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I literally cringe when I think back to when I used to have a car that broke a lot and always brought it to a shop and paid out the nose to have it fixed. Since I started doing all my own repairs I've easily saved thousands of dollars. I won't fault shops for what they charge, the overhead they have to pay is tremendous. But I love the feeling of saving big bucks and learning at the same time. Plus I enjoy spinning wrenches. The savings are amazing. I replaced my radiator, found a brand new one online for ~ $65. Alternator - found one out of a low mileage car for $50. Transmission mount for the Firebird - $17 with lifetime warranty. Lifetime warranty parts are great when you aren't paying labor. The Escort has several lifetime warranted parts: lower ball joint, exhaust center section (non stainless, lasts about two years in New England), rear coil springs (chronic Escort problem, only $50 for the pair). Plus when you are doing the work yourself you can be as meticulous as you want. When I put the new exhaust in the Escort I used stainless steel bolts to attach the flanged end. So if (or when) I need to replace it again I won't even need to bust out the angle grinder.
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