Quote:
Originally Posted by mynameisnick4
I would start doing this myself but not having the tools and living in an apartment complex sways me away from that.
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Floor Jack: $90
http://www.harborfreight.com/automot...ump-62160.html
(People bag on harbor freight, my family contains shade tree and professional mechanics for a combined 100+ years experience and this is the best jack any of them have ever used)
Jack Stands: $25
http://www.harborfreight.com/automot...nds-61196.html
Again, people say they'll never trust Chinese made jack stands, risking your life to save a few bucks, I say bollocks, mankind has been welding metal for >100 years, it's not rocket science, just inspect them every once in awhile, they're less sketchy than some 'Made in America before you were born sonny' crap I've used
Also: Make sure you inspect the shape of the stand so it won't damage your body work, some are flatter tops, others are deep 'C' shaped and end up not sitting on the pinch welds and rather end up digging into the frame rails (might be a better word for those but I forgot).
Oil pan: $13
http://www.harborfreight.com/waste-o...ner-97608.html
Basic socket and ratchet set: $13
http://www.harborfreight.com/hand-to...set-35338.html
Oil change DIY:
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9221
Total cost of tools: <$150
Money saved per oil change if you're getting charged like above: $60 (I spend about $60 on oil + filter)
Cost of bothering your uptight neighbors who have never gotten their hands dirty: Priceless
Apartments suck, but in my experience the odds of someone getting pissed off at you for futzing around with your car for an hour is pretty low. It varies of course, some Nazi might be patrolling your complex in a golf cart for 60 hours a week ready to knock on your door if you haven't watered your plants that day, that might be a fight on your hands. Reasonable people will look the other way, it's not like you've got a clunker disassembled in a million pieces that only runs once a month lowering the value of the property which is why those rules are written.
Anyway, it's not much cheaper than the local Jiffy Lube or equivalent so the reasons to DIY are fewer and fewer, but I feel like I hadn't done one of these in awhile so good to get it out. Also I don't trust those places further than I can throw them, $40 oil change that probably cost them $15 for the oil and filter and a multitude of ways to totally destroy your car. And I've seen dealerships do shitty jobs to, but that's just me being crotchety.
