Do you DIY or take it to the shop (poll)

[snake_]

This is for performance upgrades (exhausts/lowering kits/turbo) and cosmetic upgrades (wheels/sound systems/interior/etc). It seems like alot of members here do it themselves but I honestly don't have the time, tools, or space to work on my car. But I do have money to pay to get the work done professionally and this is the route I plan on taking once I start modding my car seriously. As someone on this forum once said "tinkering with cars isn't for everyone". I'd just rather pay once and get the work done with a full warranty then bury all my money and time into a project that won't turn out right.

[soundman98]

just be wary of some of the shops offering to do the work-- just because they will do it doesn't mean they will warranty it(ever hear the horror stories about the quick change oil shops?), or in this economy, if they will even be around long enough to accept warranty work..

[Corey16]

It depends for me. If I'm doing anything other than opening up the transmission or taking the engine out and working on that I will most likely do myself. I simply just do not have all the tools needed for major work like that but enough tools to do 70 percent of the work on my car. Of course it's never easy but seeing as how I'm a broke college kid I try to save a buck or two as much as possible. Also go through the aches and pains of learning!

[White Knight]

i don't trust shops at all, and it seems that all the shops around here that i talk to don't know anything about the 3g platform. the only thing they do for me is things i can't do myself, so they do alignments and mount and balance my tires. but i can't find a shop around here that can/will do an alignment on my car and they are so careless with putting a car on a lift and taking off wheels that when it comes time to do that then i pit my car on stands, take my wheels off then drive them up there in my truck. hell, when my tranny needed rebuilt i called around and asked how much experiences they had with these cars.transmissions and i didn't like the answers i got so i shipped to a place in new jersey that has a guy who specializes in performance mitsubishi transmissions. i do have a guy that i trust for body work though.

[HRT]

^ Agreed, especially about not trusting shops. Even the few shops that have highly skilled mechanics are going to have Junior Tech doing most of the (basic) work, e.g. cranking on caliper slide bolts with an impact hammer.

I do it all myself. Only reason I'd go to a shop would be if I'm on a roadtrip nowhere near my tools. Even then, that's what Autozone parking lots are for right? And depending on what kind of repair is needed, I may just rent a truck with a tow dolly and bring the car back home.

I don't think alignments qualify; most people probably don't have a rack in their garage!

[Drewski0523]

Still with alignments and stuff you need to go somewhere to have someone else do it I always stand right there and watch everything they do. There have been plenty of times where I stopped people from using an impact gun and made them get out out a torque wrench and do it right. Shops around me are all about in, quick fix, and out. They don't follow torque specs which for me is a big no no, they're there for a reason. They don't take time to listen to an explanation and do things the way you want. (I went through a ton of shit just to have my car aligned with aftermarket adjustment kits because no one wanted to take the time and do it).

Basically if your going this route, you pay for what you get. You need to shop around and find a mech you trust. You need to know how to/understand how and why things work so you can always be sure it was done right. But no one will ever care about your car the way you do. I do everything I can myself, and if I can't I go to a trusted friend and learn how to do it so I can know for myself. I always follow the TM's and I know that there is a microscopic percentage of people who would do the same.