I just turned 18 and want alot done to my civic. I was just wondering if most people take it to a shop or do they do it themselves?

 

Depends. Do you want to learn or just have someone else do it?

If learning about the car and understanding things, do it yourself and read anything and everything which has to do with the car and your plans.

If you really don't care about learning anything, and you just want a faster car, or w/e, take it to a shop.

 

Just hope you have a spare car in case you plan to do a major tear down..

 

It depends on many things. I did a lot by myself because I was a broke **** when I first started out. When I lived in an apartment, I took it to the shop to get bigger things done, like the rear disc brake swap and the engine swap.

But other customizations? I pulled my own bumper off and cut it to add fog lights. I added the spoiler myself. I gutted the interior and converted it from brown to black. I added my own steering wheel.

The short answer is that if its really easy, just do it yourself. If it could be more involved, be prepared to have it professionally done or have a spare car in case you mess it up.

 

If your time is more valuable than the cost of repairs, let others do it for you. But even if you dont do the work, its best that you know and understand how the works are done. There will be times that help is not readily available and you get stuck in the middle of nowhere just because of a blown fuse.

I try doing any repair on my car even if I have not done it before. Many of the minor repairs are not that hard to learn. First you do some reading then you try it out yourself. If ever you could not get it right, then let the pros finish the job. Nothing to fear, its broken anyway and not fixing it doesnt make you a lesser person. You will learn easily when you get your hands and mind to work.