Clutch Woes

It looks like I need to replace my clutch. Right now, when I am in 3rd gear at about 3,000 RPM and I push the accelerator the revs kick up to 5,ooo RPM with no increase in speed. Then the revs drop down, speed starts to increase and the tach moves back up. My diagnosis is the clutch is slipping.

Now the hard question. Do I do this myself or do I go back out to a mechanic?

The parts are $1K. A professional will likely charge $1,500 - maybe a bit more.

The job involves removing the engine, seperating the engine and transmission, removing the flywheel and so on. It is rated a 7 on a scale of 1 -10 with 1 being washing the car and 10 being rebuilding the engine.

I want to start doing my own work on the car, but I was thinking oil changes, brake bleeding - simple stuff. Maybe fixing the heater and the AC fan. This is major work for my first project. Plus I have never done a clutch before, on any car.

But if not this project, which one? And if I pay for this, will I ever do major work on the car?

Pros of doing it myself:

• Cheaper
• Learn more about the car
• Satisfaction of doing my own work
• Less dependant on mechanic

Cons of doing it myself:

• Need a weekend and a bit just in case
• Risk of screwing something up
• Risk of occupying Steve's garage for more than a weekend
• Risk of ending up having to pay twice for the same job
• Adds tow costs if I screw up

Any opinions?