My dad has always been a do-it-yourselfer. When he was younger, he enjoyed working on cars. I used to watch him repair the family vehicles in our garage, and helped him as best I could. Not only was he making sure the cars were safe and working properly, he was saving money in the process. I have a fond memory of us replacing the brakes on an old car together.
When we owned a Subaru, he purchased the instruction manuals and Subaru car parts necessary to fix the car himself. Very rarely was there a problem out of his realm and, when that was the case, he found a mechanic who would give him the best price on the repairs. He was knowledgeable enough to recognize how much he should be charged for the prescribed repairs and his familiarity with the problem let the mechanic know a sub-par performance would not be tolerated.
As accomplished a do-it-yourselfer as my dad is, unfortunately, I’m not in the same galaxy when it comes to repairing cars. There are times, however, when I find it necessary to at least attempt to repair my wife’s and my vehicles. Although they have been relatively simple jobs, most of my attempts have been successful. With the necessary Subaru car parts, I can replace tail lights and their casings and take care of some minor repairs under the hood.
One aspect that often intensifies the awareness of my inability is getting a quote for what should be a simple repair. For instance, the entire list of replacement Subaru car parts may total $15, but a mechanic wants to add $135 in labor charges for repairs should take less than 30 minutes. When that happens, I kick myself for not paying closer attention to what my dad was trying to teach me so I could repair the car myself. When you know where to purchase the necessary parts, $5 verses $70 is a no-brainer.