Anyone work on there own car/truck?

[Ura-Ki]

I drive a '49 Chev PU 3100. Nice that I can work on EVERYTHING vs newer veh. that require replacing EVERYTHING. Plus, when I'm out shooting and something happens to the Ol girl, all it takes is a little baling wire and/or electricians tape.

Prettiest Chevy ( or any make truck) ever made!!!! And, the hotrod potential never gets old! Wish I could finish mine!

 

[Silver Hand]

Took the first head off my 165 Harley scrambler in 1965 and continued to wrench on anything for the rest of my life.
Not my full time trade but I wanted to learn about what makes machines run and how to keep them in top shape without the expense of paying someone else, the cost of there building, license bonds and overhead.

I had one transmission built in a shop. It failed and I was charged $100.00 additional each for bronze synchronization parts during the rebuild. The transmission shop would not repair the problem so I took the transmission apart purchased the rebuild kit from
Portland Transmission for about $190.00 at the time it included five bronze synchronizers all the bearings and every thing else needed to rebuild the transmission.

It ran fine and is still running twenty years later as I see the truck and know its current owner.
Had the same thing happen to a motor build just a few years later.
Then it was money, saving me time but it never did.
So I just do it all for myself and my family new car or not!
It is a pain to read and understand shop service manuals but if you have the time the savings are well worth the time in almost every case.

Some jobs are a nightmare even when small and larger jobs if things are done carefully, can be a challenge but pay off in the end.

I will be rebuilding my 4L80E after I finish the rebuild on the 2010 MINI Cooper N-14 engine I have apart completely right now.
It is all in the books, the rocket science was done by the engineers that designed and built the things in the first place.

So fear not one repair leads to the next and we get better as time goes by. It takes Rotation and the mass to get there by any name or brand is all the same basic stuff. Gears, bearings, valves, pistons, intake and exhaust, etc.
Not a problem if there is a shop service manual available for that vehicle.
Silver Hand

 

[Pandaz3]

I used to do everything, changing clutches and transmissions. Even worked on computer cars, but I am not physically capable right now.

 

[Doc In UPlace]

I do the stuff that doesn't require equipment I don't have; one of the cars is a drive-by-wire car so I stay away from messing in that arena, but ordinary stuff like filters and body electrical (lights, etc) I do.
Can't see payin' somebody $250 for a headlight replacement, and no, I am not kidding.

 

[Mark Torrence]

I do ALL my own work. Always have. Like most no money when I was younger to pay someone else to do it. Now I can't imagine how people afford to pay to have stuff done. Just finished a big restomod project on a 2000 F350 crew cab. frame up resto with a 5.9 Cummins. 18 months including 6month spent at the body shop. I love it now that I don't do it for a living.

 

[transittech]

I do everything but major body work, alignments, and mounting tires.

 

[twa2471]

Ya I guess you can say I do work on my own rigs,,here's a couple. The Rivi I'm almost done with the truck is done and have had sense new. I've been building hot rods ever sense I was 15 and at 66 I'm still at it,,,seems I should know better by now!!!

 

[Capn_Jay]

I sure as hell do! I put myself through college working on cars, and it's still my #1 hobby. It fits into my overall philosophy of "Be as self-sufficient as possible." I drive a 29 year old Toyota truck that runs like a champ. I've done every bit of work on it since I bought it, with the exception of tire mounting, which I don't have the specialized equipment for.

88 4runner

• Capn_Jay
• Sep 16, 2016

 

[notazombie]

I don't like it but I like paying a mechanic even less
no offense to highly paid mechanics, especially those euro car techs $$$$$

HAHAHA. Yeah, it's funny how often I hear stuff like that. Let me assure you, there isn't a tech out there who would consider himself highly paid. Most techs are only getting maybe 20-25% of the shop labor rate -- and nothing on the parts. As Volcom stated, flat rate pays nothing if you aren't working. And we only get paid if we fix it right. Don't even get me started on "ever since..." and other such customer nonsense. On the upside, our backs and joints are ruined by age 40 and we get to spend thousands of dollars every year on special tools just to be able to continue to work.
I've been doing it for almost 25 years and I'll be getting out (God willing) early next year. I still like working on cars but there's just no money in it.

 

[tac]

Nope.

tac

 

[Mark Torrence]

Boy aint it the truth! I got out just about 25 years ago now. I was a journeyman diesel mechanic for 17 years before I figured out that it wasn't WHERE I was working that made me unhappy it was what I was doing. Even then before flat rate was all the rage I was only making $16 an hour minus my weekly tool bill (about $80 a month forever). For then we were pretty highly paid. Now years later with arthritis in every part of my body, hands and a back that ache all the time along with joints that are worn out I am SO glad I changed professions.