Reply to "What do your neighbors say???"

There's a different mentality at work with people that assume that working on a car is below them. A strange superiority complex that seems to equate not getting your hands dirty with supremacy. Ignorance somehow prevails over interest. And that's the real difference. Interest. Knowledge. History.
I've often thought that women like jewelry and fashon and men like tools and machinery because women are into adornment and men are into accomplishment.
Guys that get smug when they say "I never have to work on my car...if it needs something I take it to the experts" remind me of women in this reguard.
That's not to say that I don't defer to experts. When I needed my ZF rebuilt, I researched it enough to know that I needed to stay out of it. I've gone through old 3 and 4 speeds and even an automatic once and they all worked when I got done, but from what I read, the ZF was a tricky box and I knew I was not up to it. Same thing goes with my Cleveland when the time comes. I've read enough on this board to know how to quiz an engine builder to know if he has a clue. I am not going to risk my numbers matching block on a home rebuild. I did a Chevy 350 for an old panel van once, but I had help and it was no hi-po Cleveland!
There is no shame in knowing one's limitations...but if you're above sorting out your suspension, cooling, AC, or even changing your own oil...well, then you're above the real fun in learning about something special. I don't reguard working on my Pantera as drudgery...I reguard it as therapy!

Mooso