Yup, that’s right you don’t need a garage to work on your car. I’m a car guy and have been for as long as i can remember I own a 89 Ford Taurus SHO and this is my story of my parking lot mechanic days.

When I was younger I was held to the belief that If one wanted to tinker with his or her four-wheeled com-padre, one would need a building called a garage.Well times have changed and now that i own a beater i came to the realization that you don’t need a garage, all you need to do is get off your lazy ass, grab your nuts, and just get down and dirty with whatever you need to fix.

Looking at the current economic state of my environment getting a beater and working on it myself was a viable option for me. I cut out the automotive financier and the ASE certified mechanic out of my life. This is a life style most people refuse to go for, but in the long run i come out the winner, so can you. i paid $300 cash for my SHO, it creaked and, the trunk and sunroof would leak every time it rained hard but it was mine. i have kept it on the road with my own two hands with the help of SHOforum, the Taurus SHO Enthusiast forum. I did this without a bunch of fancy tools or a Hydraulic lift.  It took a lot of sweat, beer,and blood but in the end i knew everything there could be know about the Yamaha powered beast.

To this day I’ve done Oil changes, motor mounts, shifter cable repairs and even changed most of the front end suspension components in the weirdest places you could imagine. On the street in front of my house, my college campus parking lot, in the middle of a dirt field, and on the beach. I’ve slid beneath my car amidst snow, mud,and if need be hail. When i lived with my parents, that was the only time I lived in a home that had a garage and even then i would continue to work in mildly disgusting places.

People often, especially neighbors would wonder what kind of redneck would gut his transmission in a parking lot. All of those looks and awkward stares wouldn’t matter once i hop behind the wheel of the SHO and take off doing a smokey burnout (yes, i am aware of the Diff exploding, if need be I’ll repair that as well).  Like i mentioned i didn’t have a lift, air tools or a loaner car yet i would still continue working on the SHO, i’d take the bus to autozone and carry whatever i needed back to the car. Sure the brutal heat or the blistering cold would make it a lot more difficult to do a simple job but with the help of J.B weld, zip ties and a die hard belief in being able to use non-conventional solutions to tricky problems (I.E Fabricating fixes with salvage yard parts and super glue) I would complete each and every repair with a content smile on my face.

Those who have preformed repairs such as I in such conditions, know who you are. To the others I say Join us. Today’s cars maybe computer controlled but they are still machines and things break. Doing your own repairs allows you to become one with your ride, you get a chance to familiarize yourself with it’s smells and sounds. most believe that it is a waste of time to try and fix your car but at least you save money, all in all you really aren’t living until you take part in the soul enriching practice of unleashing a string of profanity up a stubborn piece of your car.

To get started your going to need a few basic tools:

• combination wrenches
• screwdrivers (flathead and phillips, various sizes)
• pliers
• a socket set
• a breaker bar and pry bars
• A reliable jack and jack stands (or concrete blocks) and/or ramps
• Visegrips or locking pliers
• penetrating oil
• rags