Do you do your own work?

[Viperwolf1]

I am slowly learning stuff as required. As of now I can repair the hell out of one or two things.

 

[Scoop]

Mostly I do all my own work. Exceptions are transmissions and I'll probably be paying someone to set my new gears in my D44. I did the original set up but now I'm chipping teeth so I'll let an experienced professional do it this time!!

 

[SteveL]

I did most of my own work but due to my back now they go to the shop for more of the work. When I can I get friends to come help. Out here I got tired of paying shop rate and have them f*÷k it up then i have to buy the tool and do it myself anyway. Now I have the tools to do most things on a bronco and my back doesn't let me. I miss wrenching. Luckily over the years I've met a lot of guys with alot of knowledge to help get stuff done. Also now I have found a couple shops where I can get stuff done right for a decent price.

 

[rydog1130]

I try to do as much as I can, ask questions here, or watch videos. I get highschool kids to be my hands where I cant reach or wrench on. If its something major like an engine or transmission build/over haul I farm it out.

 

[Rustytruck]

I do 100 % all of my own work on everything. After 50 years of doing it age has begun to slow me down. I hate that. Now days after 4 hours or so i am done. Much harder to get started in the mornings or stay up late at nights to finish projects. Back in the beginning local college night classes help to build confidence in working with stuff just out of reach. Classes like electrician 1, 2,3, auto body 1,2, welding 1,2, auto transmission 1,2 3 and others. Tools boy i have tools and a bad back to go with them. But its been a good run and i dont regret a minute of it.

 

[diggs00]

Currently using my bronco as my classroom.
Through manuals, youtube and this forum: I Think I Can - I Think I Can - I Think I Can

1. Replaced floor pans (thanks to youtube and this forum I learned to MIG weld)
2. Replaced shaft seals and made trans fluid flow from a stuck pump in the c4 (thanks to Viperwolf1 and manuals)
3. Hunting possible oil leaks (thanks to youtube and this forum)

Currently attempting to replace my first intake manifold gasket (thanks to youtube, this forum and manuals) NOTE: (scared to remove and reinstall the distributer, but what the hell! I got you guys)

 

[Digger556]

I am slowly learning stuff as required. As of now I can repair the hell out of one or two things.

LOL, understatement of the year.

 

[Digger556]

I do my own work.

Both my FIL and I have discovered that finding qualified people to work on these older vehicles is becoming increasingly difficult. The old-timers that knew this stuff forwards and backwards are all retired or retiring. A lot of tribal knowledge is being lost.

Then you start upgrading and things get a lot more messy. It's easy to bolt on bigger tires, different springs or notch a frame for a bigger transfercase, but few people understand the implications of these modifications. If its your own vehicle, that's fine, it's on you, but a guy taking his rig to a "fabricator" has no clue whether the modifications being made are structurally or dynamically sound.

 

[72_EB]

LOL, understatement of the year.

Indeed. Your humility is refreshing, but you're truly one of the best on the board here. Your generosity never goes unnoticed. Thank you, sir.

 

[langester]

I do most of my work on all of my vehicles. Like others there are some things I am not comfortable doing or lack the equipment or know how to do so (auto transmissions and electronics to name a few). I had a friend help me do body work and paint on my latest Bronco, aside from that I did everything else (panel replacement and fabrication of everything) and it was way more than I expected needed done like always.
I would say that if I had the money I would have a reputable shop rebuild one for me. While I do enjoy working on my rides I would also like to do some other things and spend time in the woods instead of spending all that time fixing up my truck. I can see both sides on this topic. I also think that you have a much greater appreciation for you Bronco if you built it yourself or with friends and family. It just doesn't get any better than that!

 

[half cab]

Indeed. Your humility is refreshing, but you're truly one of the best on the board here. Your generosity never goes unnoticed. Thank you, sir.

X2 2nd that.

 

[72_EB]

I do my own work too, but would certainly not be driving the same EB for over 20 years, if it weren't for a bunch of wonderful friends, a bad ass collection of vendors, and the wonderful hoarders and eclectic, generous collectors of all things old, 4x4, and American made.

 

[Gupster88]

I have been brought up in a all ford family my whole life and have been a bronco guy since I was old enough to walk. A bronco was in my life from the time I was born until I was 19 years old. Starting driving them when I was about ten and thru all of high school. Then the 90s hit and they became an expensive item to have. Worked my ass off thru my 20s and 30s to get to where I am now. Now in my forties I can afford to buy and repair Broncos as I have always wanted to do.
With that said.. I am no mechanic. If it comes to motor , tranny , tranfer case , gears or painting. I will be the first to admit I dont have the know how. Everything else I can do. But as mentioned above. When you have the money and the resources to have someone else help you out. I am all over it. Yes I do what I can with the time I have and love every minute of it. Yes I just joined this site a few months ago and am new to here. If the fact we do not have the time or the know how to be chatting on this forum or getting help here offends you. We can gladly go somewhere else. Or you can just let us be. Sorry for your frustrations. Have a nice day.

 

[Montoya]

This is a great thread, keep up the good discussion.

I'm in a different spot in life with regard to my bronco from when I got it to today but I believe once a wrencher, always a wrencher.

When I bought it I could barely afford it and was living paycheck to paycheck but I just knew I had to have one after obsessing since I was a little kid. I used it as my daily driver and I worked in a rough part of Inglewood (always up to no good ) very early in the morning thus reliability was paramount to my (and more important to me at the time, my Bronco's) safety. I wrenched almost daily just to keep it reliable and used this forum as a reference for issues.

Fast forward to today and my wife and I are in a different financial position (just ask my tax guy...ugh) and I can afford to have someone work on my rig for me but I simply don't want that. It's been 6 years since I took it off the road to rebuild the rear suspension and the snowball hasn't stopped rolling.

Someone said it earlier, wrenching on my rig is therapy for me after a hard day of work, kids, life in general. I think about how much fun it will be to drive it when it's done but even if it never gets done (feels that way sometimes), I'll still enjoy wrenching on it every chance I get.

 

[CopperRanger]

I have done everything to my Bronco that it has needed over the last 12 years
I have owned it, except the exhaust, no thank-you.
Just like a lot of others have said, I read up on things, watch videos and ask
questions before jumping into fixing something I have never done before.
It cost way to much for me to have work done by others, not to mention
someone that's good and you can trust.

 

[1strodeo]

Maybe it's just me, but there just seem to be a lot of owners on threads referring to the guy doing the work.

I understand that some owners have physical handicaps, but if you haven't the time, space or aptitude, what are you doing here?

Excuse me Sir, but who the hell are you to judge who should be a member here?

I’m paying a guy $35/hr to do my tub because, well, I suck at body work, he’s very good at it and his fee is SO reasonable that I have no doubt that i would not lose money if I were to ever sell it. Hope that’s OK. FWIW I do my own mechanical work.

So can I stay? Pleeease??

 

[bronconut73]

Excuse me Sir, but who the hell are you to judge who should be a member here?

I’m paying a guy $35/hr to do my tub because, well, I suck at body work, he’s very good at it and his fee is SO reasonable that I have no doubt that i would not lose money if I were to ever sell it. Hope that’s OK. FWIW I do my own mechanical work.

So can I stay? Pleeease??

Yea.....Blu came off bad there.
I don't think he meant it that way.

This is one of the reasons Blu's retorts often remind me of my Dad, lol.
Dad was always having to say, "Well I didn't mean it that way"...lol

 

[SteveL]

I guess I've done a little body work but the only tools I had were hammers and rocks.

 

[sykanr0ng]

Excuse me Sir, but who the hell are you to judge who should be a member here?

I’m paying a guy $35/hr to do my tub because, well, I suck at body work, he’s very good at it and his fee is SO reasonable that I have no doubt that i would not lose money if I were to ever sell it. Hope that’s OK. FWIW I do my own mechanical work.

So can I stay? Pleeease??

$35 an hour?
Do you have a time machine or did you move to Mexico without updating your profile?
Or did you leave the 1 off that goes in front of the 3? (even that would be low)

 

[Timmy390]

Yes I do and I think it's easier to do the work now days than in the times gone by. Before the internet you had to really work at figuring things out. Now you can watch a video or ask questions here and get all the answers to about anything.

Need a book, well order it today and have it tomorrow..........try that 25 years ago.

I remember my first order of parts for my bronco. Had to call it all into JBG....yes, sit down with a paper catalog and call them. The second I mailed in....LOL

Tim