Ok so today was my day off and I finally had time to work on the mommy wagon. Changed the timing belt, water pump, spark plugs, diff/tranny fluids, oil, and fixed that damn annoying squeaking front seat belt!!! These cars are sooo easy to work on! I've done all the stuff on the car so far but this is the first of basic maintenance.

BMW's are almost just as easy, Mercedes SUCK, most Porsche's SUCK! Any shops hiring? Haha.

All kidding aside, who here loves working on their Subaru? Koji (Nasioc) put it well in a recent interview with Jalopnik, "if all you know how to do is use your credit car, then I dont consider you a car guy."

 

I don't do as much as I used to because it IS easier to pay an expert to do it, but sometimes finding someone who is truly an expert (actually good at what they do and cares) is just as hard. I've done pretty much everything that can be done on my other cars, but not on the WRX. There are some things I like to do myself and then after having done some of them (clutch, trans, internal work...) there are things I'd rather have someone else do so I have someone to blame other than myself if something isn't right

 

I love working on subarus!! (tech at Subaru =]), but working on other peoples makes me not want to work on mine. Ahaha!! Working on cars all day, then having to work on mine is just no fun.

 

I know that feeling. I am not an auto mechanic but I do wrench on mailing machines all day.

 

I hate working on my car, because I know that's more of my money being spent.
But really, If it were up to me I'd love to be a Subaru tech. I'm actually in the search for some new work to see if I can find a dealership to hire me around here even starting off as a lube tech for the time being.

 

well, if you have deep pockets..., even if I was making good money, I would still do all the stuff to my car in my garage.
I'm not a mechanic, just mechanically inclined, I just love working on my Subie and my homies' rides, pretty much anything, mechanical, electrical, body work, painting, custom DIY stuff.
I go to the shop every 2 years, when I have to smog my car.

 

I did an sti swap in my driveway and there was nothing too it. This weekend im doing the entire top end on my e30(rebuilt head, arp studs, bigger injectors, timing belt, water pump, ect) and a 5speed swap. fun times

 

Haha I came from bucket 1990s hondas to 2000-2 hondas and then turbo subie

I find subarus harder in the sense of dealing with motor, turbo (oil, coolant lines etc)

Spark plugs are waay harder on subies thans hondas haha

Suspension and brakes are easy though

 

I spent a long time in the industry, and came to the realization that I hate working on cars. Nothing ever fits right, cars are dirty with sharp edges.

Maybe it comes from growing up in a home with an Aerospace Engineer/Scientist for a dad, but it just enrages me when tolerances are poor. For it to be acceptable for a part to be 1/16" off, amazes me.

When I stopped working at shops, and being able to use their lifts, my desire to wrench myself pretty much died.
For me, it's worth the money to avoid my own frustration and anger when doing a car project.

BUT - I like going fast, so I'm still known to turn a wrench.

 

This.


2.5 hrs the first time I did my plugs on my old car. Think I got it down to little over an hour after a few times.

When I bought the new one they threw in the service plan, so free service for another 20k miles.

 

This is the exact same way I am.

 

I do hate working on my car too after a week of working on others, but this kind of stuff just has to be done and when its easier than most cars I work on I dont really see it as work.

I thought the spark plugs were super easy, book time is like 2 hours which startled me but it only took 30 minutes or so. The worst I did was V12TT SL600, 2 plugs per cylinder. Once the intercoolers are off its not hard just very very repetitive doing 24 plugs, makes me want to take a nap haha.

 

^^ that sounds like a pain.

6 cylinder boxers are a pretty pain to =[

 

Lesson I learned working on cars:
NOTHING takes 30 min. I don't care what it is, it will take an hour

 

While the "NOTHING" is debatable I agree that it usually takes longer than expected