches, socket sets, torque wrenches, high-tech oil pans and oil. Oh and somewhere to clean up afterwards with soap and water.
The one thing they didn't seem to have was any customers. This was a Wednesday night so perhaps it wasn't peak time.
But anyway, it put a huge smile on my face. On the drive home I was thinking that I want to keep my 1999 W202 C200 Sport in Bluey-Greeny Black forever. Now, I might be able to afford it.
A few weeks ago I saw Pit Start Garage mentioned somewhere in these forums (not quite sure where). What they are is a 24-hour self-service garage. In return for £10 an hour (or £20 for a lift bay) they will rent you a bay and supply you with a range of basic car maintenance tools.
Now, I have no mechanical skill whatsoever. I used to have agonies over basic cycle maintenance so I have always thought that things like changing the oil were beyond the talents of mere mortals like myself. But after seeing this place mentioned the idea started to take form that maybe, just maybe I could have a go at something mechanical. Like changing the oil for instance.
Which is exactly what, the other day, I did. Pretty much all by myself but I did have a friend along to stop me panicking.
I know this sounds bizarre - it's only an oil change for goodness sake - but I got a huge buzz out of it. And so, it would appear, did the car. Everything feels and sounds smoother. And this on a car that was already pretty smooth. I have seen other members suggest changing the oil every 6 months and I can see where they are coming from.
Now, as I said before, I am no mechanic, so I have no real idea if they are any good or not but they had everything I needed. As well as the lift bay they had oil filter wrenches, socket sets, torque wrenches, high-tech oil pans and oil. Oh and somewhere to clean up afterwards with soap and water.
The one thing they didn't seem to have was any customers. This was a Wednesday night so perhaps it wasn't peak time.
But anyway, it put a huge smile on my face. On the drive home I was thinking that I want to keep my 1999 W202 C200 Sport in Bluey-Greeny Black forever. Now, I might be able to afford it.
