What Maintenance Do *You* Usually Do?

[Trackrat]

I think it is a fair guess that many if not most GT car owners tackle a lot of DIY projects. But how far are you willing and able to go?

Personally I will do anything up to dropping the engine or tranny and alignments. While I am capable, I choose to leave those to a tech that I know and trust :D

Where are your boundaries?

[FTS]

For me it is mostly a time issue, I never seem to have enough time to do most of my own work unfortunately. I used to do brake stuff myself, and even alignment with strings and corner balancing, but I sold all that stuff now, and my car gets serviced by trusted mechanics now, even oil changes and brakes :(

You don't have an opyion in your poll for ppl like me, which is hard to imagine, I know; I don't even wash and wax, dealer does that perfectly for me.

[mooty]

all the way to medium

[jenk12m]

I Picked wash n wax but there was nothing for the tire change and occasional brake pad change

[GT3Racerich]

So far, between medium and heavy.
Rich

[landjet]

Change tires, pads, and do clean up. I never learned to work on cars as a kid so I leave the mods to them that know.

[PJS]

If I had the time and my own lift I would love to do it...

[ToddB]

Try to do most work myself, as long as I have the time. It's my therapy, also gets me intimate with the car, so I know if something is wrong later. In the end, I'm somewhere between medium and heavy.

[24Chromium]

While I voted a strong medium, I actually haven't ever changed my own oil. Kinda funny, considering all the work on the interior I've done (Traqmate hardwire, Valentine One hardwire, etc.). I guess the interior work is simply "cleaner"! LOL

[Trackrat]

It is really hard for me to trust anybody to work on my car. I have full confidence in a local tech that I work with and he is about the only one. If you can find a person you trust I think they are worth their weight in gold.

[TRAKCAR]

None of the above;
I just wnna drive and drink beer.

I do bring pads and rotors to the track and will change if needed, but only if really needed.
I change my wheels side to side and somethimes get tires flipped / mounted locally.

Every thirs or 4th. weekend I bring my car in to get it all done and after every event the car washer guy comes to clean it.

[Izzone]

Heavy and anything I can figure out

Cars are like tinker toys.....I can figure it out as well as the monley in the shop

I do pay to have experts do work I do not understand....but I watch the entire process so I can learn how to do it one day

this is something I enjoy, not have to do.......just like Peter enjoys drinking beer

[FFaust]

Medium - Heavy but limited by equipment.

[Dell]

Voted medium. I would do some of the heavy lifting stuff but I prefer to use a pro for those items as you can really screw something up if it goes wrong.

Stuff I do:
Motor Oil
Tranny Oil
Brake Fluid
Pads and Rotor
Exhaust System
Misc mods (cosmetic mostly and some "performance")
Rad cleanouts
I wash her but I pay a pro to do the paint (i.e., clean, polish, wax, etc)

It helps to have a lift at home so not only do I get to wrench on my car, but a few of the local guys cars as well :)

[Larry Herman]

I do everything except open the trans or major motor work. I seem to have a talent for suspension work and I like doing my own alignments because that way I know that they are right (and not subject to the calibrations of some machine).

[1Gunner]

Certified "medium-heavy".... ::-/

[amaist]

Wash the car? Only in a touchless automatic carwash. The stickers managed to stay on.

I am capable on switching wheels and pads. Otherwise I put the gas in and load and unload from the trailer. I can check tire pressures and temperatures.

I wish I had the time to do more but not at this point.

I installed a suspension once in my E46 M3. After finally managing to get the upper control arm installed after unbolting the diff and hammering on the body to fit the wrench in I decided I can pay someone else to suffer the same. I am doing it for fun.

Once I build my house with a proper garage (or a garage with a house) I'll do more.

[FTS]

Once I build my house with a proper garage (or a garage with a house) I'll do more.
Now, I'd love to see that garage :-)))

Welcome to our community.

[amaist]

Now, I'd love to see that garage :-)))

Welcome to our community.

Well, may not be the ultimate Garage Mahal but I figure it should keep all the current vehicles in the family (4) plus one more space with a lift and separable from the rest by a partition.

What puzzles me is when someone spends high six figures or even low seven figures building a custom house and they only get a 2 car garage. With available land not being an issue. In Canada where cars freeze into solid rock in winter. I like my cars to be room temperature when I get into them.

I like this forum. I hope nobody posts a question about retrofitting rear seats in a GT3. :beatinghead:

[TRAKCAR]

+1 No cold issues here, hot humidity problems in South Florida.

We live in a small house, but my 2 car garage is A/C and I have indoor A/C parking at the office :-) This allows me to drive the few miles with the windows open and A/C off. LOL.

A second bigger garage is in the plans :-)

[FTS]

Today I went to help a friend out in changing his Cayman's exhaust. He rented a lift in a shop (http://www.ditymechanics.com/) for $20/hr, we had a blast. It took us 6 hours to do the job, but we got it done. The shop was very clean, provided us all the tools we needed, had shop manuals, TVs, computers and mechanics to ask questions. The staff was so helpful too, I just loved the place.

[AllanJ]

I do oil, brakes, etc. Installed my DAS bar, seats, Race Keeper too. All fairly straightforward.

[FTS]

Welcome to the community Allan.

How did you hook up Race Keeper, RPM, TPS, etc.? I am wondering how difficult it is to do so.

[AllanJ]

Welcome to the community Allan.

How did you hook up Race Keeper, RPM, TPS, etc.? I am wondering how difficult it is to do so.
Thanks. :)

RPM & TPS was easy. I just plugged in an OBD-II cable. It monitors a bunch of things (many you won't care about).

I'll start a new thread. Pics aren't super complete, but it'll get the idea across.

[ninerguru]

I voted serious as I have rebuilt 5 911 air cooled engines (3 mine, 2 for friends) and done 4 trans (1 mine, 3 for friends) in my garage without a lift... Have done suspension (including torsion bar indexing), brake upgrades and rebuilds and rewired my 74 track car. But recently had the pros do my GT3's RMS. I will be upgrading the GT3's suspension this winter, pretty much a bolt off, bolt on...

I think by far, the hardest thing I've encountered, is the timing of the cams on an aircooled engine. It is critical to get it spot on, but the cams have a tendency to walk as you tighten up the nut. If you ever done it, you know what I mean...

[mooty]

^ i'll be in touch to have you rebuild all my stuff ;_)