Gonzo
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Status Replies posted by Gonzo
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I'm so freakin' pissed. If you receive the Sept. issue of Brake and Frontend you'll notice a cover story about diesel particulate filters. The weird part is that there is no author to the story listed. Well, that author is me. I did NOT authorize this story to be printed again (originally printed in 2015) and it's obvious that they don't want YOU to know who the author is because there is NO mention of it anywhere. I'm currently seeking something to be resolved about this. Mainly, because this is my lively-hood since I was forced to sell my shop (due to health reasons)... So, why am I telling all of YOU about this for??? I need your support. Call the Babcox magazine and complain on my behalf. I'm seeking restitution for this blatant attempt at making money using my writing skills without any recognition by publishing this without my name attached. These stories are there to sell advertising and how they approach new clients. It's also how I introduce myself to prospective clients who are in the need of a writer/mechanic... which is exactly my status at the present time. So, if you want to help out an fellow mechanic/writer... call them and bitch them out for me... thanx in advance. and... if you're wondering... there is NO agreement with Babcox on 'owning' and reproducing an article. It's strictly a hand shake deal... which is not binding in the court of law. Basically put, NO they DO NOT own the story... but they seem to think they do. (I've already talked to a lawyer)
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Andrew Markel (the editor) called me. He tried to play it off as if they (the magazine company) had all the right to do whatever they want. When I mentioned to him about not putting my name on the story his answer was..."Don't need to. We own the story." I said, "So, I guess if I find something that you wrote and just threw it out there without any recognition... you'd be fine with that too?" He hung up on me. Gee... what's that tell ya???
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Well, might as well make it official. I'm selling the shop and or parting it out. Most likely parting it out. After much thought has been put into it I've decided to go the route of writer/teacher for my next leg of automotive. After 33 years of running a shop I guess you could say... I've seen it done it and own lots of T shirts.
Equipment wise I've got most everything up for sale. Including a few specialty tools that aren't even around anymore. Such as a gauge tester for anything from 95 on back... Very handy. I'll try to put together a list... but if there is something you'd like to know if I have one... send me a message. I'll get back to you.
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Yep, a bit hard to swallow. Haven't find a buyer, either it's been priced wrong, or there isn't a buyer for this type of shop. But, I agree, for me... closing the shop is the best action to take. If I was ten years younger I'd be back at it and under the hood. But, not now. Slowing down, is just one part of getting older. The other is, I really enjoy the teaching as well as the writing.
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Week 7 from busy shop owner/mechanic/writer to an open heart surgery survivor.
Just started rehab. Oh what fun that is. Picture this, I'm in a room with a bunch of 90 year old guys with pace makers and wearing a bib with your first name on it which holds your heart monitor while barely pedaling their exercise machines and googly eyeing the pretty nurses. Yea, those heart monitors are recording their real heart rates. LOL. Me, I'm trying to get my strength back so I'm concentrating on keeping the rpms up and let the nurses watch the screen and tell me when I'm over doing it based on the heart monitoring I'm also wearing. (Yea, mine says Gonzo on it)
I've got one more day of teaching, which I've got to admit I think I'm really cut out to be a teacher. Did a quiz on naming A/C components (which is part of the class schedule) along with several A/C gauges mocked up that they have to give the most likely diag. on what the gauges show. (Hi and Lo gauge readings) Then. they have to draw a complete A/C system using a fixed orfice tube and all the components, and direction of flow, showing the liquid and gas.
Out of 15 students. 12 got a 100. two with 75, and one kid got a 60 (he has only showed up three or four times. and the ones that got the 75 come in late everyday) I think that's a pretty good return on a teachers effort if ya asked me.
Anyway, I can't go back to the shop until the middle of Sept. according to the doctors. So. I've turned in anything that I have to pay a monthly or weekly fee, such as uniforms, and any other rental type stuff including any cleaning services etc... no sense in paying for something I'm not using.
Come mid Sept. I've got to decide... go back to work, run the shop, maybe hire in, maybe not. Or do I sell out, sell off. and retire. Assuming my other side line work, manual writing, webinars, column, and sub. teaching is a better way to finish out the last of my working years. Heck, I might even be able to travel a bit and visit all you guys that read all the crappy stuff I write. LOL The real sad part is its most likely that I probably won't make a whole lot on the sale of the shop or equipment due to the economy, but I've got some really great equipment that has been well cared for considering only one person has operated and cared for most of it. (namely me)
Any thoughts and words of wisdom or suggestions would be encouraging. It's a tough decision to make after 33 years in business.
But, it's truly something to even be here... when you considered I actually died on two different occasions as they tried to fix my heart problem ... I've got a lot to be thankful for.
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Financially this is a mess, but fortunately I'm managing. It's looking more like a sell off than a sale. I'm almost certain that I won't be going back to the shop to work. For many reasons, but here's a perfect example of things I can't control coming through the front door of the shop until they've presented themselves. But by then... the blood pressure has gone up. My wife was down at the shop taking care of some paper work when a rather rude guy walked in the lobby even with the closed sign up and a note about my condition. He tells her, "I've been here five different times already and the door has been locked where is he? I need my electric seat worked on!" My wife explained to him the situation but that didn't seem to phase him. "So when is he going to be back?" She told him that I was more than likely not going to be back but maybe in a consulting aspect sometime in Sept. That wasn't good enough for him. He wanted something NOW. She finally had to ask him to get out. He storms out the door ticked off and muttering something about the BBB.
It's those kind of "daily" arseholes I seem to run across, that are really making the decision for me. People and their attitudes like this guy, are one of the many reasons your blood pressure can climb. I don't need it, don't want it, and don't want to deal with it. Time to cool down, slow down, and relax away from all the stress. Doctor said, "Lower your stress." I think I'll take his advise.
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5 weeks after open heart surgery and I'm doing great, feeling better every day. Lots of aches and pains, but... it beats the alternative. Still can't drive, hopefully tomorrows doctor appointment will change that. Next, is to see if the doc. will let me play golf soon. Hopefully I can at least get outside, goof around on the putting greens and hang out with my buds. I'd like to thank all everyone for all the kind words and prayers. This is a very challenging thing to go through and friendship that you've all showed me makes it a lot easier to get through. again... thank you.
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Here's the latest; I've been allowed to drive and I can at least putt and light chips on the golf course. No shoulder and waist involved twisting. Which also means no driving stick shifts or even casting a fishing pole. My full release to play golf is the second week of Sept. Then, I can take a full swing. I'll probably swing like a beginner...LOL... so much for my handicap. At least I can now officially use the geezer T box. LOL
I'm substitute teaching for 2 weeks, teaching A/C to newbees. Should be fun. I'm still doing my column and still working with the Haynes corp. writing and editing their latest repair manuals. Since I've been out of the shop I've already done two manuals for them. They asked if I'd like to do it, I said yes. It's turning into my major income. All from the comforts of home too.
Working on a new radio show starring yours truly too. But, it's a slow process and may never get off the ground. In fact the week I went into the hospital that same Saturday I was supposed to be doing the pilot to the radio show. Bad timing I guess. However, I'm supposed to be going to Ohio in a month to do some video work for the magazine company I write for. I'll be doing one minute info spots that will go out on the net.
Other than that, I'm super super sore right now. No surgical pain just the results of the surgery pain. You name a muscle from your neck down and from the waist up it hurts. It hurts to bend over, stand up, or reach for something. Walking and talking... no big deal. Well, still get hoarse if I talk to long. That crazy sword swallowing trick they do tears your vocal cords up. LOL.
Anyway, that's about it. As you can tell, I haven't exactly been just sitting around waiting to heal. I've been as busy as I could be to get started on rearranging my life. Now... just sell the shop.
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Anybody in the South Dakota area? My son is going to be attending his next year of college there. Madison, South Dakota
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Getting hot this week, I don't mind the heat... it's the hot that gets me. LOL
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I've seen slow, and I've slower. But, in all my 30 plus years I haven't seen it this slow. It's all over town too. weird.....everybody said it's slow.
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I've seen slow, and I've slower. But, in all my 30 plus years I haven't seen it this slow. It's all over town too. weird.....everybody said it's slow.
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Here's a link to the interview I did with Remarkable Results Radio.
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Spent Monday working with one of the engineers from Zenith Motors at my shop. Zenith Motors builds air port shuttle vans that are 100% electric based on a Dodge platform. Impressive stuff. Had to learn to read computer binary because all there info on their laptop program doesn't use voltage or values most mechanics use. Crazy...but cool
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Spent Monday working with one of the engineers from Zenith Motors at my shop. Zenith Motors builds air port shuttle vans that are 100% electric based on a Dodge platform. Impressive stuff. Had to learn to read computer binary because all there info on their laptop program doesn't use voltage or values most mechanics use. Crazy...but cool
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The engineer they sent is the same guy who worked out the software program to fake the factory PCM to think it still was talking to an engine. Because they still use the factory A/C control head, ABS, etc... The gas gauge is now the voltage level, and the tach. is the amperage load. All done with tricking the computer by manipulating the signal to what the PCM could understand. Hundreds of pages covering every single code has been covered. Oh... and the engineer that did all of this... he...
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Spent Monday working with one of the engineers from Zenith Motors at my shop. Zenith Motors builds air port shuttle vans that are 100% electric based on a Dodge platform. Impressive stuff. Had to learn to read computer binary because all there info on their laptop program doesn't use voltage or values most mechanics use. Crazy...but cool
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It had a weird problem. You couldn't get it out of park with the A/C on. Tracked it down to the brake switch. The brake switch signal has to go to ground when applied. It wouldn't. Turns out the blower ground and the brake switch ground go to the same post. Which... was loose. Easy fix, but a total different way of diagnosing than I would have thought to do it.
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I am in California for the birth of my second grandson! Be home next week.
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Crazy week... From a 66 T Bird to a 2011 F150. A test light on one and a scanner on the other. But, both with the same problem... no pwr windows. It's amazing how the technology has changed. What's next? wireless windows???? LOL
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February is over on Monday....For Gonzo: Why is that the shortest month seems so long?
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Ok. Christmas Day 72 degrees. Valentines Day minus 13 degrees. Is it me? Or is something wrong here?
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One inch of snow...killed the day...Amazing
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One inch of snow...killed the day...Amazing
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First sleet/rain/snow mix of the year and the cars are finding the ditches all over town. And...the first one in my neighborhood... my boy. Took the pass. side outside mirror and the crushed the door, but other than that it's all fine. Wonderful way to start the season off.
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So, what's wrong with a car with 255k on the dial, greasy hand prints all over it, and the engine is covered in gunky greasy slime. But, the owner says their regular mechanic thinks it's "electrical"...
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A guy came in today and said, "The battery has to be recharged in my all electric car. Especially if I drive it a lot. I must have a battery drain then." Yes...I'm sure you do.
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Saw this on a coffee cup, "I'm a mekanic, a mecanik, a makanik,... Ok, I fix cars"
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I'd like to say I don't piss people off, but I do. I'm set up in my shop to do electrical repair...not engine work, such as major oil leaks...etc... I don't pull engines, headgaskets..etc.. but apparently I ticked this guy because "some guy" told him I did after I told him I don't. geez...
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I'd like to say I don't piss people off, but I do. I'm set up in my shop to do electrical repair...not engine work, such as major oil leaks...etc... I don't pull engines, headgaskets..etc.. but apparently I ticked this guy because "some guy" told him I did after I told him I don't. geez...
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I'd like to say I don't piss people off, but I do. I'm set up in my shop to do electrical repair...not engine work, such as major oil leaks...etc... I don't pull engines, headgaskets..etc.. but apparently I ticked this guy because "some guy" told him I did after I told him I don't. geez...
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Grrr. I tried to explain to the guy things like rear seal change outs are not cheap and that I was looking out for him as far as cost. And, since my rates are based on electrical diag. and repair that I would be higher than a full service shop. Well... ya'd think I just shot his dog or something. Super pissed off.
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