How many folks enjoy doing their own car work? (luxury, windshield, brake)

[Hemlock140]

I did all of my own work from my first car at age 14 in 1966, until I traded in my 1990 Bronco. Since then I have changed oil and done brakes on some but with all of the electronics since then, I was limited to the restoration work I did in the 1990s-2000s on a 1963 Ranchero and a 1972 El Camino. I have done body work including welding, two engine swaps, rebuilding heads, disc brake conversion and u-joints, along with regular maintenance. After I sold the El Camino, being older now, I just go ahead and pay someone else with the proper equipment to do the work.

[CALGUY]

At 82, I still like doing all the maintenance on my car, and pickup.
The one time I allowed the pickup to be worked on by the dealer(still under warranty), they f....d it up, and I had to do it over to correct the problem
I do not trust others to work on my vehicles, and will continue to work on them till it becomes a problem physically.
I don't see that happening soon though.

[Coldjensens]

I still enjoy it if I do not have to bend over too much, lay on the ground and if nothing goes wrong. That means what I still enjoy is changing the light bulb in the cabin.



It is amazing the thing that the engineers have figured out to make things as difficult as possible to work on a car or truck. They must get drunk and sit around in a room saying things like "I know, lets make them remove the pickup truck bed in order to get to one nut on the shock absorbers if they want to change the shocks." [Raucous Laughter] " No no no. I got a better one, let's make them remove the entire grill and the radiator cover and the headlight assembly to change a headlight bulb, and then we will make the wires just an inch or two too short to set the headlight assembly on top of the radiator, so they have to either let it hang by the wires or remember to bring a stool out to set it on." "I got you all beat. I am putting the fuel pump inside the gas tank where you will have to cut apart the exhaust system to get to it and it will cost $1800 to change a fuel pump that we buy for $1.48 also I have cheapened up the pumps so that if you run below a quarter tank of gas more than twice the fuel pump will overheat and burn out."

[V8 Vega]

Having two cars is mighty handy so you have time to work on one.

[CALGUY]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

I still enjoy it if I do not have to bend over too much, lay on the ground and if nothing goes wrong. That means what I still enjoy is changing the light bulb in the cabin.



It is amazing the thing that the engineers have figured out to make things as difficult as possible to work on a car or truck. They must get drunk and sit around in a room saying things like "I know, lets make them remove the pickup truck bed in order to get to one nut on the shock absorbers if they want to change the shocks." [Raucous Laughter] " No no no. I got a better one, let's make them remove the entire grill and the radiator cover and the headlight assembly to change a headlight bulb, and then we will make the wires just an inch or two too short to set the headlight assembly on top of the radiator, so they have to either let it hang by the wires or remember to bring a stool out to set it on." "I got you all beat. I am putting the fuel pump inside the gas tank where you will have to cut apart the exhaust system to get to it and it will cost $1800 to change a fuel pump that we buy for $1.48 also I have cheapened up the pumps so that if you run below a quarter tank of gas more than twice the fuel pump will overheat and burn out."

The reason some things are difficult to get to for a repair is the vehicles are built on an assembly line, and each phase of that building process is done while many of the components are added as the vehicle moves along the assembly line.
Once a particular phase of assembly is finished, the vehicle moves down the line to the next phase of it's building, which "hides" access to some components.

[NORTY FLATZ]

I take great pride in doing a job, well done. A monkey would not.

BTW~ I just dropped off a work van at our local Ford dealership. The labor rate is $165/hr.

After 6 labor hours charged to install a cat-con anti-theft device, this is what they came up with...

[NORTY FLATZ]

Believe this crap?

[00molavi]

I started wrenching on my own cars around age 18 and still doing it at my 50's. Maintaining 3 cars for the family and we added a 4th last month but it is new. Over the last year, have changed an axle, a radiator, done brakes, transmission oil change, headlight swap/etc.
Now, I don't have a lift, so one of my cars needs the clutch cylinder changed but it is in the transmission housing (genius), so have to drop the trans which is beyond my patience in the garage. It might also be covered under warranty but still anxious about having anyone else work on my car, have a feeling it would never be the same.

[SUPbud]

Originally Posted by HappyRider

Judging but the replies here, I can guess you guys are pushing 60+. Goes with old age. I don't even want to change my own oil anymore.

I aint 60! yo mamas 60!




but seriously, some manufacturers design engines to be more easily SERVICEABLE and that means they might even sacrifice a bit of power or capacity or fuel economy to acheive that aim.


Case 1 - my dad had a Porsche, and it was absolutely ludicrous that you had to remove the water pump just to replace the spark plugs.


Case 2 - my Toyota(s) they all up top front and center, 80% just need a deep socket and you can reach them with your bare hand when they loose as a goose. Only last 2 needed a diff extension.


One of my old cars, had to buy a magnet on a stick so that I pull them from the shadowy depths. If you drop it - you cant pick up a car and shake it... so you better be good with that magnet on a stick!

[sailor_lou]

I'm 66 and other than mounting/balancing tires and a couple of new car recalls, I have never had any of my vehicles in for service. I did install a lift in my garage so that certainly is a plus for jobs like clutch changes.