what do mechanics do with rust buckets in Massachusetts???

[robmespeedy]

Ok so i worked on a car from Massachusetts yesterday. it was the rustiest thing i ever seen in my life. are most cars like that out there? it was only a 95 bmw 325ic

Do shops turn away rust buckets since they are a big risk in breaking bolts? or do they just charge more?

[nrubenstein]

I suspect that the northeastern definition of rustbucket is very different from yours.

[mikeedler]

after working at a dealer for the past few years-- I hate working on any car older than 5 years old-- it sux getting dirty!

[FredK]

No, the labor-hour pricing is essentially the same. If something gets broken, though, like a downpipe stud, some level of jury rigging usually happens. Mechanics are usually pretty surly people.

I think the worst is people that do alignments. Camber bolts and tie rods are always frozen. These often have to be replaced in their entirety to get an adjustment that holds, or a compromise is just made. "We couldn't get the camber even".

[Simon S]

12-point sockets anyone?

[nrubenstein]

12-point sockets anyone?

I've found that 12-point is incredibly effective at rounding off nuts and bolts for me. I prefer the streamlined look.

[Axxe]

It makes life interesting.

[Massive Lee]

Yup. I do hate 12 points sockets too. The only one I have is for my head bolts. All others are 6 points.

[löwenbröke]

i worked in a shop for 8 years in ne ohio, and now i wrench on the west coast. the difference is night and day. i love it here, everythings so easy for the most part. ohio is ALL RUST on every car, unless it's less than 3 years old or so, or garaged/ washed regularly all winter. we didn't really charge more to work on rusty stuff, as it was normal, but when you run into exhaust mani studs breaking etc. usually a call is made to the customer to approve more time for extracting etc. Lots of pb blaster and a whole lotta use of the torch is what gets u by on rusty vehicles..

[löwenbröke]

Yup. I do hate 12 points sockets too. The only one I have is for my head bolts. All others are 6 points.

12 pt. sockets should only be used on 12 pt. nuts/ bolts etc...

[Mike325]

Cars up here do not usually get too rusty if you take care of them with washing and everything a few times a month in the winter time. The wost stuff is the exhaust and hardware for the exhaust. That stuff can be gone in about two years, no matter what you do.

[robmespeedy]

i just told my self today i'd hate to be a mechanic in the east coast. im glad i live in california.

[E30SPDFRK]

Yeah, we're used to it. It's really not too bad if you go in expecting it. I work one probably the worst: cars from Block Island. They rust instantly just driving onto that island then they come to me to get worked on.

[Mossman]

I'm glad you got a taste of what it's like to live here, you cali people are always talking about how dropping exhausts is a 10 minute job and why don't you just remove this this and this...on some cars such as the hoopty I've been working on recently every bolt on the underside of the car is a challenge. At least BMW's don't have tooooo many steel bolt in aluminum component galvanic corrosion issues, I hate that more than anything, when you try to remove a bolt that has become one in the same with the part you're trying to get out, that drives me nuts.

[M-technik-3]

12 pt. sockets should only be used on 12 pt. nuts/ bolts etc...

12 point is Aviation and 6 point is SAE.