Do you work on your Vette?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 2,581
Likes: 14
From: Tolar Texas
Re: Do you work on your Vette? (Ganey)
Can't imagine having to pay labor charges @ ~$60/hr.
A C3 would be tough to own if you weren't willing to do at least some of the wrenching yourself. My Vette has never visited a "mechanic shop".
I try to avoid sending any of my vehicles to a professional mechanic. They are to be used as a last resort. On the few occasions that I have used a mechanic on other cars, I can't recall ever being satisfied with their work.
I have never attempted to rebuild an automatic transmission or change gears in a differential because I lack the experience and tools but I would like to give it a try!
A C3 would be tough to own if you weren't willing to do at least some of the wrenching yourself. My Vette has never visited a "mechanic shop".
I try to avoid sending any of my vehicles to a professional mechanic. They are to be used as a last resort. On the few occasions that I have used a mechanic on other cars, I can't recall ever being satisfied with their work.
I have never attempted to rebuild an automatic transmission or change gears in a differential because I lack the experience and tools but I would like to give it a try!
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 2,125
Likes: 9
From: Crescent City, CA
Re: Do you work on your Vette? (Ganey)
It definitely takes me longer, but I know the quality of the work.
Changing clutches as we speak (break time).
Terry
[Modified by trw, 9:02 AM 11/4/2001]
Changing clutches as we speak (break time).
Terry
[Modified by trw, 9:02 AM 11/4/2001]
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,679
Likes: 6
From: Charles Town WV
Re: Do you work on your Vette? (Ganey)
I do everything myself. The only thing I have had done is the differential, and only because I don't have the equipment to set the gears properly. I removed and installed it myself though.
Everything else I do myself.
Everything else I do myself.
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 1,396
Likes: 7
From: Indiana
Re: Do you work on your Vette? (Ganey)
Other than body work, the only thing that I have done by others is alignments. However, I did have my trailing arms rebuilt by a local corvette shop. This was only because I suspected one was bent and they have a jig for checking this. Oh yeah, I almost forgot the muffler shop that connected the headers to the pipes. Does that count? :jester
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,909
Likes: 26
From: Clymer PA
Re: Do you work on your Vette? (Ganey)
Yepper, do all my own work. It takes me a while to do the job (slow worker) but in the end it gives me a sense of satisfaction....and a little money left in my pocket :)
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Racer
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 262
Likes: 0
From: kingsport,tn,usa
Re: Do you work on your Vette? (bence13_33)
do all my own work, also, my car has never visited a shop, dad dont help me, which is good, and if he done the work he wouldnt let me drive it. i enjoy working with tools and cars though, so its all good
just put a water pump on friday, only took 6 hours, lol, painted pulleys and brackets though
just put a water pump on friday, only took 6 hours, lol, painted pulleys and brackets though
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 3,201
Likes: 0
From: Clifton Park NY
Re: Do you work on your Vette? (1979toy)
I guess I'm in the "do some of the work myself; farm out the more involved stuff" team.... If it's something I don't have tools or knowledge to do--like the rear end, for instance--then I'll remove the parts myself and send them to people who know what they are doing. No more taking the car to mechanics or dealers for me...
-Pedro
-Pedro
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 3,330
Likes: 13
From: Europe , Luxembourg
Re: Do you work on your Vette? (Ganey)
Yes, me also .
I'm doing and will do all work on my 68 BB myself as I do with all my other cars. Plenty of reasons for this. First it gives me some satisfaction, I decide what parts need to be replaced, overhauled or can stay as are. Labor cost and mostly , I think it's near to impossible to find a good C3 mechanic in Luxembourg, if not impossible.
Also, I try to import required parts myself as the addidtional cost charged by garages is much more as the 25 % import duties ( from non EEC countries ).
Guess, unless your a Rockefeller, the only way to afort a early C3 is to work it yourself , that's at least what counts to me.
Still having a lot of fun. Gunther
I'm doing and will do all work on my 68 BB myself as I do with all my other cars. Plenty of reasons for this. First it gives me some satisfaction, I decide what parts need to be replaced, overhauled or can stay as are. Labor cost and mostly , I think it's near to impossible to find a good C3 mechanic in Luxembourg, if not impossible.
Also, I try to import required parts myself as the addidtional cost charged by garages is much more as the 25 % import duties ( from non EEC countries ).
Guess, unless your a Rockefeller, the only way to afort a early C3 is to work it yourself , that's at least what counts to me.
Still having a lot of fun. Gunther
Racer
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 268
Likes: 1
From: CT
Re: Do you work on your Vette? (WESCH)
Yes I do all the work on my vette too. I did a complete body off restoration. And because I work at a machine shop I even bored my block myself and all of the other machine work. The only thing I didnt do was the powdercoating of the frame because I dont have a big enough oven. :( I would never of even thought of owning a c3 if I had to have the work done by a garage, Im broke without any mechanic fees.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 36,112
Likes: 8
From: Hotlanta GA
Cruise-In 8 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '08, '15
Re: Do you work on your Vette? (Ganey)
I sure do, along with the help from my father. He was the original owner and knows every inch of that car. It has yet to go to a mechanic and this saves a lot of money (as long as it's done correctly). :)
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 30,958
Likes: 0
From: Middletown Connecticut
Cruise-In IV Veteran
Re: Do you work on your Vette? (63Banshee)
I do a lot of the work myself.. I changed engines at 17 (first engine swap i ever did) got it to run 2 weeks later (double and triple checked everything) did my exhaust system, intake and other odds and ends.. but when i wrecked it, i decided to have a professional vette shop take care of the big stuff (gluing panels, u-joint, and NEW exhaust) but i bring the car home on monday or tuesday with the body work primed and nothing on the car except headlights. i get to build it my way. If the car comes home monday, I'll be driving it on friday nite back in one color, with everything on. :chevy i do body work fast! (especially if all i gotta do is scuff, prime and paint) :jester
Racer
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 260
Likes: 0
From: Ipswich, MA
Re: Do you work on your Vette? (Ganey)
I wish I could say I work on it myself....but I don't. Time is really an issue for me plus I happen to be one of the most impatient people alive....according to my wife anyway. My big problem is not always fixing the item thats broken but also fixing all of the associated stuff I break while trying to fix the original problem! bolts always seem to bust/strip etc.
So I pay a guy who has done some really great work. I'm satisfied and he goes over everything he did. Pointing out all the little things that add up to a quality job. What hurts is I have almost every tool imaginable for hand/air tools and my compressor just sits there collecting dust.
So I pay a guy who has done some really great work. I'm satisfied and he goes over everything he did. Pointing out all the little things that add up to a quality job. What hurts is I have almost every tool imaginable for hand/air tools and my compressor just sits there collecting dust.
Senior Member since 1492
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 87,942
Likes: 156
From: Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean people aren't out to get me...
St. Jude Donor '09
Re: Do you work on your Vette? (theanswriz42)
Yep, I'm doing my own work too. Including pulling the engine alone! :eek:
I couldn't stomach having a mechanic "fix" my '70---they can barely handle my '94 Explorer! I've taken that care back 2-3 times to have the same repair done.----And to different places :eek: :eek: :eek:
I couldn't stomach having a mechanic "fix" my '70---they can barely handle my '94 Explorer! I've taken that care back 2-3 times to have the same repair done.----And to different places :eek: :eek: :eek:
