Doing your own spanner work

[Shedking]

My dad was an engineer. When I first started driving he drilled it into me to always do my own servicing and repairs as garages can't be trusted. He walked me through the easy jobs like servicing, brakes etc later moving on to more complicated jobs. So for the last 40 odd years I've done all my own spanner work and built up a considerable tool chest, it's probably saved me a fortune. I try to buy simple shitters, petrol engined with not much to go wrong and generally easy to work on and fix and cheap plentiful parts. 

That means mainstream shitters that were built in their millions so that scrap yards and flea bay are full of spares. Problem is that as I get nearer the big 60 and being in the fortunate position of money not being that much of a problem (I run shitters out of choice not necessity) I'm starting to get less inclined to bother. I don't get a lot of spare time with work and grandkids but I also hate the idea of paying someone to do something probably to a worse standard than me. 

Do any of you sheddists do your own spanner work or use a garage that you trust ? I've not found one near me that I want to send my car to, I wouldn't take a wheel barrow to most of them

[beko1987]

I do all my own spannering. Prefer it, it's cheaper and sometimes I even enjoy it 😂

Trick is staying at the end of the market where needing a clutch or gearbox easily writes the car off and is the most economically viable thing to do. No big jobs then... 

[New POD]

I'm an Engineer, but I'm not a mechanic and some things require skills and tools I don't have. So yes in my younger days, I replaced engines and changed cylinder head gaskets but has to sub out some stuff.  

Now, I don't have the patience.  I should have more time, but I don't seem to have. As for finding a trusted garage. Good luck with that. 

I found one once, near where I worked.  But I changed jobs and it's 35 miles away. 

[Agila]

I'm the same but 20 years younger, even at 40 I can't be bothered to be crawling about working on rusty heaps etc.

I've made enquiries on a base sandero as I'm just wanting something simple for the next 10 years for work. £10k seems very reasonable.

[riek]

It's one of those things that's fun if you're not dependent on the car to get to work tomorrow.

[horriblemercedes]

I do what I can, when I have time.

If it's something that's beyond my skills/tools/time, I have a mechanic I like very much who is happy to fit parts I buy and do exact requests. I'm lucky though - they're not easy to find!

[AnnoyingPentium]

3 minutes ago, horriblemercedes said:

I do what I can, when I have time.

If it's something that's beyond my skills/tools/time, I have a mechanic I like very much who is happy to fit parts I buy and do exact requests. I'm lucky though - they're not easy to find!

Same here. I tend to do smaller jobs and a lot of interior work. However, like yourself, I have a mechanic who's a good egg.

[bunglebus]

I do pretty much everything myself, that's what my dad did too. I tell myself I enjoy it, but today I was on the drive in a force 9 gale with coolant running up my arm changing my thermostat and getting annoyed about the job not going right (rounded out allen bolt, coolant leaking so had to do it again). I think it would be much more satisfying if I had a garage and a lift, pissing about with trolley jacks and axle stands is great when you're 20, at 44 it's a chore.

Only farmed out jobs I either felt I couldn't do (diesel cambelt) or I didn't have the equipment for (pressing wheel bearing races off/Renault 5). Most times anyone else works on my car they do a crap job in some way, had my wheel centre caps scratched and wheel nuts done up to a million pounds feet by tyre fitters and the garage that did the bearings. I have a VW specialist close by run by people I used to work with at a VW dealer, they do a good job but at a price - they get the cambelt job every four years

[sierraman]

Do it myself if possible, I’ve tried using a series of garages in the locality out of simple convenience, I really have got better things to be doing of an evening in January that laid on the drive in the dark.

However the garages locally are absolutely useless, completely not fit for purpose, either they just haven’t kept to speed on modern cars or just generally don’t know what they are doing. For some reason garages near us seem to have a higher percentage than any other trade of being incompetent. If they were gasfitters or electricians they’d have been struck off. Anyway I digress. 

I’ve gone back to doing most jobs myself as it’s generally less hassle. I keep on in the hope that someone who knows what they’re doing sets up locally and I can be spared fucking about on the floor in the winter months. 

[Shedking]

As an example over the last 18 months I had to change the clutch as the release bearing was shot. Cheapest quote was £300 which I thought was reasonable but couldn't bring myself to let them do it. I gave myself a good talking to and the next weekend which was glorious weather wise I bought a clutch from ECP for 40 English pounds and set to. Many, many hours later with the help of my son to pass me things it was done.

Next job was the brake servo. Quotes ranged from £250 to £350 which I thought was a bit of a pi$$ take. Ordered a second hand servo for £30, took far longer than I anticipated as Peugeot in their infinite wisdom fitted a pin to the mechanism which connects the brakes to the servo which would not move one way or tother. After losing all of the skin from my knuckles I managed to prise it apart with a crowbar but instead of putting the stupid pin back used a bolt of the same thickness instead. 

So on these 2 jobs alone I saved myself around £600 and had the satisfaction of knowing that they were done properly.  Full service for £50 and then good to go. Thing is though I was broken, it took me a good week to recover from doing the clutch and a few days for the servo, in the words of Danny Glover in lethal weapon "I'm getting too old for this sh#t". Doesn't help that my kids bring their cars as well and give zero gratitude and thanks afterwards. 

[dozeydustman]

My grandad was an MoD trained motor engineer and cut his teeth on AEC Matadors, Bedford QLs and various Rolls-Royce military piston and jet engines. He owned his own successful business from the 60s to the 80s. He taught me a lot about how to work on cars. Not everything he knew but a lot. The only thing he didn’t show me was a full engine rebuild.

I have the knowledge, I have a good amount of the skillset to do the jobs, most of the work that gets passed on to a garage (a trusted one) are the handful of things I don’t have the skills to do, stuff where I need presses or specialist equipment, or don’t have the time, or don’t have space in my garage (which would struggle to host an Isetta) to do the work. When we get our own place as opposed to rented I hope to fit out a modest workshop with a press, parts cleaner and a few power tools.

As a general rule, anything post 2000 I hate working on.

[NigeT]

Do everything myself except belts on the Mondial which I leave to a seasoned expert. Even still enjoy working on terminal rusty shitheaps.

[red5]

Yes, and yes.

Also, if people aren't appreciative of the work / effort you put in then don't do it for them. Most of the 'my mate..s' aren't worth doing work for either friendship or financial-wise.

[Cookiesouwest]

I use to do most of my spannering. I got a sense of achievement and saved money. I was young and didn't care about the wet or cold, working on the drive.

I'm 50 now. Knees are a bit knackered. Shoulder knackered. No way am I going to enjoy pissing around fixing a car in the open air.

I have a trusted local garage, that can do most jobs at 30 quid an hour including vat. If they can't do it, the work gets farmed to a specialist, but only one that friends or marque specific forums / clubs have recommended.

If I had a large heated garage, I would probably still try to do most jobs. But I havent and can afford to pay someone else.

[MJK 24]

I do most of it but I pick my battles.  The other week I paid £70 to watch someone fight and struggle to change the ball joints on my 190.

That was money well spent.  The prop centre bearing wants doing now.  I might do that myself.

[LabRat]

I still do most minor bits and pieces on our cars, mainly brakes and servicing and minor repairs.

Though increasing fragile family members and a job that requires call outs at stupid o'clock in the morning, along with regular 200 mile trips to my parents resulted in me trading the hopelessly broken and  unreliable MG6 in for a modern SUV thing with a dealer service plan and warranty.

I've still got the shitheap C4 to look at when I can be arsed- it needs the lambda sensors replacing to clear an eml light and possibly front droplinks. But, it's cold, wet and after a week of cleaning shit and graffiti off school walls, I really can't find the enthusiasm to do it.

I'll do it at some point, simply because I'm a tight git and won't pay the garage £200+ to do something I can do myself.

[warch]

I do all my own work and have done for years now. Even tyres, which started because very few fitters do motorcycle tyres and then progressed to car tyres. 

I probably save a fortune in garage bills which is a factor, but I love taking things apart and maintaining things plus it is part of my identity somehow.

[Fumbler]

I try to do as much as possible but I'm lacking quite a bit of kit to do quite a few immediate jobs. While it hurts financially, sometimes it's just better for me to farm out the work to a specialist. Eventually I hope to get skilled enough to do most of the work myself.

[Jazoli]

I do anything that doesn't require crawling around underneath the car, although I do farm stuff out to a guy I trust if it's particularly awkward, I don't mind tackling most things but I'm getting less arsed about doing it, have plenty of tools and I'm always buying more but I am thinking of just running newish low maintenance cars from now on to be honest.

[Dyslexic Viking]

I do most of the work on my cars myself. This is both because I like it and to save money. Advanced and hard things like timing belts are taken at my local garage.

[MrBiscuits]

When I was younger & poorer I did everything at the side of the road. Learned from Dad who still does in his late 60's. These days I'm  less keen. Without the luxury of a drive or garage I'm not up for lugging tools up the road (and having to lock them all in the car when I inevitably forget something). Also jacking heavy modern cars on dodgy camber and rolling about in the grit whilst tossers boot it past at 40mph is a bit too sketchy.

I'm lucky I can now afford to pay someone and have managed to find a few honest & skilled members of the trade. I still do the odd bit, but find I get the fear now about breaking something and getting stuck. None of this stops me buying shiny tools. Ironically I'm 10x better equipped than when I was swapping engines on my parents  drive.

It's reassuring to know I have the basic skills to keep a car on the road for very little if I have to - very few people these days do.

[Mally]

I'm an engineer, I do almost everything.

I recently tried to get a couple of garages to fit a new clutch to my Saab between Xmas and NYE, but for some strange reason they wouldn't do it.

So I did the majority, lying on my back outside, freezing.

My son, also an engineer, but with a little more sense, gave me a lift now and then.

You are nearing the big 60? I'm a little* older.

[sierraman]

It’s funny because garages seem to want small simple jobs they don’t want the big complicated jobs. No fucker wants those. 

[Shedking]

2 minutes ago, sierraman said:

It’s funny because garages seem to want small simple jobs they don’t want the big complicated jobs. No fucker wants those. 

True, they want as much money as possible for as little work that they can get away with, they're not getting any custom from me. 

[sutty2006]

Because I’m a truck mechanic I do the majority of work on my fleet myself. However that all changed when my little boy came along. For the first time in 17 years of driving I bit the bullet and got my very good friend to service and MOT my daily driver. The Audi Allroad. I just don’t have the time or inclination to do it at the moment and I trust my mates garage very much…. 
 

unlike the main dealer I work at. I emptied a bin tonight before the end of shift and separating cardboard into the correct bin I found a box with a brand new fuel filter in it…… from a van. Can’t even trust main dealers these days. 

[dollywobbler]

I'm not an engineer and I'm increasingly getting fed up with my cack hands and am farming more and more stuff out, which is expensive and not without stress. Garages don't always get it right either. But I'm getting fed up with the fact that all of my cars are a mess. The work being done on the Fox at the moment is staggering, and it really was in very poor condition (Over £470 spent in parts alone so far...). My 2CV is the car I've done most work on myself, and it's appalling. 

I don't envy garages though. They have to make a profit at the end of the day, so they can't just keep going until everything is perfect or they'll either be bankrupt or have angry customers who don't understand why a 2-hour job took six. It just can sometimes because cars are bastards. 

[NorthernMonkey]

3 hours ago, Shedking said:

My dad was an engineer. When I first started driving he drilled it into me to always do my own servicing and repairs as garages can't be trusted….I don't get a lot of spare time with work and grandkids but I also hate the idea of paying someone to do something probably to a worse standard than me. 

Do any of you sheddists do your own spanner work or use a garage that you trust ? I've not found one near me that I want to send my car to, I wouldn't take a wheel barrow to most of them

 

2 hours ago, Shedking said:

As an example over the last 18 months I had to change the clutch as the release bearing was shot. Cheapest quote was £300 which I thought was reasonable but couldn't bring myself to let them do it.

 

4 minutes ago, Shedking said:

True, they want as much money as possible for as little work that they can get away with, they're not getting any custom from me. 

Anyone would think you don’t trust garages…..

 

2 hours ago, Shedking said:

I bought a clutch from ECP for 40 English pounds and set to. Many, many hours later with the help of my son to pass me things it was done.

Next job was the brake servo. Quotes ranged far longer than I anticipated as Peugeot in their infinite wisdom fitted a pin to the mechanism which connects the brakes to the servo which would not move one way or tother. After losing all of the skin from my knuckles I managed to prise it apart with a crowbar but instead of putting the stupid pin back used a bolt of the same thickness instead.

The reason I’d want £300 to remove a gearbox and replace the clutch kit is I wouldn’t be using a £40 clutch kit from ECP.

By the way, I hope to god that random bolt that you used to repair your brake servo has the correct tensile strength and doesn’t one day fail rendering your braking system ineffective when you most need it…. 🙄

[Dick Longbridge]

I do basic servicing and simple repairs on ours. In the past I've done head gaskets on my old A series moggie and mk1 Jetta and have done various small bits of home paintwork over the years. I've also replaced a couple* of VAG window mechs too. 

I've got reasonably involved with the MR2 over the last few years of ownership; a full roof removal and replacement along with the rear quarter amongst other things. I've been intending to Lanoguard the underside for ages but realistically need to find somewhere flat where I can get it up in the air, wire brush it all down and then get it coated. I don't relish the thought of the job. 

 

[Shedking]

7 minutes ago, NorthernMonkey said:

 

 

Anyone would think you don’t trust garages…..

 

The reason I’d want £300 to remove a gearbox and replace the clutch kit is I wouldn’t be using a £40 clutch kit from ECP.

By the way, I hope to god that random bolt that you used to repair your brake servo has the correct tensile strength and doesn’t one day fail rendering your braking system ineffective when you most need it…. 🙄

You sound like a person who stresses a lot. If I do a job I make sure it's done properly, I've not had a moments bother from either, the £40 clutch is working perfectly. 

[Asimo]

Some jobs are easier to trust to garages: in the last year I have twice paid for repair work. Replacing burst and rusty brakepipes on the van and replacing gearbox oil seal on the Suzuki. Both cost about £100 at my local. 

The pipes were a no-brainer, I don’t have the pipe flare kit and if I did I would have been doing the job on my back on the grass with the van on blocks.

The oil seal I did nearly do, acces under the GV is good I had all of the tools and it looked an easy job. But in the end I paid because I was sure it would be a simple job that would be done right and I’ll keep my energy for the work that I find harder to trust to the trade and relatively really bad value: servicing. What I never pay for is what used to be called routine maintenance. Fluid changes, checks and inspections, consumables and the like. No point in paying for that sort of thing and doing it yourself keeps you in touch with your motor.