If I can get my hands dirty.......

[Rolling Star]

I hate spoiled people like that. Go back home and cry to mama, okay?

[protege]

So how does he expect to do repairs on his car and not get greasy?

Obviously he's never worked on an MGB

Seriously, the Haynes MGB book sucks. I like the "Official MGB" book better, since it was written when the cars were current. You name it, it's in there--carb settings, wiring diagrams, and exploded views (some of which show up in 3rd party parts catalogs). Also, the Haynes book covers the *entire* MGB range, from '62 to '80. Quite a bit changed during that time--3 bearing vs 5 bearing engines, all-synchro transmissions, and SU versus Stromberg carbs, to name a few! However, the "Official" books are split: '62 to '74, and '75 to '80.

One thing I like about that car, is it's easy to work on. No computers, no sensors, no fuel injection to deal with. In other words, I can fix or modify it myself. Some of the nasty jobs, like dropping in an engine, bleeding the brakes, or bodywork I leave to the pros...simply because I don't have the equipment

[Catwoman2965]

Most old Volkswagen owners I know wouldn't trust their beetle to a mechanic. I know I wouldn't trust my semicentennial Volvo to a mechanic.

Ok, just out of curiosity, i have to ask...what do you drive? I've had 2 volvos and loved them both. First was a '78 245 wagon, and the second was a '90 760 turbo wagon, which died about 6 months ago...

I have a great mechanic, who worked on both, and now, even though i live a good 25 miles away, still go to him for major repairs. He does a good job, and has never tried to fix anything that didn't need to be.

[Andara Bledin]

I had an '86 Volvo. I loved that car. I still curse (mildly) the idiot in the Ford Exploder that ran into me and ruined it.

Hell, I drive an '01 VW Jetta, and half the time (unless I take it back to the dealership I bought it at) people have no idea what to do with it, and I end up with shoddy aftermarket parts that eventually fall off the car for no reason.

Actually, there's a possibility they're giving you factory parts. I don't know about the last 6 years, but in the 90's they had a problem with their raw materials supplier and from about '89 to '92, their wiring and hardware (trim, handles, etc) all got less and less reliable. Then they must have done something because in the next few years it was all back to the usual standards (data according to Consumer Reports). The mechanics (engine, transmission, etc) never had problems, however. '92 was the worst year for a VW. My mom had a '92 Jetta, and it was nothing but problems; the dashboard losing power intermittantly, the door handles just snapping off, trim coming loose. Just awful.

^-.-^

[Sofar]

Ok, just out of curiosity, i have to ask...what do you drive? I've had 2 volvos and loved them both. First was a '78 245 wagon, and the second was a '90 760 turbo wagon, which died about 6 months ago...

1958 Volvo Amazon. The control panel is in Swedish.

[cinema guy]

There was a time a few years ago that a large proprtion of my family drove Volvos - me, my dad, my uncle, my aunt, one of my cousins and his wife. I loved my 480 so much that I bought another after it was wrecked.

[protege]

Growing up, my family had a pair of Volvos...an '81 DL wagon, and a '79 264GL sedan. I don't remember much about the wagon, other than it was beige (brown interior). I do remember that the sedan was pretty fast in its day--several times, my mother had it up to 90+ on the highway, and didn't even know it! The V6 in it was that smooth. Pity, that the car didn't last very long--by '90 or so, it was literally falling apart. Of course, 200,000 miles () and poor maintenance will do that. The wagon lasted until about '92, before it too had to go. Expensive electrical problems took care of that. Too bad, since otherwise it was in great shape--very little rust since it had been Ziebarted (rustproofed) from new. They also had to go simply because they weren't cheap to fix (at the dealer) and most of the local garages apparently couldn't fix them. Ever since then, my mother has wanted another...but they've gotten expensive.

Locally, there's a 780 that someone dropped a Mustang engine into. You'd never know it...since the car is otherwise stock. Me, I'd rather get an old 240-series and do the same thing

[Starlord]

Yes, the Chilton books are still printed. AutoZone carries a wide selection of manuals for cars based on a complete teardown and rebuild. Their stores are not greasy, and the books are in shrinkwrap covers, so are perfectly clean when purchased.

[Sofar]

Locally, there's a 780 that someone dropped a Mustang engine into. You'd never know it...since the car is otherwise stock. Me, I'd rather get an old 240-series and do the same thing

I'd rather see if I can find a B23E floating around somewhere if'in I wanna drop a new engine in my Volvo.

[protege]

I'd rather see if I can find a B23E floating around somewhere if'in I wanna drop a new engine in my Volvo.

Chevy and Ford V8 parts are easier and cheaper to get, locally.

Getting back on topic, I don't recall ever being in a parts store that's dirty and greasy. Most of them are pretty clean, and well-lit. The exceptions are the junkyard offices. Those are usually pretty dirty.

When I was younger, my father built an MG TD replica on a VW Beetle chassis. I still remember going to various scrapyards with him to get parts for it. Many details of that car are fuzzy now, but I remember playing in a new VW camper van while waiting for parts, or when the 412 wagon was there for service, and that the local VW dealer's service area was rather dark and mysterious--what can I say, I was only 3

Now that I have the MG, I rarely head to the parts store--they don't really stock anything I need, other than quarts of Castrol and maybe air filters. Most of my stuff is ordered online

[jb17kx]

My family has also owned two Volvos - an '82 240GL sedan and a late '90s S70. The 240 was good for a while, but was a junker - never really taken care off by its previous owners (what do you expect for AU$1000?), and was replaced last year by a late 1998 Audi cabrio.
The other Volvo was great while it lasted, and was plauged by little problems. The aircon would break, the stereo would die randomly and sometimes refuse to play CD we knew we fine... We sold it in '02 after the ECU died.

@ Protege - I think you'd like to meet my stepmother's father, who has lovingly restored a 1975 Triumph TR6 from the ground up. Ooh, he has some choice words about British Leyland. Lovely car though, the straight 6 runs like a charm and the sound with the top down is incredible.