I have the shop do stuff that I don't have the tools for or knowledge of.. I don't have a transmission jack, the slightest inkling what to do if I dropped it, nor the time to learn. I don't do alignments and I don't have big tools, so front-end work is all shop. I don't have a spray booth and I'm not a sculptor - so I install body parts and let the paint guys have at it. I do have specialty tools for our 7.3L engine, so I can get pretty deep into that... if I have time or need.

 

I can do it (almost) all, some things better than others.

But I don't. Front end goes to a shop. Tire mounting and balancing too. So do oil changes, though I may go back to doing those. Same for brakes. I still change batteries, but have thought about just calling AAA to do it, not much difference in cost or time.

I do like to do my own troubleshooting. Then I can decide if I want to tackle a job or send it to someone else. Mainly, I got tired of laying on the ground,

Since bodywork has always been part of insurance payments, that has all gone to a shop (except some smaller jobs a very long time ago).

 

I do all the mechanical and electrical work. I have access to a 2 post lift and some special tools at my nearby military base auto hobby shop which helps.

I don't do the "big" stuff (alignments, body work, transmission) that requires special training/experience or expensive machines to do.

I've had the truck for almost 11 years and have done almost everything myself so far. The only work I haven't done is when I had a tire separate and take out my front quarter panel, nerf bar, and some other stuff. Insurance covered it and it spent 2 weeks in the shop for repairs. I didn't do the work but stopped by almost every day for a progress report and provide "suggestions" on how I wanted things done. When the transmission finally goes I'll have that done too.

 

I am lucky and have resources available to me. My friend owns his own automotive shop and my Dad is a retired machinist that still has all the lathes, mills, etc. Dad can do anything as long as you are able to light a fire under his *** to get him moving. I do most of my truck work outside in the driveway so I am home and usually have a kid or 2 I am trying to keep an eye on.

Engine swap, T4 install, locker install, flatbed install were all done at my friends shop in the evenings or weekends. Very thankful to have access to it but hate when I don't get something done and have to push it back out so he can have his bay back. Currently have grandmas car sitting at his place needing calipers, pads, rotors all the way around. First caliper I took off was stuck and I didn't have calipers for it.

 

All of the mechanical maintenance work I do myself, and will almost always try to diagnose every ailment just so I know the language - and can tell whether the tech is clueless - if I do have to take it to a shop. And this is for every car I own or am related to.
Edit: Except alignments. Haven't done anything to the diffs yet, but I'll probably screw it up first then take it to a shop if I need to go there

 

Alignments, tires, paint & body, transmission, deep engine (I won't remove the heads or pull an engine), heavy drive line, and any welding.... that all goes to the shop(s). I'll typically do all the rest. I will venture into minor paint and body, but nothing much beyond minor touch-up work.

 

What Pete said...

 

If my life were to depend on a weld, I'm having someone else do it. I can run a bead, but it ain't pretty. Might try to learn to do it better someday, but still not likely to ever trust my own frame welds.

 

For me... minor paint is rattle-can or nail brush application. That's the extent of my effort here.

 

I've always been there as well, until I managed to snag a very lightly used 2-stage Fuji HVLP spray system. Having done pretty well with spraying our kitchen cabinet job last fall, I'll soon be venturing into a larger task of re-spraying the rear spoiler on my wife's RX450h. It's mounted high, above the rear glass, and we were so enamored with the car when we got it that I didn't even notice that the surface looked like it had been sand blasted -- my wife can't even see that high, so she doesn't really care, but I can see it and consider it to ultimately be a resale issue (and a fairly low-risk adventure into spraying larger portions of a vehicle).

 

I do all my own work motor/ trans / all susp / frames / pulling / all collision work / alignments / custom / ect… hell I even did all the recalls on my 99 f-350 paid for the parts and put them on ! my problem is I don't trust the dealers or kid mech. these days or should I say parts changers the majority of them don't know how it works. take the scanners away and watch the blank stares.it helps that I own and run a body shop, but I built and changed my first motor in the driveway almost 30 years ago (vw bug) baja style things were a little different then .stuffed many big motors in things that shouldn't have them smallblock caged vega for one there I go showing my age again. when I just picked up my new truck 2018 6.7 the dealer called me to pick up my tag I felt funny letting him put it on I told him I hope that is the last time someone else touch's my truck he looked at me like I was crazy but I told him unless I have some big warranty issues I be be the only one to touch this truck for many years hopefully!!