As someone who's car started out as a shell I can't say that there's really anything "hard" to do on these cars. It all just a range in tediousness.

90% of the vehicle is held together with 10mm nuts and bolts, some parts just have more of them to hold them on than others lol.

 

Heater Core.

 

If your willing to do it, there isn't anything that's that bad to work on. It's probably one of the last cars made you can work on, without having a "special tool" for anything you want to do.

 

 

 

As someone who's taken their whole car apart......

I absolutely despise removing the center console!!!!!!!!

 

I find taking apart interiors pretty tedious.. I second the console.. Newer cars are awful..

Heater Core isn't too bad.. Shampooing the antifreeze out of the passenger rugs can be pretty tedious when your heater core goes

I despise electrical/wiring and anything to do with Air Conditioning.. I feel like you waste your life trying to solve those problems..

 

I'd say fuel pump is probably the most dreaded job for these cars aside from doing deep engine work.

I'd rather swap the fuel pump out over trying to get the stock manifolds off with the engine still in the car though.

 

Reminds me, I need to pick up some low clearance ramps for the spring to get some stuff done..

 

"Freeze plug" in front of the flywheel (or torque converter)

 

 

3 come mind.
heater core
Spark plugs with slp headers
Fixing tilt mechanism in steering column.

 

Oh, spark plug wires I’m fine with.. I was talking about any electrical wiring/ harnesses that have issues are my nightmare..

I’ve heard there are headers that make changing plugs/wires easier though too.. haven’t done it in a while but a few I remember you have to get under the car for and can’t see anything..

 

I'm not a fan of anything involving the front suspension. Fuel tank/fuel pump and rear axles seals/bearings are annoying too. And completely pulling the dash is a huge pain. But I don't think any of those jobs are particularly hard, just time consuming. As long as you have the proper tools (and knowledge).

 

These cars aren't the easiest to work on for sure. Fuel pumps, exhaust manifolds, heater cores.. Yes they have made me do plenty of cursing. Tring to istall ground effects is a thin line between having too much gap and rubbing. I got so mad doing my bodywork I beat a lower door ground effect to pieces and luckily dpmalibu hooked me up with a nice set of factory ones

 

Finding OEM parts

 

Rust. Doesn't matter if it's suspension bolts rusted solid inside the bushings, or 7mm screws rusted solid, or a hole in a floor pan. Rust is a Pain to remove, neutralize, and hide.

Hoisting 700R4's in and out is pretty high on my personal list. Had it down to about a 2hr job, jack up to jack down before I gave up and cut losses with my 86 TA.

 

If rust is an issue for the car I would say replacing the fuel pump or replacing a front fender. Removing and entire rear suspension and exhaust that has rusted together was horrible. Removing a front fender with all of those 10mm (2 dozen in all?) bolts rusted together is just as bad.

 

A dremel tool and a sawzall works great for neutralizing rust.

 

No wonder you don’t like 700R4s.. I could get a T-5 out in 20 min.. haven’t had to do a 700R4 yet.. hopefully won’t have to either..

 

Any job on any vehicle involving rust can set you back.. it’s not thirdgen specific unfortunately..

A lot of “easy” jobs turn into projects because of rust

 

Not exactly a "stock" car problem, but getting certain headers in the car without pulling the engine can be a challenge, even the shorties. And then getting to the collector bolts on the passenger side . I didn't find the heater core too hard but I know some cars are harder than others. Center console removal is tedious, next time I might try sticking a screwdriver down in the handbrake mechanism to pull the ratchet back (year 91 so it has the ratcheting mechanism) which should allow me to pull it straight up. Should make it a bit easier.


EDIT: Taking the 700r4 can also be tedious. It was a lot harder to get it out the first couple times but after some (unwanted) practice I can get it out and back in in a couple hours.

 

I installed my entire Tremec TKO 600 and Lakewood bellhousing before realizing I needed an adjustable pivot ball for the clutch fork. I removed the stocker and installed the new pivot ball....

....WITH IT ON THE CAR!!!!!!!!!!

How 'bout THEM apples!!! LOL

 

Seems so simple;

Removing the Tranny dipstick tube on an auto. Related; the ECM grounds bolted to the back of the pass side head. ( same PITA bolt ) It's so easy to just cut those ground wires, but I ALWAYS fought to get them off intact rather than hacking them.

 

I have a new one after this weekend - getting the headlight switch installed back in the dash. Maybe there's some kind of special tool for that job, but that one recessed bolt took longer to sort out than the rest of the dash/gauges.

 

For some reason your headlight switch/dash reminded me of replacing the speedometer cable that stopped working in my 87 years ago.. It takes a little bit of luck to get the new cable plugged in the back of the speedometer from what I recall.. felt like trying to thread a needle with your eyes closed..

Not a hard job, but some luck required

 

The back plug - I don't know how many times I've changed plugs on these cars and found that the one at the back was an original GM installed plug, regardless of what the rest of them were.

 

In still rocking my original plugs on the back both sides. 91k+ mi.

 

i think my spark plugs with my headers took about 6 hours the first time, and about 4 of those were getting at #8 - changed to accel shorties and its like a 5 min job now.

apart from that, removing the smog pump piping from the back of the block which was also where the EST ground was, i lost about 3 hours and half the skin on my hands to that bloody job.

speedo cable is also horrible

 

The absolute hardest thing to do on a TPI motor is the "question mark" heater hose. That's why mine is still original

 

 

Cylinder #8 spark plug on a stock A/C equipped car. I hate that plug.

Doesn't matter whether you jack the car up, or if you have small hands to get back there, its just a pain.

Thankfully now I have long tubes lots of other "weight loss". So full plug changes happen in about 30 minutes.

 

Because it looks like a ? ? The bottom end hangs out behind the valve cover. Right there by the AIR pipe to the cat, the transmission dipstick tube, the ground strap, coil, EGR solenoid... It's kind of a pain in the rear.