19/04/2024
In Pakistan, since there are no vehicles of my type, there are also no parts available or they are extremely expensive, so the only thing you can do is improvise. Honored by the luck that accompanies me on my journeys, there is always a kind soul willing to step in and help.
This time, I met an exceptional mechanic who took his time to help me solve not just one but several issues that occurred on the vehicle due to the extremely poor roads in India and especially in Nepal.
The man is a master of his craft, calm, knows exactly what he's doing and how to approach the problem... and he best explained his calmness to me through the example of restoring old vehicles, where patience is most needed, as only in this way, as he says, can you complete a restoration project of extremely old vehicles like this 1940 Chevrolet he's been working on for 4 years.
Although these repairs on my vehicles in other countries can be stressful, they are mostly situations where I deeply connect with the person working on the vehicle. I'm not one of those who will take the vehicle to the first mechanic and pray to God that the person knows what they're doing and the job will be done well. NO!, I prefer to wait for the moment when the right person comes along or I find them.
I am extremely grateful to have met Samir; I feel like he's dedicated to my car as if it were his own brother, and I trust him completely... not to mention how he reduced the repair cost from 24,000 rupees to just 800 rupees for one part... because why buy an expensive European part here in Pakistan and on top of that a Porsche brand if I can take a Japanese Boot and adapt it to fit the system. A part that costs 6 euros here is 87 euros... it's easier for me to replace it in Turkey where the parts are available and then do a quality improvisation. And that's when you realize that the person wants to help you because he understands it himself and he offers suggestions on how to solve the problems more cheaply and with quality... which are mostly very expensive here because there are hardly any real mechanics left. Today, it's all about buying a new complete set for, let's say, 400 euros and replacing it, but the problem is usually in a simple rubber inside the system that is not easy to access although it is possible with a little more effort. Do you understand what I mean... more work, less profit, but better for the customer, unfortunately, there's no more of that here. That's why I'm happy when I feel that sincere goodwill in people on my travels, I feel more at home, in a field where I would like it to be everywhere.
Thank you, Samir!
