View Poll Results: Which level of repairs do YOU do?
I pay someone to do everything
28
13.79%
I dabble with oil changes and air filters
23
11.33%
Give me a good YouTube video and Ill try most things
87
42.86%
I can take my entire car apart if needed
65
32.02%
Voters: 203. You may not vote on this poll
What level repairs can YOU do?
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 8,729
Likes: 1,508
From: Redmond WA
I've literally taken my entire '69 apart and put it back together, from rear axle to Q-jet hangers, every piece... except the automatic transmission. They're still black boxes to me!
Race Director
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 15,323
Likes: 2,077
From: Guelph, Ontario
I'm not comfortable doing the bigger stuff like brake jobs or tearing down the engine, my skill level is oil changes, spark plug changes, coolant changes, and air filter changes (although I keep hearing the C7 isn't that easy, so I might just get someone else to handle that one when the time comes!)
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 9,663
Likes: 1,682
From: Fort Worth Texas
2024 Corvette of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2023 C8 of the Year Winner - Unmodified
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (stock)
2019 C7 of Year Winner (stock)
Former Moderator
Cruise-In I-II-III Veteran
I can do pretty much anything including rebuilding motors, but I can't do auto trans rebuilds. As I get older my desire to do the bigger projects decreases dramatically. I pay someone to do hard stuff nowadays.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 3,104
Likes: 626
From: Baton Rouge LA
I historically like to do work that I can do, whether on a vehicle or other item of property. However, like Marco Polo the older I get the less enthusiastic I am about doing work on mechanical contraptions, so that puts me in a quandary. I don't trust others to work on them yet I am less likely to do my own work. On my current C7 I let carefully selected dealers do my three free oil changes, mostly because I don't like refusing work that I've already paid for in the price of the car. However, that doesn't reduce the trepidation of having someone else touch the car. In almost two years with my current GS I've done the oil changes, a street alignment, and the MRC upgrade--all by dealers who've passed muster either from my past experience or from careful research.
Now that my free oil changes are done I'll be doing it myself from now on. I'll depend on one trusted dealer to do warranty work, if any is needed in the future--but otherwise I'll probably do it myself. There are limitations, like pulling the engine or anything else that requires special tools or major disassembly, so for the major stuff I would probably just farm it out after careful research on the person(s) that'll do the work.
Now that my free oil changes are done I'll be doing it myself from now on. I'll depend on one trusted dealer to do warranty work, if any is needed in the future--but otherwise I'll probably do it myself. There are limitations, like pulling the engine or anything else that requires special tools or major disassembly, so for the major stuff I would probably just farm it out after careful research on the person(s) that'll do the work.
Last edited by iclick; Jan 6, 2019 at 05:05 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 2,012
Likes: 955
From: Central Commiefornia
I used to do all my own work, including engine and trans rebuilds, but with increasing computerization and complexity requiring specialized tools and equipment, I only do tasks that can be done with tools in my roll around toolbox.
