I was just wondering how easy it is for an upcoming freshman to work on their car while at clemson? are their tools you can rent out or would i even have time to sinc eim doing mechanical engineering and army rotc?
We are pretty nice and if you need to borrow a tool then most likely someone here will have it and let you use it. I don't think there's a rental, but I know some of the auto parts stores have a loaner program. Now whether these up here do I don't know.
You'll waste more time doing stupid shit than what you should be doing, so you will have time but you won't use it wisely.
Ya Michael, you can get loaner tools from most of the auto stores around the area.
and it would depend on what your doing i guess, i wouldn't recommend a turbo swap in the PIT, you might wanna try to find a member with a garage to help ya out.
most all of us would/will help ya if we can.
-Keegan
Let me just say it blows.
Especially if you're like me and feel bad bumming tools off of people
Like everyone else said. There are plenty of club members and others on this forum that have tons of knowledge to draw from, have special tools you can borrow for free (or at a small price) and there are a few car friendly places apt complexes here in the Clemson area.
OR come on over to Simpsonville... 4 car garage and all tools you need.
45 minutes but pretty handy on a rainy day.
Ted
Hey man,
First of all, welcome to the boards and bravo on coming to Clemson!
I just finished my Freshman year, so I'll back up Tyler in saying it does suck. The resident lots for the dorms are pretty cramped and crowded and in the fall you have to move your car out of the way for football parking. I'd suggest just going to Auto Zone or another parts store and asking for permission/tools.
Kbag Wrote:Ya Michael, you can get loaner tools from most of the auto stores around the area.
and it would depend on what your doing i guess, i wouldn't recommend a turbo swap in the PIT, you might wanna try to find a member with a garage to help ya out.
most all of us would/will help ya if we can.
-Keegan
that's easy... I swap transfer cases in parking lots...
it sucks ass, but you can get away with quick stuff on campus - otherwise, bribe someone with a garage with $$/beer/etc..?
kbrew8991 Wrote:it sucks ass, but you can get away with quick stuff on campus - otherwise, bribe someone with a garage with $$/beer/etc..?
2nd.
Done on campus: swapped wheels more times than I can count, swapped out an entire stereo system (removed interior, applied sound deadening material, installed / wired amp, etc - about 6 or so hours on a game day with the interior of my car sitting on the grass infront of it), and random small things. Anything bigger or that requires jackstands I'd say get to be good friends with someone with a garage.
i've done a few little things like replace clutch master cylinder, brake job, etc. but nothing that requires a lift. I did take my muffler on and off once, but that was a trick, oh and replace my upper rear control arms with adjustable ones. Pretty basic stuff. I've had to do alot more at the track though. That can be REALLY rough, but if it's gotta be done, it's gotta be done.
almost forgot: replaced camshafts and adjusted valves (twice).
Yeah i usually feel like a bum when i bum stuff.... but like it was just said, doing stuff in the parking lot is good if it's quick stuff....oil change... spark plugs... serpentine belt... basically stuff that really can't go wrong.
but be careful about what you start on campus cause if you get the wrong part or break something by accident cause ure not payin attention... and bascally end up with a car that's down through a game day ure kinda screwed...
ALSO! dude with balls o'steel said he did a clutch swap and a cam swap in a parking lot.... dude make sure you've done that a few times and it's to the point where it's a cake walk.... i would never... ever... ever... do that.
and if ure gonna leave the car apart over night make sure you leave it so it' looks like it's in running condition...aka the tranny isn't on the ground/ the car isn't on jack stands. I met a guy who left is t56 on a jack one night to finish it his clutch swap the next morning and it (the tranny) was gone when he came back... and this was on campus. And have a way to get to a parts store.
the end
yeah, its doable, but alot of the parking lots are not the best place to do anything more than the basics.
andrew started his brake job last year(bigger slotted rotors for the sti) out behind calhoun courts/thornhill and ran into problems bc the bolts for the calipers were seized and ended up breaking one. or maybe two i dont recall. anyways had to leave the car there (he has no parking pass/lived off campus) for two days trying to find a place to use their drill press, ended up having the car towed to a dealership. luckily he was not ticketed, and we made it so nothing could be taken by putting the car back on the ground, but it was a hassle.
now we know people/ know to ask for help, which is what i would suggest