It depends on the job, but unlike many guys who attempt to fix their vehicles, I actually know how to do it. Maybe it’s the fact that my parents were VW mechanics when I was a baby, maybe it’s just natural aptitude, but I find the whole auto repair thing to be pretty easy. I mean, the four-cycle engine is pretty simple if you don’t allow yourself to be intimidated by the number of parts in it; simple “suck, squish, bang, blow”! And that is the most complicated part of the car, aside from the transmission. (Actually, manual transmissions aren’t bad, but “slushboxes” are something best left alone unless you are a masochist, even if you know how to do them. Easier and cheaper to replace than to repair.)
Thus far, I have replaced shocks, mufflers, alternators, distributors, and the occasional head gasket, along with a lot of brake jobs and radios. Of course, I also know my limits so there are certain jobs I will not even attempt. Just about anything involving a transmission is off-limits to me, and I am not about to dismantle an entire dashboard to replace heater core. And sometimes I give things a pass merely for lack of tools; you won’t see me replacing a half-shaft any time soon.