Summer is fast approaching, which means it’s time to haul yourself around in the coolest vehicle you can get your hands on. Unfortunately, cool vehicles are usually unreliable, but that’s not all a bad thing — it gives you a chance to learn some new ways to patch your car back together. None of us will ever know everything that there is to know about car repair, and we’ve always got more to figure out. The question is, what do you want to know?
We’re going to take a broad look at the idea of “auto repair” here, including modifying your perfectly fine car to make it worse more to your liking. Anything in the realm of wrenching is fair game here as a skill you’d like to learn before cold weather creeps its way back in. Maybe, if you pick well, you can even find something that’ll tide you through all those cold weather months ahead, giving you something to do in the garage while snow falls outside.
For me, it’s suspension
My pick is fine-tuning my motorcycle’s suspension, with an eye towards track work. My GSX-8R is great around the city — if not on the cobblestones of Red Hook — but the fork really dives under heavy braking. It’s not particularly adjustable, but it’s gotten me thinking all about suspension sag and how to set it. This summer, I want to ensure my bike is perfectly dialed in for me and the riding I like to do.
That’s my pick for auto work I want to learn this summer, but what’s yours? Leave your answers in the comments below, and I’ll pick out my favorites later this week. Bonus points for specificity, give me a really niche job that you’re finally getting around to tackling on your project car. Tell me all about that engine wiring harness that you’re totally going to get around to re-pinning soon.
