Never Stop Driving #106: Do It Yourself

Growing up, I never imagined that I would one day be able to disassemble an engine from a car, but as an adult, I have done it dozens of times and, surprisingly, I have also successfully reinstalled rebuilt engines. The satisfaction after restarting the engine is immeasurable, comparable to the joy I feel behind the wheel on the first drive after the rebuild.

When I was a child, machines were a mystery and I had no guide. My father was an accountant, with no aptitude or interest in mechanics. This is not a criticism, it is just the way things were. That is why I was steered towards the math classes in which I excelled and away from the shop classes.

I started tinkering on my own, learning by doing, first with lawn mowers that I used to earn money to buy a I bought a dirt bike and then, finally, a car. My 1983 Volkswagen GTI, which I bought in 1989 for $2,300, broke down frequently, so I fixed it in college parking lots with used parts. Back then, most junkyards were just fields of dead cars. You walked through overgrown grass carrying a metal box that you hoped contained the right tools. Then you learned the procedure by removing the needed part, praying it was in good condition. Often, it wasn’t. The owner of the junkyard knew me by my first name.

Ferrari Dino 308 GT4 1975 — Cameron Nephew

I’ve come to appreciate the autonomy that comes from decades of trial and error. In my time in the automotive world, I’ve met countless people with similar experiences and interests. For many, getting their hands on their hobby car is an integral part of the experience. That’s why we’ve made DIY hardware a core pillar of Hagerty Media.

We publish a steady stream of written material and videos. When I first started, our video team came up with the idea of doing a fast-track rebuild of a Chevrolet small-block V-8. I didn’t know if such a film would be worth the months of effort, but I knew I wanted to see it. We would show that an engine, which turns air and fuel into noise and power, is just a collection of parts, which could also demystify the engine for a curious audience.

After posting the video on our YouTube channel nine years ago, it went viral. We had something, so we looked into it. This original V-8 rebuild has now been viewed nearly 10 million times. We’ve done timelapses on other engines; here’s a playlist. Four years ago, when the team suggested By making a Chevy six cylinder engine, I was skeptical but I agreed. The Stovebolt-six engine video has now been viewed 48 million times. There are 7900 comments.

I think the interest we see in our how-to videos is a reaction to our increasingly digital world. A book first highlighted this for me, a terrific and thought-provoking read by the talented Matt Crawford called The Shopping Course as a Craft of the Soul, an Inquiry into the Value of WorkI interviewed Crawford for this week’s podcast and I hope you’ll give it a listen.

Crawford also wrote for the latest edition of Hagerty Driving Club magazine. We have published the article on our website, but if you are not already a member, please consider joining us to support our efforts and take full advantage of our curated magazine. The latest edition is entirely dedicated to about the joys and frustrations of DIY, with plenty of tips for your own garage. We tapped some of the best storytellers in the business, like Zach Bowman, whose insights on overcoming a stalled project might set the record straight. We also covered DIY and more in our own book, Never Stop Driving, Better Life Behind the Wheelwhich is available in audio format if you have a summer road trip ahead of you – I really hope you do, whether you listen to our book or not.

One of my goals with my three children is to instill in them at least a basic understanding of how things work and a curiosity for investigation. You’ll have to ask my kids how that works, but I’ve found that working as a team, with all the ups and downs of real life, has provided some of the most rewarding experiences. Cars are wonderful canvases. “When they leave the house,” a longtime friend once advised me about parenting, “you want them to know which end of the screwdriver to hold.” I think I’ve done at least that, and I hope more.

Ferrari Dino Carburetors — Cameron Nephew

At Hagerty, we also try to make it clear that working on cars isn’t always a bed of roses. I admire people who do it professionally, and I realize that we risk romanticizing what is often a difficult job. I’ve personally cited my own problems and shortcomings during my current project, the restoration of a 1975 Dino 308 GT4. The latest article is here . The car is currently in the interior shop, and I’m cautiously optimistic that I’ll be driving it here to Michigan before the snow falls this fall.

Before I leave you and wish you lots of fun with your car, here is a short list of some of our recent DIY gear. I hope you will share them and help us reach those who might be like me once: curious but in the dark.

Have a good week-end!

Larry

PS: Your feedback and comments are welcome.

Please feel free to share this newsletter with your fellow car enthusiasts and encourage them to sign up for our free weekly email. The easy-to-fill form is available here . And if you would like to support Hagerty Media’s efforts, consider joining the Hagerty Drivers Club.