Jamie,
I'm happy for you in the fact that you saved several hundred dollars by doing it yourself. I also repair things around my home to save money. I also applaud you for saying that you saved several hundred dollars rather than being ripped off for several hundred dollars. A professional shop would have charged you several hundred dollars, because of the expenses to keep the doors open to serve those who can't do it themselves. They are there to provide a service, and that costs money. It is no different than all the expenses it takes to keep a trauma center open for someone suffering a heart attack. What if all repair shops said that paying rent, insurance, permit costs, wages, taxes, refference library fees, $50,000 or more for BASIC tools, utilities, non chargeable supplies, etc. just wasn't worth it and shut down. Where would people take their cars? They just might as well abandon them by the roadside. So when a shop charges $80.00/hr, most of that money goes to the list above. I'm sure that no one reading this post goes to work every morning without any expectation of receiving a pay check for their efforts. I'm hoping to not hear from some smart ass retired people who do volunteer work. Jamie, at any rate the professional mechanics out there appreciate your attitude.

Thanks,
Peter

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