The priceless lessons of fixing your own cars.

If you know me then you know that I love automobiles and have owned alot of them. I worked hard to learn everything I could about how cars operate, how to repair them, and how to drive them well. Over the years, I have developed my skills as an automotive technician by simply buying, fixing, and selling cars. One thing that's not quickly learned is the art of buying and selling cars. Sometimes, people refer to this as curb stoning cars. For me, it’s always been about buying something that I can fix up to get the satisfaction of being able to make the repairs, along with passing the vehicle on to someone else who can truly appreciate it. All of this while simultaneously making a profit and learning new skills. ?I hope that sharing this list highlights the need to invest in yourself by putting your own money and time into repair projects you own. By doing this, you learn quickly how to avoid making mistakes by learning from them firsthand. You develop a higher level of attention to detail in your work. I believe fixing and repairing your own cars is a must-do experience if you want to achieve proficiency as an automotive technician.

1-1966 Volkswagen Bug—This Was My first car, baby blue with a 1300cc engine. This car set the stage for why I wanted to learn how to work on cars, after several frustrating back-to-back experiences with hiring local VW mechanics. Fundamental lessons I learned about how cars worked I applied to learning how to fix this car. 2-1969 Volkswagen Bug- Funny stories about this car that are too long to tell. 3-1953 Volkswagen Bug- Barn find that I picked up in Pendleton for a couple of hundred bucks and re-sold for a great profit margin. This helped me pay for tools when I learned to turn a wrench. 4-1957 Volkswagen Bug- I drove this car for quite some time in high school. It was very cool. 5-1966 Volkswagen van-camper van. I bought it from my uncle. From this purchase, I learned to always get a bill of sale and title before you buy a car and start working on it. 6-1967 Volkswagen van-daily driver for two years when I was in high school 7-1971 Volkswagen bought this one for 100 bucks and sold it for an excellent profit. I learned that being a nice guy eventually pays off. 8-1965 Volkswagen Bug-buy-to-sell project my brother and I worked on together. We ended up losing money on this project. 9-1972 Volkswagen Square Back-automatic transmission Volkswagen I owned. I learned a lot about early fuel injection systems working on this car. It has thermistor problems with the coolant temp sensor; I successfully diagnosed and corrected the problem. 10-1971 Volkswagen Fastback- purchased from a friend, fixed a few things, and then re-sold. 11-1992 Honda Civic hatchback—I drove it for many years in high school and college. It was very fast, had a full Acura Integra Type R interior, and had fully functional AC. It ran 12.6 ? miles with N/A B20 VTEC. 12-1993 Eagle Talen TSI—I Purchased It from my brother. I replaced the transmission he broke and resold it. During this repair, I learned the importance of using a transmission jack properly. 13-1986 Porsche 944-I purchased it for my stepfather, who “voided” our sale agreement after I was caught speeding. I learned that if you buy a fast car make sure to can stay out of trouble with it. 14-1986 Toyota Corolla GTS-beloved car I still own it today. Has Honda S2000 F20c engine swap. My wife says I can never sell this car. 15-1992 Acura Integra-champagne colored lowered on racing heart C2 wheels. I learned how to fix water leaks with this car; the trunk would fill with water after it rained. 16—The 1995 Honda Civic four-door sedan had a body kit. It was a buy-sell car that I sold to a classmate when I was in college. 17-1990 Honda Civic hatchback-had B series non-VTEC swap with broken motor mount. I made welding repairs and re-sold the vehicle for a decent-sized profit. I was just about finished college, and this project helped pay for the last term's books and expenses. 18-2002 Subaru WRX: I purchased the car in LA. It was basically a full-race car with a full roll cage and no back seats. I flew down to pick it up and drove it home. I put 100 tread-wear tires on the car and drive it daily. It's a speedy car. 19-1993 Lexus LS 400-I wanted to try my hand at building a VIP style car, was very low on JIC coilover suspension. Probably one of the first VIP-style cars cars around the area. Learned that when your car is very low, it can rub through wiring harnesses in the inner fender area really quickly. 20-1998 Volkswagen Jetta-ATP Turbo kit, very custom car. I built a custom bar for this car, and the undercoating caught on fire during the process. Luckey, then girlfriend (now wife), was there to spot me. I used fire extinguisher to put out the fire, making a big mess to clean up. 21-1998 Jeep Cherokee sport-my first SUV it was great for camping. 22-1989 Chevy S-10 pick: This is my first truck. It played a critical role in helping me open up my automotive shop. 23-1992 Nissan coupe 240 SX-bought this car to make it into a drifter but ended up prioritizing my shops opening expenses, so I sold the project to a customer who finished the build up. 24-1989 skyline GTS-T-My first Nissan skyline. I learned that owning higher caliper cars brought more interest in others to bring my nicer/high end cars to work on. 25-1995 240 SX—I Bought this car to help promote my business. It's been SR20det swapped with lots of aftermarket Megan Racing parts. 26-2003 Ford F250-Second truck I’ve owned. last year for the 7.3 diesel. This truck is still in the family. I learned to love working on diesels by owning this truck. 27-1995 Honda Civic EX—I Purchased this car to push the single-cam engine to the limit. It made 685whp at 40psi. There are lots of great stories about this car. I used it to promote my business. Later I used this car to do endurance racing with Chump Car. 28-2000 Nissan Skyline GTT-second Skyline high modified, used to promote my business, sold to a very good customer. I learned about the power of a good marketing tool. 29—The 1997 Subaru Impreza had a JDM front-end swap. My wife and I took it on a really memorable 4000-mile road trip. We also regularly participated in Rally Cross events. After we sold it, the police showed up at our door. Apparently, the car had been in a high-speed chase across town. I learned is why it’s essential to hold onto your bills of sale paperwork when you sell a car, thankfully I always do. 30-1993 Nissan 240 SX hatchback-bartered for mechanical work on a friend’s Jeep Cherokee and got the car in exchange for the work. 31-1993 Eagle Summit all-wheel-drive mini-minivan. It had a sliding door, and it’s the only minivan I’ve ever owned. I nick named the car “ The Mini Mini Van”. The transfer case locked up on the Halsey street bridge going across I-205. I learned this is why you should never ignore an oil leak or strange noise. 32-1995 Nissan 240sx, second S14 that I just fixed up and end up selling. 33 & 34-1984 Renault Alliance—This was a cool car with a lot of factory racing options. I actually own two of these cars. I won them both at a charity silent auction. One was sold as scrap, and the second one eventually went to a new owner who appreciated the nostalgia. 35-1995 Honda del Sol- Sold to me by a customer. It had an interesting custom paint scheme. After making needed repairs, I sold it to a first-time car owner who was enthusiastic about buying a custom car. 36-1993 Honda Civic hatchback—I performed the fastest motor swap I’ve ever done in my life, including a dyno tune, in just three hours. (I have witnesses) 37-1988 Toyota Supra is the only vehicle I’ve ever had to put a mechanic lien on. I waited almost a year for the owner to try to reach out and pay the nearly $9000 bill that was owed before I filed the lien, then took ownership. I learned you should always take a large enough deposit on a job to cover most of the expenses before starting the work on the car. 38-1999 BMW 328-bought as a family car, but it turned out to have very little room in the interior. 39-1990 Honda Civic, Wagovan-sold because I found a better one. 40-1988 Honda Civic Wagovan—I bought It from my friend and turbocharged it with a high-power D16z6. This was the first notable turbocharged all-wheel-drive Honda in our area. 41-1992 Honda Civic hatchback-had a turbo charge K20 engine swap and full cage. 42 & 43-1971 Honda AN600-fully restored this car and sold it to a Friendly Honda, a dealership in New York. I had to buy a second 1972 parts car to complete this project. The car was showroom quality. 44-2005 Chevy Tahoe-first family SUV 45-1977 Toyota Corona-Nick named the “Hood Roller” This was the first of several cars that I nicknamed “Hood Roller”. 46-1979 Toyota Cressida-2jz swapped. My longtime client, John, purchased the vehicle for me, ultimately finishing it and turbocharging the engine. 47-1969 Toyota Crown-under 70,000 original miles. Sold the car to a nice guy from Chicago who ended up driving it home all the way back home. 48-1998 Acura Integra-bought from a customer who didn’t want the car anymore. Sold it to a customer who really wanted an Integra. 49-1996 Toyota 4Runner-daily driver for the family for many years. I learned a plugged axle vent can cause an axle seal leak. 50-1993 Toyota pickup-This is the truck. I learned how to drive a manual and when I was approximately 12 years old. My grandmother gave me the truck. Sold the truck to do repairs on our family vacation home. 51-2014 Scion FRS-my wife and I bought this car a week before she delivered our second child. I learned that just because a car is cool does not mean its practical. 52-2000 Subaru Outback-fixed head gaskets and sold. 53-1999 Subaru legacy-rebuilt the top and sold my mother and father-in-law who still own this vehicle to this day. 54-1999 GMC Safari AWD-purchased so that?we could modify it for the gambler 500. 55-1998 Chevy Cavalier-purchase for my friend Bob, repaired and then sold to a new home. we could modify it for the Gambler 500. 56-2014 Chevy Volt—I loved this car. It was my first plug-in, hybrid electric vehicle. I had zero issues with it, but I ended up selling it because I was worried about replacing the battery in the future, and the vehicle did not have the needed EV range to drive to the college and back home. I learned a car like this can save you thousands on fuel per year, just do the math. 57-2018 Corvette Three-Way black seven-speed manual. This car was a monster. It was seriously the wrong car to own if you have LFD, or “lead foot disorder.” It is a good reminder that you must protect your driving record to maintain employment within the automotive industry. 58-1969 Mini Cooper-my first classic mini Cooper it had a B16a VTEC Honda swap. 59-1975 Mini Clubman, famously named Crusty Sparks. We do everything in this car. It’s a lot of fun. I’ve taken this car to class “literally.” I'm still working on a children’s book with this car as one of the main characters. ? 60-1999 40th anniversary classic mini 40 LE. My wife and I went on several crazy mini adventures, including driving it to Idaho and Reno for hot August nights. I learned that classic Mini Coopers are not good cars to sleep in. 61-1989 Honda CRX SI-tribute car to my great friend, the late friend Larry Stickles. During a transmission rebuild I learned that you can still learn even if you done the same thing 100 times or more. 62-2009 Mini Cooper The first new Mini I ever owned; it reminded me that when you buy a project car with a lot of problems, it was always be a project car with a lot of problems. 63-1973 Volkswagen Super Beetle-First project my son Wyatt and I bought together to fix and sell. We installed new interior and sold to lady who was looking for this exact year/color Beetle. 64-2018 Ford F350-My third truck, 10-inch lift on 40-inch tires named this truck “big dog”. I learned that the just because a truck is bigger, it does not make it better. 65-2009 mini Cooper John works-second new mini. These cars are great but don’t have a very high resale value. 66-2022 Tesla Model 3 long-range, first full electric vehicle. This car is extremely fast and reliable and runs 12.1 in the 1/4 mile. It is my daily driver, and I really enjoy driving it. It has a 350-mile range fully charged. I believe more people would own a car like this if they were open minded to learn new things. 67-2000 GMC Astro AWD challenged me by rebuilding the automatic transmission in the summer of 2022. Currently on borrow to my mother-in-law. 68-1989 Mini Cooper 30th anniversary—This is an incomplete project. I took the interior out to install my Crusty Sparks Mini. I sold this car to a first-time Mini Cooper owner who was also a mechanic. 69-1986 Volkswagen Vanagon-pop top weekender camper. 70-2021 Ford Raptor, my fourth truck co-owned with my wife.