You are and have been a great asset here and this is from personal experience.
Most of the posters here are “experts” because they are:
- Interested in mechanical devices,
- Curious,
- Problem solvers.
I am certainly NOT an expert in the sense that I have had any training at all in mechanics. My father taught me “righty tighty, lefty loosey” and then sent me out to change the tire on the passenger side of a 56 Dodge. So he was wrong right away. After that I figured I was on my own, and it’s been a heck of a lot of fun, I’ve learned so much, and my only major injuries have been barked knuckles, spark plug shocks and once I belted myself in the forehead with the bounce back from a rubber mallet. I still do mechanical things on my cars, but there are tools in my tool box that haven’t moved in years. Brake spoons, GM points adjusters, timing light, that sort of thing. These days I rebuild old Honda motor scooters because they are simple, they fit in my garage, and they are great transportation. Over the years I’ve nursed along (or cursed along)nearly 60 vehicles, and I’ve run into a whole lot of the issues people bring to this forum.
My profession (law) has almost nothing to do with machinery, but it is another form of problem solving.
So I am a fan of this forum maybe because we can all pontificate or suggest or criticize, without having to wave our credentials around. If we get it right, great. If we get it wrong, well, at least we keep trying. And the price is right.
"P.S. I’ll link the other discussion to this one, but let’s use this one for our list."
So, are you in or out? being a phone an ‘expert’, that is…
That’s what the moderator is trying to ask, but no one, (ok 3 people) is actually saying yes or no! just rambling on about the legal issues, what constitutes an expert, etc. etc. etc. I’m not upset, just trying to get what he wants put in these posts…
have a good one,
LandsVW
Oh and I LOVE these forums, but this topic/discussion is going in the wrong direction, at least according to the directions.
Just curious; if you have nurtured over 60 vehicles, are old cars your hobby, do you have a very large family or are you even older than I am.
I have been driving my own vehicle sine 1958, and we have been a 2 car family since 1972, and I can only count 12 vehicles we’ve owned and 4 company cars, for a total 16 over a 51 year timespan.
There is a Forum that is strictly for professionals (iATN) you must have credentials to join,have access to a modern shop with equipment for figuring out the problem before you post and there is a list of procedures you must follow before your post is allowed.
The idea is that iATN is for professionals that are expected to do their homework before posting, this is not what is going on with CarTalk nor is it what is desired.