independent mechanic/to teach???

[ralfoto]

Hi All,

New to my 1981 911sc and been working with local shops to sort out some things....but it is getting expensive. In addition I never mind paying for good service but some parts are marked up so much from what I see as prices online that it is getting a bit discouraging. I would like to start to do my work but really need someone to tutor me and wondered if there is someone in the Portland Oregon area to work with?

When my car was in for CIS hot start problem I had no issue to pay for the diagnoses but I had thought it was the FA...which is was .....but then my shop wanted $495 for a replacement plus labor....when I questioned why the high mark up they eventually reduced it a small amount but looking online the OEM part is from $168-$218....and my shop said something about purchasing/looking online,they need to make a profit etc.....but really that is a huge mark up.

Thanks for any advice.....and yes I love the car and knew it was going to cost some to sort things.

[juanbenae]

couple things-


first off, if a shop was teaching you how to do a specific task that operation could very well take at least twice the time to be completed. are you willing to pay 2x shop the rate to observe & have hands on experiencing said task? anybody competent enough to be a "tutor" is probally working on these cars as a trade.

secondly, and perhaps more obvious if a shop was willing to teach you a task they'd lose a customer in need of that task moving forward.

bruce Anderson & jerry woods had a weekend engine rebuilding class that was very highly regarded and attended. even though it was local I never did look into it. it's not held any longer due to bruce's passing and jerry being semi retired, living in Nevada and only at the shop 3-4 days a week.

pelican is a great tool to research a project prior to actually undertaking it in some instances to the point it may feel like you've done it before. many of the things ive learned was from other DIY guys locally in addition to this pelican site archives. there was at onetime 15 or so years ago a very active group of bay area pelicans that had and hosted work parties that I learned a ton from. I would like to think I contributed to some's knowledge by sharing what'd id learned over the years since in my or their garages.


you really have to figure out how to do something by researching it significantly here, having the confidence to delve into it, the tools on hand to get it done, or keep paying shop rates.

[Cajundaddy]

Check out your local PCA. Some do organize a monthly work on cars day to share knowledge, tools, and fun with cars.

[OldSpool87]

My opinion is that it’s an advantage to have a good relationship with a shop. There’s no way around paying Porsche prices though some are more reasonable than others. I feel fortunate to have made a good relationship with a local shop. I can stop by or call to ask questions but I’m always mindful not to over do it. They’ve let me look through old parts bins for odd pieces NLA and sold me new parts when I was in a jam or timing crunch. Plus they keep me from doing anything stupid. As mentioned above, this forum and it’s members are a huge resource and very supportive. Most remember their first oil change and are willing to provide advice or lend a hand in person.

Also, keep in mind that the price includes the part, installation labor but also the time to clean up, write up the bill and account for it. It’s a business.

[ralfoto]

Totally get it about it being a business and I agree. I think though that in the time of all of us easily looking up things online for prices that when it is more than double that is a lot....and that while I totally realize they need to mark up items and I shop local that just owning a P car does not mean everyone has an open pocketbook...that is all. We all really love the cars and hopefully many types of people can get into them....

[rwest]

The reason most parts are marked so much is that if it fails under warranty, they are in many cases on the hook to replace it, so they need to cover their expenses.

Start on easier projects first, read books, get the manuals and ask questions here, after awhile your abilities and confidence will grow.

[HarryD]

Are you handy? Can you fix things in your apartment/house with simple hand tools? If so, doing your own work on your car is also possible. You have to be willing to try things and ask for help if needed.

If you want to learn to DIY, Wayne's 101 projects book has many things that would be easy for a first timer as well.

Start with simple things: Oil changes, tune ups, brake pad replacement. Besides the book and here, you can find youtube videos showing how to do these things. You can do these on any car and most of the knowledge will transfer to your 911.

PCC periodically offers non-credit classes to instruct folks on basic auto repair/maintenance. I do not see anything in their catalog at this time. World of Speed offers classes like this periodically as well.

[ralfoto]

Thank you Rutager.....starting out that way. I had a 1967 912...which was a lot less complicated but this is a whole different level to drive.....

[gtc]

The Bentley workshop manuals are very helpful and cover almost anything you might need to do. Definitely worth the money.
Wayne's 101 projects book is nice also, but it is not specific to any one model (though a lot of it was based on an SC).

[Superman]

I learned by doing. Then later, after making more than my share of mistakes and going down dead end rabbit holes I learned that procedures are written in repair manuals. Who knew?! Now I read first.

Get a Bentley manual, and perhaps also some others that are cheaper (Bentley manual is a must). Come here with your questions. Cooking, baking, repairing cars....if you can read, then you can do these things.

[Trackrash]

If you have basic mechanics tools and know how to use them, you are off to a good start.
Every porsche owner who plans on doing his own work should have these books.

[Marc Bixen]

By the way, Porsche retail on that part is over $600, So if your shop ONLY buys from the dealer, then actually he has quoted you a great price. Just sayin!

[echecsqueen]

I can honestly say that I hadn't so much as checked the oil in a car when I bought frogger and Tilda. I didn't know the engine from the oil cooler. With a few good books (Bentley is the best), You Tube, and help from the awsome guys on this forum (and 912 bbs) I have learned an amazing amount. I have rewired my 66 from scratch, replaced fuel lines, cruise control, windshields, Windows, brake lines etc. Etc.



If you are at all McGuyver - ish.....there is a ton of help here. It will be a process, but very fun and very rewarding.

The Queen

Ps. Standard mark up in any business is 100 percent minimum plus labor costs. Labor includes salary and benefits. They are paying overhead, payroll taxes, rent etc----it is much much cheaper to diy, but they are trying to make a living.
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[Gretz]

I wanted to do the valve adjustment on my 82SC but I really didn't Have the space at home. Plus I didn't really know the "feel" of the gap. My wife suggested I find a local mechanic that would let me watch and learn. Although I resisted at first, I'm glad I did. Although it wasn't complicated, there were a lot of fine nuances that I never would have understood just by reading the walkthrough. I was fortunate to find a skilled local mechanic that charged me the standard rate. He did a lot of the basic stuff (oil change, remove/replace valve covers etc) but I did most of the valve adjusting. He checked my adjustment when I thought it was correct. I also found that I had a broken valve spring which he was able to fix while we were in there. Not sure I would have been able to do that at home.

Anyway, I'd suggest doing what I did: ask local folks who have aircooled cars who they go to and approach those mechanics and inquire. Worst they can say is no, or charge you double the going rate.

[porsche930dude]

check out mph specialties. Great guy he works on alot of weird stuff. I dont know if he has much experience with porsches but thats where i would take it

[Cajundaddy]

I have learned to pick my battles. A lot of this stuff can be done with simple hand tools, cordless, a compressor, and a DMM. I do 90% of the routine maintenance and troubleshooting, but trust the pros for wheel bearings, internal engine, and other work requiring specialized tools and experience. I have no trouble paying the bill for work I really needed experienced hands on and it frees me to do the things I do best.

[HarryD]

Originally Posted by porsche930dude

check out mph specialties. Great guy he works on alot of weird stuff. I dont know if he has much experience with porsches but thats where i would take it

Are you thinking A & P Specialties? Well regarded shop.

Also Heckmann Thiemann , Marque Motors, Matrix Integrated for ordinary work. Several speed shops are also in the area that know Porsche’s.

[ralfoto]

Thanks all....got the Bentley Book and yes will start working on it myself along with the many great visuals and experience I can gather from others on this site.
Agreed that A&P is a great shop and does amazing work......will take the harder issues to them for help as I have always heard wonderful things about them....
Not sure where parts were sourced from and yes I know that dealers charge full tilt...but then looking at our host site for parts you see that many OEM parts are quite a bit less.....just sayin.....thanks all

[RWebb]

if at ground zero, buy a VW bug and a copy of John Muir's book -- or just the book

Go thru it

a Porsche is just a glorified bug anyway, right?

[AC78]

101 Projects is still my favourite source of inspiration, followed by Bentley for the finer detail.
A great mechanic is good value regardless of the prices charged. You pay for their knowledge, time and tools. Old Porsches are very DIY friendly, but you can spend thousands on the tools needed to maintain them.
Also factor in the value of your time when considering DIY vs cost of mechanic.
A simple valve adjustment can take a noob half a day, with average results, whereas a good mechanic will do a precision job in an hour.
If you don’t drive it often general maintenance by a mechanic is worth it.
I have 4 cars and my old 911 is by far the cheapest to maintain, but then I already own all the tools.