# Auto Shop grads

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-shop-grads/564326>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [December 16, 2010, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-shop-grads/564326 "2010-12-16T03:32:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\
**Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-shop-grads/564326/1 "2010-12-16T03:32:26Z")

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For anyone who took auto shop in HS: after the class, what car repairs/maintenance were you proficient at?

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**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\
**Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-shop-grads/564326/2 "2010-12-16T05:51:50Z")

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Auto Shop teaches you to use tools. With the right tools, you can be “proficient” at any repair. Brake jobs, oil changes, head gaskets- whatever. Like a music class, you don’t take a different course for each song, you learn to play an instrument and read music. Then, with practice, you can play _all_ the songs.

With the right tools, a good manual and confidence you can repair pretty much anything. Me? I recognize my shortcomings in the precise measuring skills required to build close-tolerance stuff, but pretty much anything else goes. Like I say, with the right tools even the seemingly difficult is made fairly easy.

I realize that I didn’t answer the question, but then again, I didn’t take Auto Shop. So there!

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**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\
**Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-shop-grads/564326/3 "2010-12-16T11:17:25Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> For anyone who took auto shop in HS: after the class, what car repairs/maintenance were you proficient at?

pretty much anything; as far as carrying out _repairs,_ it was pretty well rounded. learning the proper way to _diagnose_ problems was explained, but that takes a little more experience. I was part of our school’s team for the “Student Auto Skills” competition in '94, we got to go to the national event in D.C.

> [@](#):
>
> I realize that I didn’t answer the question, but then again, I didn’t take Auto Shop. So there!

I’m guessing you posted just to see your words on the screen, then?