Shade tree mechanics

[Undertoad]

Don't go to the dealers, find an independent mechanic. Most independent shops I've seen would take a wrench out to your car and adjust the clutch in the lot. Maybe I've been lucky.

I've enjoyed doing the basic stuff before: oil, plugs/tuneup, simple tire repair (where you can patch it without taking the tire off). Now I'm leasing and they demand they have to do all the work. It's a mixed blessing.

Oh and for a while I had a tradition that I had to install any new car stereo equipment in the parking lot where you bought it. I realized later that this was probably not the best tradition, and abandoned it.

Now stinkin' Nissan makes it almost totally impossible even to change out a speaker. They mount it nine different ways, partly so it can never rattle, and partly so you have to get the $850 Rockford-Fosgate package which is only an option on the model everyone wants with the sunroof and step rails for an additional $1000.