I feel it’s always nice to know why someone is doing what they are in life. In my opinion, people have gifts, or callings. We all know someone who loves to sing but when we hear them sing, we realize it’s really not their calling, being a mechanic is no different.
Some are called to this, have a gift or knack for mechanical problems, or a mental aptitude for understanding how to disassemble and reassemble something in order to fix it. I also find it usually follows family lineage.
In my situation, my brother and I always had access to my dad’s tools. He is a Master Tractor Trailer Mechanic by trade, and is still in the trade all these years later. My nephew Christoper James “CJ” Waterman (also has the same gift and calling). He’s good with his hands when he applies himself.
My older brother and I were always taking vehicles apart before there was a “Google” to learn it. We were pulling motors at ages 15-16. Our fastest time back then if I recall correctly was three hours to remove a motor from a Caprice Classic, and install it in a Monte Carlo. It was just something bred into us. From clutches, to spark plugs, oil changes, coil packs, rebuilding engines or transmissions. We were taught to do it ourselves.
I graduated from High School with honors from the 11th grade. When I took the military ASVAB (Army Services Vocational Aptitude Battery). I scored a 99% for Mechanical Ability. The U.S. Army wanted me to be a mechanic for them, however, I knew that doing so would kill the passion I have for doing this type of work, and ended up enlisting in the Infantry instead.
Recently I applied to the National Aviation Academy here close to Concord, MA. Upon taking the entrance exam I placed 94%, missing only two questions. Both questions were pretty dumb to miss in my opinion. I punched a number into my calculator wrong and without thinking recorded the answer. It was a mere addition question…..LOL.
For Exotics the story is pretty simple. My first Maserati was a 2002 Spyder. Within about a year I ended up personally replacing the F1 clutch, and actuator. The car had about 20,000 miles on it. I also find because I have been called to this, I almost never get out of the mechanical situations easy.
Moreover, I’m usually never satisfied with the diagnosis or mechanical dedication of the people working on my equipment/vehicles. Originally, I was towing the above mentioned Maserati to a high end shop to put it on a scanner. It was diagnosed as having potentiometer problems which as I learned wasn’t the case.
I still remember the look on the Ferrari Tech’s and Shop Manager’s face, bringing that car in when I was finished doing the work myself. They both were looking at me like they knew they were going to call a tow company to bring the car to the junk yard. The Ferrari Tech after running the parameters I asked for specifically stated he had never had a customer ever do the work I did to an F1 car in his career and it be successful.
What people don’t realize in these situations is I grew up not only working on cars, but reverse engineering everything mechanically that needed to be fixed I came across. It would be akin to a surgeon having his young son in the OR for most of his life till he leaves home. The kid will know more on a daily basis than most leaving medical school. It doesn’t mean I or anyone else has all of the answers on any given day. It means we possess the craft to find them.
Since the time of the Spyder, many years ago, I’ve personally owned a couple of different Exotics, most notably a 2004 Lamborghini Stage 3, Underground Racing Gallardo pushing 837hp to the AWD system, on high octane pump gas. (Shown below)
I purchased my own scan tool, and began working on these cars myself from those earlier years and now do consulting around the world for these cars as well.
I specialize in Maserati Gran T’s, Gran Sports, Quattroportes, Ferraris, and Lambos (E gear system is basically identical to F1 system). Some of my favorites are when people throw Kevlar clutches in Boosted (Turbo/Twin Turbo) application Exotics and can not dial them in correctly.
Most will probably know my name from Maseratilife.com where I used to be a Moderator, giving free technical support, and advice to anyone when I could help.
Finally, I’ve been sworn in by the Massachusetts Court system as an Expert witness, giving testimony about these cars for Pre-purchase Inspections.
(Photo above is outside of a Salem Court house in Massachusetts, where I was sworn in as an Expert Witness, testifying on behalf of a Client on the condition of an Exotic that was purchased.)
