Have Patience

I think one of the best things you learn dealing with cars, is patience. Ive been working on things that "go" since I was little and they can be extremely frustrating. Over time, you learn that the car is an inanimate object. It doesnt feel, or think, and it isnt trying to make you mad.
A perfect example of automotive frustration is installing a manual transmission after changing the clutch. Things have to line up just right or it wont slide together. On several occasions Ive literally spent close to an hour just trying to get the transmission to line up. A couple of times after fighting it, Ive stopped for a minute, then pushed on it with one hand and it slides right together with ease. :)
Anyway, I was just thinking that my experience with working on cars has translated into me being a more patient person.
"Lord, give me patience, and give it to me now!"

My life with cars

Im a mechanic. I have a home business modifying cylinder heads for high performance and racing. I have always had some sort of "hot rod" to tinker on.

Its all because of my Dad. He spent a lot of time with my brother and I growing up building go karts, riding motorcycles, dune buggies, and snowmobiles. Our family went to motorsports of every imaginable kind for fun.

When my brother was 15, he and Dad bought a 69 mustang mach 1. It ran good, with a 351w and a 4 speed, but it was rusted in all the usual places. I was 12, and helped work on it as much as I could. That car began a string of projects and cars that went beyond building them for our family, to fixing them up as part of our business.

I had the opportunity to work with my dad for 3 years both as an automotive tech, and building high performance cars/hot rods. We became best friends during that time. There are quite a few cars in the Nebraska/South Dakota area that we worked on.

The Irony of it all is that my parents were killed in a car on November 11 last year. For an unknown reason the car crossed the centerline in front of three semi's. The first was able to avoid a collision, the second wasnt. At that moment both of my parents were in the presence of their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

I will never forget the time spent with my best friend and father.

My current project is my dads 54 ford 2dr sedan. It will be built the way dad envisioned it: A nostialgia drag car! The best part will be when I hand each of my kids a tool and show them how to use them. Then as we are all working, Im going to tell them stories about their Grandpa and Grandma, and how they loved Christ, kids, and cars!