Today’s car guys vs yesterdays car guys?

[shogun32]

One of the key differentiation points is if you even have the space, or the black shadow of the HOA making life difficult, but also a lift. Sure, sure jack stands can work too but these days (especially us young'ins) don't have the time (or drive) to futz around skinning our knuckles or breaking random sh*t thru inexperience and the job taking that much longer. When you can't just leave the car up on jacks for a week, it's just less risk to hand the car to a supposed professional who has all the proper tools and the knowledge to do it right.

You forget shop class and auto class has been ripped out of the high school curricula going back 30 years. Young people by in large have never held a greasy rag, a breaker bar, or even a ratchet.

My talent is in computers. Why not let the mechanic earn his living at something he's good at? Could I rotate out my own wheels? Of course. But my mechanic is just down the street, and did the work for a song. The opportunity cost of me doing the swap is several times his rate and that doesn't account for me not being able to get a blasted nut off for some reason or another.

There is also the economic argument. If you can't afford to pay shop rates, you are forced to do it yourself. But if you have the money, it's an easy choice to delegate. I do shade-tree work on my motorcycles but don't rip into engines. For the upcoming install of suspension and IRS parts on the Mustang I'm probably going to enlist my friend who likes working on cars and we'll do the job together.

I rent a commercial space 20x60 in Manassas and toying with the notion of a 2-post install. Previous tenant had 2 of them in there and I was a fool not to immediately do the same.

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[Fetlock]

No bashing anyone, just want to know!
I’m 55 and have gone fast pretty much all my life in several different cars, from different makers, starting with Ford, going through imports, chevys and for the last several years back to ford, where I’ll stay.
I’m struggling a little with how to put this out there without offending anyone.......so I’ll just jump in. Does anyone work on their own cars anymore? Don’t get me wrong I do know that a few do, having read some good stuff on this site.
Growing up, if you wanted a fast car, you turned wrenches.....I see people buying bolt-on kits for S550’s and then talking about labor prices....it’s bolt-on... at the same time I do understand that some require they be installed at a dealership to retain warranties.
Even here in Va where I live, I’ll go to get-to-gethers, shows, drag track, etc and listen to guys spout all the tech, and how their cars hook, make power, etc and in the same breath state it was built/modified by mr xyz......out of the couple hundred enthusiast here with newer Chevy and Ford cars only a handful have done any of the work themselves. I’ve done stuff to my different cars over the years that I didn’t know how to do, but I learned, through trial and error, blood and sweat, tears and a lot of cursing.
Maybe it’s just me....I can’t be proud of my car if I’ve paid someone else to make it what it is.

I've done most of the work on my cars for the past 35 years or so. I've changed clutches, replaced head gaskets and such. I used to do a lot of the work with my Dad, now that he has died it's not as much fun. I think it's great that folks still do their own work, but I certainly don't look down on anyone who takes it to a mechanic that has all the tools and expertise. Sometimes you just need your car up and running right away. I'm not sure what I will do when parts go south on this car; it might be fun to work on but some pieces look considerably heavier that the four banger versions I've worked with. I kind of like the idea of the car being a Dorian Gray, as things go wrong I'll likely replace them with performance parts so it gets better as it ages.

 

[bnightstar]

I'm 30 years old and my dad and I have done all of the work on my cars (other than alignments and tire mounting/balancing since we don't have that equipment available). Most of the time for me it came down to not trusting other people to do the work to my standards (I'm admittedly too picky most of the time). That being said, I'm no mechanic but the information out there on the web nowadays makes it much easier to tackle something you aren't totally comfortable with. Not to mention there is a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that comes with completing the task on your own. I would imagine some folks aren't into doing it on their own, and I guess that's fine too. To each their own.

I'm 32 years old but I'm on the opposite end of the spectre. I'm very clumsy so I'm not good with wrenches. For my first car we used to fix it with a friend of mine and was fun however I was doing all the internet research on how to fix something and he was doing all the wrenching. For the Mustang however I just leave it to the dealer to do all the wrenching. I do have a garage and I hope to one day learn how to do the fixing myself but overall so far my cars are maintained by Ford.

 

[Strokerswild]

At the ripe old age of 50, I do all my own work outside of what would fall under warranty. It's therapy to a degree, but primarily I know the job was done right if I did it myself. I've got a shop with a giant rolling tool chest full of tools for something. The only time I'll farm something out is if it will require a lift, wish I had one.

What I hate about newer vehicles is the complexity and overuse of electronics, which make them harder to work on. I love working on my old cars, which require nothing but the most basic tools to complete a job. Not to mention parts are dirt cheap.

Also, I've worked on cars since I was a kid helping my Dad, which has a lot to do with my hands-on preference.

 

[samd1351]

Back in the day, I'm 50, I did almost all of my own work. 53 Chevy pickup, 71 Chevelle, 67 Fairlane, 76 Chevy stepside. Sometimes it was fun, sometimes a PITA. But I didn't have extra money for labor. Hell, I barley had money parts. There were a few half-assed fixes just to keep things running.

I bought a 71 Chevelle about 15 yrs ago. I thought it would be fun. I had a 72 in high school. Turns out, it wasn't as much as I remembered. I was chasing an electrical bug that I just couldn't seem to find. I spent every chance I got working on the car, and no time driving it. I finally sold it and bought the 'stang. I wanted something I didn't have to work on, I wanted something to DRIVE! I don't mind getting dirty and doing some things, but finding the time anymore is difficult. Between taking care of two sets of aging parents, son going through a divorce and grandson, plus all of the other day to day bullshit, there isn't much time left for wrenching.

I took the car to a local shop and had the cat-back installed. I just didn't have the time or enough jacks and jack stands, to do it myself. I don't think it makes me less of car guy because I didn't do it myself. I researched the parts I wanted, researched the shops, and was there for install (had it done on my way to work - much easier for me to roll in an hour late at work than pull a couple of hours free time at home). And I don't think it makes someone more of a car guy if they did do it themselves.

There'll be some things I do, and somethings I have done. If you have the time to do it all yourself, great. I wish I did, but I don't. I'm proud of my car, the things I've done, and the things I've had done. One way isn't necessarily better than the other. To each their own. I would certainly hope that one wouldn't look down on a another enthusiast just because they didn't do everything themselves, but those that say built not bought, well, words best left unsaid.

 

[AlmostFamous]

Time, value, money. What’s the dollar value you place on your time? I work on my Mustang based purely off of that. There’s nothing I couldn’t repair on my Mustang outside of an engine or transmission rebuild and certain suspension work but my time has a dollar value. Recently I changed the spark plugs because the value proposition was in my favor. Shops wanted to charge $75-100 in labor, ridiculous! When I had my exhaust setup installed/welded (x-pipe, mufflers, tips), the shop offered to do it for $120. Sure, I could have done it myself (did it on a 74 f100 many years ago) and clamped everything down but at $120, the value proposition was in the shops favor so I had them do the work.

 

[Sivi70980]

39 years old and work on my own cars when it's not something too crazy. Replaced the turbo in my mini before I sold it to a friend. So far, done 99% of the things to my stang by myself. I do have access to a lift witch makes things much easier. My brother pays to have everything done to his car, he fits the typical IT stereotype. He would also let his car go long before I would mine.

 

[jgruben1134]

I'm 40 and find myself in the rare position of being one of the only people I know that turns wrenches regularly. I'm the "fleet mechanic" for the family, so anything that needs to be worked on gets dropped off in my driveway. I enjoy doing it, and I think I did my first solo oil change when I was about 10, so I'm pretty comfortable under the hood.

I installed a full coilover kit and new swaybars on my '92 Miata when I had it. When I took it to the alignment shop, the guy asked if I had done the work and was shocked when I said yes. He then proceeded to spend the next 3 hours making sure he had the alignment exactly to the numbers I asked for, with me sitting in the car. Not bad for $120.

While it does amaze me to talk to some younger people and realize that most of them couldn't find a dipstick if their life depended on it, it doesn't really surprise me either. We've become such a throw away and replace culture, with expectations of having the best of everything now that the need or desire to "fix" or "improve" things has kind of gone to the wayside. That's not a knock on anyone, but just an observation of the way things have become.

Also - I can't afford to pay $100/hr+ for labor

 

[boos550t]

I'll do all the simple stuff but stuff that requires more tools/lift i'll just let someone else do it.

I'm not dropping a trans on my driveway lol

 

[kirk533]

My $.02

How many schools don't have Shop Class anymore? That's where I developed my interest in working on cars and other things mechanical. It's amazing how many young adults don't have any interest in turning a wrench or even know how to change a tire.

 

[jcl78]

41 here and do all maintenance on our 3 vehicles. Our 2008 FJ cruiser has zerks that allow the driveshaft U-joints and slip joints to be services with automotive grease every 1500 miles, and if you skip it, the Toyota rear end "thunk" happens. None of the dealers ever do it. I have the Fumoto oil drain valve in that one, and will continue to change my own oil on all the vehicles, Mustang included. My Mustang has an Airaid MXP with the oiled filter, so I pulled that, cleaned it, air dried, oiled it properly, cleaned out the airbox, changed the cabin filter so far after 3 months of ownership.

In the past, dealers have screwed up my vehicles. I had a Jeep Liberty Diesel that the dealer stripped the oil pan installing the drain plug, installed a new spring on the left rear off the perch, causing it to bang loudly on turns, I had a Chevy dealer cut my vacuum line causing my A/C blend door to stop so I would have to come back in. I trust my work, and will only use the dealer for major issues I wouldn't be able to fix on my own. It does seem to be an art that is slowly dying, I hope to pass on my knowledge to my kid.

 

[Deleted member]

From the younger crowd here(25) started wrenching with my dad at age 4, was rebuilding dirtbike motors at age 7, now i don't let anyone touch my car. Like i expect the 18 year old working for Ford Quick lane to make sure he doesnt F up the threads for the drain plug, or keep his greasy fingers off my paint. To much risk involved when i can do it all myself.

 

[CodyO32689]

From the younger crowd here(25) started wrenching with my dad at age 4, was rebuilding dirtbike motors at age 7, now i don't let anyone touch my car. Like i expect the 18 year old working for Ford Quick lane to make sure he doesnt F up the threads for the drain plug, or keep his greasy fingers off my paint. To much risk involved when i can do it all myself.

This right here...

 

[frank s]

When I came to consciousness seventy-something years ago, it was rare for anyone I knew to drop a car off for minor repair, and often much major stuff. Of course a Ford V8-60 didn't take much in the way of tools or sophistication. One of my early memories from WWII was my Dad tin-snipping a tin can and twisting some baling wire to repair a hole in a muffler on the '39 Buick. We spent a lot of time and and a little money at junkyards (before the "dismantler" era) searching out parts to keep our second-hand cars on the road.

So I grew up expecting to turn wrenches to have what I needed. That lasted through numerous American and foreign cars, until two new features of car-enthusiasm came into play: Cars became so good in all their aspects that they didn't really need much wrenching; I began to enjoy having someone else do the work while I sat at one side and nodded my approval. If merited.

Some things you just never get over, as the mentioned satisfaction of doing the job well and completely; sometimes the job is getting someone else to do it well and completely.


"The satisfactions of manifesting oneself concretely in the world through manual competence have been known to make a man quiet and easy. They seem to relieve him of the felt need to offer chattering _interpretations_ of himself to vindicate his worth. He can simply point: the building stands, the car now runs, the lights are on. Boasting is what a boy does, because he has no real effect in the world ... "

-- Matthew B. Crawford, _SHOP CLASS AS SOULCRAFT: an inquiry into the value of work_

 

[americanv8]

I build my own cars from scratch. I don't respect anyone that just goes to a dealership and buys a premade car.

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