The Solid Gold Mechanic: Why the Right Repair Shop Saves You Thousands
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Car
Jeep TJ
The Jeep TJ is a type of Jeep Wrangler made starting in 1997. It's a popular off-road vehicle that many people like for adventures and outdoor activities.
Term
maintenance plan
A maintenance plan is a list of things to do regularly to keep your car working well, like changing the oil and checking the tires. Doing this helps your car last a long time.
Car
Honda Civic DX hatchback
The Honda Civic DX hatchback is a small car from 1999 with two doors and a stick shift. It's a simple and reliable car that many people keep for a long time because it lasts well.
Concept
neglected maintenance
Neglected maintenance means not taking care of your car regularly, like skipping oil changes or checks. If you don't do these small jobs, your car might break and cost a lot more to fix later.
Concept
30-day fuel savings challenge
This is a plan to help you save money on gas by changing how you drive and take care of your car for 30 days.
Car
Nissan Rogue
The Nissan Rogue is a small SUV made by Nissan. It is designed to carry people and cargo comfortably and is good for everyday driving. The 2008 version is an older model that many people use for family trips or daily travel.
Term
car loan
A car loan is money you borrow from a bank or lender to buy a car, which you pay back little by little over time with extra money called interest.
Term
structural integrity
Structural integrity means how strong and solid the car's frame and parts underneath are, so it stays safe and steady when you drive.
Term
driveline
The driveline is the parts that move power from the engine to the wheels so the car can roll.
Term
transmission
The transmission helps the car change gears so it can go faster or slower smoothly.
Concept
vehicle longevity
Vehicle longevity means how long your car can keep running well if you take good care of it and fix things when needed.
Concept
reactive maintenance
Reactive maintenance is when you wait for something to break on your car before you fix it, which can sometimes cause bigger problems.
Concept
maintenance schedule
A maintenance schedule is like a calendar that tells you when to take care of your car so it doesn't break down or need expensive fixes. It helps keep your car running smoothly.
Term
service bill
A service bill is the cost you pay when you take your car in to get it checked or fixed. Sometimes it can be small, sometimes very big.
Term
repair bill
A repair bill is the paper or email that shows how much money you owe after your car gets fixed. It tells you what was done and how much it costs.
Term
vehicle maintenance scheduling
Vehicle maintenance scheduling means planning when to take your car in for check-ups and services so it keeps running well and doesn't break down.
Concept
drive-through oil change places
Drive-through oil change places are spots where you can get your car's oil changed fast without getting out of the car. They usually don't have expert mechanics checking your car closely.
Part
wiper blades
Wiper blades are the rubber parts on your car's windshield that wipe away rain and dirt so you can see clearly.
Part
air filter
The air filter is a part that cleans the air going into your car's engine so it doesn't get dirty and break.
Term
interest and principal
When you buy a car with a loan, you pay back the money you borrowed (principal) plus extra money called interest for borrowing it.
Term
cylinder heads
Cylinder heads are parts on top of the engine that help control how fuel and air get into the engine and how exhaust leaves. Fixing problems here can take a lot of work.
Concept
price shopping
Price shopping means looking around at different places to find the cheapest price to fix your car, but cheaper isn't always better.
Concept
quality vs price
Sometimes it's better to pay a bit more to get your car fixed right so it lasts longer and doesn't break again soon.
LIVE
Good morning Niagara, you're tuned into car connection where the coffee is hot, the tools
are ready and the talk is always tuned up.
I'm your host Niall Motormouth Jenkins coming to you straight from the car connection workshop
where we mix a little humor, a little know-how and a whole lot of horsepower.
Here it's not just about fixing cars, it's about keeping you rolling, saving you money
and giving you the confidence to understand what's under that hood.
From the classics, to the commuters, the weird noises, to the what the heck moments we've
got you covered.
So grab your coffee, sit back, join the crew because this is car connection.
Your Saturday morning pit stop, stories, smarts and few good laughs.
We're here for you Monday through Saturday.
Saturday now is an engaging one hour of Q and A.
So let's strap ourselves in, get through the drive through, grab your favorite morning
beverage and shift it into drive because we're about ready to hit the black top.
I hope your day is going well for you.
We're almost into the weekend, we've almost made it and from what I hear it's March break
next week, unbelievable, unbelievable.
Time is marching on, well what are we going to talk about this morning?
What are we going to do today, brain?
The same as what we do every day, pinky, take over the world.
I don't know where that came from, I may have watched one or two of those.
Let's jump into the morning weather forecast so you know what you can expect today, man,
the weather all of a sudden, what happened?
Did somebody, did you trip over the extension cord?
Things have changed here along the south shores of Lake Erie, it's windy, not windy,
it's windy and the wind is very, very cold.
So we thank the Grimo family at Niagara Block at 5000 Montrose Road in Niagara Falls, Ontario,
Canada, building Canada since 1931, I wonder if they've taken a break, did anybody tell
them they can have lunch?
Well anyways, building supplies, hardscape landscaping materials and I just heard they're
fixing all the machinery, getting ready for a very busy summer because they build their
own stuff there too, they create all kinds of blocks and building supplies.
So hardscape landscaping, looking to build that backyard oasis, that outdoor living space,
you're in the right place when you go to Niagara Block.
So check in, the Grimo family there, customer service is over the top, they'll help you find
the products that you want and that you like to make that backyard space look absolutely
outstanding.
Connect with them today, we're almost halfway through March already and it's kind of trying
to make its mind whether it's going to be a lion or a lamb, but you'd be best to get
on the calendar and get a date booked with a contractor and they can help you with that
at Niagara Block as well, they're tightly connected with the construction community
and get you connected with someone who can actually estimate accurately as well and start
the job and finish the job so you can enjoy your outdoor space.
Well here's what we got going on this morning, so fasten your seatbelts, get that your favorite
morning beverage through the takeout window and jam that into the cup holder and we'll
have a swiggy together in just a few moments.
It's 29 degrees now with windy conditions, wind is making it feel colder, about 14 degrees,
cloudy conditions from 8am to 10am with partly cloudy conditions expected at 6pm.
Today's temperature range will be from 28 to 36 degrees Fahrenheit and it may feel more
like 14 to 26 degrees Fahrenheit.
So today's overnight low will be 28 and the high for today 36, we reached 57 degrees yesterday
for our high, it was actually not too bad even though it was raining like I was thinking
you know better build a bigger boat, rain in the last 24 hours, 1.35 inches, well I'll
tell you what it had to be more than that because I couldn't even park my car in the
up on dry land, I went to get in the car and I'm like I need to go put my rubber boots
on and I was serious so I very gently walked through the water as not to create too many
wakes and I managed to sneak in but by the time I got back the water level had risen
so precipitation to the next 24 hours is a zero, we'll take it, yes we will, we'll take
that, thank goodness it wasn't snow, right, well let's jump into our morning swiggy,
we have an amazing topic to cover this morning, sorry I got an itchy head, yeah how does that
happen, one of you guys give me some kind of a cootie or a flea, no, time for a new flea
collar then for me, we're going to talk about this this morning and just a reminder fun Friday
tomorrow we're going to be talking about cars, love, hate, relationship and I think for many
that's the mindset and if we can change and put a curve in that mindset you'll be putting more
money back in your pocket and that might, that just might, it might give you the giggles, it just
might, today having a solid relationship with your car and your mechanic is gold and we're
going to talk about that and unpack that in just a few moments, you know how long would your car
last if you actually followed a proper maintenance plan, think about that for a moment, thank you
to our certified financial planning professionals, Tony Miele, Larry Tietro, my brothers from other
mothers, 50 years experience as fiduciaries, they work with IG wealth management, one of the major
corporations in the world managing trillions of dollars for people just like you and me,
so for portfolio, debt, estate planning, powers of attorney, health proxies, mortgages,
life insurance, and critical illness insurance and even more, you have the opportunity to get one
hour, we call it the hour and hour and a coffee discovery meeting to sit down, get your questions
answered, leave your purses ladies and your wallets at home, these guys are not there to sell you,
they're there to listen to what, what your goals and dreams are, where you are and where you'd
like to be and they formulate a game plan, but don't waste their time, these guys don't need
any more clients, they're busy, but because I've been friends with them and they've been my certified
planners for 20 years, the guys said we want to be part of your show back in 2007 and here we are
in 2026, reach out to them, get your questions answered, if somebody is giving you financial
advice and they're not standing where you want to be, don't be disrespectful, but you know what,
they don't know what they're doing, it's obvious, captain obvious, you know, be polite, but get to
those who can actually answer your questions and Tony Miele and Larry Tietro, great guys to work with,
two of the best in all of Canada, they're very humble and down to earth, but they know what
they're doing, connect, connect with them folks, don't forget that our everything we talk about
here and on our YouTube channel, Facebook, Instagram, iHeart radio where we are right now
and even our our merch store is all available to you on our website at carconnectionbusinessnetwork.com
that CCBUS isn't Sam, NET.com and I want to really encourage you not to just flew for
door for through information like most people do, you know, you send somebody an email and then
they send you one back and you go you didn't even freaking read past the first three lines you idiot,
now you got to send it again or you got to get on the phone and go can you read do me a favor
I'm stressing out can you read the whole freaking email please yeah I deal with that all the time
and I'm like so what is the purpose of email so that you could just scan it like you think you're
what's his name from Star Trek I can't remember his name now the robot dude
yeah who wants to help me out with that one this one okay I'm a Trekkie but I can't remember
what his name is it's been so long but this is the thing in the description whether it's a YouTube
video or it's a podcast I put a lot of details in there that I don't even get a chance to talk about
on the videos or on the podcast so take a moment so yeah I'm talking to you you email scanner
no you're not you're not a robot and you miss a lot of details that way read the descriptions
everything you need is available to you in the description of our videos and our podcasts
and that's the best way for me to make sure that everything is there for you to connect with us
on our homepage you'll find the logos for all the businesses that are pro are our program partners
you'll also find all the links in the top right hand corner for YouTube Instagram Facebook
iHeartRadio and Stevensville on the web.ca we're tied in with the businesses there in the community
very tight my parents lived there my mom passed in 2022 but pops is still there
and 89 and driving with all his faculties texting cooking he does the whole nine yards so
Stevensville a great place to visit lots of things going on there the biggest draw in Stevensville
is Safari Niagara which uh you know what if you haven't gotten your season pass I think the deals
going off soon that's a great place to take the kids the grandkids yourself for the whole day
and enjoy the eateries there and the businesses there I love the people there and they put us a
profile page up it's our skippy our videographer that created that website to bring the businesses
and community together and they have over 7 000 people viewing that website so just click on the
businesses tab and you'll find us right there so if you're visiting us for the first time we love
our first time visitors and you you have to know a little bit of housekeeping whatever your morning
beverages that's fine with us no problem number two you need a 16 pack of crayola crayons and a
leaf bag fold it to look like a laptop yeah and to us it's a laptop and you can just keep taking
notes so hand that to your sidekick this morning if you don't have one well you can listen and
re-listen at iHeartRadio you can pull our podcasts off from any platform Spotify Apple and Amazon Music
any podcast platform just type in car connection workshop so there you got the skinny so on 321
we say thank you to Tony and Larry our certified financial planning professionals for making
this morning's morning swiggy available to you 321
it's not coffee this morning I didn't get up early enough been burning hard been working
fiberglass last night fixing fixing the topper on the 97g tj rescue we had a
piece missing out of where the door connects with the top looks like jaws took a bite out of it but
we got that under control now and when I say we it's me myself and I just so you know there's
nobody else here anybody else here could could you wrestle me up a hot cup of coffee and one of
those donuts with a little chocolate sprinkles on nothing dry to the bone so my question to you
was this and I'm going to keep reminding you how long would your car last if you actually
followed a proper maintenance plan I'm going to answer it for you 300 400 600 000 kilometers
and I know you may be sitting there maybe you skid it off the road right now I hope not keep
your eye on the road and it's cold enough this morning take it easy on the overpasses on the
highway because there could be black ice there the temperature is like right there and there's
been a lot of moisture put down so the roadways are green which means they're loaded with moisture
so just be careful out there don't be you know racing around especially on curves and overpasses
take it easy you don't want to go up into the wall that'll put you on the tail of the the longest
line to get to work on time absolutely so we've built rebuilt and laminated our reusable
car connection fleet maintenance system that makes it simple no matter what age you are
size dimensions don't mean anything whether you know a little bit about automobiles are
absolutely nothing it will work for you it is so simple it's stupid I'm serious I've been using
this fleet maintenance schedule myself since I was 20 and I've been in the trade and still in
the trade for 44 years so do the math it's been a while and every vehicle I keep long enough
I put 300,000 on minimum 300,000 not a problem we're gonna reach the FJ is gonna more than
likely hit 400,000 this year in 26 over the summer and the rocket is on the back door of 300,000
that's our 99 Honda Civic DX hatchback two-door five-speed with air conditioning
and it all works how does that happen is it because I I wash it with olive oil could that be it
no it's nothing to do with it it has everything to do with having it all written down before you
so that you can see what needs to be done now next in down the road and all you have to do is
are you ready for it this is how simple it is could you if you had to put a check mark in a
little square box yes if you can follow your your your own writing on your grocery list
and check things off as you're going through the store then you can work the car connection fleet
maintenance system and I'll be dealing with our webmaster today and getting the details
and and photographs and everything so we can get this page up so that you can order your very own
online and there'll be a special for those who have subscribed and watching our youtube videos to
learn all the basic fundamentals of vehicle ownership and again our youtube videos are
designed to work hand in hand with our fleet maintenance system so I'm showing you constantly
neglected maintenance neglected maintenance what is it where is it how does it work
how does it break and what could you have been doing differently in order to prevent
that kind of thing from happening to you and a lot of times that's all it is a $200 repair
turns into a $5,000 repair so would you rather spend small money on a schedule or big money on a
surprise you have to make that decision you have to make that decision for you I'm here to help you
so when it comes down to having a solid relationship with your car that that's the beginning
that is the beginning of success and I'm going to tell you as your coach and as as your licensed
automotive service technician for 44 years this everything that I'm telling you works
you have to work it I can't do it for you no one else can do it for you but you know what
you can do this yes you can you only have to change your mindset and say I can do this
you know everything in life comes down to one thing just one simple thing and it goes for
everything in life including the this human body we've been given
you got to take care of it how are you going to do that you've got to fall in love
with the battle to get to the victory it's that simple takes 21 days to make or break a habit
so if you're a procrastinator and hello I'm speaking for myself too and you know what
I've learned now to bust some butt and get it done when that little voice says oh I'm too tired
it's been a hard day
puppy puppy I go really not on your life and I get up and I go do it just get into that habit
of getting it done it's that simple it's a mindset folks you know the day that all of us stopped
listening to the talking heads and the white noise life is going to get a whole lot better
because they're nothing but lies and I'll say this they really ought to be grateful and truly
thankful that Pinocchio was just a story could you imagine or how about this that we all have a
service engine light on our forehead and every time you lie it flashes are you lying in this
and the light is flashing on your forehead no now it's a lot it's flashing even more your mindset
would change so if you want to lose weight you don't like the way you look you can't stand going
to your job and you fill in the blanks what else then you know what my boss used to say to me
my military mechanic boss if you don't like it change it if you don't like it quit that's
what he would say right to our faces having a bad day if you don't like it quit
and it would sometimes get you angry it'd be like how dare you talk to me like that
in this in today's world be I feeling unsafe yeah come on suck it up buttercup it's time
to really tighten things up and you can do it I don't care what age group you are
male female single mom widowed divorced whatever your case is who told you that
it's time to get rid of the labels it's time to turn on the mind and it's time to buckle down
because if we if we were puckering before in lieu of things that are going on right now in
the political world you know what we better become watertight like a duck and a frog and
pucker tight and figure out ways to save money so we will launch the 30-day fuel savings challenge
as soon as I see on the climate radar that we're going to steady eddy over 50 degrees Fahrenheit
and fueled I don't know if you noticed or not but fuel has jumped up quite a bit in the last 72 hours
and I don't think it's going to stop so 30 days failing 30 day fuel savings tips
when you implement them will minimum save you a hundred bucks a month in fuel
you excited about that I'm excited how about you absolutely I utilize those fuel saving tips myself
every single time I drive and I am so grateful for that 2008
Nissan Rogue that was donated to us and we brought made the decision to bring it back to life and
rescue it and you know I used the car yesterday and had to go to the accountants and drop paperwork
off and come back and it was like the needle didn't even move that's where we got to get to
but I'm not out there trying to beat the next guy I'm not out there beating on my vehicles either
because if you if you play hard you're going to pay hard and that was one of my bosses when I
worked at a technical station as an apprentice way back when in the 70s late 70s he'd tell me that
and you know after after hours I'd be working on my own little ride and he would be helping me
and teaching me stuff on my own car and he'd say just remember dripper that was his nickname for me
dripper wash your hands you got to go up to the post office and get to the Dutch doughnut store
yeah and make it quick I need a snack and he'd say to me dripper if you play hard you're going
to pay hard just so you know that's how it works he says if you you beat on your car be prepared
to dish out more money and that's what I'm saying to you folks tomorrow's fun Friday and we're going
to be talking about cars the love hate relationship so jump in on that conversation don't be afraid
I don't bite hard anymore you can do this you implement the things that I'm telling you
and you watch what happens to you the costs and service and maintenance to your automobile
and don't listen to those who are saying well why would you put that kind of money into such an old
vehicle I hear it myself and from those people you know what as my professor would say don't listen
to the negative trolls the negative Nellie's the negative Normans don't listen to them
and nobody can give you a ticket to a downer unless you're willing to accept it and so I
I deal with it all the time that's why there's certain people I will not absolutely not allow
into the car connection workshop why when's that going to be done how much longer before
you finish that how long have you been working on that now what's going on over here are you
getting when are you going to get that finished that drives me nuts I don't need somebody telling me
what's what's going on in my head and what I have written down and what's scheduled
and when we're getting to it that's enough to drive you nuts so that's why if somebody's speaking
into your mind is saying those exact same words what what what are you doing why are you putting
money into an old car well if you take that opportunity to sit down with our certified
financial planning professionals Tony and Larry my brothers from other mothers the first thing
they're going to ask you is do you have a car loan why that's the next question so be just be
prepared for that and then you're going to hear well the best vehicle you could own right now is the
one that is in your driveway that is paid for that is completely paid for that's a money maker
and as I spoke about a little bit yesterday and the day before as long as the structural integrity
of the automobile is solid that means the frame subframes everything else underneath that gives
the vehicle stability is solid the rest is repairable replaceable and serviceable if the engine's
healthy and the transmission's healthy and the driveline's healthy you know what all you have to
do is take care of it and it puts money back in your pocket so either one of two things has to
happen in order for you to keep your vehicle long term so if you're interested in that and giving
your vehicle longevity I'm your man I can get you there but I can't do it all for you but I can do
some and I can be your best buddy and best cheerleader ever and you have access to me through my
email so if you have a question fire it over let's unpack it let's take a look at it ask questions
get answers and that's how I was taught as an apprentice and that's how I taught my apprentices
is before you get yourself upside down and sideways in your head say stop and come and get me
don't continue ask so you have my email and so ask you got a question Saturdays we do a one hour
show now Q&A questions and answers get your questions in Monday through Friday and I will
answer those on the air on Saturday Saturday morning eight till nine yeah you'll get your question
answered live on the podcast so here's an opportunity for you you don't get those fingers going
send me over an email we're working on getting phone lines up so we we could do some live
programming like we did for 24 and a half years on radio and take callers so we're working on that
as we speak behind the scenes so you've either got to have a licensed mechanic that you can trust
wherever you take your vehicle to for repairs to guide you with your vehicle maintenance
and what we have to avoid is reactive versus responsive so reactive maintenance is where
the service lights on I hear something clamoring under the hood trying to get out and there's
something thunking or scraping in the back of the car that's reactive now on my own vehicles
that doesn't happen why because of following a maintenance schedule you're ahead of all that
stuff so you reduce the opportunity to take $200 repair and turn it into a $5,000 repair that's
what we're talking about here how do you turn that around how do you turn it around spending a
couple a hundred bucks and making sure that your vehicles in top drawer condition reducing stress
reducing pushing your service bill to a $5,000 service bill and I've got one right here on my
on my talk table let me see if I can get that for you if I can pull that off without emptying
the whole stinking thing I think that's it right there yeah how fast you can have a major yeah that's
it all right just bear with me for a minute I don't have an assistant can I get assistant please
yeah I'm still waiting for that cup of coffee if you don't mind that chocolate donut here we go
here it is a repair bill an actual repair bill
that was uh sent to me to review
man that is that is small gets any smaller that printing I probably wouldn't even be able to
it wouldn't be it be non-existent let me see if I can see this I need to see the bottom line
that's what I'm looking for
three thousand eight hundred and thirty eight dollars and forty seven cents that's right that's
what I just said three thousand eight hundred and thirty it looks like an eight man that's a very
small email three thousand eight hundred and thirty eight dollars and forty seven cents
have you had one of those lately
e-gads man I don't know about you but I would that would that would make me pucker that's for sure
I I don't have bills like that even keeping up with the maintenance and following my own maintenance
schedule I don't have I don't have whoppers like that that's a whopper that's like wow have we been
doing any maintenance anything that's a that is a perfect example I'm glad that popped into my
head that's a perfect example so if that shop that wrote that invoice is taking care of that
person's car how does how do they end up getting a bill that large are you following me
how do they end up getting almost a four thousand dollar repair bill just to get back out on the road
are they watching out for you are they helping you with your your vehicle maintenance scheduling
you know preventative maintenance in that case absolutely not
when I had my own shop on the Hamilton mountain I didn't want my customers having a bill like that
that would be embarrassing to me and it would also be embarrassing to all the
fantastic instructors I've had over the years and said keep an eye on your customers vehicles
keep a close eye as though it's your own and take care of them you want to make sure you
keep the repair bills down not jack them up those shops are the ones that are upselling
your stuff you don't need you need that's where you got to get out of there we'll talk about that
in another program is some of the telltale signs of you know what I need to get out of here while
I still even have a wallet to put something in and that's true you got to that's why I'm saying to
you've got to take control of your own vehicle maintenance and I've I've made it as simple as
I possibly can and as cheap as I possibly can for you as well without giving away all my knowledge
for free because that doesn't help us to grow as a podcast in a youtube channel to get monetized
so that we can pay help pay your bills for you if you're struggling we want to know about it
if we can we get to that point where we can pay the parts and do the labor
and shoot a video and teach someone else then you know one you know what we're doing
we're teaching one to reach one to move forward take control you know if you're thinking you're
gonna look like a beached whale in your one piece this summer what's your game plan you can't do the
pizza and wings on friday or fish and chip friday and pizza and wings on saturday and then monday
through friday what you're working all that getting all that stuff out of your body and then you start
the same thing all over again you've got to change some things in your life in order to change some
things in your life that's what it's all about is falling in love with the battle to get to the
victory and there is a victory right here i just read you an invoice that was just shy of
four thousand dollars and here's the kicker you ready for this that was the second invoice
the first one was half of that do the math if it was half of it call it two grand
and just shy of four grand that's six thousand dollars in one year
is that shop watching out for their customers no they're just waiting for you to come in with
reactive repairs that means you push the vehicle to the limit and stuff is breaking
and then you get surprised many times i'd ask customers coming through the door at our own
shop i'd go when was the last they go that's a lot of money i go well when was the last time
you spent some money on this car and usually if it's husband and wife he's come to pick her up
and she's dropping her car off and she's looking at him he's looking at her she's looking at him back
to her and then that usually tells me and i'll answer it for him zero dollars well all that time
that you thought you were the car was self healing and you're saving money and there's going to be
the tipping point and when you get that bill for like thirty eight hundred dollars and then you're
shocked and you shouldn't be because you know you've not spent a single dime taking care of that car
i don't have thirty eight hundred dollar repair bills on anything how can that happen
i follow my own maintenance schedule that's why
i stay ahead of it i know i know and i've learned how to put a check mark in a box
beside the service done next check mark done next check mark done and then you move to the next month
and then the next month then the next month you won't get a thirty eight hundred dollar bill
your bills will be under control and you'll have an older vehicle well maintained the rest of it
is left up to you to look after inside outside and anything breaks fix it don't say oh well you
know that's going to cost me fifty bucks oh you want to go out to dinner yeah i'm there see what
i'm saying it's the priority if you want to save money and put more money in your own pocket then
you got to have the game plan into and implement the plan i'm your coach hang on to my coattails
i'll get you there but you got to do the work
i'll encourage you you can ask me questions i've been on the air now i'm in my 32nd year now we're
on uh digital's switched over from towers we're reaching more and more people and yes you can do
this yes you can if i can do it you can do it it's that simple excuses are useless you might as
well tell me you gotta make soup or stay home and hold your cat's paw because it's not feeling well
whatever it is excuses are useless when you do stuff there's results it's that simple
you start eating right and getting some exercise and uh guess what happens things change
and you start to feel better and you don't feel you don't like like a million bucks all crumpled
up every morning when you get out of bed yeah that everything hurts more things hurt than what you
have and when you decide to do something about it and you start to see results it's encouraging
it is for me too there's stuff that i don't like to do but once i get into it like last night playing
with fiberglass it's not one of my favorite things do i know how to do it yeah and when i don't i'll
do some research to get some pointers and jump right in and get it done so today later this afternoon
um i'll rework that fiberglass and the job the the problem will be fixed and fixed permanently
and it's done do i like working with fiberglass and getting itchy no not at all i really don't
like doing body work at all but if i have to do it to save some money i know how to do it and i
have supplies to do it and it's just it's a mindset it's looking at the big picture what is it going
to look like when it's done and going that you know yeah that's going to be good and change your
mindset so if you don't have a service tech that's got your back they're gonna you're going to have
big repair bills like the one i just read off the total and when i looked at the list
i was just shaking my head i'm going if you're taking your vehicle in for an oil change and
here's the other thing this is huge this is a huge nugget right here no no disrespect to the drive
through oil change places don't use them you don't have service techs working on your car you don't
oil uh oils out filters on and then they get you for wiper blades in an air filter some quicky
stuff so the they they jack the bill up and they get commissioned on that but you don't have a
trained eye doing your oil change service that's how you get a four thousand dollar repair bill
because no disrespect to the oil lube tech that's under there he doesn't he or she doesn't know
what they're looking at they're not trained mechanics and and here's the thing you're not
bothering me to have me do your oil change that gives me an opportunity to check your vehicle over
for you and this is where that relationship has to be tight that they're not upselling you things
that your vehicle doesn't really need you have to have that tight relationship knowing that when
your service tech says you need this right now but this is coming up so prepare for that and
we'll book you for that other repair work and that's how i work with my own customers
and you know there was a lot on my head they'd say you know just go ahead and get it done i'll
just get it done and i had credit cards on file and stuff they don't you know just put that on my
on my bill but you know you fix it as though you would fix it for yourself and that was all put on
me and it's okay because you know what i knew i wasn't selling them they didn't things they didn't
need i wasn't charging for top drawer parts but getting inferior parts to make more money i wasn't
doing any of that i was doing good solid honest reliable service and i worked on customers cars
as though it was my own and there's mechanics i work with i wouldn't even ask to borrow their car
but my vehicles are in top drawer condition because i rely on them i need them and i don't
want to be making payments i don't want to be working to pay interest and principal for a vehicle
and if you're not willing to look after it and you're making those payments what do you got when
the term is left over i see it i've seen it happening for 40 some odd years people work so hard
to buy a car beat the thing down the highway thinking that it's maintenance free and then
all of a sudden you get a four thousand dollar repair bill yeah all that driving wasn't for free
listening to those talking heads that say oh don't you don't have to worry about your
oil changes you only have to change the oil like once a year well spark plugs are good for
250 300 000 kilometers and then we got to pull cylinder heads off and tear the engine down to
get them out because they're misfire it's listening to all that garbage that will take money out of
your pocket and that's what they're doing it's a game folks it's a game you're working hard
beating that car down the road to get to and from work and paying the interest and the principal
on it and by the time the cars paid off you got to jump back in because it's so unmaintained
where do you start and i can't tell you that and the number of those conversations having with people
in our own shop all the time i'm going at some point you got to call it vehicle ownership
because when you don't the repair bills are astronomical you know you asked me to look
it over and i'm i'm i'm scared to even call you because the list is is ugly and you say well
i know you brought it in for this and you asked me to check it over well here's here's what it needs
what yeah that's what it's going to do that's what it's that's what's got to be done
to get you over the next year otherwise this thing's finished well we're still making payments on it
well i can't help you and that's what it comes down to how can i help you if you won't listen
and you won't do so remember the do does and the did is done i'm here to coach you i'm here to help
you not hurt you i'm sharing all the things that if you do it you will put money back in your pocket
you don't need to work your butt off to pay for a car to make the last payment and then go car
shopping again because that is the game and if you don't know the rules then they win the game
the cat is smarter than the mice we have to turn that around for you you got to become
the mice that are smarter than the cat and it's possible it is all possible and again it comes
back to do you have a solid relationship with the repair shop you're taking your vehicle to
if you're going to all different types of shops and i call the i call you folks the
tension shoppers special in aisle three yeah i don't want you as a customer i want you as a client
customers i never wanted those are the ones that shop all across town looking for the deal
they never become a client where it can actually take care of their automobile take care of them
get them on track with maintenance and they're saving money
customers they would always come and go how much for this how much for that well i can
get that done over here 54 dollars cheaper well then you should probably go there permanently
and i had no problem saying that then you should probably go there permanently
if you're shopping price you should go somewhere else if you're shopping quality
you're in the right place that's what i would tell them i'm not about trying to compete with
someone else my price is my price and if something goes wrong i stand behind my work so building that
type of relationship with a shop and the people that are there if you don't have that relationship
then you need you need to find a repair shop that you can get to that will help you get to the
maintenance level that i've been talking about and keep you on track or you're going to have to
track it yourself and that's why again we've redone rebuilt and recreated our car connection
fleet maintenance system that makes it simple absolutely simple so when all is said and done
we have all the nuts and bolts together those who are subscribed and subscribed to our youtube
channel will get the fleet maintenance system for 59 dollars and those who aren't will get it for 69
dollars that's cheaper than an oil change because i just got a jug of oil uh last week 59 bucks
that's my cost my garage price i'm actually buying oil at other stores because my automotive part
supplier i can't afford to buy oil there anymore can't it's just it's over the top 64 dollars
for a jug of oil 59 dollars for a jug of oil that i used to pay like 19 for my cost not anymore
it's a game folks parts i'm searching i've got my go-tos online and i know who i can count on
online to to help get us parts not cheap offshore stuff stuff that when we do the job it's going
to last it's a game for parts so i hope you take this to heart tomorrow's uh fun friday so we can
kind of let our hair down have an extra cup of joe and maybe another donut everything in moderation
right everything just have a diet so that zeroes that out yeah i had a a producer one time and i
always bring a box of donuts on our afternoon show on espn and uh i'd go to paul's paul's best
donuts on the on the buffalo side if you haven't been there to get donuts you gotta go to paul's
and i'll tell you those are meal replacements if you took a box of paul's donuts and you walked
into tim hortons and opened the lid and said do you have anything like this you would probably get
a beating if you got out of there alive so anyways my board op he was a tall skinny guy
can't remember his name at the moment and he could wolf those donuts down like no tomorrow and i
said to him i said you're gonna give yourself diabetes he goes no he goes nyle ain't never
gonna happen i go why is that i just say no to diabetes and he grabs another donut and i that's
always we had such a good laugh about that so tomorrow we're gonna laugh we're gonna have some fun
we're gonna talk about cars is it a love hate relationship for you get involved in the conversation
tomorrow yeah send some questions in send me some emails and i'll read your comments out
is vehicle ownership a love hate relationship for you and if so why is that what's your what's
your thing what's your hang up yeah let's let's hear about let's toss that around a little bit
and don't forget to send your questions in because i will answer them saturday on the one hour program
q and a with motor mouth nyle jankins come and join us for that i'm always available to you i'm
just an email away you can email me and if i feel we need to have a a deeper conversation
i'll give you a phone number that you can contact me here in the studio and we'll talk about it in
further depth because sometimes you know what what what has to be said in an email maybe a six
pager but we can have a 10 minute conversation and cover a lot of ground and move on right that's
the way i see it you know computer is supposed to save time not really i don't see it i can get on
the phone have a five minute conversation and get a lot of things taken care of in five minutes
versus sitting and making an email that most people just skim through and miss half of it anyway
and you're back and forth so it drives me nuts that's one of my pet peeves why should i send you
an email if you're not even going to read it properly yeah that's a waste of time we don't
want to waste any time so come and join us for fun friday that's tomorrow and um yeah heading into
a march break next week what do you got planned for march break i'm working so yeah i work about
80 hours a week to put everything together and that's just what it is you know what i mean i'm not
whining there's no crying in the car connection workshop there's no crying none whatsoever so
make it a great day today thank you to earl and louise grant phenomenal couple in the car business
for almost 25 years if you're shopping for a car you've got to meet earl and louise grant you've got
to because i know you can buy with confidence be treated with nothing less than honesty and integrity
and you're going to come away with a vehicle you're truly truly going to fall in love with
low mileage quality vehicles at fair prices in-house leasing and financing available to you
they are greater toronto areas premier pre-owned auto store simply put that way they got it all
together there it's worth the drive to get the city auto sales and leasing second highest purchase
you're ever going to make and you know what when you know you can buy with confidence and be treated
with nothing less than honesty integrity and nobody's selling you with lipstick on a pig
you are in good shape because you can relax and you'll love it there you'll absolutely
love it there thank you to crystal ridge dream center for being our non-profit faith-based
organization going into 2026 serving men women elderly seniors widows orphans single moms
and children small humans meals love hope and changing lives one at a time in our very own
backyard they get no outside resources from anywhere they have to raise their own funds to
provide everything they do comes out of their pocket they feed through the door out the door
tuesdays and fridays they're serving around 260 people now tuesdays and fridays giving them a hot
meal how cool is that see how you can get involved click on their their logo on our home page and
check them out you check them out and see maybe what's tugging on your heart a way that you see fit
to get involved whether it's a being a monthly donator weekly once a year or even volunteering
your time or pitching some gift cards to them they know how to take a nickel and turn it hammer it
until it turns into a dollar so let's get behind them they're our faith-based non-profit organization
any donation over 25 dollars will get you a tax receipt so till tomorrow happy healthy motoring
keep it under 100 watch out for the other guy i'm on your side and i'm extending every single day
the olive branch to you whether you receive want to receive it or not i'm here for those who want
to make a difference i'm here for those who who need a coach someone to help them someone to encourage
them someone to uplift you and say yes you can do this if i can do it you can do it peace patience
and kindness always we'll see you tomorrow morning for another edition of motor mouths morning drive
make it a great day bye for now
About this episode
The discussion highlights the immense value of having a trustworthy mechanic and a solid maintenance plan for your vehicle, emphasizing how proper care can extend a car's life to hundreds of thousands of kilometers. The host shares practical advice on vehicle upkeep, the importance of community connections, and promotes local businesses and financial planning experts. The episode blends humor, local weather updates, and personal stories to encourage listeners to build a reliable relationship with their repair shop, ultimately saving money and avoiding costly repairs.
Original notes
" A solid gold mechanic doesn't wait for you car to break..he helps you stop it from breaking in the first place."
One of the most valuable relationships a vehicle owner can have isn't with a car...it's with a solid, trustworthy mechanic.
A great repair shop doesn't jus fix things when they break. They help guide you through preventative maintenance so small problems never become massive repair bills.
In today's episode we talk about what I call the "Solid Gold Mechanic" - the kind of technician that works with you to stay ahead of vehicle maintenance instead of letting repairs pile up.
Think of it like pulling knots on a rope. A good mechanic grabs the next knot and says:
"Let's schedule this service in a couple of weeks so we stay ahead of it."
That simple approach can mean the difference between manageable maintenance ...and sudden $3,000-$5,000 repairs bills.
In this episode we cover:
1) Why preventative maintenance saves thousands over time
2) what true customer-focused repair shop looks like
3) The difference between maintenance guidance and just selling repairs
4) Why building a relationship with your mechanic matters
5) How staying ahead of repairs keeps older vehicle reliable
If your repair shop isn't helping you plan ahead, you may not have a maintenance partner-you may just have people selling parts and labor.
And that's a big difference.
Also in this episode: Send in your thoughts for Fun Friday: Is owning a car love-hate relationship?
And don't forget Q&A Saturday-send your automotive questions and we'll tackle them during the show.
Because keeping your car running well isn't just about tools...it's about knowledge and teamwork.
Car Connection Motormouth Merchandise is available in our online store at (ccbusnet.com)
Grab some gear, join the crew in the fight against addiction, supporting those individuals ready to deal with their addiction get the help they need at a Total Freedom Addiction Campus Canada & USA where a New Life Awaits them there! Thank You so much friends, Motormouth & Skippy.
More episodes and...project Details & Links are available at Car Connection Business Network .com (ccbusnet.com) you'll find everything on our home page if you'd like to follow the build/repair work we do & connect with our program partners just click on their logo to meet them. Tnx so much! NMJ
Like, Subscribe, share, follow, watch, listen, ring the notification bell get notified, comment, all these little things really help us to grow and reach more people around the globe, we appreciate your help in advance friends, means a great deal to us! Skippy & Motormouth.
Happy Healthy Motoring Friends, Peace Patience Kindness Always, NMJ
Car Connection Workshop
Nile Jenkins
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