Hello all,
Unfortunately I had a vehicle fire which destroyed the interior of my car while preserving drivetrain and everything under the hood. I have found a replacement vehicle which is going to need an engine/drivetrain swap.
Giving a public service announcement that I plan on using the two-post lift plus the spot next to it (non lift bay) for the majority of Wednesday/Thursday this week.
I have already checked with our automotive chair Sam for permission to have both vehicles in the garage at once and the nature of this rather large and time consuming repair.
Of course the automotive space is first come first serve, but I’m attempting to give other members advance notice that I’ll be using the space for an extended period of time.
Edit; job looks like it will be taking place Thursday/ Friday. But to reiterate, the 4 post lift car bay will still be available even if that lift itself cannot be operated at present since not anchored down.
I think you’ll find that what you plan violates several automotive committee rules.
First is that you need to be with your vehicle all the time with the exception of limited runs for parts. I’m assuming you’re gonna sleep somewhere in that 48 hour period.
I think this sets a bad precedent if vehicles will be sitting around for long periods of time. The space isn’t suitable for tasks that take more the one waking day. Even parking for more than one day isn’t allowed, let alone having vehicles on lifts. I recommend not doing this at DMS. Or break it up into sections that can be done in one waking day and do that multiple times (maybe not doable in this situation).
Headlight control module is known to corrode and start a cabin fire on these vehicles if sunroof drains get clogged or any water intrusion, in my case had been doing a job at DMS and my drivers window would not roll up after finishing, and it rained that night… I had the car covered but still.
He did the right thing and talked to Sam first to make sure it would be ok. Yall need to relax and don’t act like yall wouldn’t be asking the same thing if in a similar situation.
Pretty sure that’s exactly the point - we have rules for reasons, and the people posting that this is contrary to those rules would, in fact, NOT be requesting the rules be bent and/or broken just for their special case.
How about not being such dickheads about following the rules we have in place for good reasons, like many of us do, most of us should, and the 'space would be improved if we all did?
Again…pot/kettle, since that’s exactly what you did. And me, right here. That’s why it’s called a discussion forum…absolutely nothing in the posts that followed the OP could be considered anything but both helpful and reasonably cautionary. Up to yours that is.
Folks should be allowed to express opinions and concerns without having to endure finger-wagging from the holier-than-thou faction here.
I see clay projects, wood projects and metal projects inside the building unattended for multiple nights. Let’s change the rules to be more practical and member friendly in Auto? Maybe allow nine hours two nights in a row of unattended access for big projects during the slowest autoshop time in the evenings? Maybe that is 11pm to 7am? I am sure we have data to help refine all the new rules that we would have for such a thing. Why not? We must not make all the dumbest behaviors that occured in our past history our limitations today. Smart people should have opportunities not squashed by past idiot behaviors. This is a member driven organization. We seem have way too many rules to help the ignorant. Lets cater to someone else.
All of the other areas you mention are smaller, and extended use of the area does not mean extended use of a single tool. Many of those cases are themselves violations taking advantage of limited enforcement capacity.
Typical active use of a potters wheel or saw are relatively short duration. Those areas have a lot more capacity to support multiple parallel projects. Auto on a good day (with the wind at our backs and down hill) can support at most three and the truth is the average is something under two.
Complex usage rules are a nonstarter for a number of reasons, chief among them is fair and consistent application by a volunteer work force. No committee members are at DMS 24/7, much less 8/5.
Consider the recurring fiasco that is project storage. Auto would be that on steroids. Too regularly we already have problems with people tying up facilities without working on cars during prime times. It’s not every week, but it’s too often. Don’t get me started on tool loss and damage.
I generally agree with this. There is a reason for the DMS Mantra of “don’t make me make a rule.” The problem is that the 80-20 rule applies. 20% of the users cause 80% of the problems. The idiots disproportionately impact the rest of the membership. The rules are not perfect, they are a coarse optimization based on extensive and often painful experience.
FWIW, I don’t think Marty is a problem. He talked to Sam (the Auto Chair) and got clearance. My reaction to his initial post was based on a description of use that I couldn’t see Sam approving. He responded with a reasonable explanation.
The institutional memory of this place is garbage. We have rules for reasons. There’s a balance between being “member friendly” and realizing that everyone is a volunteer that doesn’t want to deal with bullshit from members being non-excellent. Maybe a better approach would be “why does this rule exist and is it still relevant” and folks will share some of the carnage they’ve witnessed in the auto area.
Great info and thanks for sharing this. I want to add that, yeah, most of the rules are because of the worst of the membership and not because of the average member but the organization is open to anyone which includes inconsiderate assholes with $72 to their name and nothing to lose. We’re not somehow beyond the possibility of a meth head tearing apart a car at the space for days, again.
Ahh, the Milly Mazda debacle. Multiple attempts to rebuild resulting in bent rods, etc. That member manged to get themselves banned due to other bad decisions.
