I'm getting so disouraged with my Max and my luck. Everytime I save up enough money to buy a mod, something goes wrong and I have to spend my cashe of money to fix it. I was about to buy wheels, but when I took my car in to get the 135,000 mile tune-up they tell me my front and rear exhaust manifolds are cracked...There goes $900. And I was just about to get my windows tinted Friday...And my mom just backed into my Max today with her Expedition!! Big dent above rear drivers side wheel...paint scraped away...Bye-bye tint. I just feel like venting right now...And maybe need a little encouragement to keep trying to get the max pimped out.

 

I know you're felling bad and all, but didn't you bother to think about picking up used manifolds from the junkyard and installing them yourself? $900..man...your butt must be sore from that raping.

You should buy a factory service manual and start doing things by yourself, honestly there is no need to take your car to do tune ups, its all stuff you can do in your driveway. Invest your money in some ramps and you'll save alot more in the end.

 

That is what I'd love to do. But I've never done any serious mechanical work on my own. It's not that I'm un-inclined, it's just I don't want to get in over my head and and not be able to put things back together. From what I've heard...replacing manifolds is a pretty serious project. I just didn't think it was the thing to start with to get my feet wet.

 

Yeah..i have to agree, replacing manifolds may be a bit too much for beginners, but you should have still bough used manifolds from a junk yard and have someone installed it, i would say that would have costed $150-200 at the most in new york where i am, Probably less.

You need to start doing simple things. Like oil changes and spark plugs and stuff..once you see how easy it is you'll move onto more difficult things naturally. It's not hard the factory service manual is a great guide to have, one of the best investments you'll ever make in your life.

It's all nuts and bolts, and gaskets in between..believe me..it's not hard. we were all new to it at one point.

 

Thanks man...I do need to start sometime. I keep hearing such good things about the FSM, I should stop stalling and just get one. I guess I just need to take baby-steps like you said and work my way down into it. Just like What-about-Bob: "Baby-steps into the elevator, AHHHH!!"

 

Believe me, i've thought the same thing about not being able to do things myself. I ended up replacing all of my fuel injectors, by myself. I screwed up twice, and by the third time taking it all apart, i was doing it in less that 2 hours.

 

a good thing to do it keep your mom away from your max, and by the way since she ran into it why isnt she paying for it?

 

Start working on your own car, you'll save a lot of money.

 

Well, Technically it's not my car. My parents bought it for me shortly after I tunred 16. It was either buy something ****ty on the crap money I was making at 16...Or let my parents buy a decent car for me. Thats a no brainer. So basicly it's there call if they want to fix it. And with all the money they are spending to put me though school, they aren't exactly jumping to pay for just a cosmetic fix for the car. Can't wait till I get a real job and can buy myself a new Max...Ohhh, that will be the day. I am really eager to learn everything I can about what goes on under my hood, and how to fix things up. I guess I've just got stage fright, and scared I'm going to **** something up. I've got to quit being a ***** and just go at it.

 

Always keep in mind, that a person put it together, a person can fix it. Who do you think is in the shop fixing it? A person. What are you?? I hope a person. It just takes patience, and you can fix anything. If you get into a jam, you've got the board for answers, and very quick and informative ones at that!