Who else does there own work? - Long Rant

[haulin'balz]

Pony - I've done a $hit load of work on my Stang myself, I've stayed away from the heads/intake/gears though - because I didn't feel comfortable with it, didn't have the time, and had the $$$ to pay my good friend to do it. I'll tell you this, this is my 7th car, and I've bought 6 of those 7 w/ my own $$$. My parents helped me get the 1st as I was 16 in H.S. - and it wasn't brand new. I work hard and sometimes can't find the time between work, construction on my house, time w/ my wife/family. I might not do all the work on my car, but I do think of myself as somewhat knowledgeable in even those areas I wouldn't touch........I might not be a real mechanic, but I can drive the $hit out of a car .

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'90 5.0 LX - heads, intake, cam, fuel delivery, gears, full exhaust, pulleys, ignition, drag springs, front brake upgrade, a/c delete, K&N cone filter charger.......and much more!
1/4 mile: 12.29 @115
60': 1.78

[NO SLO PK]

I work on my vehicles BECAUSE I DON'T TRUST ANYONE ELSE. Yeah, I've had bad experiences with 1) mechanics that want to joy ride with my machine and 2) mechanics that do crappy work.

NOBODY ELSE IS GOING TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR RIDE AS WELL AS YOU ARE!!



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Russ L
'91 LX
Procharger, 3 row intercooler, extrude honed Cobra intake, Mac full Length Headers, 30# inj., 73mm C&L, 75mm tb, E303 cam, 289 rods, ported E7 heads, MSD, T-Rex w/255 lph Walbro, 5 lug conversion, Cobra R wheels, 3.27 gears and Moser Axles.

[silver_pilate]

I'll chime in...

I have been very fortunate in many ways...

Like haulin'balz, my parents bought my first car...1991 F-150 with a straight six. It was in great shape except for the paint which was horrible, so we got a good deal on it. I say they bought it, well, they bought most of it. I'd been working summers and saving cash since I was in the 7th grade. That helped some. After I bought it, I used my money to repaint it. Then I drove it into a ditch at 80 mph.

My next car was a 1992 Chevy Lumina (I know, I know...but it was a pretty darn good car). I used the insurance money and some more help from my parents to purchase it.

After I got the Mustang fever, I found a car and was able to take a loan out for my car. I was once again lucky enough to have help from my parents in that they gave me a no-interest loan. At this time I was in college and working 2 part-time jobs (three during the summer). I paid my parents back every penny.

Since then, I've saved money little by little from every paycheck and bought the parts I've put on it.

I've done the vast majority of the work myself with some help from a very few select friends. The only things I've had shops do were the water pump (right after I bought it and didn't know better), the gears, the body and paint work after I was hit (needed fram work), and I worked personally with my engine builder to help short-block the new motor after I'd pulled it. The reason I took it to a mechanic for the motor is because I'd never done anything of the sort and wanted to learn how to do it right.

No one in my family was ever big into cars. All I've done I learned to do from reading, talking to friends, and scouring the pages here at MustangWorks. I take pride in what I've done with this car. It may have taken me all day to put that motor back in...and I may have been sore and bloodied up...and I maybe didn't want to crawl under a car for a long time afterwords, but I did it (with a friend and my father there for extra hands), and I take pride in that.

Anyway...I've got a Neuro test that's calling my name right now...take care and good night.

--nathan

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'91 GT, Built 306, Wolverine 1087 cam, ported Windsor Jr. Irons, and all the goodies...click the link to the left to see a full list of my mods...

Tried and True 302 Being Built to Outrun You!
--Texas Panhandle--
_
_ l ~--
\ , *_}

[Rev]

silver_pilate, I assume you're talking about a neuro anatomy exam. That course just about ate my lunch about 30 years ago. I still have nightmares about it, LOL.

Rev

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'66 Coupe, 306, 300 HP, C-4, 13.97 e.t., 100.3 mph
1/4 mi.

[silver_pilate]

Rev,

Yeah, I hear you on that one.

Actually, it's a Neuroscience/physiology test. We got most of the anatomical materials in Gross last summer. This class focuses more on the physiology aspects. You know...the somatotropic organization of the dorsal column-medial lemniscus system...upper and lower motor neuron lesions...somatomotor reflexes...and all that other good stuff.

I guess I'm caught now...I'm still here and not even studying yet. Ah well, class is at 10:00...that gives me a few more hours in the morning to get it all covered.

--nathan

------------------
'91 GT, Built 306, Wolverine 1087 cam, ported Windsor Jr. Irons, and all the goodies...click the link to the left to see a full list of my mods...

Tried and True 302 Being Built to Outrun You!
--Texas Panhandle--
_
_ l ~--
\ , *_}

[Rev]

Oh crap, now I'm gonna be up all night with you trying to remember how the limbic system works.

Rev

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'66 Coupe, 306, 300 HP, C-4, 13.97 e.t., 100.3 mph
1/4 mi.

[jimberg]

The only work I've paid to have done on my car is the welding of my subframe connectors. I will probably pay to have it painted since I lack the work area necessary to do it properly. I like to buy tools to do the job with the money I save by doing it myself. That way I have the tools the next time around and I will really save money instead of having to pay someone to do it again. The cool thing is that each time you do the same job it gets a lot easier.


------------------
351W 89 Mustang GT Convertible

[tireburner163]

I do my own work because I'm too poor to pay someone else to do it(I'm not talking about oil changes exc. I mean stuff like head swaps and building the short block) I don't mind people who know what they are talking about paying someone to put something on their car. But I can't stand people who have no clue about anything under the hood, but act like they do. These are the people who pay to have stuff like cold-air intakes put on and have their spark plugs changed.

I also don't like people who's parent's buy them a new SS and they smash it up 2 weeks later doing 90 around a corner trying to show out and his parent's buy him a new one a week later(true story!!!). I pay for every thing except my insurance which is $40 a month. And do you know what happens if I'm short on a car payment, does my dad bail me out, nope, I get to watch him drive my car and I ride the bus. Do I envy the guy in the SS, nope, because I know that one that(hopefully not to far in the future) I will be able to blow his doors off in a car that I built and that I paid for.

(que inspirational theme music. Josh rides into the sunset, tall in the saddle)

------------------
THE SLO PONY
1992 Ford Mustand LX. 2.3 liter four-banger, auto. Future mods: V-8 swap.
Fly it loud, Fly it proud!!!

If it ain't broke, you ain't tryin hard enough

[Rev]

I agree with Jimberg. We get to buy the tools needed for the job and pay for them with the money saved on the job. Just a few skinned up knuckles,

What I have the problem with is explaining to the wife why I need this 3 rd set of heads.

Rev

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'66 Coupe, 306, 300 HP, C-4, 13.97 e.t., 100.3 mph
1/4 mi.

[PKRWUD]

EVERY bolt that's been turned, part that's been installed, adjustment that's been made, etc. on every vehicle i've owned for the past 15+ years has been done by me with two exceptions: I always let someone else install my tires on my rims, and when I had my custom true dual exhaust installed on my race Buick. I turn wrenches for a living, though. If you aren't sure how to do something, have it done for you. There's nothing wrong with that, as long as you cop to it. I knew a guy who had a beautifull 1966 SS Chevelle that was tricked out, and when I asked him what size carb he had, he answered "A Holley". He didn't know. He played it off like he did all the work, yet he didn't even know if he had 13/16" spark plugs. Most people were so impressed with the car, they never asked him any technical questions, so he just played it off. Made me sick.

Take care,
-Chris

------------------
Retired Moderator
MustangNet

My site: Peckerwoods Pit Stop



My teams site: Jim Porter Racing

RACECAR spelled backwards is RACECAR

HEY !!! Are you ASE Certified ??? If you are, ask me about iATN.

[silver_pilate]

Rev,

So you won't stress your mind too much...

Actually, I mis-spoke. The Dorsal Column-Medial Lemniscus system bears spatial organization, but the somatotropic organization is primarily a characteristic of the somatosensory cortex and primary motor cortex in the brain and the ventral column in the spinal cord.

The ventral column is organized so that the dorsal fibers tend to innervate flexors, the ventral fibers innervate extensors, the lateral fibers innervate distal structures, and the medial fibers innervate proximal sructures.

As for the cortex areas, if you'll remember, the motor homunculus has a spatial organization where the lower extrememty, foot, and toes are at the top of the cortical strip and as you move caudally down the cortical strip, you move cranially on the body so that the face and head tends to be located near the temporal area. The somatosensory cortex is organized the same way. The Dorsal Column-Medial Lemniscus system is an afferent pathway for sensory inputs which travels up the spine ipsilaterally until it reaches the medulla where tertiary neurons decisate and travel up to the SSCx. This is opposed to the Anterolateral system in which neurons decisate at the level of entry into the spinal cord before traveling to the cortex.

Yep...that should about cover it.

If you want to really be scared on Halloween...try taking a Neuro test first thing in the morning.

--nathan

------------------
'91 GT, Built 306, Wolverine 1087 cam, ported Windsor Jr. Irons, and all the goodies...click the link to the left to see a full list of my mods...

Tried and True 302 Being Built to Outrun You!
--Texas Panhandle--
_
_ l ~--
\ , *_}

[PKRWUD]

...says you!

Take care,
-Chris

------------------
Retired Moderator
MustangNet

My site: Peckerwoods Pit Stop



My teams site: Jim Porter Racing

RACECAR spelled backwards is RACECAR

HEY !!! Are you ASE Certified ??? If you are, ask me about iATN.