Original Note (2023)
Is working on a car for the first time by changing your own brakes and rotors on top of a hill a stupid risk? Probably. But those stakes also ensure no room for error.
My first car was a used Honda Civic and I loved getting hands on and doing most repairs and maintenance myself. Saving money was nice, but there is a special satisfaction from working on something so physical that software projects can't match.
There are always unforeseen problems, like rotors being rusted shut to the hub. Then after an hour of hammering and WD-40 fails, you have to MacGyver a screw jack to pop it off.
Some other repairs I did myself were:
- Replacing the A.C. condenser
- Replacing spark plugs and oxygen sensors
- Paint jobs
- Replacing Serpentine Belt
The Civic has been driven 130,000+ miles and has taken me coast to coast from Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina to San Francisco, California. I've even rented it out on Turo enough times to almost return the original purchase price.
A 100% ROI on a depreciating asset, impressive. But teaching savviness and self-reliance? Priceless.
Addendum (2026)
As of 2026, I finally sold the car after 6 loyal years. I want to actually revise my interpretation of the "priceless" and ROI. I originally wrote this in 2023 and thought this way for sure. I emphasize much more about how time is spent. I ultimately sold the car for 2.5x the price I bought it at. I think that's pretty unheard of because with Turo that means I got 350% ROI on this. BUT was it worth it? I think ultimately, for my first car with its fresh-out-of-college budget and no help from anyone, absolutely because there wasn't an alternative. Furthermore, savviness and self-reliance is truly priceless. BUT, I now am much more inclined to buy into time saved and also respecting other's craft and comparative advantage rather than trying to do everything myself.
Let's put it this way. If you were stuck in the middle of the desert or some shit-situation, you'd probably want me on your team.
I still have strong belief that I am capable of any task, and as Jensen Huang says "nothing is beneath me". But never forget to factor time and opportunity cost.
P.S. I'm also famously foolish for my parking tickets. I've also had over 20 of them in SF (and even in the middle of Redwoods National park) so that sets back my ROI calculator. see photo 3 for 5 tickets in 1 month