So you can DIY. Should you?
Of all the annoying things that people put on a pedestal, one stands above the rest: Doing a project yourself, at all costs.
A few years back, my father’s Model A coupe entered my garage in need of a second lease on life. One of the key upgrades was changing the battery cables. The Model A starter circuit requires massive amperage loads: When firing the 200-cubic-inch four-cylinder required more than 1–2 seconds of turning with the starter motor, the cables got warm to the touch. Considering how slow the starter cranked, that happened quite often.
In such a low voltage system there is only one way to maximize the amperage, and that is to reduce resistance. New, 2/0 gauge cable would solve the problem, so I decided to go order some.
I quickly realized I was looking for a part that didn’t exist—at least, not as a ready-to-install component on the shelf of a nearby store. However, I could buy the parts that comprised the cable and assemble it myself.
The job sounded easy enough—and it was. I bought some bulk cable, a few ends, and the cheapest crimping tool I could find. After five or six whacks with a 3-pound sledge, I had myself a brand-new set of cables. The ‘T had never started better, and the upgraded system continues to be dead reliable.
When a Model T in need of a new ring gear landed in my shop this fall, I immediately noticed the corroded 2-gauge cables. Thanks to the job on my dad’s ‘T, I knew exactly what this one needed.
This time, as I shopped online for cables and ends, I ended up at a website that would custom-build cables. After I priced the parts needed to do it myself, my cursor slipped, clicking the box for “build it for me.” The price of the order rose from $55.97 to $80.11. As I walked across the room to retrieve my wallet, I chewed on that price difference.
I’ve sunk endless time and dollars into projects of questionable validity. Farm bikes from the 1980s were never meant to road-race—but that hasn’t stopped me. Measuring, cutting, preparing, crimping, heat shrinking, and then finally installing those cables on the ‘T would take about an hour—an hour I could spend fixing the cylinder-head temperature gauge on my Corvair, or prepping one of the motorcycles for a weekend of riding. You know, things I wanted to do. And the cables were produced in Kentucky, right here in the U.S.!
The decision took about 20 seconds. I spent the extra $24.14.
I’m not rich, but there is a point at which opportunity cost weighs heavy. Why save pennies at the cost of the one thing you literally cannot purchase? You or I are not any less of a mechanic for making the choice to prioritize our time, and spend it on the tasks we enjoy. The decision doesn’t make us less knowledgeable; in fact, it makes us smarter.
The rewarding feeling of DIY projects is well understood in the Smith garage, but my priority lies in completing projects that enable me to grow. (Or minimizing the risk of damage, in the case of oil changes. I do those myself.) Building a set of battery cables was unlikely to teach me something new the second time around. Sure, I’d enjoy saying, “I built those,” but losing the bragging points was not that big of deal.
Seriously consider outsourcing projects to your advantage. Forgo DIY and instead enlist an expert, shop, or parts order—and feel no guilt. Most of us have have the luxury of choosing what we will become experts on. You may or may not have found where your expertise lies. I know I haven’t. But whether your time is worth anything? Well, you can figure that bit out on your own.
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I have become so used to having to repair my old vehicles that I forget that sometimes there are alternatives to DIY. I also used to mow my own lawn until my wife reminded me that I could pay a lawn service 1/4 of what my hourly wage was. And, I could have bought a flyable airplane for less than I have put into the one that I am building. Sometimes you just want to do it yourself regardless of practicality.
Exactly. If I could find the right young person to mow my lawn I would happily pay them since that would give me another hour a week to build motorcycles. Sadly I often find that hour of mowing cathartic so even though I want to stop, it is probably best I keep up on it.
I get some kind of sick satisfaction from being self sufficient. As long as I’m physically able I’m going to keep doing it myself.
That’s fine, I guess. My father was a Depression era kid and did everything he could (and some he couldn’t) himself. I hope, after you’re gone, your kids don’t remember you spending most of your time in the shop instead of taking them fishing.
The feeling of being self sufficient is awesome. Can’t deny that. I often find myself buried under the things that I tell myself I want to do though. At some point it is fulfilling just to have the project completed and the stress of it hanging over me gone.
with age comes wisdom… I wonder what the ages are of those above… I bet they’re all younger and smarter than I am, Time is now my most precious commodity.. I’m just about 75 – took me too long to figure out this equation although I still reserve the right to build vs. buy when it’s fun or I feel like the challenge
Well put. A fellow wrencher and I have also debated the merits of a result vs the process, much in the same context. Time is finite, and therefore has to be considered
I needed to read this – my fleet has grown to 10 vehicles and I still try to do “all of it” when it comes to maintenance and repairs. I need to learn to “buy” vs “DIY” (like another commenter mentioned). Thanks for sharing this bit of wisdom and I will do my best to follow it (sometimes).
It’s a fine balance and sometimes we need a reminder that our balance is out of whack. It happens.
I generally will tackle basic maintenance kind of stuff as I am an amateur weekend mechanic. I will do more complex stuff depending on time and ability / risk to break something super expensive. Those cables look good.
I think the joy of the task must be considered. You and others mentioned the satisfaction achieved from some repairs/fabrications. I believe it is the difference between time spent and time well spent.
A non-automotive example I have is that I flew out to the other side of the country to build my daughter an adirondack chair. Clearly I could have spent a fraction of the money and a much smaller fraction of the time by simply ordering one on-line and having it delivered.
The joy of building (and signing) the chair, not to mention the visit to my daughter, made it worth every penny and every minute!
Even better, after I finished the first one, she decided that she needed another! Off I go again!
It’s all about the joy!
You guys and girls give car people great info. And stories that are enjoyable to read.
Thank you! We always appreciate feedback from readers. There is a bunch of great stuff coming too.
As I aged, my first approach to this dilemma was how close to the ground was the part that needed work? If it was close and involved a lot of rusty bolts there was no question, have someone else do it. Now that I have time, I look at these projects from two angles. First can I do it? If the answer is yes, then I go one step further and ask myself if I screw it up, am I still ahead of the game when I have to order more parts? The second angle of approach is if I do not have the proper tools or skill set, is it worth it to learn on the job? At my age, the answer is almost always a resounding NO! Sometimes, as much as I hate doing it, writing a check is the correct answer.
I experienced a perfect example today. I was due for greasing the u-joints on my TR6. Simple job on many cars but not so much on a TR. I decided it was ridiculous to spend the time jacking the car up high enough to drag my old fat body underneath. I brought it to a local shop happy to pay them to run it up on the lift to fiddle and fudge their way to the grease nipples. No muss no fuss for me. The best part was that when I went to pay, the owner said “No worries, it’s on me; consider it a birthday present “.