30 BCA A .COM SUMMER 2017 Carmine Mandaione
AUTOMOTIVE drive smart
Carmine Mandaione
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Technician, Penticton
For Carmine Mandaione, it all started with his father's '70s-era
Pontiac Safari station wagon. "My dad used to change his own
oil and then one day he decided it was time for me to learn
something new so he had me take over," says the Red Seal
technician, who has been twisting wrenches for more than
40 years. The road to certification was long and included a
stint in a body shop, as well as a coveted job at a Corvette
repair garage. "I started out pulling tires and the next thing
I knew I was pulling motors," he recalls. He had his own
Carmine Mandaione's
1967 Chevrolet Impala.
'Vette for a while but had to sell it because – old story – "we
had a kid coming." He's made up for the loss, and these days
drives a fully restored 1967 Impala convertible he's had for
more than 20 years. He loves the hands-on figuring-things-out
part of his job, and says if there's any skill aspiring mechanics
need, it's patience. "It doesn't work if you're the kind of person
who's easily frustrated," he says. And he has good advice for
those who want to avoid costly repair bills:
"Do your maintenance." Hear, hear!
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