I know, I was just joking around.

I know you were, brother.

I have someone else do the alignments. This is what I can recall that I've done so far:
oil change (x2)
brake fluid flush (x2)
brake pads (x3)
coolant and one hose
spark plugs
exhaust
suspension
ignition switch
spoiler motor replacement
Sportec brake intakes

I, unfortunately, cannot afford or trust myself to work on cars. If I accidentally damage my hands in any way, then there goes my career! Dealers won't see my money either, so an independent PShop is the next best thing.

I'm not trying to be a jerk, but I can't think of anyone who can afford to damage their hands. Take in to consideration the many daily things you do that could potentially damage your hands, like cutting a bagel or piece of fruit, freeing a stuck window, etc. I know a surgeon and a Houston Symphony musician that do their own automotive work as a hobby. Certainly reducing your exposure to potentially harmful things will reduce your risk, but for someone to damage their hands doing simple maintence on a car they would have to be blindfolded, drunk or using entirely inappropriate tools.

I hate doing Plugs cause my hands get all scratched up.... the 5 bar FPR is no fun either. I still have scars. All in all it is therapy and I like it.

Yes, that's why I have disability insurance. I also do woodworking and metal working as a hobby...

But it really comes down to what you WANT to do. I've always had a compulsion to take stuff apart.

A

I have disability insurance of course, but who wants to be disable. Accidents do happen, so pay someone else to take the risk. Plus, I'm not mecanically inclined to do so. Do you think Jay Leno actually works on his cars (he's a comedian by profession)?

Jay has mechanics for sure, but he actually does work on his cars too. Did you see the episode when he was trying to get the Stanley Steamer going?! I thought he was going to set himself on fire or blow the thing up!

ard is right, if you like doing it, you do it. If you can't or are not inclined, you won't. Nobody is right or wrong. It is intersting to see people's perspectives.

Agree 100%.

I do almost everything on my S4 but it's nice to admit your personal limitations. There are special tools and procedures that you wouldn't know about without investing in repair manuals and hours of research, etc. Even the most simple job could turn very bad if you don't have a mechanical background. Believe it or not, people still manage to strip spark plug threads in cylinder heads.

If I had a 996tt *and* found a great shop that I could trust to treat my car as good as I would.. I'm not really sure how much I would work on it.

Absolutely. Also, if you have no experience working on cars, for goodness sakes start with a Miata, not a Porsche!