i wonderin, how many of u guys acutally do you own work instead of bringing it to a shop and paying 50/hr, like suspension and engine, bolt ons etc
is it hard? also any essential tools u need no matter what? thanks

 

I do almost everything on my car by my self. I photocopy pages from honda repair manuel and work on what I need.

 

You need alot of tools... ..

a year ago, i didn't know anything.

now i planned to built a b20/vtec

 

I do everything...well almost...porting I dont do...sleeving...na...motor build...swaps...turbo kits...yep...I have saved over 6000 in labor alone.

 

I do it all myself.

suspension, motor builds, swaps, custom turbo setups, body work, painting, fabricating various pieces. I even plan on porting my RX-7 engine myself.. There is some stuff that has got to go to the machine shop though.

It just wouldn't be fun if I took it to a shop. This is a hobby..you do the work yourself.

 

i personally like to do things myself. you learn a lot. reading about things is one but getting in that engine bay or underneath the dash to do wiring. that is when you truly realize how cramped space can be and you learn to get around it.
as for tools, i'm lucky on that part. just join the military. they have these auto craft shops that let you use a hydralic lift for 30 dollars for the whole day. and they have almost all the tools you could ever need. some of them even have welding shops and all of them have machine shops inside of them. so that's where i get my tools from.

 

I try to do all the work myself because it is very hard to trust shops these days. The last time I took my sisters car to the shop for a/c repair, the tech told me that the cv boots were about to go bad. I took the car home and looked at the boots, it had been cut by a razor, I mean it was a clean cut, not a rip. Never again. Although, there are just some things I cannot do, luckily, I live close to InlinePro.

 

u should start with the ez stuff first...INtake headers and exhaust installs....then go a little deeper with cam gears,
BUY a book (manual)...and ALOT of TOOLS....then learn preventive maintence... like oil changes, spark plugs, and wires...
little stuff liek that saves you lots of money.

 

I do most work myself on my car. Like others stated, you can learn alot about cars. Plus once you get a modified car, you can tune/tweak it yourself.

Start with oil changes, spar plugs, etc. then move up from there.

 

all work=me

 

I do all of the work (mods and maintenance) on all my cars. I have had more trouble with "professionals" than anyone cares to know. When I do something once I know I can do it again in my sleep and the more I work on cars the more I am able to diagnose problems. You take a huge risk of getting ripped by labor costs, BS parts charges, and sh*tty half-assed workmanship whenever you deal with a shop.

 

I do most everything myself, except sometimes im being a lazy *** and i dont to my valve adjustment

 

or you can barter... you know, exchange sexual favors for labor... oops, did i just say that?

well, this works for my girlfriend and i at least... hehehe