W body Certification

[IRONDOG442]

Alright Slick and I were talking last night about this while I was freezing my nads off under an Intrigue pulling its motor mounts and starter and Chris was on the phone gabbing to KrazyK about who knows what. This poll is not intended to point out our individual strengths and weaknesses and WILL NOT be used to poke prod or make fun of ANY member here!!! It is just a general survey to give us an idea of how much our members have learned about their cars because of this website. If you have moved down several ranks on the poll because of the forum or another one let us know about it. So don't lie to us about it because at the next meet were callin you out!!! Have fun!

[nebojsa_o]

I do it all, including some body work, because taking it other places is too expensive. Although, I rarely have problems with the Cutlass, I usually ask on here, to get some more information on what I'm dealing with. W-body.com FTMFW!!

[slick]

I can do it all, even pretty decent body work. I have painted once even.

[Bake82]

I do it all, minus the bodywork. I can't do body work to save my life!

 

I'm not going to lie, if it wasn't for this forum, my car would not be what it is today. It would still be a stock cutlass supreme with 16 inch wheels on it. Thanks to the forum, I've changed the complete interior from blue to charchol leather, dropped 2 inches around, changed rotors/pads to slotted drilled, and changed the motor tranny from a 2.8 auto to a 3.1 5speed.

 

I had NO experience before doing my swap with anything except changing oil. If it wasn't for the forum, I'd still only be able to change my own oil!!

[GP1138]

I am in the same boat with Bake82. This forum by itself has encouraged and taught me so much about W-Bodies and indeed cars in general. Plus the group of people,

however much any of us squabble, is indispensible. Almost all the regulars are totally polite and friendly and willing to help. Thats the biggest reason I wanted to be a part of this group and a part of the staff. I value the people higher than the knoweledge, but I've benefitted from this forum in innumerable ways.

 

I personally do plenty of engine work, both internal and external, but no body work. I am not a body man.

[IRONDOG442]

Here's my story, when I came to this forum I had owned many w-bodies and was driving one of them. I could wax buff and clean the car all day long and do the brakes myself. I had a massive amount of knowledge of 1964-1972 GM A bodies and mechanical know how, BUT I was intimidated by fuel injection, computer controlled ignition systems, ABS, electronically controlled body management systems, and air bags. I could pull out a 455 in 2 hours and a do a Turbo Hydro 400 swap in about 30 minutes. But I was terrified at the mere thought of doing my own work in a newer than 1980s vehicle. I joined this forum because I bought a limited edition W-body and wanted to tell you all about it, and at the time I made fun of my then fiancée Gretchen for posting on something awful daily and called her an internet forum loser just as often. I stuck around here met some of the people in person and learned that many of these people here really do want to help each other out and poke fun at each other once in a while too and that's why I post here. I don't post on other forums so this must be the place. Thanks for teaching me that the 1964-1972 GM A body is actually harder to deal with than the new cars. Now if it’s a new car, I can fix it, I leave painting to the professionals.

[3.1cutlass]

I can say this site has taught me alot. I don't post a whole lot but i read everything. I only happened upon this site becasue i joined another forum(Shameless plug-Ohiocustoms.com) and one of the guys there at one time was a member of gmwbody.com and then i learned of this site. If not for this place mine would be pretty stock still. Now i have all these parts laying around to be put in.

[IRONDOG442]

Pretty diverse outcome so far !

[pwmin]

I do it all (minus extensive body work, unless you count accidents), although I've never completely rebuilt an engine, I have rebuilt a few trannies and rears.

 

this site sucks. without it, i would have a fast track camaro and a 4-wheeling beast of a blazer

[Psych0matt]

I've done a lot of random things. I did a timing belt, and pieced together the top and bottom end of two 3.4s (didnt put the engine in), but I have yet to touch the brakes since I had them done at the same time as my rack, and I havent done anything to the suspension since I haven't had the $$

[Crazy K]

I know and have known how to do alot. I've been decompiling and reassembling cars for years. I'm where it starts, the beginning for reverse engineering and everything.

 

Did the 94+ rear brake upgrade and an interior swap before ever learning of it on this site.

 

But W-body is invaluable... more than anything, it's a source for information and it encourages me to stock up on projects to be tackled.... but not actually get around to doing them. :lol: :lol:

 

 

[88red4cyl]

Hm.. I'm not sure which answer to select.. I do some small stuff (belts, alternator, waterpump) myself because of this site, but I can't see myself tearing into the engine internals and working on it.. I've got a guy who does that kinda stuff for me, and on the cheap to boot..

[GutlessSupreme]

I can't do any real paint/body work.. everything else I do myself. The only thing I didn't actually do myself was the machine work/spec checking on my block. I didn't trust myself to check the all the wear and make sure everything was in spec. I had the shop actually assemble the bottom end, but that's something I'm more than capable of (now that I have a torque wrench )

[89SupremeCutty]

i can't do much body work. i can do internal engine work but not trans work. i can do brakes and suspension. thats abouut it for me.

[DOHCRagtopguy]

Oil changes, minor engine stuff, plug changes, etc, that's about all this old guy can handle anymore. I paid to have the rear struts done last spring, will probably pay to have the fronts done this year.

 

Brake overhauls I handle myself also.

 

Getting older sucks, believe me.

[GP1138]

Oil changes, minor engine stuff, plug changes, etc, that's about all this old guy can handle anymore. I paid to have the rear struts done last spring, will probably pay to have the fronts done this year.

 

Brake overhauls I handle myself also.

 

Getting older sucks, believe me.

 

I uh.... uh... *looking at DOHCRagtop's avatar*

 

Uhhhh......

 

Wha?

[Addicted to eaton]

I can do a motor swap hook up Dic's and HUD's Systems. and change oil. I can change wipers and change drivers side windows. I can Change a flat to. I have did some body work But no paint work (besides on the inside) i have ran lighting. As for head lights/ fog lights. Still yet to tare into a motor. It scares me lol

[Addicted to eaton]

Wow.. were does he get these from? lol

[wildbill]

Oil changes, minor engine stuff, plug changes, etc, that's about all this old guy can handle anymore. I paid to have the rear struts done last spring, will probably pay to have the fronts done this year.

 

Brake overhauls I handle myself also.

 

Getting older sucks, believe me.

 

I uh.... uh... *looking at DOHCRagtop's avatar*

 

Uhhhh......

 

Wha?

 

 

What was the question?

 

Oh yeah.

Drivetrain: I do everything except engine rebuilds, I just don't have the time for those or some of the right tools. I have torn down 3100s and 5.7s, top ends on 3.1s. The only trans work I have done is replace stock pan with a 4qt extra drop pan and filter extension on a turbo 350. Rear end replacement in a parking lot, carb tuning, swapped many motors, head rebuilds, I have helped sand down panels but never applied filler or paint. I have rattle can skillz tho. I change my oil, alts, bats, pumps of any kind, radiators, you get the idea. I even fix my own appliances. I am not scared of anything.

I also have a PSEO Auto tech certificate. But I have done nothing but change my oil in my 3800 II so far. I have a list that needs to be taken care of as soon as it gets warm.

[Brian P]

All. Except alignments.

[TDS-97CSSL]

Well, so far I haven't had to do too much to our Cutlass. But I've been sticking mostly to fluid changes and minor cosmetic things mostly. I've got too many other auto projects/problems to really want to get too intimate with this car as well. My experience has been on older cars, so servicing ABS is something i have not yet learned, although I figure I will soon enough. Major mechaincal = I tend to let a shop do for me, a lot because of time constraints, too. I do know my way around a tool box and some OBD diagnostics, at least.

[pwmin]

All. Except alignments.

yeah, forgot about that. def don't do that.

[nebojsa_o]

Who on here does their own alignments? Was it patgizz? I think he said once that he does those too. Talk about extreme, his cars probably don't know what shops look like inside.

[z34duck]

I hire out my exhaust work but do everything else myself including minor paintwork

[96GPSE]

I can handle brakes and suspension...thanks to W-body I was able to replace a power steering line and replace a heater core. Probably looking at a Cat and maybe some O2 sensors soon...