2004 who maintains your own car

[BLUDICE]

Do you maintain your car yourself, your local Ford dealership, or an independent auto shop?

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[PMD]

Do you maintain your car yourself, your local Ford dealership, or an independent auto shop?

Independent auto shop with some success.

 

[BLUDICE]

Independent auto shop with some success.

What kind of challenges have you ran in to?

 

[Bobwheeler]

Update: Placed the order with Richmond Auto Upholstry, near Houston, Texas yesterday. Leather color match is very good. 7 pcs. at $1865.00 plus tax, includes shipping. Also having the Tbird logo embroidered at the top of each seat. 7 pcs. are seats at 4, headrests at 2 and console arm rest. Seat covers include map pockets on the back in matching vinyl just like OEM. Embroidery is $85 each seat and pleated leather inserts will be used vice the faux suede Ford used and is not available. Color match was done outdoors with top down in cloudy daylight conditions.

When covers aeeive in about two weeks, local guy will put car in his shop and install for estimated $800. This includes restoration of foam and structure if any. By ordering the covers myself I saved 15% shop costs called "running it through my books". I will attach pictures. Leather color sourceing is shown in the pics.

 

[PPA]

Do you maintain your car yourself, your local Ford dealership, or an independent auto shop?

Small, good, Mom N Pop place..............

 

[Bird52]

Do you maintain your car yourself, your local Ford dealership, or an independent auto shop?

Always myself or friend since retiring from my auto business

 

[Bird52]

Always myself or friend since retiring from my auto business

 

[Pcrpete]

Do you maintain your car yourself, your local Ford dealership, or an independent auto shop?

Independent shop, have always done very well with them, trust them and have never really had an issue to date

 

[nhjester]

Do you maintain your car yourself, your local Ford dealership, or an independent auto shop?

I have an independent garage work on mine. Ford dealerships are way too expensive.

 

[Bill Slattery]

Salem Ford New Hampshire Dealer

 

[tbirdkoz]

If I had a repair (none to date) I would do it myself. Some exception might be transmission or major engine work. I purchased my bird last June with 10,800 miles on the clock. To date I've polished it, polished it, polished it and just changed the oil - myself. It's currently on my 4-post lift where I'm detailing the underbody. I'm fairly mechanically inclined having worked on all my cars throughout my life. Use to work at Wixom Assembly Plant where the T-birds were made. Hope this answers your question.

 

[Rawah652]

I maintain it myself. Don't know of any good shops near where I live that I would trust with the vehicle.

 

[edward301]

So far I maintain my three T Birds myself, except for tire changes and wheel alignments. To date I have not had much to
work on except suspension change outs and struts on all three, ac compressors on two, and fuel pump on one.

 

[Sesalter1]

I do my own on babybird 2005. Oil and filter changes including air filter, cabin air filter and fuel filter. I want the choice of products that are used.
I wash and wax her more often than other I do my other vehicles, just because.
I'm a good mechanic, in that I know my limits.
I make it a point to repair or replace items ASAP. She's 18 years old and parts surely won't get easier to find.
Cosmetic repairs include headlamps. The fogged up plastic had to go.
I had the license plate holes and chip marks on the front bumper cover removed and repainted.
Complete brake system replaced at 50k miles.
The rubber suspension and body mounting parts are deteriorating so I'm trying to get ahead of that.
I had my 1997 mamabird for 25 years and finally donated her to a children's charity.

 

[RFK]

Do you maintain your car yourself, your local Ford dealership, or an independent auto shop?

Sad to say my local Ford Dealer has no-one that is familiar with my 2003 so I bring it to a local AAA certified independent that has a mechanic that can trouble shoot and fix things that the dealer can not. I detail it and do minor maintenance.

 

[BLUDICE]

Sad to say my local Ford Dealer has no-one that is familiar with my 2003 so I bring it to a local AAA certified independent that has a mechanic that can trouble shoot and fix things that the dealer can not. I detail it and do minor maintenance.

It’s a real shame that a Ford dealership can’t/won’t work on a car that they sold - I checked out my dealer (I’ve bought several cars from them) and they reassured me that they can work on mine- only concern is if they can’t get parts.

 

[Bill Slattery]

Salem Ford New Hampshire Dealer

To date I have not had a problem that Salem Ford staff could not fix. They are so far able to find the necessary parts to effectively to repair my car.
I have however done research on the internet to help their parts people find sources they however beat my cost and delivery times. So far!

 

[Mark James]

I don’t have a lift so most work including oil changes is performed by a local indy with retrobird experience (and will use my parts but just warranty for labor.)

I‘ve changed the air/cabin filters, headlights and other bulbs, and interior components myself.

 

[Paul T]

Do you maintain your car yourself, your local Ford dealership, or an independent auto shop?

maintain my auto myself

 

[PLE999]

Fortunately, we've had nothing more serious than COPS and LOF's, so far. For those I am fortunate enough to have My Step-Nephew-in-Law, Bob Munni of Pro Tech Automotive & Cycle in Vero Beach. He was a dealership mechanic for many years and knows it all. He's been around long enough that he knows how to deal with a points and capacitor ignition, too.