It pays to repair your own car if anyone has that skill.
Can save 100s of dollars.
Get parts if you can from Rock Auto.
I have done my own break pad replacement,
changed fuel pumps,
tuned my cars hundred times,
changed oil & oil filters + Fuel filters + Air filters,
Flushed cooling systems,
changed V-belts...
But no more. Tool old. I don’t even bother changing oil myself. But I know exactly what you are saying about saving money. The trick is to know what exactly needs fixing before taking the jalopy to the repair shop. Then they can’t gyp you too much. Once they wanted to overhaul my engine, telling me I had cracked main bearings, but I diagnosed the problem as a broken rocker arm, so instead of $5000 it cost me $300.