I noticed that a lot of people talk about taking their car to their mechanic. I'm just curious how many people do their own work. Me? I'm pretty frugal and mechanically inclined so it would take an act of god for me to take the car to a mechanic unless it was under warranty, which it is not.

HF

 

I drive them. That's it.

 

I work on cars for a living. So needless to say, I work on my own cars. Unless its a waranty issue.

 

I do a lot of work, but when i get stumped i take it to my buddy who is ASE cert and works on f-bodies for a living.

 

I've only taken my car in for work to be done to it three times, and that's because it was warentee work!


1st time was for the tranny to be rebuilt...


2nd time was for the tranny to be rebuilt!!


3rd time was for the flywheel to be replaced, lol... I snapped that biatch every was possiable.

 

The only thing I don't do is trannys and tires. (But if I had a tire machine... and tranny tools, the possibilitys would be endless.)

 

I feel a lot better driving my car after I know i've done the work. So far the only time I've needed help is installing my stereo due to the complications of making it work with the Bose system. I felt better knowing i made an attempt especially when i don't know anything when it comes to electronics. I live on a farm with a big shop and we're constantly repairing and maintaining machinery and my high school had the best automotive classes around so that helped a lot. My dad questioned my choice to buy a newer car in terms of how easy it would be to work on but i have no regrets. As I come up with more money i'm sure I'll do all the mods myself.

 

If its covered by my warranty I'll take it in to have it repaired. But if its not then the only person dissassembling my car is ME!

 

I work on mine top to bottom, back to front

-Shannon

 

work on it myself,and with help of a friend or 2. only thing i dont do is weld or do tranny work.
and i have 2 very trusted friends to handle welding and trans work.

My $800 rebuild is working better and outlasting many of the "stage 3/4/5" high buck trannies.

 

Only thing that cant be done at home is weld and install tires. Never had to do anything that me or my dad couldnt handle.

The items on my home garage wish list are
1. a lift (i would kill for one )
2. a torch
3. body work equipment and the skills to use them

If I had those 3 things, I'd be 100% set.

 

When I bought my Z the only thing I'd ever done to a car was change the oil. But I don't trust mechanics, so I made it my goal to install everything myself and try to fix any problems on my own. I have to say this site has taught me almost everything I've learned.

 

I paid to have my headers, exhaust, & cut-out put on...

But I did my cold-air & Maf (easy) and I'm presently doing a cam install, which to this day I wish I had paid a shop to do :-)

-Michael

 

I have done everything except the gears and front shocks/springs. I am having an engine builder put my bottom end together for the new engine, but I will do everything else.

 

Yep, and love every minute of it. But I leave the tranny and rear end stuff up to the people who have the tools and knowledge to do it.

The Buick is !A LOT! easier to work on though