Do you work on your car yourself or pay others to do work for you?

[Mk5 GTian]

I haven't got a scoobie! I take my car in to get the tyre pressures done 

[Tortaruga]

I do as much as I can myself. I love tinkering, always have.

I don't care about stamps in the service book. I write in the work I've done with the date & mileage.

You'll get more cash for your car if it's detailed to perfection (and regularly serviced), not from VW main dealer stamps. In my opinion.

[h4rdy]

I am a tinkerer and try to do a lot myself.

Although sometimes a brick wall can approach.

I attempted to fit an exhaust to my MK2 on the drive, I ground through my hand with an angle grinder trying to get it off but it was only superficial.

Got it done.

My new BCS will be fitted at AKS but if I had a ramp I would do it myself.

No job is too hard its only nuts and bolts.

Not bigging myself up but compared to what I build/fix at work a car is a very simple machine!

[TrickGTI]

Im a mechanic and i did everything to mine servicing, performance mods the lot! the suspension on a mk5 is a doddle to work on so go for it! the back is very easy to do so give that ago and see how you feel after that and see if you want to tackle the front 

Just think about it this way! if you do it yourself ( as long as you do it right ) then that 200 labour cost can go towards something else like a exhaust or intercooler or what ever tickles your fancy ha!

Thats how i justified spending all my money i was like well iv just saved 300 quid labour in doing my own cambelt water pump change and full service so thats 300 quid to go towards my forge twinercooler!

It was like free modding in my head haha!

[Baz300]

Im a mechanic and i did everything to mine servicing, performance mods the lot! the suspension on a mk5 is a doddle to work on so go for it! the back is very easy to do so give that ago and see how you feel after that and see if you want to tackle the front 

Just think about it this way! if you do it yourself ( as long as you do it right ) then that 200 labour cost can go towards something else like a exhaust or intercooler or what ever tickles your fancy ha!

Thats how i justified spending all my money i was like well iv just saved 300 quid labour in doing my own cambelt water pump change and full service so thats 300 quid to go towards my forge twinercooler!

It was like free modding in my head haha!

I like your thinking 

Time is the problem for me To do work to my car, I have had my suspension kit for almost 2 months now but it will get put on at some point

I would love to have a garage big enough to do work on a car and have a mk2 or nova project to potter about on

[JPC]

This is only in relation to the original poster and not other members that have commented....


If you dont feel overly confident and haven't fitted springs onto the car before, I would recommend you pay someone like JKM do fit them. There is a lot that can go wrong, you might cost yourself a lot more than £200 if its not done right. It can easily cost you £200 in tyres if the tracking is not done right.

Companies like JKM are not there to rip anyone off. they are there to provide a professional service, get it done right first time whilst at the same time feed a family, pay for a mortgage etc. Your not being ripped off, £200 is a fair price when you think of all the labour and tracking that needs to be done. Your paying to put a daughter thru university or a to put tea on the table for someone like JKM, not paying for yachts and fancy holidays.

thats just my opinion. By all means, DIY if you are fully confident, if not, get the professionals in!

Oh and you other members that I said i wasnt addressing, Im more than confident there are a lot of our members that would be able to do this themselves ;)

[h4rdy]

If that includes tracking that's a good price if not, its not.

The rears are very easy.

The fronts marginally more difficult.

1.5hrs I would say.

 

[Neiltdi]

This is only in relation to the original poster and not other members that have commented....


If you dont feel overly confident and haven't fitted springs onto the car before, I would recommend you pay someone like JKM do fit them. There is a lot that can go wrong, you might cost yourself a lot more than £200 if its not done right. It can easily cost you £200 in tyres if the tracking is not done right.

Companies like JKM are not there to rip anyone off. they are there to provide a professional service, get it done right first time whilst at the same time feed a family, pay for a mortgage etc. Your not being ripped off, £200 is a fair price when you think of all the labour and tracking that needs to be done. Your paying to put a daughter thru university or a to put tea on the table for someone like JKM, not paying for yachts and fancy holidays.

thats just my opinion. By all means, DIY if you are fully confident, if not, get the professionals in!

Oh and you other members that I said i wasnt addressing, Im more than confident there are a lot of our members that would be able to do this themselves ;)

Its not that im not confident enough i know for a fact i can do it and understand thats what they do for a living also it isnt a dig at jkm personally i only rang them cause they did my re map for me and seemed like good people and good at what they do its also the first time i have ever rang/payed anywhere to do work for me apart from an m.o.t its just i lost my unit to work on my cars and live in a flat where i cant work on my car

[Baz300]

If it includes tracking it is a very good deal

I was getting quoted £200 just to fit the suspension then £100 on top for 4 wheel alinment

[RedRobin]

This is only in relation to the original poster and not other members that have commented....


If you dont feel overly confident and haven't fitted springs onto the car before, I would recommend you pay someone like JKM do fit them. There is a lot that can go wrong, you might cost yourself a lot more than £200 if its not done right. It can easily cost you £200 in tyres if the tracking is not done right.

Companies like JKM are not there to rip anyone off. they are there to provide a professional service, get it done right first time whilst at the same time feed a family, pay for a mortgage etc. Your not being ripped off, £200 is a fair price when you think of all the labour and tracking that needs to be done. Your paying to put a daughter thru university or a to put tea on the table for someone like JKM, not paying for yachts and fancy holidays.

thats just my opinion. By all means, DIY if you are fully confident, if not, get the professionals in!

Oh and you other members that I said i wasnt addressing, Im more than confident there are a lot of our members that would be able to do this themselves ;)

....Nail on head! (but don't use nails when working on cars, unless they have vintage coachwork!)  

And it also applies of course to other good professional workshops like JKM such as AKS, Statller, etc.

 

[rich83]

Ive done a few things myself but all major stuff gets taken to someone who knows what they are doing.

I once tried to drop the subframe on my old mk5. I couldn't get the ARB brackets bolted back on because the wheels were unsupported. Proper shat myself, but if I did it again I would know exactly what to do.

[RedRobin]

Ive done a few things myself but all major stuff gets taken to someone who knows what they are doing.

I once tried to drop the subframe on my old mk5. I couldn't get the ARB brackets bolted back on because the wheels were unsupported. Proper shat myself, but if I did it again I would know exactly what to do.

....It's certainly true that we all learn from our mistakes and also simply by doing things. But my car is not something I want to make any mistake with!

[Kalpsn2000]

I do the basic stuff myself such as changing spark plugs/coilpacks, filters, break pads/discs. But anything more technical I leave to the professionals