I wasn't going to mention how 'silly' these tools were, but well....
;-)

The special tool I used on the differential was a piece of pipe with an
angled piece of steel welded to the middle.  $35, used it once on a job
that paid me $40

bleh.

I didn't realize the parts stores have these now.  I'm a Ford guy
(typically, though I tend to love all cars in general) but if I'm going
to buy a race car maybe I should get into something that's less
"tooly", if you take my meaning. ;)

-phaeton

Just did this on my brother's '95 F-150. Getcha 4 nails that fit into
the holes . Push them in in until you hit resistance. (spring clips
mounted on radio). Push in about 1/2" to 3/4" more. Push the heads of
all the nails sideways towards the side windows while pulling the radio
out. Might take 2 people.

Lemme get this straight...

You're complaining about a $5.50 tool that turns a multi dozen
fastener removal/ bezel removal, possibly drop the steering
column, stripped screws, broken / scratched trim, etc. into what
amounts to a 30 second slide it out of the dash job?

Well - the drain bolt on 2004+ Subaru manual transmissions and auto
tranny-version front differentials requires a T-70 Torx head to remove.
I ended up buying one online for $29 made by a German company
(Stahlwille).  At the time, I couldn't find any other retailer that had
it.  I even rushed out to a Snap-On truck when it was going near my
office in Downtown Berkeley, California (there are a few small repair
shops).  I sent an email to Lisle Tool, and the responder said they
weren't even aware that any automakers were using a T-70.

I think it's easier to find now, but I can't help but think it was a
deliberate attempt to keep people from doing it themselves.  A
repair shop would probably be willing to spend on such a tool.
Lisle now makes one, and for over $20 less than I paid.  :-(

http://www.lislecorp.com/tool_detail.cfm?detail=1423

Are you serious?  Every car has its own repair quirks.  For any given
vehicle there will be jobs that are easy and jobs that seem to be way
more difficult than they should be.  Some kinds of vehicles are
guaranteed to be more work, vans and compacts come to mind.

I just did the water pump on my wife's Camry.  Step one is to remove
the alternator, power steering reservoir, cruise control, right motor
mount, right front wheel and fender skirt.  The next step is to remove
the crank shaft pulley, timing belt cover and timing belt.  Give me a
dead water pump in my Taurus any day, or either the Luminas or Impala
that I drove before that.

Matthew

Hmmm. "Its" got me coming and going...or going and coming...whichever.

I'd bet a dollar you drive a GM car that needs its engine pulled to change
spark plugs.

Yes and no. :-)

I actually first 'picked up' the moniker of "phaeton" from the old
Phaetons Ford built in the 1930s ("Phaeton" is actually a body/carriage
type, not necessarily a model name.  Many auto manufacturers used it in
the 30s, and they lifted the name from a horse carriage type common in
the 1800s).

I've been fascinated with the name since somewhere in the 1980s, and
have 'used' it in various incarnations since (Started a rock band in
the 90s called "Phaeton", etc).  Up until VW built the "Phaeton" (of
which btw, is not a true Phaeton by 1930's definition), most people on
the Internet thought I was referencing Greek Mythology (Phaeton was the
son of Helios, the sun God.  He borrowed his dad's car and wrecked it).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pha%C3%ABton

But since then, I get asked if I'm a VW fan a lot.  I really like the
air-cooled VWs from yore (Note that they have long ceased to exist here
in the Corrosion States, though) .  I think it's really cool that VW
sells diesel passenger cars in N. America.  There needs to be more
manufacturers offering diesels here, IMHO.  And also note that both VW
and Mercedes have completely 'defanged' the diesel.  All the noise and
smell that everyone complains about is virtually gone.  They're a far
cry from the big diesel GM cars of the 80s that everyone seemed to
loathe.

So... that's probably a helluvalot more answer than you bargained for

That cracks me up.  "A tool catalogue" is what I felt about some Ford
docs too.   I'll disagree with the post above about Fords being "well
known to be hard to work on", however.  I think I've had the greatest
displeasure of working on cars when it came to wiring on British cars,
carburetion/intakes on certain Chrysler products and just about
anything forward of the steering wheel on cars made by Subaru.

Disregarding that, a Subaru Wagon will likely be my next New Car
Purchase.

No complaints at all about buying a service manual.

It just seems odd that every other car manufacturer in the world would
engineer something the same way for 100 years, but yet the one you are
working is engineered in a certain manner that requires a specific tool
that may or may not be useful on any other make or model.  This
requirement is especially stinging when this unusual engineering feat
doesn't garner the vehicle any obvious benefit in durability,
reliability, adjustment or performance.

Otherwise, sorry.

-phaeton