Who Works on Your Vette?

[fine69]

I worked on my electrical system all last winter. After "repairing" all the damaged wires, installing the new interior items, and getting everything buttoned back up, I kept blowing fuses. Last week, I finally decided to take my car to a specialty shop. I got my car back today - everything works!

It took the shop about 5 hours - but they found the shorted wires, and also checked the integrity of other things such as the wiper motor, alternator, and headlight system.

Talk about humbling! I spent all winter messing with this stuff. I could have saved a lot of time and frustration by having the "experts" look at it!

I'm wondering how many of you do your own "wrenching"....

Ralph

 

[Vette79]

Hi Ralph. Glad you got her all fixed up. I attempt to do a lot of the work myself but when it comes to the big stuff like re-wiring the interior or rebuilding the motor I let the expert handle it. Especially when I don't have the time. Of course money is always a factor. I want to learn but I also want to drive it as soon as possible. I love my Vette and I get very impatient when I can't drive it.

 

[minifridge1138]

I do everything except:
Fiberglass & body work.
Tire mounting and balancing.

What's the fun in letting someone else do all the work?
(although I can see doing most of it, and then letting a "pro" get something you may have missed) It was probably cheaper to let them find and fix a short, than it would have been to let them re-wire you whole car.

Good Luck!

 

[fine69]

Hi Ralph. Glad you got her all fixed up. I attempt to do a lot of the work myself but when it comes to the big stuff like re-wiring the interior or rebuilding the motor I let the expert handle it. Especially when I don't have the time. Of course money is always a factor. I want to learn but I also want to drive it as soon as possible. I love my Vette and I get very impatient when I can't drive it.

Thanks Jeff,

Yeah, I also get impatient and it pretty much sux not to have access to your car... either when working on it --- or if it's in the shop.

I can be such a knuckle-head, and refuse to take the car into a shop.

Ralph

 

[KANE]

...I'm wondering how many of you do your own "wrenching"....

I do everything but transmission rebuilds. I subcontract out for those...

 

[big2bird]

I do everything but transmission rebuilds. I subcontract out for those...

Yep. Same here.

 

[bill81vette]

I'll do anything but body work...and tranny's
I have a buddy up the road that does those!!!

 

[gmjunkie]

I'll do anything but body work...and tranny's
I have a buddy up the road that does those!!!

I do it all here,except 4+3's!!!

Dr. Junk
V.D.P.S. No BS!!!

I have "HrtBeat1" on the Operating table Now!!

 

[KANE]

Must have been some cup of coffee, Junk!

:L

Seriously- every time I see Medusa I'm impressed!

 

[vett boy]

Ya ,seein how the car was brand new when he got it.

 

[bill81vette]

Must have been some cup of coffee, Junk!

:L

Seriously- every time I see Medusa I'm impressed!

it was probably 'irish' coffee

that pic of medusa can scare the sheet out of anyboby!!!!!!!!!!hnoeshnoes

 

[grumpyvette]

now I got asked,
"what do you do, who do you call when your about to tackle a job youve never done before?"
now most guys sub out jobs to the dealer or a corvette shop when they get into areas they may not be familiar with,but I do ALL the work on my corvettes for TWO good reasons, first I could NEVER afford the shop rates and I can NEVER trust the quality of work many shops do, now ILL be the VERY FIRST GUY IN LINE to ADMIT Im in WAY over my head at times! but Ive always been able to research the processes, tools, and skills and do the work, or find someone too teach me the skills eventually, youll NEVER learn new stuff if your not willing to tackle new projects and get in way over your current skill level....besides it USUALLY requires buying LOTS OF new tools and meeting new friends so you can,t hardly lose!

 

[Red Vette]

After looking at Junks' pics, I think I will subcontract out most of the work. Even with the FSM, I doubt I could do anything near what Junk does and get it right. But I hope I never find myself with major repairs. Besides, at my advanced age, I don't like laying on a creeper doing work in a confined space.

 

[BarryK]

I used to always take trhe car into a shop for EVERYTHING including simple oil changes but after realizing that most shops have NO IDEA how to work on older cars without computers, not to mention I can't afford to pay a shop to constantly make repairs on both Vettes, I now do everything myself except paint and bodywork.
I have no prior expereince doing the work so I learn each job as I go along.
I started with simple spark plug change and setting the timing to redoing the entire engine bay and most of the interior in the '65 than I got the '78 and pulled my first motor.....
Now I'm doing a complete frame replacement for a fellow club member's '80 along with a couple of the other members.

On the '65 I need to get the tranny rebuilt and replace the clutch and throw-out bearing this winter and since i can't afford to pay someone else to do it for me once again I'll have to learn how to do it all myself. I don't think the clutch and TO replacement will be TOO bad but the tranny rebuild should get interesting to say the least.....

 

[fine69]

"... On the '65 I need to get the tranny rebuilt and replace the clutch and throw-out bearing this winter and since i can't afford to pay someone else to do it for me once again I'll have to learn how to do it all myself. I don't think the clutch and TO replacement will be TOO bad but the tranny rebuild should get interesting to say the least..."

Hi Barry,

I have videotape on how to rebuild Muncie's. If you're interested, I can convert it to DVD and burn you a copy.

It's a pretty comprehensive instructional on how to do the overhaul. Of course, I wussed-out and ended having it rebuilt at my friend's tranny shop. :gap

Ralph

 

[BarryK]

Ralph


I'd LOVE to have it. I heard there was a video out on rebuilding Muncies but haven't taken the time yet to find the source of it and where to get it. Having it on DVD would be even better because I can play that in most rooms of the house including my office but we only have one VCR around and that barely works anymore.

As long as it's not too much trouble I would greatly appreciate it. No rush as I won't be for a couple months until i can get to the job but when you get around to burning it onto DVD PM me and I can give you my mailing address.

THANKS!!!

Barry

 

[Glen Braxton]

I do all my own work, the good, the bad, and even the ugly stuff. Any body that really understands these cars, well, i can't afford them. The others, simply have no clue, and I won't pay them a dime. The only thing I've ever farmed out was engine machine work. There is enough of a knowledge base on-line currently, such as The NCRS Tech Board, Guy's like Duke Williams and Lars, and Barry K for his library of tech articles. With all the good tech tools at hand, Plus an AIM, and learning to filter out the Goober ideas frequently found on the boards, working on your own car should be a requirement of ownership.

Face it guys, Owning a good Corvette is like having a beautiful girlfriend,
It might be a dirty job, but I wouldnt gonna farm either out to Goober!

 

[TWINRAY]

I do except for alignments and sometimes I think I can do just as good a job as the alignment guy.

 

[Koop]

It all depends on how the Real Estate market is. If it's good, I don't do a damn thing, if it stinks (like now) I do as much as I can with out Bubba'n my ride.

 

[fine69]

Ralph


I'd LOVE to have it. I heard there was a video out on rebuilding Muncies but haven't taken the time yet to find the source of it and where to get it. Having it on DVD would be even better because I can play that in most rooms of the house including my office but we only have one VCR around and that barely works anymore.

As long as it's not too much trouble I would greatly appreciate it. No rush as I won't be for a couple months until i can get to the job but when you get around to burning it onto DVD PM me and I can give you my mailing address.

THANKS!!!

Barry

Will-do. I'm dubbing VHS to digital now. I'll convert to DVD - no problemo.

Ralph