Poll: DIY vs Mechanic

[Oaktown 986]

Originally Posted by shaman1204

installed a cable that plays and charges the ipod through the factory head unit

Did you do a writeup on how to do that?

Jon

[Adam]

I've done all my own work thus far, which isn't much more than just regular maintence because the car has been very reliable since new. Have a few small mods I installed myself like the 997/987 shifter, smoked side markers, BMC air filter, non-smoker tray but nothing major yet.

[shaman1204]

Originally Posted by Oaktown 986

Did you do a writeup on how to do that?

Jon

Read this thread. There is a ton of info about the cable here.

[mptoledo]

Hands down DIY!! Only way I would have someone else do it, is if The money didn't matter, I didn't realistically have the time, and if I didn't have any mechanical skills.


DIY Pro's
You get to know your car
Sense of accomplishment
Save Big $$$
Make sure its done right (no cutting corners)
It's easier the second time!!
You Amass a whole new tool collection
You can make a lot of new friends, like on here



DIY Con's
You get dirty
You can get frustrated
You could screw something bigger up
You could injure yourself
Could be a mess on your garage floor

[tonycarreon]

Originally Posted by Oaktown 986

Did you do a writeup on how to do that?

i used an ipod connector i purchased from jeremy ( http://986forum.com/forums/members/raisedonporsches.html ) which was a breeze to install.

becker has a cable as well. i don't know what the difference is ( besides $ ).

other than that, i've done a serpentine belt, cleaned radiators and replaced the coolant cap. mechanic replaced front strut mount.

i have coolant, spark plugs, cv boot kits and fuel filter sitting in the basement waiting for install. will leave the cv boots to the same mechanic that did the strut mount. rest will be done by me.

[Lil bastard]

I'm a DIYer and have been for many years.

Haven't come across many things I couldn't do incl. engine assembly, valve work, etc. I pretty much do everything except machining (don't have the apparatus). After many years, I've accumulated all the necessary tools - 4 cabinets worth.

Working on the car myself is a very big part of the hobby for me.

[roadracer311]

All DIY so far. Living in San Francisco, I share my garage with my upstairs neighbors, so I can't get too crazy. If I did a clutch job, I'd probably have to borrow my business partner's garage.

My biggest reason for doing it myself: For most jobs, I'm going to do it with more care and time than a shop can afford to spend. For example, I can let my oil drain for two days and a shop has to do it in 20 minutes to get the lift cleared for the next job.

[Lucky]

I've owned my S for two years and have done the following work...


DIY: ROW M030 suspension, PSE muffler, oil/filter (3 times), air filter, spark plugs, cabin air filter, fuel filter, tranny fluid, battery (Optima), aftermarket sway bar drop links, iPod cable for CDR220


Shop (dealer, actually): alignment


Near future DIY: engine mount, rear wheel bearings (left side is rumbling), Schnell short shift; clean radiators


For me part of the fun of a "toy" car is working on it and making it better. I've found the Boxster quite easy to work on. Suspension work is much, much easier than my previous Porsche -- a torsion bar 911. And being able to change the clutch (or whole tranny) without engine removal is a nice change from the 911.

BTW, I have a lift and air tools at home, so I can have the car up in the air with wheels off in less than 10 minutes.

[sd_boxster]

I've done everything so far except mount up the new tires. The Boxster makes some tasks, like changing out the brake pads, amazingly easy. Wheel lugs instead of lug nuts made pulling the rotors off a snap.

Not a lot of engine-bay time - I've got a year of warranty left before I need to start worrying about that.

The header install (and subsequent uninstall - too LOUD!) was a really nice surprise, too. Exhaust manifolds on the bottom of the engine in the middle of the car is worlds better than under the hood, on the side of the motor, an inch from the firewall or radiator.

[CRCGuy]

The responses here have been great! and surprising. I really never would have thought that a mid-engine car with no hood to pop open would have been so relatively easy to work on (albeit, maybe tougher than normal cars in some areas).
But I guess you do need the right tools and some more important for a Boxster than other cars (e.g. lift).

That really helps me in my decision to get a Boxster as I too have always done some work on my cars. My Miata was a piece of cake for most jobs.

[Bladecutter]

Originally Posted by CRCGuy

The responses here have been great! and surprising. I really never would have thought that a mid-engine car with no hood to pop open would have been so relatively easy to work on (albeit, maybe tougher than normal cars in some areas).
But I guess you do need the right tools and some more important for a Boxster than other cars (e.g. lift).

That really helps me in my decision to get a Boxster as I too have always done some work on my cars. My Miata was a piece of cake for most jobs.

You don't really need a lift, but it would make some jobs much easier, like the front engine mount replacement. That would be MUCH easier with a lift of some form or another.

I don't have a lift, and here's my list of stuff I've done by myself:

Rear Struts
Front Engine Mount
All 4 rotors and pads
Convertible top Microswitch

So far, the only thing I have had to "outsource" to my local Firestone shop was the alignment after I replaced the rear struts.

In a couple weeks, I'm going to try my hand at spooning on a new set of rear tires, since I always do the tires on my motorcycles. Should be exactly the same as the rear wheel on my Ducati 848.

BC.