Why so few DIYers
 

I find very few people are interested in working on their vehicles. Physical limitations and workspace constraints aside, what is the reason?

I consider myself to make a decent middle class wage but my hourly pay is not even half of the hourly labor rate for a shop. To me that means it is worth my time to fix my own car when i can. Why are so many opposed to it and refuse to even try when it is suggested?

I dunno for me it's tools and space, if I had a high paying job and all that I'd try to do as much work on my car as possible. However being an avid DIYer in general, I know that my craftsmanship...is somewhat lacking LOL. Stuff I toss together never looks pretty and is often not functional either, which is an argument for letting someone else do the work.

Time
Tools
Money
Has family
Some people aren't interested, they might like cars but don't care for the mechanical side of it. Though that might be the difference from someone whose into cars and someone whose a gearhead.

A lot of people are afraid as well. I say if you don't trust your self putting a picture frame on a wall, then don't touch a car.

Some may be intimidated. Rightfully so if they own new euro cars with all the tech inside them.

Laziness, even though I have an automotive degree and almost every tool known to man, sometimes I just don't want to work on my car. Usually I end up doing it anyway since I am a cheap bastard though.

I think a lot of it has to do with lack of resources as stated above, i.e. time, space, tools, etc. But I would also say that a large part of it is fear. Fear of doing something wrong, breaking something, running into a problem (seized nut, cross threaded nuts, etc.). It takes a certain mentality to be a DIYer in anything and not everyone can even if they want to. Some people are good with their hands and using tools. Some are not so they pay to have things done. This applies to anything DIY, not just cars.

I personally think with this car there are lots of DIYers. It just depends on what level, and what resources are available. Some might just be comfortable doing an oil change, others might be cool with installing an FI system.

The DIY section on the forum is an amazing resource. I'm rarely one to shy away from a project, but with the detailed instructions found here I can take on most projects with confidence.

The biggest reasons why I imagine people don't do less DIYs

1. Lack of tools. Seriously. What if I need to weld something?

2. No Garage....

3. Cost of convenience vs. personal satisfaction of knowing you installed it yourself. Sometimes the back pain and shoulder pain (arthritis) make it worth the extra few bucks to have it done

4. Skill, there are some jobs that you shouldn't tackle without having help or a great amount of resources around you. It's pretty silly to consider doing your own motor swap if you don't know if you have everything needed for a full swap, or how to figure things out like gauge cluster swaps

5. Newers cars have more electronics now that require specialized equipment to work on

I love working on my car, but I hate not having the proper tools to make the job easier. I'll do the easy bits without help like exhaust, but I'll take it to a friend's shop and have them help for tricky stuff.

Sometimes it's better to pay to have it done right IMO

Nick C.

thanks to places like harbor freight, not having tools is far from a legit argument when the standard auto labor rate is around $100 an hour.

One reason I see: These cars are so new that most of them are under warranty.

Why would we fix something that the dealer can do for free while risking screwing something up and voiding our warranty.
I even choose to let the dealer do the oil changes and scheduled maintenance because it then goes into their records.

Now installing aftermarket parts is a different story.

I have a job, a house to maintain, a wife to maintain, and two young girls. I simply don't have the time.

There's a certain amount of risk I'm willing to take on myself without guidance. Installing a new HD on my $1000 laptop, sure. Removing the bumper from my $28,000 car, no.

I would do more if I had friends/family nearby who could give me guidance, but my dad is really the only car guy I know and he's four states away.

I'm also a perfectionist, and I need things to come out EXACTLY RIGHT.

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I'm a big DIYer and really prefer to figure out everything myself unless it's something requiring specialty tools or an engine lift I don't have room.