Mk1 owners, where do you draw the line with DIY maintenance?

[YellowCar]

Gearbox is relatively straight forward but they are bleeding heavy, makes for difficulty in the drive way with little more clearance to work underneath than axle stands. Definitely would need help in manoeuvring the box into position. If you can swap a box over, you can do a clutch while it's off!

That's the thing really if I had a garage Is be inclined to try more, not a fan of things taking longer and having to leave a half done job exposed on the driveway over night. It always feels like you need to rush on the driveway and as for getting a gap in the weather, don't even talk to me about that lately it's a joke.

[trundlenut]

As well as normal servicing I did the rear shocks and then the cam belt on my old mkI.

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[Evil]

Plenty of home spannering going on, good to know.. 

We need to tidy up and re-stock some tools (would be handy having a local Snap-On rep, got a load of broken tools), probably go Halfords Pro this time.

And I have to buy a better trolley jack before we can get anything up in the air again. Got axle stands and ramps so no more relying on scissor jacks (yep, done that.. on a hill..) 

 

No way to get trade from a dealer??

And is there an accurate online parts catalog (that's easy to navigate)??

[0wl]

And is there an accurate online parts catalog (that's easy to navigate)??

Here you go:

http://vagfans.info/EN/skoda/parts-catalog

[Big Lee]

Well as for DIY I've got this lot to sort, SMF and clutch kit along with cam belt and a few other things

[Evil]

Here you go:

http://vagfans.info/EN/skoda/parts-catalog

Can't see anything older than 2009 (not sure if it's in the menu and off my laptop screen).

[0wl]

Must be off the top of your screen, try this link for the mk1 octavia:

http://vagfans.info/EN/skoda/CZ/OCT/Octavia/2005/252

or this is another option:

http://parts-catalogs.club/skoda/en/?i=cat_vag_models&brand=sk&number=81&

[Mankee]

If there's any risk of me rendering the car propped up on axle stands and useless, I don't risk it nowadays, as it's my only road-legal car and I kinda need it each week really! At least with the Noddy car, if anything goes tits up, I shut the garage and go back indoors to search the Internet to fix my fat-handedness.

 

Wave if you see me trundling across the A14. There's a VR5 plate on the car and normally a Caterham hanging off the back of it.

[Outofthi5world]

I certainly wouldn't do this to the Monte unless I had a couple of days off in a row. I know I got it done in a few hours but still.

 

 

 

Handy when you don't need the car.

[Evil]

I don't like removing things like doors (or bonnets, which I can never get back on properly lined up)..

Lost access to a spray shop a few years back too, that was a sad day.

[Girardi]

Generally I'll read the bejesus out of stuff on here and then roll my sleeves up. I know my limits though, and if the car is likely to be on axle stands for a couple of weeks because I'm halfway through something and need a part or get stuck somewhere then I can't get to work so limit myself to jobs without much risk lol.

So yeah, basic servicing, small jobs etc then no worries. Anything more major and I have a bloody good local garage who are a three min walk away and I trust completely.

If I had a second car or a project then I'd just get stuck into anything.

Edited 6 March, 2016 by Girardi