'Porsche buddies' and Club equipment

[bones]

'Porsche buddies', here's how it works. A member has 1-5 spanner icons placed in their signature and in the Members list, this means they are happy to be contacted by other members to help on DIY jobs, oil changes etc. We can refine the grading as we go along but to start with 5 spanners equals a spanner weilding hero and 1 would be someone who might have enthusiasm but wants to learn or has facilities only. Members could ring people on the list as they would know that they are people who are really interested in helping out in whatever way. Also a member using this service would out of courtesy offer to meet the 'Porsche buddies' travelling costs and keep them nourished with an a la carte menu and fine wines...just joking but I hope this illustrates the idea.
It could be announced in Porsche Post and there could be a duplicate 'Buddies' list there, members could be persuaded to visit here and leave their details on line. That way they have a positive reason for paying a visit if they are a little reluctant.

Secondly we should in my humble opinion own as a car club own a lot more equipment. ie engine stands , jacks , the big stuff as spanners will go missing but special Porsche tools should be obtained too. We could invent a scheme where members who didn't return equipment were publicly humiliated in specially constructed Porsche stocks we could throw old oil and air filters at them..... madness aside what does everyome think are these ideas goers?

To insert a spanner icon in your signature go to your profile and insert this tag in your signature [SM=SPANNER5.gif]. Replace '5' with however many spanners you think appropriate and put it all in lower case, I have written it here in upper case otherwise instead of instructions you would be seeing spanners.

 

[AirCooledExcellence]

Bones,

Sounds like an excellent idea! Put me down for half a spanner []

Cheers,

Tim.

 

[Guest]

Great idea but technically difficult - the icons above the Avatar (which could easily be changed to spanners) are allocated on the basis on number of posts made - there is no simple way to change this - sorry...

 

[Helen Goff]

like the idea of equipment but fear that it would be a nightmare to administrate and get round the country.

maybe the regions and registers could hold a list of members willing to hire out/loan equipment in their areas/specialties.

 

[Martin Perry]

I think it's an excellent idea Bones, and there must be a way to get round the inevitable logistical problems.

I wonder if there's any relationship between the age of a car and the amount of home rather than garage work done on it. Can't see many 996 owners wanting to borrow jacks and stands to drop their engines, for example (though no doubt someone will prove me wrong!). Perhaps, therefore, the scheme and the kit could be run on a register basis, rather than by regions, because the older cars' registers are likely to have a greater call for the kit and knowledge. The register could always devise it's own regional divisions for the kit usage... Not suggesting we try to exclude anybody, but just thinking about the best way to tie in the service to the demand.

Meanwhile you can put me in the same spanner category as Tim!

Martin

 

[sib8292]

Sounds a good idea to me; of course those who are active in their regions will already know others, but there must be a lot more like me out there who don;t have time to attend meets. When joined PCGB 10 years or so ago, I had hoped to get to some evening meets but its not proved easy; so a 1 to 1 contact would be wothwhile.

Tools would no doubt be a good idea but they ought I think to be special tools not stuff that anyone could hire locally.

Seems to me our new assistant secretary is earning his keep already!

 

[AirCooledExcellence]

I was only joking about the half spanner (I hope!)

How many stars does this lot get me:

Valve adjustment
Caliper re-build
Brake disc/pad/hose replacement
Turbo tie rod upgrade
Bump steer upgrade
Brake master cylinder replacement
Gate shift upgrade
Oil/fuel/air filter change
Tranny oil change
Heater flapper box replacement (THE hardest job i've ever done!)
Fan/Alternator disassembly/re-assembly
Fresh air fan replacement
Ignition switch replacement (the second hardest job i've ever done!)
Seat belt install
Washer pump replacement
Sway bar bushes & rear drop links
Pop off valve install

Bloody 'ell - I've done quite alot in three years, this is the first time I've listed everything!

So, how many spanners then??

Cheers,

Tim.

 

[tim court]

Some 996 owners used to have other cars you know.

I had a 944S2 so have a 14lb sledge hammer, a chainsaw, jumpstarter, axle stands, trolley jack, net curtain hanging wire for unblocking sunroof vents, as well as a couple of torque wrenches, assorted torq's and spanners, some bolts for drawing hubs off and a bottle or two of whisky.

 

[Guest]

Chrikies!!!! Here's me thinking most of the country where obsessed with getting all their work done by "others"? You mean Bones that there are people out there who actually work on their own cars?????
Blooody Helll !
I''ll be damnedd????
Next you'll be telling me that most people in the UK don't eat crisps with their sandwich's????
Or they don't wash-up in a plastic bowl?
Goddamn?
Peter

 

[bones]

Bloody marvellous just when I need my computer to respond to you guys most I have a virus in the Mac so I'll try and put all the responses in one post and then if I can't get back on at least I said something. So overall there is a thumbs up for the buddies , Admin I'll contact you about the technical stuff. I'm sure we can work out the grading easily, I demoted myself today after........not telling you!
As to the equipment question the logistics can be worked there are only solutions, no problems remember. However I think this idea may need some serious talking over and may be an AGM issue but the idea of making it Register based sounds very promising as it makes good sense.
Here's a pic of the CIS before I took it off earlier this week.

 

[Guest]

ORIGINAL: bones

As to the equipment question the logistics can be worked there are only solutions, no problems remember.

Lovin' the positive mental attitude Bones, with you all the way mate.[]

Keep up the good work!

 

[RSGulp]

ORIGINAL: bones

Bloody marvellous just when I need my computer to respond to you guys most I have a virus in the Mac

Ah - a fellow Mac user AND fellow SC driver - next you'll be telling me you were ALSO once called Doris and find the smell of rubber strangely appealing? Or maybe not... []

Maybe we could have 'apple buddies' to get rid of those very rare but unwanted viruses and mumble quietly about how we don't understand why people rave about PCs and how annoying that Intel Pentium ("dum dum dum daaaam") tune is on the ads.

'Porsche buddies' is a great idea - and thanks for the offers of help with the Kremer Porsche (!) - maybe one day the dream will be realised.

Could the spanner icons be part of our signature/sign offs? I'm sure there would be a way to utilise 'smilie technology' to create a spanner icon. In fact I guess there's already something out there being used on other techie forums.

 

[bones]

Now don't get me started on Macs and PCs and how anyone can find the smell of rubber appealing well really Richard?! Unless I'm mistaken it should be simple enough to include some spanners in the design of the pages. I think Admin thought Iwanted to replace the member status stars but I don't. This weekend I should have the time to try and figure things out.

 

[AirCooledExcellence]

For the spanner symbols, how about we just modify our avatars and paste in some spanners?

Cheers,

Tim.

 

[Guest]

Great idea,

According to many of my friends I'm already a spanner. [8|]

I havent had to do a lot on my car yet and nothing I would call major but I do like to work on it not only for the money it saves but for the challenge and satisfaction. I would be more than happy to buddy up on some jobs in order to learn or help.

I've not really worried about the cost of tools because I figure I save so much on the labour charges that the tools end up being comparitavely cheap. Once you've got them they are always ready for the next time.

If any one wants to see how not to replace an oil return tube I'll probably be doing one of mine Thursday evening next week. I might dissapoint though and actually do it right. []

Cheers

Andy

 

[bones]

Good luck with that , I'm replacing all four this week with the engine out on a stand I wouldn't fancy doing it under the car with the HEs still on.

 

[Guest]

am on all the cosmetic bits at the minute on mine, mechanicals all great bar the gear linkage bushes. just changed cap and rotor, bonnet and boot struts, porsche badge and smile today (smile is a bloody fiddly job), fixed cigarette lighter (for phone charger) and cleaned up fuses front and rear, one was cracked on the ignition unit, must have been contributing to intermittent misfire, drives a treat now

also 'mickied' up a locating pin for the hood whilst I am waiting for replacement from porsche, has also made a difference

next job hood pin, torsion bar cover seals, driver's door pins, linkage bushes and replace wrong rear fog with proper one, parts all coming on tuesday

Might just put some brit plates on there too sometime

lookin good now, nothing like getting stuck into it

cheers from a fellow spanner

 

[Guest]

oh also found out that pop off valve has been fitted already, good job I haven't ordered one yet then

 

[IanHighfield]

Bones,

This sounds like an excellent idea. I posted over on the 3.2 board recently re: 'high mileage' cars and had some helpful responses.

Tim, I would say that from your list of jobs done so far, you would be 'many spanners' better than I ! I am one spanner, but have 5 spanners of enthusiasm to get stuck in and do whatever I can to my car. Many of the jobs I would like to do are those listed by yourself as having already been done.

Main issues to me are space and tools. I have a good collection of basic tools (I even have a roller cab with drawers !) but only a small single garage. My driveway is on a slight slope, so not easy to get the car jacked up safely.

I agree that the club or register could / should have a collection of specialist Porsche tools available for hire, although I would hope that for many jobs these are not required.

If there is anyone near me (Stratford-upon-Avon) with a good space available, then I would happily pay a fair rent for it whilst being helped to work on the car.

Keep the thread going and lets see what comes from it.

p.s One last bonkers off the wall thought. What if the club or a group of members were to hire a small commercial premises suitable for car maintenance work, and rent it out on an hourly / daily rate. You could book your car in to it, and then have other members there at the same time to assist !!!!!!!!!

p.p.s why not put the number of spanners as part of your signature ?

 

[bones]

Rest assured Ian that I am working on 'Buddies' and tools , I hope there will be progress in the next few weeks as ideas are talked through on the forum. I like the idea of hiring larger premises to get work done ( I have a small single car garage too) . There is a workshop in Oxfordshire that rents space to Beetle owners for about £12.00 an hour, it's run by a Beetle enthusiast.