Adventures in the 6ix

Chapter 11: A Day's Work at the Shop

XAVIER AND PONIES POV

MAVERICK AND RODNEY'S MOD SHOP

"TO WORK!" Maverick hollered, as we all wiped our mouths clean. Lunch was awesome, and everyone had a good fill. I was honestly surprised at how much Pinkie Pie could eat - and how fast she could eat! Not a single shred of salad or a slice of pizza or a smear of sauce remained.

"And don't forget to wash beforehand!" Rodney added with a chuckle. "Clean hands perform the best work."

One by one, we took turns using the shop's two bathrooms. I entered before Tempest Shadow, but she insisted on being there at the same time.

"It's only fair that I do something for you after you've worked to feed us all," she said, thoroughly washing her hooves before gingerly rubbing my mouth. She even cupped one hoof, scooped some water, and splashed and rubbed it over my face - all in a smooth, gentle manner.

"All nice and clean for some hard work ahead."

I smiled so hard I nearly blushed. Fizzlepop was really pushing her luck to show her love. I made a mental note to discuss it with her over dinner later tonight.

"Alright guys," Rodney began, Twilight and her friends standing attentively in front of him, along with all the other employees. "Got a couple cars to work on today. First is this 1971 Gran Torino, then a 1967 Mustang Fastback. Torino has to be ready by tonight, and Mustang needs to be ready by the end of the week."

Not wanting to be overshadowed by his older bro, Maverick jumped in, pointing to the Mustang's body. "So definitely a lot of work needs to be done. The Mustang is mostly just a shell as you can see, while the Torino just needs some minor body touch-ups, a paint job, and some engine upgrades. Since the Torino's deadline is near, we'll focus primarily on it, while adding a little to the Mustang on the side. Now does everyone understand what needs to be done?"

"Yes!" Twilight and her friends exclaimed simultaneously.

"Yes, sir!" Garrett, Marcus, and the others replied.

With the workload understood, we split up to work on our individual tasks. Rarity and Kristen headed off to work on the upholstery for the Mustang's door panels and seats, while Twilight, Spike, Applejack, Garrett, and I all gathered around the Torino.

"We'll begin here by removing the hood for easier access, before taking off the bumper, grille, and headlights," Garrett explained. "Then we'll start removing components necessary to extract the whole engine and transmission."

I scooted over to a toolbox beside the car, and Twilight eagerly followed. "Here we have all types of wrenches, drivers, and whatnot for undoing bolts, screws, and nuts. Also included are drills and torque wrenches - both manual and electric..."

While I explained to Twilight the whole toolbox and how to fit caps to a bolt and heads to screws, Garrett showed Applejack how to lift the car using a floor jack.

"Ready?" I asked Twilight, somewhat teasingly, holding a cordless drill.

"I'm ready."

Together we unscrewed the screws and bolts holding the bumper, lights, and grill, while Garrett attempted to undo the hood bolts. As I pulled out a stubborn bolt, I noticed Applejack struggling to hold up the hood for him, and got an idea.

"Yo, Dash!" I called out over my shoulder. "Quick hand here."

Before I could reach out to make a hand gesture, Rainbow Dash was already hovering over my head. I pointed to the hood, and she immediately got the idea.

"Happy to help, Garrett," she said, effortlessly holding up the hood with one hoof. In no time at all the hood was removed and she and Garrett lifted it up and placed it aside. With the hood and most front-end items off, the engine was more accessible, though not completely. Twilight unplugged several connectors and Garrett labeled them for easy coordinated reattachment later, while I removed the front crossbar and radiator, taking care to drain any coolant fluid first.