Who does their own stuff

gforce1108

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 2, 2006
Location
Newburgh, NY
TDI
04 Jetta GLS BEW, 14 Audi A7 V6 TDI, 13 Porsche Cayenne V6 TDI
I do everything myself. The only things anyone else has touched is the tires (I remove the wheels and bring them in for mounting), a windshield (glass coverage), and some paint (warranty work and had the only shop I trust do the work).

Started because I couldn't afford to pay someone - then stopped trusting people to do it right. I'll buy whatever tools are needed before paying someone to work on it.
 

Tdifridays

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 19, 2019
Location
las vegas
TDI
03' volkswagen jetta tdi 181k
Dealership is to expensive
So i do my best no youtube needed
But i always come back here you guy have helped me a bunch.

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Nero Morg

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 19, 2017
Location
OR
TDI
2014 A6 TDI, 2001 Jetta TDI, 2014 Passat TDI
Only thing I don't do are alignments and tires. Everything else you betcha.
 

ahldailydriver02

Veteran Member
Joined
May 9, 2019
Location
Arlington, Ne
TDI
02 Jetta 5 speed, 03 Jetta Wagon 5 speed
I do a lot of my own work thanks to all the great people on this forum and youtube. Things I haven't done are timing belts and clutch. Those are the 2 things I really want to learn, but find it more difficult the older I get to crawl under the car on jacks, wish I had a lift and that is one reason I haven't yet.
 

Updatelee

Active member
Joined
Jun 10, 2019
Location
Edmonton, AB
TDI
2003 Golf
I do everything minus windshields, mounting and balancing, and machining.

Alignments are honestly so incredibly easy anyone can do it themselves, I see no reason at all to pay for that. 2x old magazines, 4x concrete blocks, about 30ft of string, a tape measure and a fair bit of patience. On my truck I actually only need the tape measure.
 

300k_logician

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 24, 2018
Location
Kansas. The middle of nowhere.
TDI
2000 Jetta ALH 5-speed
I previously lived in a dense neighborhood, and when I was changing my oil, I would see people walking their dogs by literally inches from my feet. I could always imagine them silently judging me.
I hated what I imagined people would say to me when I had to change my clutch, timing belt, and turbo, taking all day, and experiencing much frustration, often groaning loudly.
But nobody every complained.



In fact, the only people who ever commented on my work had a positive response (Granted, they were few and far between).
Perhaps the angry people felt guilty about judging me and so said nothing.

I wish I were a machine and could skip emotions, but all I can say is that it was probably all in my mind.
A wise man once told me that emotions are like excrement- everyone has them, and if you don't let them pass... things get messy.



Now I live in the suburbs, and several neighbors do their own work on project cars, so I keep plugging along. I'm actually studying diesel tech at the community college. I love learning this stuff. I'm young; it's a continuous growing process. I also don't have any money to pay others to do the work.
 
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bowlerman

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2001
Location
medford, NJ
TDI
2001 jetta tdi black
i do my own work and because of picky people i dont work on anyone else anymore. tired of complaints
 

ahldailydriver02

Veteran Member
Joined
May 9, 2019
Location
Arlington, Ne
TDI
02 Jetta 5 speed, 03 Jetta Wagon 5 speed
i do my own work and because of picky people i dont work on anyone else anymore. tired of complaints
I am kind of in the same boat you are. I like to know what is actually being done and the right way. As for others cars, I still do a little, but depends on the person and what needs to be worked on.
 

[486]

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 1, 2014
Location
MN
TDI
02 golf ALH
i do my own work and because of picky people i dont work on anyone else anymore. tired of complaints
hahaha
"you put in balljoints and now my tires are bald
what are you going to do about this?"

well if you'd have gone and gotten an alignment like I told you to 14000 miles ago we wouldn't be having this conversation now would we?

I just started charging 120 an hour for side work. Shop I work at charges like 160 or something similarly ridiculous (just drive ten miles north and you'll find everyone charges 80/hr) so I figure it is fair.
 

ahldailydriver02

Veteran Member
Joined
May 9, 2019
Location
Arlington, Ne
TDI
02 Jetta 5 speed, 03 Jetta Wagon 5 speed
hahaha
"you put in balljoints and now my tires are bald
what are you going to do about this?"
well if you'd have gone and gotten an alignment like I told you to 14000 miles ago we wouldn't be having this conversation now would we?
I just started charging 120 an hour for side work. Shop I work at charges like 160 or something similarly ridiculous (just drive ten miles north and you'll find everyone charges 80/hr) so I figure it is fair.
Bahahahaha
 

coalminer16

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 11, 2008
Location
Central Wisconsin
TDI
Golf 2004
Worked in the maintenance field most of my life. There are good mechanics and bad mechanics. A good bad mechanic may still fix it but threw more parts and labor then needed. A truly bad would be a jiffylub type. They can't even thread a drain plug correctly all the time. I can do lot of my own work saving 100/hr and buy the needed tools vs have someone else screw it up.

Only found a few good mechanics and they often move on elsewhere. Said when the Harley dealer calls to say their good guy left and we may not want to get the bikes worked on there anymore.

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