Safety First!

[impactX]

Let's list some hints to DIY:

1) Never work under the car when the car is on a jack. Don't be cheap and use jack stands... Unless you got a cheap body.

2) Make sure you have the right tools. Metric/SAE tools have different sizes. Solara mostly uses metric sizes bolts. You risk stripping the bolts/nuts if you use the wrong tools... and that can be a bitch.

3) Expect a few cuts on your hands when working on the car. Oil stain is a bitch to clean in the fingernails.

4) Prepare a few bottles of beer. Pop them open after you finish working on the car.

[TadS]

More Hints

1. Have another vehicle available for when you break something (e.g. strip a bolt, tear a hose etc.)

2 Always make sure you have time for something to go wrong. Nothing sucks more than missing an exam because you couldn't get that air hose back on .

3 Get a buddy to help/hang out while you work. If something doesn't look right, 2 perspectives are better than one. Plus if your jack stands have a catastrophic failure he can call 911 .

Speaking of jack stands. Wal-Mart sells a set of 2-ton jack stands for less than $10, 2-ton hydraulic jack for $20-$30. and a crawler for $20-$30, so getting these tools to make your job safer and easier isn't horribly expensive.

Lastly, have fun and don't rush.