Checkbook mechanic or DYI?

[rusnak]

WUI if we're being honest, especially if it's something easy like a tune up.

[Aurel]

DYI all the way for me. No one other than me has touched my 911 for the past 18 years (except for state inspection), the engine has been rebuilt twice (top then bottom) by yours truly, and it runs great.

I don’t work on our modern cars though, not a fun hobby like the 911.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by rusnak

It took 2 days because I kept changing the ride height until I was happy with everything.

That looks real nice. Good job.

[MikeD930]

I'm a DIY guy. It seems whatever work that were done on our daily driver cars there's always something that was done improperly (too tight fasteners by using their favorite tool such as an impact gun) or messed up (jacking car under body seams which usually ended up folded). Right now I'm replacing the engine (blown head gasket plus high mileage) in my wife's front wheel drive Cadillac along with replacing front axles, front struts among other things. Our mechanic refused to do that job and my wife don't want to get rid of it. Yep...more money is being sunk into it than it's worth.

[fastfredracing]

Originally Posted by MikeD930

I'm a DIY guy. It seems whatever work that were done on our daily driver cars there's always something that was done improperly (too tight fasteners by using their favorite tool such as an impact gun) or messed up (jacking car under body seams which usually ended up folded). Right now I'm replacing the engine (blown head gasket plus high mileage) in my wife's front wheel drive Cadillac along with replacing front axles, front struts among other things. Our mechanic refused to do that job and my wife don't want to get rid of it. Yep...more money is being sunk into it than it's worth.

eew , are you engine outing that at home ?

[rusnak]

Originally Posted by Bob Kontak

That looks real nice. Good job.

Thanks for the compliment, Brother!

[MikeD930]

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

eew , are you engine outing that at home ?

Yep...this Cadillac is one of the worst car I've ever worked on. It's being done at home (I have two attached garages so there's room to do this work even though I don't have a lift).


Removing engine/trans/subframe:




Removing engine:




New rebuilt engine waiting to be installed:

[Dan J]

In the 80's at the very busy dealer where I worked (Traynor Fairfield,Ct)
If you couldn't do 2 930's services in a day you were a chump and your fellow techs would not allow any corner cutting It was a great group
Now one would take me a week

[Tishabet]

I only break out the checkbook for stuff requiring specialized equipment or very specialized skills. I bought my first car in 1994 and to date the only work I have ever farmed out was ABS, alignment, mounting and balancing tires, and rebuilding a transmission. Everything else is all me, from oil change to installing the rebuilt transmission to doing body work and a window-out repaint.

As I get older though my feelings on this are starting to soften a bit... I get joy from working on my old stuff, but all of those vehicles were acquired for "fun." I may start breaking out the checkbook for the grocery getter etc.

[slow&rusty]

I do all my own wrenching.

My mantra? I can screw it up three times and still come out ahead financially versus paying an indy.

One of my recent project deep dives (Porsche 928 repair HVAC and a bunch of other issues). I shudder to think how much a Porsche Indy would charge for this

[Shaun @ Tru6]

^^^ I definitely want to talk with you about dash removal!

[slow&rusty]

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

^^^ I definitely want to talk with you about dash removal!

Anytime my friend! I've also done a full gauge pod removal and installed a new printed circuit board for some of the gauges that fell sleepy, and sure enough they all sprung back to life!

[Shaun @ Tru6]

We will need to talk later this spring/summer. I'm pulling an S4 motor apart this week to get some wrist pins so I can finally get my engine back together.

[flipper35]

I can DIY most, but I hate chasing electrical issues.

Glen funny thing on the drive shaft. I took one into the local shop and I was barely in the door and he said "You have a Mopar you need modified!" I said kinda. I have an a833 going to a Ford 9" and here are the sizes. I need it 8.5" yoke to yoke. He said "Take off 8.5 inches?" I said nope, 8.5 total.

I was impressed he could tell the drive shaft from 30' away.

[GH85Carrera]

When I took my Elky in for that driveshaft balance I had a weird vibration that had to be a driveshaft. The old universal joints were high mileage, so I asked for new u-joints as well. They called and said I needed a new yoke, and the transmission seal was leaking. They showed me the old yoke, and it had a grove worn in it. Damn thing wore out after only 370,000 miles and cost me 20 bucks for a new GM one.

The vibration was gone baby gone when I got it back from that. Money well spent. I certainly can't balance the driveshaft, even if I got it out, and I would have no way to get it to them with no driveshaft in the Elky. It will not fit the 911, and the Macan is not for hauling dirty car parts.

[aigel]

The 911 valve adjustment will be much easier if you have a lift, so your friend doing 3 / day isn't that fast, really.

DIY is the way to go for savings and convenience. You can save a lot if you don't have to buy new cars every 3 years or pay for higher mileage repairs at a shop. Even simple stuff is worth it IMHO. An oil change I can knock out in 10 minutes without leaving my home. All supplies shipped to my door and even the used oil now is picked up curbside by my waste management company.

G

[RWebb]

The real money you save DIYing your own oil change is in not having the plug fall out later on...

[OldSpool87]

I like to think about all the money I saved on slotted rotors when I put my brake pad on backwards on my daily driver:




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