Who does/who doesn't?
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 10,684
Likes: 696
From: Danville Illinois
2025 Corvette of the Year Finalist - Modified
2024 C3 of the Year Winner - Modified
2021 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2019 C3 of Year Finalist (appearance mods)
I do about 95% of my stuff, i just like to know its done right, i have been working on mechanical stuff for close to 55 years.
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,886
Likes: 9
I have broken every fingernail and bloodied every knuckle turning wrenches on my car through the years.
I brought it to a friend's shop to have it inspected last year and new tires installed two years ago. Before that, well, it was a long time since that car had seen a (professional) shop. Just my messy garage.
I consider that my C3 is my hobby.
Might be cheaper and easier to just go find a mistress.
I brought it to a friend's shop to have it inspected last year and new tires installed two years ago. Before that, well, it was a long time since that car had seen a (professional) shop. Just my messy garage.
I consider that my C3 is my hobby.
Might be cheaper and easier to just go find a mistress.
Terrorizing Orange Cones
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,572
Likes: 17
From: Northern CO
The knowledge offered here by many talented people is made better because most of them, deliver requested information in a sharing way. Getting reasonable answers motivates me to go out and tackle jobs on these cars that I may have not been so gung-ho to do beforehand.
Many lessons to be learned from others, weedhopper.
Then again, I've been hooked on this stuff since high school and I'm still twisting tools when maintenance or modifications crop up. No shame that I still like to play with my big-boy toys.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,165
Likes: 93
From: Bellmore NY
Like many others Ive never painted...Id like to someday, but that takes some serious guts!
Ive swapped a ton of motors and trannys, but Ive never built a motor from a basket of parts, or a trans, or a rear. Cam, intake, etc, yes. Crankshaft, main bearings, etc no. Clutch and flywheel, yes... input shaft and countergear, no. You get the idea. Not at the head of the class, but far from the bottom.
Ive swapped a ton of motors and trannys, but Ive never built a motor from a basket of parts, or a trans, or a rear. Cam, intake, etc, yes. Crankshaft, main bearings, etc no. Clutch and flywheel, yes... input shaft and countergear, no. You get the idea. Not at the head of the class, but far from the bottom.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 803
Likes: 4
From: Christchurch, New Zealand
Even though I was always a car nut from an early age, I never really got into the whole working on them thing, apart from basic maintainence, until my old daily driver blew a head gasket when we were poor, and the kids were little. Bought a workshop manual for the car and a few tools, and went from there. Necessity is the mother of invention! That was about 15 years ago. Since then, I restored a 39 Chevy, rebuilt my father's 39 Buick straight 8, and restored my 74, body work, interior, and at the moment I'm about to put my engine back together again after a full rebuild. I could never afford to buy my dream cars, so I had to learn how to build them. I'm not in the automotive trade myself, having spent the first 10 years of my working life as a clothing manufacturer, and the past 20 or so years as a radio jock. BUT, I couldn't have done my 74 without this fantastic forum and the great guys who make it up.
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Race Director
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,615
Likes: 350
From: No Where USA
Not that I'm old, will be 56 this coming June, but when I was a kid, all the guys w/ hot/performance cars, like cars w/ the back-up lights on all the time, remember that, any of the older guys w/ hot rods, all the old/ new back then, factory muscle cars and drag type cars, turned their own wrenches. You know, the guys that our parents called "greasers" mostly. The older guys and later on us, we loved to go to the drag strip, Raceway Park, National Speedway and Dover, up-state, and race on the street when someone called another guy out. All of us and the guys we learned from turned our own wrenches. It was an interest we had. Things are different now, as guys who like performance cars and who don't turn wrenches still own performance cars these days, unlike years ago-in most cases. My hat is off to any car enthusiast whether yo turn your own wrenches or not. You're part of the crew. Sincerely.
The back up lights part brought back memories. We all had that. Used to go to the same tracks as you did. I will be 55. Raced on FountainAve. Croosbay, Connecting Highway, Gowanas. We were all over.
I worked in car dealers from when I graduated high school for about 10 years. I do everything on my cars. From backhalfing to paint. The only thing I can't do is the machine work on my engines.
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 1,541
Likes: 268
From: iowa city iowa
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (appearance mods)
C3 of Year Winner (appearance mods) 2019
When I was younge and had no money I got a lot of satisfaction saving money and doing basic work myself. Later in life I found satisfaction in being able to afford to pay somebody to do things I did not want to dol. like changing the oil in my dd when it was snowing and colder the crap outside.
Then I got my vette. I have no idea how many hours I have spent building this car up. But this is something I want to do and really enjoy it. I am not doing the block sanding or the paint, but am doing almost everything else. I really want to be able to say that I built this car. Not to impress anyone else... Just me.
Then I got my vette. I have no idea how many hours I have spent building this car up. But this is something I want to do and really enjoy it. I am not doing the block sanding or the paint, but am doing almost everything else. I really want to be able to say that I built this car. Not to impress anyone else... Just me.
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 3,593
Likes: 103
From: Southern Indiana
I work on my own stuff and know what im doing from experience.
Others can tell you what their mechanic told them.
Its hard for me to imagine there are people out there that couldn't tear down an engine and rebuild it but then again I couldn't build a room on a house either.
Others can tell you what their mechanic told them.
Its hard for me to imagine there are people out there that couldn't tear down an engine and rebuild it but then again I couldn't build a room on a house either.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 12,399
Likes: 247
From: San Jose CA
Definitely had a lot of help from Cliff and Lars on my first one, but once you've seen the sweet science, no problem!
I'll probably photodocument these two. The second one is going to get re-colored this weekend.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 14,959
Likes: 3,354
From: NYC NY
I work very long hours. I usually buy cars that are "done" so they need very little. I'll do the "little things" and make the changes to "make them my own" but I don't have the time (or at my age the energy) to get into anything big.
As someone said before "a man has to know his limitations". It has taken me almost 60 years but I'm beginning to realize mine.
I admire and respect everyone and anyone that does from everything to anything on their car. IMCO it should be about entertainment and pride of accomplishment.
As someone said before "a man has to know his limitations". It has taken me almost 60 years but I'm beginning to realize mine.
I admire and respect everyone and anyone that does from everything to anything on their car. IMCO it should be about entertainment and pride of accomplishment.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,520
Likes: 11
From: Hinckley OH
It's easier to say what I have never done.
1. Rebuild an automatic transmission (I have done all the seals)
2. Rebuild a differential (I have done the seals)
3. Rebuild some of the smaller things that are easy and inexpensive to replace (starter, alternator, never needed to rebuild a distributor)
4. Any machining because I don't have the equipment
Anything else I haven't done is because I've never had one break. but I can't think of anything I wouldn't at least attempt.
1. Rebuild an automatic transmission (I have done all the seals)
2. Rebuild a differential (I have done the seals)
3. Rebuild some of the smaller things that are easy and inexpensive to replace (starter, alternator, never needed to rebuild a distributor)
4. Any machining because I don't have the equipment
Anything else I haven't done is because I've never had one break. but I can't think of anything I wouldn't at least attempt.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 6,842
Likes: 285
From: Palmdale CA
Awesome thread, share many of the "Total Gearhead" traits. The big upside of accomplishment, that swelling of pride, cracks like margarita ice when you've been under the dash for an hour or two...or three. And then you're sitting in it, alone on a warm Spring night and there's nobody around. Just about evens it out and yes, it is a drug.
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,369
Likes: 12
From: wichita kansas
i do all of my own work on my restorations....with very few exceptions. i enjoy it, and i discovered many years ago, you can't pay someone enough to care about your car as much as you do, so i found myself early on regretting farming out some paint or body work, etc...because i always felt that i could do a better job myself...granted, i'm sure it's because i CARE MORE about the outcome, and i'm not working by the hour!! Rick
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 2,217
Likes: 638
From: Port St Lucie Florida
2025 C6 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2023 C6 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2022 C6 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2021 C6 of the Year Finalist - Modified
I'm not surprised by the overwhelming responses favoring and doing your own work. What does surprise me is the judgemental attitude in some of the replys. I meant what I said in my op about having respect and admiration for those who do their own work...I thought the same respect would be given to those who do know their limitations yet still enjoy the hobby.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 7,215
Likes: 1
From: Orlando FL
I do most of my work. I don't have a machine shop, so that type of work goes out to a local shop. Some things that I cant do like paint I trade services with a buddy who has a paint booth and has trouble with carburation. (LOL)
I do the work for two reasons,
1 $$$ cant afford to pay to have it done..it would be ridiculous $$.
2 It is been a passion for life, I would rather spend a Friday night under a car hood than almost anything
There is a special feeling of accomplishment knowing that the rumble from the pipes is in fact your creation, not store bought!!
In the end I respect all car people because it will take all of us to keep the left wing from buying and crushing all the old girls in time.
I do the work for two reasons,
1 $$$ cant afford to pay to have it done..it would be ridiculous $$.
2 It is been a passion for life, I would rather spend a Friday night under a car hood than almost anything
There is a special feeling of accomplishment knowing that the rumble from the pipes is in fact your creation, not store bought!!
In the end I respect all car people because it will take all of us to keep the left wing from buying and crushing all the old girls in time.
Advanced
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 99
Likes: 3
From: Salem Ohio
When I was younger I fixed it because I couldn't afford to pay you to do it. Now that I am older I fix it because I don't want to pay you and then still have to complete your work.
This has been my motto through life and I am learning you can teach an old dog a new trick he just won't be as fast doing it.lol
This has been my motto through life and I am learning you can teach an old dog a new trick he just won't be as fast doing it.lol
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 149
Likes: 3
From: Chadron Ne
I can't say how many time I threw my wrench and cussed "I can't do this", then headed back into the garage to fix my screw up. In junior high I fell in love with corvettes. I used to see people driving them. I used to say there are two types of people, those who own a corvette and those who just own the car. The true corvette owners show pride in the car, they keep it clean and park it where others do not touch it, they wave at anyone else in a corvette...and they love to talk to anyone about the car. Turn your own wrenches or not, if you love these cars, you are addicted...there is no hope!!