doing it myself vs. the mechanic

[97redEclipse001]

I hope to combine a lot of issues that myself as well as many others are having in one sweet thread. I've been reading a lot of threads about quick horsepower and how all the maintenance must come first (im currently still maintaining but soon to be upgrading) as well as a lot of threads about people getting raped by their local mechanic. As I'm currently coming up to the stage of modding after I have a few more maintenance things taken care of (by a mechanic I've luckily found that I can trust), I've been wondering about how practical it is to do most of this myself or pay for a mechanic. Coming from Maine to Cali, mechanic's labor costs have magically doubled. I don't have a garage but I have a decent set of wrenches, screwdrivers and such. I'm curious about whether or not there are particular points along the upgrade path, which I've read numerous times both here and on machv.com, where it truly is better to just pay to have it done or to read, ask you guys for help and figure it out. I have a pretty limited knowledge of mechanical issues but I know to order a boost gauge before the coolest sounding BOV I can find. I'm mostly asking about this because I have a boost gauge and pod coming from dsmparts, already have a hallman pro boost controller (waiting to install because I don't have the gauge in yet), I'm ordering a new intake and filter as soon as I get a new debit card, and Ive been considering new lowering springs only because I bought the car lowered but I think the ones in it now are effed. I'm sure by reading more I could eventually figure some of this out but it seems safer to ask. If I bought a jack and some jack stands could I put new springs in? Does a new intake require any special care towards electronics? I know that a new fuel pump is pretty high on the path/list-thing and electrical things have always sort of worried me ever since my spyder's halo angel-eyes decide that they both will work only on low beams, then once I hit the high beams, one goes out and the other stays on, so I can pretty much make my car wink at you... Anyway, it's a lot of rambling but I hope someone can get some meaning out of it.

 

[tkelly27]

With the right tools and enough money, anyone can do anything with a car if they put their mind to it.

First off, get a FSM (factory service manual). Get one on CD from somewhere or something. If you can't get that, get a Chiltons or something like that. You really can't just blindly spin wrenches and hope for the best.

Second, if it could potentially put you in danger, or break your car/engine, and you are unsure of your ability, don't do it. Unless of course you can afford to replace the pieces that break. I did the suspension on my van, and everything was perfect, except I put the lug nuts on backwards. Now the front end sheet metal is all screwed up

Working on cars is rewarding, not super difficult, and saves a ton of money, but it won't save money in the long run if you don't do it properly. I also recommend a beater to learn on so when you screw up, it won't make a lick of difference.

I say go for everything but the springs, and have a shop setup your springs and your alignment at the same time. You can't do the alignment yourself, and if you're not sure, why risk it with the pieces that are holding your damn car up?

 

[1992awdlaser]

All the parts you listed are pretty easy to install. The hardest part would be the lowering springs. If you do these yourself you would need a set of coil spring compressors. You can buy these from Advance.

 

[staticbrainwash]

Bolt-on's are easy, hell even maintenience is pretty easy if you have the time and space. Just make sure you take your time, cover ALL your bases, and research like crazy. I've done ALMOST all my modding and maintenience by myself, and prior to this car, i MAYBE knew how to do brakes. Now, i can do pretty much anything on these cars given the down time and space.

Honestly, you don't need a beater car. Having a nice car to tinker with forces you to be that much mroe careful.

I do totally agree about the service manual cd though. You can get them from FP's site, or sometimes on ebay. Good luck and happy boosting!

 

[merqury]

Like everyone is saying, bolt on's are not hard to install. As far as the lowering springs are concerned you might want to read up the manual a little bit. Also, as someone already mentioned, you have to be able to compress the springs to fit the strut so the right tools will be required. I was in the same postion a month ago and most of the stuff me and my buddy did, with the help of a good mechanic. Ofcourse, I worked for the shop before so I kind of new the guys there. I basically paid the guy to use his shop and tools.

In my opinion, reading and research is key. Check vfaq as well, that will help a lot. Other then that, the parts you mentioned are not that hard to install. I say do it yourself, in the end you will have some pride that you did it yourself and don't have to put any shop's sticker on your car!!

 

[Zmann42087]

Working on your own car not only saves you money, but also can be a very rewarding experience. Even if you don't have the most experience under your belt, I recommend doing some of these bolt-on's yourself. For example, your new intake and filter you definitely should be able to do. Even the most amateur DIYer can do an intake install... there is no reason to pay your mechanic to do that one. As mentioned, the springs are going to be the hardest. It will be difficult not only because you don't have the experience but also because it doesn't sound like you have the proper tools for the job. Here a list of tools you can expect to need...

-Hayne's or Chilton's repair manual (for instructions and torque specs)
-floor jack & jack stands
-torque wrench
-breaker bar
-spring compressor
-ratchet and assorted sockets

Of all the the things listed above the most important is the repair manual. If you have any ambitions of working on your own car, a repair manual is a must! If you don't have one... get one!

 

[sureshot971]

go to autozone and they will rent you the compressors and then when you return them you get your money back.

Also be sure to have lots of PB blaster, all the nuts on my struts were really rusted

 

[Booztit]

dsm
turning regular people into mechanics
and you ll love it

 

[D_Roc1320]

you beat me to it sureshot971..I was just about to write that and then I saw it. My best advice is to ease into it, thats what I did. I didnt just jump into doing a turbo setup my first time. I did oil changes and coolant flushes and spark plugs, basically the basics of car maintenance. Then after you got that down then move your way up the ladder.. thats my best advice.

 

[Zmann42087]

go to autozone and they will rent you the compressors and then when you return them you get your money back.

Yep, good advice. I rented mine from Autozone when I did my suspension install last summer.

Also be sure to have lots of PB blaster, all the nuts on my struts were really rusted

I was going to add that to my list, but then I thought it wasn't really a "tool". None-the-less, you're right... WD40, PBblaster, or similar is needed to break those stubborn bolts loose.