[Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the December 2015 issue of Grassroots Motorsports.]
I started wrenching well before I was 10 years old. Like most of us, my time in the garage has given me my share of bumps and bruises, skinned knuckles and the like. It’s also left me with more than a couple of scars.
I remember my first major incident: I was about 11 years old, and my dad and I were trying to get a minibike back on the road. We were heating the handlebars to bend them into the proper location, no doubt because we couldn’t afford the part we needed and were trying to make do with the wrong one.
Anyway, after heating one side until it was glowing cherry red, I grabbed hold of it so I could start working on the other side. My parents’ response, which was typical, was to rub some snow on the resulting burn and tell me everything would be fine in the morning. After I’d spent hours screaming, they finally relented and took me to Doctor Sherm, a family friend. We kept his Model A and other cars running, and in return we paid little or nothing for medical care. Because this was the deal, my parents hated to bother Sherm on a weekend with a minor problem like a third-degree burn.
I spent years after my hand healed telling people this story and showing them the scars, but I think that some of my folks’ walk-it-off attitude was just as permanently imprinted. I went on to other injuries, some serious, some not so serious, and rarely took time to address the results. (A knee injury I suffered in college, then ignored for years, still haunts me today.)
A few years ago, I finally hurt myself so badly that I had to actually address it. While working on my Shelby Mustang in a Red Bull-fueled haze of haste, I finished off my right rotator cuff. Of course, I waited a week or two at first to see if I could walk it off. When I got to the doctor, he told me my rotator cuff was 75 percent torn. Three weeks later, when I had the surgery (had to wait until after Monterey car week, of course) the doctor let me know that my rotator cuff was 95 percent torn through. Yeah, I kept working on the Shelby right up until the night I left for Monterey.
Those who know me know I always go all out. My friends and family often tease me about my German heritage and how I never stop, never quit and never ever even slow down.
It worked for a long while; at 35 I was still indestructible. At 55 years old, however, I am starting to feel the years of abuse. A nearly nonstop diet of working on cars, staring at computer screens, and autocrossing, road racing or doing press track days when I am not working on cars or staring at computer screens has left my back and neck a mess. Arthritis is something I didn’t understand 20 years ago, but it’s something I live with in seemingly every joint today.
I hate to be that old guy telling you what to do, hate even more to be that old guy who is always complaining about his aches and pains, but I wish I’d listened to the people who cautioned me years ago to take it a little bit easier on my body.
I was thinking about this the other day as I was watching a bit of football and indulging that modern pastime of wondering what the players’ lives will be like in later years. I worry about how I have abused my body, but what I have done is nothing compared to the abuse these guys take. That said, they do train and take care of their bodies. I do not. I haven’t been to a gym in many years, and the only curls I do are the 12-ounce kind.
I wish I could tell you that I have a cure for aging. My best advice would be to suggest you avoid the whole ordeal, but that’s a bit unlikely. Instead, I would advise that you do as I say and not as I do. Going all out, all the time, will pay dividends; it has brought me much more success than my skills, intelligence level and background probably warranted. But it does come at a cost, and I am finally realizing the evil of my ways.
Take better care of yourself in the shop: Use safety equipment and think before you lift, stretch, or wrench. I know for sure that shoulders and knees are not designed for the kind of abuse that constantly working in the shop dishes out.
Take better care of yourself out of the shop: I know a lot of successful people who have hit the gym and altered their diets to improve just about every aspect of their lives. What really inspires me, though, is the example of racers who have managed to stay youthful and competitive thanks to smart lifestyle choices. Randy Pobst is a sterling example here, since his vegan diet and fitness regimen have allowed him to remain in the top competitive tier for far longer than most people manage.
I guess it is never too late to change, and I know I need to. I am unlikely to turn vegan, but I could do with a few less hours in the shop or at the bar, and a few more in the gym—or even sleeping occasionally.
I promise, this time I will get in a little better shape and turn down the excesses. It’s definitely overdue. But please, can I occasionally still have a Red Bull, and could we mix it with a little vodka?
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Having just lost a friend (he was only 62) who really didn’t take care of himself this really hits home.
I’d like to really emphasize on the letting the tools do the job i.e. not trying to be a gorilla. As a 145lb guy I don’t have the option of hoisting engine blocks because I can……………seen more big guys wound themselves being the Samsonite Gorilla.
Take good care of yourself and you’ll be able to do this hobby for years.
The one thing that I wish I was more attentive to was my hearing. The constant ringing and the lack of some hearing in one ear I attribute to not using hearing protection while working on cars and at the track. The docs say I am SOL in terms of getting it back or stopping the ringing.
Tim has greatly understated the importance of taking care of yourself when racing or working on cars in that article. I am much closer to 60 than 50 at this point and everything Tim said in the article hits close to home. The other thing that I have concerns about is we never used gloves to protect ourselves from solvents and we did not use masks to protect ourselves from fumes or dust. I don’t seem to have any side effects from it but I do worry. I actually wonder if the ringing of my ears is related to chemical exposure as some of the things we messed with could have an effect on the nervous system.
I saw an interview with Ed China about why he wears the orange gloves when working on cars and he said that years back he had a blood test and they found high levels of hydrocarbons in his blood. They attributed to him working without gloves and it was being absorbed through his skin. I never wore gloves but after seeing that I am much more careful.
Tom1200 said:
Having just lost a friend (he was only 62) who really didn’t take care of himself this really hits home.
I’d like to really emphasize on the letting the tools do the job i.e. not trying to be a gorilla. As a 145lb guy I don’t have the option of hoisting engine blocks because I can……………scene more big guys wound themselves being the Samsonite Gorilla.
Take good care of yourself on you’ll be able to do this hobby for years.
I can remember lifting a 1275 out of an MG Midget with one other guy without an engine hoist MANY years ago. Those things were not exactly big blocks. 
In reply to dean1484 :
I screwed up my hearing by not wearing ear plugs while riding motorcycles.
I mostly wear gloves while working on stuff after reading that it will be full time.
I turn 60 this year.
Getting old is tough even when you’re relatively healthy. Sixty is slowly fading out of sight in the rear view mirror, I’ll be halfway to 67 tomorrow.
I’m planning (as in got no choice) to work for several more years, so I’m pretty careful about how I take care of myself. I stopped playing volleyball by the time I was 31, as I had decided to try for vet school and didn’t want to risk a hand injury.
I’m with you on the hearing loss and tinnitis. I’m also getting early cararacts, from UV radiation (can’t wear sunglasses when surfing), and from scatter radiation when taking xrays. My mildly gimpy knee does okay if I keep up a routine of frequent walks, and my job is physically active enough that I hardly sit at all.
There’s good advice in this column, but I predict that those that need to heed it are going to have to learn the hard way. It’s the way of the world.
I’m 41. I’ve got 26 years of hard labor on my body on top of car stuff. I remember bench pressing a cast iron powerglide into place when I was 16. I didn’t always remember to wear my hearing protection, especially using power tools constantly.
for anybody younger reading this, you’re not superman. Take care of your body. I’m doing that now, but I waited till 40 to start. I feel way better than I did at 39, but have a long way to go and certain things like the back pain and tinnitus can only be kept in check, they’re not going away
In reply to Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) :
The way of the world is that doctors are expensive and health insurance deductibles are high.
All of the above. As someone who is knocking on 70, I paraphrase what the great Mickey Mantle once said. “If I knew I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself”. How true.
I’m nearing 74 hard, interesting work has kept me healthier than most my age.
OK noisy radial engines damaged my mid range hearing made worse by unmuffled with megaphones Jaguar.
Construction of my own timber frame home (13,000 hrs ) with seldom worn hearing protection. Gives me tinnitus.
Overworking, takes me a couple of days to recover from. As do accidents. Like falling from a 3story to the basement. But I was in my 60’s then. Falling in my tower in my 70’s hurt more and longer.
That and I’m fat. A good 100 pounds overweight.
But I’ve realized ain’t one of us gonna get out alive. The one thing I don’t want is to be bored to death. Out of control, sliding sideways, on fire, into my grave is how I’d like to go. Life is too precious to waste living a boring life or settling down to calmly wait your turn.
In reply to frenchyd :
I think most people here fell the same way about leading a boring life BUT not taking care of oneself makes it more likely you’ll be sitting on the sofa waiting for the end.
My friend who just past was an excellent off road rider and avid cyclist. He once was on a 200 mile weekend bike ride, at the 75 mile mark he was pedaling through a small town, saw the local brothel (legal in Nevada) and decided what the heck, afterwards he got back on his bike and pedaled another 25 miles to the camp ground he was spending the night at. Pretty sure it doesn’t get more alive than that.
Flash forward 30 years and his obesity lead to his diabetes, which lead to his Peripheral Artery Disease, which in turn lead to his putting on more weight. He hadn’t been able to go dirt bike riding in at least a decade. Not being able to do what you love in your 50s sucks, especially when it’s a direct result of things you did in your 30s. The last 5 years of his life consisted of many doctors visits and almost none of activities he loved.
My friend’s in an extreme case but doing things like hoisting 150-200lb objects, because you can, may see one missing a whole season of racing thanks to back surgery. This stuff creeps up on you.
My 92 year old aunt travels the world…………she takes good care of herself. I want to give myself every chance I can to do that or something similar.
Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) said:
There’s good advice in this column, but I predict that those that need to heed it are going to have to learn the hard way. It’s the way of the world.
I’m not even 30 yet, and I’m slowly starting to become aware that I need to start taking better care of myself yesterday. I’m finding it hard to make significant lifestyle changes, but I always feel better when I’m able to talk a walk around the neighborhood every once and while.
In reply to Colin Wood :
It’s much like the 30 minute rule for keeping projects moving or cleaning up the garage;
Start with 5-10 minutes of excercise a couple of times a day. Doesn’t matter what it is, when the weather’s nice I take the bicycle out, if not I use the Nordic track.
Depsite being 145lbs I have to watch what I eat. I grew up eating lots of pasta & rice (living in NYC & Hawaii), I wont gain weight from the carbs but it will result in my being a diabetic…………I just make the portions smaller and make sure to have something green on the plate. I bring fruit to fill the void as well. Note I pack my lunch everyday………….fast food is hard on a body.
Take that second to be kind to your body, in the shop and in general. I’ve just recently got back into bike riding. I’m only doing 6-8 miles at a go and on the steeper hills I just keep a decent pace rather than charging up (motorcycle racing / crashing wasn’t nice to my knees).
There are a couple of guys I vintage race with that are in their 80s……………..I’m doing what I can to make that happen.
Tom1200 said:
In reply to frenchyd :
I think most people here fell the same way about leading a boring life BUT not taking care of oneself makes it more likely you’ll be sitting on the sofa waiting for the end.
My friend who just past was an excellent off road rider and avid cyclist. He once was on a 200 mile weekend bike ride, at the 75 mile mark he was pedaling through a small town, saw the local brothel (legal in Nevada) and decided what the heck, afterwards he got back on his bike and pedaled another 25 miles to the camp ground he was spending the night at. Pretty sure it doesn’t get more alive than that.
Flash forward 30 years and his obesity lead to his diabetes, which lead to his Peripheral Artery Disease, which in turn lead to his putting on more weight. He hadn’t been able to go dirt bike riding in at least a decade. Not being able to do what you love in your 50s sucks, especially when it’s a direct result of things you did in your 30s. The last 5 years of his life consisted of many doctors visits and almost none of activities he loved.
My friend’s in an extreme case but doing things like hoisting 150-200lb objects, because you can, may see one missing a whole season of racing thanks to back surgery. This stuff creeps up on you.
My 92 year old aunt travels the world…………she takes good care of herself. I want to give myself every chance I can to do that or something similar.
I know where the 100 pounds came from. When I was selling I put in 16-18 hour days. Much of it staring out the windshield. Leaving at 4:00am getting home at 10:00pm + was lonesome work. Only break was the few minutes at a drive through typically McDonalds. Because they were fast. 3 meals a day 5+ days a week doing little else but sitting.
Over the decades the pounds got added on. With the recession of 2008 physical work became more common as I rushed to finish the house. During that period I lost more than 50 pounds. I’m still putting in 12 hour days and probably will for the next couple of years.
But I won’t ever stop working and racing vintage sports cars.
Those few extra calories creep up on ya… ez enough to put on 2 lbs per year which turns in to 40 lbs in 20 years… and it’s always easier to take it off than to keep it off.
You do all you can to get some extra weight out of your car, think of your diet as free horsepower 🙂
In reply to ShiftLess :
Plus as you gain weight it tends to snowball. That is some weight adds more weight and that adds even more weight.
The worst thing to do is diet away that weight. Your body reluctantly will provide fat to keep you from Dying but it remembers the loss. So once the diet is over. It gets a little extra for the next time. Physical work where that fat is turned into muscle is the best approach to excess weight.
Worth noting that since this column was published, pretty much the whole Suddard family has started going to the gym regularly and working with personal trainers, Tim included.
On top of the other health benefits, strength training improves coordination and makes injury doing regular activities (including garage work) a lot less likely. Tom has noted that he’s faster in the race car now, too. I personally have always been a bit of a gym rat, but even I have stepped up my game along with the rest of the family. Getting weaker with age is not something I’m looking forward to, so I plan on putting it off as long as I possibly can.
In reply to Nicole Suddard :
I’m sorry but I must respectfully disagree . Not with your statement, it’s valid. But I’ve always felt the best workout is actual physical work.
In reply to frenchyd :
That’s fine, I wasn’t stating an opinion. I was simply stating the known benefits of strength training. Physical work is good, too, and I enjoy the workout I get from it when I’m able to do it. Unfortunately, I am desk-bound 5 days of the week, so I have to strength train in my free time to make sure I’m not so weak that I hurt myself when I do yard/house/car work on the weekends.
In reply to Nicole Suddard :
I do apologize, I want to avoid seeming Elitist. My common folk alarm goes off when I hear the word Gym.
In reply to frenchyd :
We live in an area where a pretty large percentage of the population goes to some sort of gym, whether it’s a boutique personal training setup or something like the YMCA or Gold’s. I’m a Planet Fitness member, lol. Hardly considered “elite”.
Yeah, the money I spend on a trainer and gym is cheap compared to the money I spend on race car parts, and seems to be more helpful. Until I started working out, I didn’t have the strength/stamina to be a better driver. I’d be out of energy and start to make mistakes after about 10 laps, which always limited my progression. Now, though, my body doesn’t hold me back anymore. I guess there’s a reason F1 drivers are always in the gym on Drive to Survive.
I was also wrenching before I was 10 years old. I am still wrenching at 75. Just preventive maintenance and seasonal winter tire/wheels on DDs. I have been biking since the mid 80s and cross country skiing/snow shoeing for 20 winters. Just joined Silver Sneakers for walking indoors during long winters. At 6′ 1″ 200 lbs I am in fairly good condition. About 3 years ago my wife suggested getting a deep tissue massage for chronic aches/pains. The massage therapist located and corrected injury sites I had accrued over the years. It is not a feel good message and it is worth every dollar if you find a good therapist. Have fun.
Tom Suddard said:
Yeah, the money I spend on a trainer and gym is cheap compared to the money I spend on race car parts, and seems to be more helpful. Until I started working out, I didn’t have the strength/stamina to be a better driver. I’d be out of energy and start to make mistakes after about 10 laps, which always limited my progression. Now, though, my body doesn’t hold me back anymore. I guess there’s a reason F1 drivers are always in the gym on Drive to Survive.
That hundreth of a second delayed reaction time, from being tired, makes it impossible to pull off certain manouvers late in a race.
Patrick said:
I’m 41. I’ve got 26 years of hard labor on my body on top of car stuff. I remember bench pressing a cast iron powerglide into place when I was 16. I didn’t always remember to wear my hearing protection, especially using power tools constantly.
for anybody younger reading this, you’re not superman. Take care of your body. I’m doing that now, but I waited till 40 to start. I feel way better than I did at 39, but have a long way to go and certain things like the back pain and tinnitus can only be kept in check, they’re not going away
Every time your ears ring or everything seems fuzzy after a loud experience (air hammering, open headers, long session with angle grinder, etc) is hearing loss making itself just a little bit more known.
My grandfather lost most of his hearing in the Navy serving our country and welding truck components for the Euclid plant to feed his family. I have some hearing loss because I had ear infections a lot as a kid and I was too cheap for quiet exhausts as a grown up kid. Hell of a lot less noble reason to damage yourself.
I started breaking the law and drive with earmuffs in the RX-7 even in its quiet state. It is amazing how much more refreshed and alert one is after 4-12 hours behind the wheel, instead of feeling hammered flat.
Whoa!
Just turned, 78…..
A almost complete list: Naw, it’s way too long……
Now attempting to re-install the dif in my ’79 MGB-0LE [Sebring]
Did an MN Austin Healey driving event. sorta like a autox, but few pylons…
Whoooeee… gotta git back to this!
The last years since I retired as a ‘mechanic. [1995] Been in sales…. Automotive related of course…..
As Winston Churchill famously said: ‘Never Give Up’
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