Bother the mechanic….

[Lilhotrod]

Alright guys, my account was deleted so I had to create a new one, but my name was still up for grabs! Yay! Anyways, i’m sure nobody remembers but I posted that I had blown a head gasket back in October. After calling for several months, I finally got the guy to get it in first thing yesterday morning. It literally had to call the guy to make sure it arrived safely since I didn’t follow it on the flatback. My brother, God love him, says I should pester the hell out of the mechanic to make sure he gets everything done and doesn’t put it on the back burner. I’m afraid it will just aggravate him and he’ll want to give me my car back in pieces. He’s actually doing several things for me including a new chip, putting the scanmaster on, fixing the head gaskets (checking valves and everything as well) and working on the rear brakes. He hasn’t given me a timeline yet and I haven’t heard from him even though the car was there first thing when he opened yesterday. How long should I give him before I call him? And how often should I call him thereafter? He’s literally the only guy close by that I would even trust to touch this car. I don’t wanna piss him off but I also don’t want him to put me off either.

 

[Mr.Spool]

Alright guys, my account was deleted so I had to create a new one, but my name was still up for grabs! Yay! Anyways, i’m sure nobody remembers but I posted that I had blown a head gasket back in October. After calling for several months, I finally got the guy to get it in first thing yesterday morning. It literally had to call the guy to make sure it arrived safely since I didn’t follow it on the flatback. My brother, God love him, says I should pester the hell out of the mechanic to make sure he gets everything done and doesn’t put it on the back burner. I’m afraid it will just aggravate him and he’ll want to give me my car back in pieces. He’s actually doing several things for me including a new chip, putting the scanmaster on, fixing the head gaskets (checking valves and everything as well) and working on the rear brakes. He hasn’t given me a timeline yet and I haven’t heard from him even though the car was there first thing when he opened yesterday. How long should I give him before I call him? And how often should I call him thereafter? He’s literally the only guy close by that I would even trust to touch this car. I don’t wanna piss him off but I also don’t want him to put me off either.

Dude the car was there yesterday
Let him call you when he gets a chance.
If you dont hear from him in a few days different story.

 

[Grumpy]

I'd call him every day !! Why you say ? Just to piss him off. When he got your car it should go to the front of the line. Matter of fact call him first thing in the morning to see what he is doing to your car today. Then call @ 4:57 pm to get him goin out the door an see what he actually DID to the car today. Let him know your the boss !!

 

[Lilhotrod]

Dude the car was there yesterday
Let him call you when he gets a chance.
If you dont hear from him in a few days different story.

I'd call him every day !! Why you say ? Just to piss him off. When he got your car it should go to the front of the line. Matter of fact call him first thing in the morning to see what he is doing to your car today. Then call @ 4:57 pm to get him goin out the door an see what he actually DID to the car today. Let him know your the boss !!

Exactly what I thought I should do! Great advice!!

Dude the car was there yesterday
Let him call you when he gets a chance.
If you dont hear from him in a few days different story.

Alright. I will give a bit of backstory as to why I ask and my anxiety- this car is literally my ONLY link to my dad, who passed in ‘17. He left it to me, and when I say seeing it on the flatback being hauled off was difficult for me, I am not lying. If I could do the work myself I would, but I don’t have the space or knowledge and TBH this car scares the hell out of me. My husband is not the kind that would know a closed end from an open end wrench, so he’s no help. My brother just doesn’t have the time. So for now, it’s going to a mechanic and I will do the easy maintenance type stuff on it.

 

[~JM~]

i’m sure nobody remembers....

I remember. I seem to recall this car has several owner designed modifications? I don't recall what part of the country you are located. It is worthwhile to locate a shop that specializes in the Buick Turbo Regal & send the car there. <--Seriously Consider.

I wouldn't want to risk annoying the mechanic. See if you can establish an agreed upon update interval.

 

[RED LS1]

How far do you live from the shop that has the car? Is it driving distance?

 

[Lilhotrod]

I remember. I seem to recall this car has several owner designed modifications? I don't recall what part of the country you are located. It is worthwhile to locate a shop that specializes in the Buick Turbo Regal & send the car there. <--Seriously Consider.

I wouldn't want to risk annoying the mechanic. See if you can establish an agreed upon update interval.

Yes, my dad was an electrical engineer and liked to make things himself. He fabricated quite a bit of stuff for the car. The gentleman that is working on the car is experienced in working on Grand Nationals, having owned a few himself. I actually got his name from a man here locally and then found it on the boards here a few times, so I have confidence that he will do things right. The nearest Grand National shop is in Red Bay, and I am not super confident in them as they are a racing type place. But if more in depth work is needed I may have to go further.

 

[Lilhotrod]

How far do you live from the shop that has the car? Is it driving distance?

Yes, and I will definitely “pop in” if I don’t feel like I am getting the answers I need, but that would be a last resort type thing.

 

[RED LS1]

I wouldn't say you need to pop in, but if the place is a reasonable driving distance I wouldn't be above drive by's to see if it's where it's supposed to be and not sitting out in the lot and pushed to the side.

 

[Grumpy]

Just chill ! I understand your circumstances and it's hard to deal with. Give him a week. Then just call an ask how things are goin. It will be worth the wait once everything is done. .

 

[Lilhotrod]

Just chill ! I understand your circumstances and it's hard to deal with. Give him a week. Then just call an ask how things are goin. It will be worth the wait once everything is done. .

I feel like I need a timeline and diagnosis at least… He hasn’t even let me know what to expect. BUT, per your advice, I have quelled my anxiety and not called. I kinda would like to know what to expect money wise as well… Do I need to sell my children? I mean these are important questions.

 

[SCOOBY DOO]

You need to find out why it blew the headgaskets...or you'll be doing them again.

 

[TurboTGuy]

I feel like I need a timeline and diagnosis at least… He hasn’t even let me know what to expect. BUT, per your advice, I have quelled my anxiety and not called. I kinda would like to know what to expect money wise as well… Do I need to sell my children? I mean these are important questions.

Kids, house, all of it.

 

[Lilhotrod]

I feel like I need a timeline and diagnosis at least… He hasn’t even let me know what to expect. BUT, per your advice, I have quelled my anxiety and not called.

You need to find out why it blew the headgaskets...or you'll be doing them again.

Yeah I have expressed that to him.

 

['87 Turbo "T"]

Hopefully you have some information to help you figure out what blew them.

Scanmaster, Powerlogger, a real boost gauge, etc.

 

[Lilhotrod]

Hopefully you have some information to help you figure out what blew them.

Scanmaster, Powerlogger, a real boost gauge, etc.

I bought a scanmaster to be installed wirh the new chip, but doesn’t do any good for this event. It currently has an MS-DOS based system that my dad programmed that I don’t think anyone can access or read at this point. It does have a real boost gauge on it though, I had hit about 15-20 lbs when it blew. Hopefully he can deduce what happened from there.

 

[~JM~]

Probably should limit boost to 12-15# on pump gas premium.

 

['87 Turbo "T"]

I bought a scanmaster to be installed wirh the new chip, but doesn’t do any good for this event. It currently has an MS-DOS based system that my dad programmed that I don’t think anyone can access or read at this point. It does have a real boost gauge on it though, I had hit about 15-20 lbs when it blew. Hopefully he can deduce what happened from there.

Gotcha. Well hopefully he does good work & it won’t take too long. Weekend project for me to R&R head gaskets.

Then you can turn the boost down a bit, put in chip, SM, & then go from there.

 

[Lilhotrod]

Probably should limit boost to 12-15# on pump gas premium.

Yeah I told him to turn the wastegate way back. Though I don’t mind mixing to get a bit higher octane.

 

[Lilhotrod]

Gotcha. Well hopefully he does good work & it won’t take too long. Weekend project for me to R&R head gaskets.

Then you can turn the boost down a bit, put in chip, SM, & then go from there.

Yeah, we are planning on building a second garage, but eveeytime we get serious about it lumber prices double and now interest rates go up. So what would have been $40k when we bought this house a few years ago is now going to cost 100k. I hope to have space to do a bit of work on it there. But I can’t say I am super brave to do the big stuff. Head gaskets, ok. Yanking the whole durn motor out and changing stuff out? I’ll leave that to the pros, lol.