From Pull-A-Part to Late Night Rescues: A Week in the Life of a Mobile Mechanic

Monday: Pull-A-Part Adventure

We started the week with a trip to Pull-A-Part in Harvey, Louisiana, on a mission to find some much-needed parts and, of course, to explore. I almost immediately hit the jackpot with a working rear end for the Mercury Grand Marquis and got to work removing it. It’s always a delicate dance since some tools aren't allowed on the premises. I had to carefully remove the suspension and parking brake, then slowly lower the whole axle using the suspension components.

Meanwhile, Kevin was on the lookout for some headlights and anything else that caught his eye. Unfortunately, he wasn't successful this time—the front-end damage had taken its toll on most headlights. Our friend, however, had better luck and found some great Mustang parts. After a productive morning, we had a late lunch and headed home to rest. Kevin wasn’t so lucky, though; the sun got to him, and he had a rough night. I also ordered an oil filter for a 2011 Toyota Corolla, setting up for another project in the pipeline.

Tuesday: Mardi Gras Break

Today was Mardi Gras, and everything was canceled. So, I took a much-needed break after the Pull-A-Part trip and relaxed. It was a well-deserved day off to recharge.

Wednesday: Work and Plans

Wednesday was a whirlwind of activity at my other job, but I still managed to keep the mechanic business moving forward. After some careful consideration, I decided to switch to working all nights at my other job. This change will open up my mornings for mechanic work, allowing me to be more flexible and efficient with my time. Kevin was equally busy, putting up fliers on the SLU campus to attract more student customers. We brainstormed some new marketing strategies and discussed the potential impact of targeting specific demographics. I also spent part of the day organizing my tools and planning the upcoming week's tasks. It’s all about finding the right balance between both jobs and ensuring that each receives the attention it needs.

Thursday: Ad Campaigns and Scheduling

Thursday was focused on fine-tuning our online presence and preparing for upcoming jobs. I updated the booking on our website, addressing issues I discovered thanks to the ongoing emails with the customer with the Buick Enclave. This back-and-forth communication highlighted some flaws in our booking system, which I promptly fixed to improve the user experience. Additionally, I worked on a new ad campaign targeting college students—our prime audience. I also scheduled a seal replacement job on a lawnmower out in Bush, Louisiana, for tomorrow at noon. This job had been in the pipeline since December, when I initially estimated and quoted it. It felt good to finally see it come to fruition.

Friday: Seal Replacement and a Grand Marquis Setback

Off to Bush, Louisiana, for the seal replacement job. The seal was stubborn and required heating and a 5-ton puller to get the pulley off. The job went smoothly after that, though the pulley didn’t survive the process. Later, I went home to install the rear end on the Grand Marquis. To my dismay, it was a bust—the mounting points for the suspension were different despite coming from the same year, make, model, and sub-model. Sigh. On a brighter note, I installed new headlights on the Ford Ranger.

Saturday: Late Night Rescue and Plans

At 2 AM, I received a call from a family stranded due to an alternator failure on their 2011 Honda Odyssey during their trip from Texas to Florida. I was tired, having spent the late night researching and working on the Grand Marquis. Despite the fatigue, I showed up, introduced myself to the customer, and started working right away. They had a local friend who showed up to try giving them a jump, and we all chatted while I worked on the alternator. The job went smoothly, with only the belt giving me trouble. I accidentally got the belt behind the alternator when I bolted it up, so I had to remove the lower mounting bolt to pull the belt out. The Odyssey also has a slightly unusual belt routing, so I kept trying to put the belt on the way it felt like it should go instead of the correct way. Despite these minor hiccups, the job took less than an hour. I gave the customer's friend a business card, and we all went our separate ways. Another customer reached out about electrical issues with the ignition on his 1979 Alfa Spyder, and we scheduled to look at it next week. I had planned to do brakes on the Ranger, check an exhaust leak, and top off the A/C on my Infiniti G37, but after the long night and morning, I ended up catching some much-needed sleep.

Reflection:

This week was a rollercoaster of highs and lows. From the excitement of finding a rear end at Pull-A-Part to the frustrations of mismatched parts, each day brought its unique challenges and rewards. The late-night rescue was a reminder of the unpredictability of this job but also the satisfaction of helping others when they need it most.