0RideCache

My dad was a hot rodder and drag racer in the 50's and 60's in the Panhandle of Texas and the ultimate DIY garage guy (in my eyes anyway). We always did all of our own work on our cars - partly because we didn't have much money, but mostly because it was just more fun and rewarding. I honestly cannot remember my father ever taking a car to a dealership or shop for anything in his whole life.
Me helping my dad get the car ready at Amarillo Dragway in the 1960's

I learned everything I know about working on cars from my dad. A few of the things he did drove me crazy, or just plain scared me - like taking apart an engine and just throwing all of the bolts into one big box. This was long before you could just go buy an ARP bolt kit for the rebuild, and we wouldn't have had the money for that anyway. But he always managed to get everything back together.
My dad passed away several years ago, and I have to admit that with a few major "solo" engine rebuilds under my belt now, I still don't have the guts to just throw all the bolts into one big box. Instead I meticulously sort and organize every piece and take lots of pictures (and I admit to a few ARP bolt kit purchases). But one of the things he taught me that has always stuck with me was that the job isn't finished until the tools are all cleaned and put away. I try to follow that one to this day. But I have also now amended and extended that "job is not done until..." rule to include documenting my work. Originally I did this with pictures, a paper filing system and a spreadsheet, but now I keep everything digitally archived in RideCache. It takes a little time at the end of a job, but just like cleaning and putting away the tools, there is a payoff down the line along with the added satisfaction of a job well completed.
As an example of how I use RideCache, here is how I documented my most recent major task - replacing a busted front axle u-joint on my 1974 Ford Bronco (that I also inherited from my dad).
At Katemcy Rocks in Mason, TX. This is the spot that popped that front right u-joint!

Here are the steps I took to complete the job in RideCache:

• Created the task in RideCache and gave it a good description - including a brief description of why the task was necessary (on an off road adventure in the rocks that put a little too much stress on that axle).
• Taking and uploading several pictures before, during and after the job.
• Entering all major parts used - in this case - a u-joint, 2 wheel bearings + hub seal (might as well) along with their costs
• Selecting and associating the Vendors where I purchased the parts
• Uploading the receipts for those parts as associated Papers
• Entering a few notes about the task that I may want to remember later (like how I got that pesky snap ring out of the hub).

In all, entering and fully documenting this task took me about 15 minutes. It may take you a little longer for an involved task like this with multiple parts and papers to load, but certainly not much longer than cleaning and putting away your tools. And if you make this part of your routine, it won't be long before you will have a very nice and detailed RideCache record for all of your rides!

You can see this u-joint replacement task in my RideCache at lilbuddy.ridecache.com - just click the Tasks tab and type axle in the search field. You should be able to see everything described above except the receipts - I keep those private

Remember, RideCache is free to use with one car, then when you are ready to upgrade to a higher level (manage more cars, get more features), use the CORVETTEFORUM50 code (make sure to type all upper case!) for a 50% discount off a first year subscription to the paid levels.

tbarb

Your Father taught you well, don't be distracted by our throw away society today.

The job truly is not finished until everything (tools, mess etc.) is cleaned and put away plus any equipment gets serviced, repaired and ready to work again BEFORE it's put away so when you need to use it again no issues or surprises. That's my school of learning..

0RideCache

Yes, that is another good extension to this rule - servicing the equipment. There is nothing more frustrating than thinking you are ready to start an important job and having to stop and work on a tool or piece of equipment. Thanks!

Mossy66

Documenting a job on the Corvette by recording part numbers and stuff is something I could improve on. Saves time looking through the archives.

Also, I have a box full of small parts from LICorvettes. I really should record what I have there. It's so much easier to order new stuff than go through that box, so I end up with more stuff than I need. I'm pretty good with Excel though, so if I shed my laziness and was going to document my stuff, what are the advantages of your program vs a simple spreadsheet?

In my case, my dad declared the job done when the damn thing (lawn mower) ran as it was supposed to. He was never a car guy!


Gerry

0RideCache

Excel was definitely my tool of choice prior to RideCache, and I still use it daily for other things, but for organizing and managing my car stuff having a purpose-built tool like RideCache is really nice.

Here is a summary of why we believe that RideCache is superior to the older methods of paper files and spreadsheets.

1. Your information is safe, secure and not prone to loss through fire, flood, decay, loss, etc.
2. Everything is in one place – maintenance records, important papers, part records, event records, notes and pictures – all in an organization system purpose-built for car enthusiasts
3. Easy to share with others if you choose – with fine grain privacy controls over who sees what
4. Easy to associate records of different types (ex: this paper is for this part that is associated with this task)
5. Easily searchable across multiple vehicles (ex: show me all of my batteries across all vehicles – boom, instant answer with info, receipts, pictures, etc).
6. Advanced features like notifications, designated managers, services, etc
7. Easy to transfer complete record to a new owner
8. Accessible from any internet connected device, anywhere at any time
9. A system that gets better over time as new features and functions are developed
10. And finally – we won’t own these cars forever – there will be a next owner. And the likelihood is that the next owner will be from the Millennial generation (or even younger). These next generation car enthusiasts have grown up with, expect, and value digital solutions and they will value your car more if you can provide them with a well built RideCache record.

And it is also more fun to work in RideCache than in Excel!


Would love to have you try RideCache. Please let me know if you have any questions.



Gary