Then of course there are those like me, who can describe what they want/need done and either wait until it's done, or watch as someone else busts a knuckle. Don't get me wrong, I am well seasoned at the art of tinkering, but I leave the bigger jobs to those who are far more proficient than I am.
For some it comes down to dollars and cents... Just affording the parts can be an issue, and the budget doesn't allow for paying someone else to put them on. Others have the means and want things done right (better than they could do it themselves) so they hire the professionals.
Then there are those who love to do most or all of the work themselves, and the sense of accomplishment they feel when it's done is priceless...Which are you?
I'm looking forward to reading your comments!
Chebby, good question!
ReplyDeleteI find that I do almost everything on my vehicles, I was trained at auto repair right out of high school and my Dear old Dad had a full service gas station, the kind where they pumped your gas, checked your oil and washed your windshield, all on a $2 sale of fuel and followed it up with a Thank you Maam or Thank you Sir!
So Ive always been around cars and fuel, but as I got older I came to realize thats a big part of the reason I was put on this earth, To Fix THINGS! In my younger days I couldn't afford to pay anyone and now I just feel better doing it myself.
I have in recent times though had to recruit a good mechanic that works on the side to diagnose a couple of deep computer diagnostic stuff using his $20,000 snap on scanner tool...but I can usually diagnose myself.
Just recently I was with a group of guys who actually knew how to use tools..It was an odd feeling for me because I normally have to show my friends or relatives how to do various home/auto repairs.
My van has been another chapter of many, many repairs. I don't know who coined it but I have resurrected my van as well..it was all but headed for the scrap pile when I got it..I really couldn't afford to pay someone to paint it because it needed so much body work....so I started asking questions, got a DA sander, a can of Bondo and started learning, And now I have a basic understanding of how its done, WOW, now that is a whole nother can of worms! I really now appreciate what those in the auto body/collision repair do and why they charge what they do.
In the meantime I'll keep spending lots of time in the Busted Knuckle Garage
Cuz I cant figure out how to post here the right way it says Anonymous, but Im Terry aka Magic Bus on the Vint-age Van forum