Hefty bill from my mechanic, but worth it

Ok, my car is back on the road, feels like forever. I was having trouble with the stock carb on the 302 which had a big leak and I just couldn't get it tuned right. The brakes were sluggish and the front end needed a rebuild. So this is what I had done and I'll tell you how much it cost me which is the painful part.

Full front end rebuild (I supplied all the parts), disc brake upgrade (I had the spindles and master cylinder), radiator upgrade, intake manifold and carb upgrade. I had to get new rims and tired for the front because I went from 4 lug to 5 lug after the upgrade. Total time in the shop 2 weeks.

rims American Racing Outlaw II # 625765 15"x7" 5x4.5" ($196)
Discount Tires P205/65R/15 ($116)
5 qts oil ($14)
oil filter ($13)
labor for (radiator, intake, carb, disc brake, front end replacement) =16hours ($1,440)
throttle bracket ($13)
throttle spring ($11)
coolant ($15)
front rotors ($105)
break pads ($53)
bearings ($90)
sales tax ($31)
some other little stuff ($44)

Total $2,141

So I had a little heart attach when I got the bill because I got quoted $1100 but everything adds up. Car drives great so far but haven't had a chance to really go crazy with it.

 

16 hour for the front end seems like a lot of time. But aleast you got it done that's what counts.

 

What kinda fancy oil filter you got on there?

 

Hey some times I want too just pay someone to work on the mav. You were without it for two weeks, I have had mine a year in September and I'm not even close to finishing.

 

next time you want to pay that kind of money,bring it up to fresno and i'll do the work.

sometimes though it's just worth payin to have it done and be finished with it.

 

Or y'all can come to Redondo Beach and the three of us will knock it out in 8 hours

 

i'am in,anyplace with beach has got to have better weather than here

 

So what's the verdict, did I get ripped off or is that price right for the job?

And thanks for the offers, next time I'll bring the benjamins and the booz and the mav.

 

as long as u feel satisfied, that's all that matters

 

I'm still at work but took it out for a spin and it's nice. Still needs to be properly aligned but drives really nice. The speedometer for some reason stopped working but maybe it's just disconnected, I'll check it out later. Corners soooooo much better.

 

exactly....

It is so easy to sit there and say only if you would have come here....in reality most people do not work free and shops certainly can not do that and stay in business. At my shop( I own and operate it) it would have cost you roughly 500 to 800 labor to all the mechanical work. I charge 25-50(dpends on the type of work and how much i like somebody) an hour labor. To some they think I am nice for being low....I still get the occasional ass hat who thinks I should do the work and then write them a check they can cash for the pleasure of dealing with them and yes I could do all that work in 6 hrs if I hustled....but why? Work at a steady pace do it right the first time....

 

You got ripped. Glad youre happy about it nonetheless.

 

When you break down the labor its in the ballpark. 16 hours for the front end rebuild and disc brake swap, rad, carb(i assume overhaul or at least set up) and intake. I say you did alright. Your 16 hours is around 87 an hour. The overhead to run a well equipped shop is higher than most realize.
Disc brake conv. -r&r spindles, replace flex lines,replace master cylinder, bearing repack or replace, calipers,pads and bleed system. Guessing around 5 or 6 hours.
Rebuild front end-Depends how involved. Could be labor intensive if your getting into control arm bushings etc.
Radiator-Around 1 hour
Intake- 2 hours
Carb.- 1-4 hours(depends on rebuild or set up?)
I assume alignment.- 1.2 hours
Tires- 1.4 hours for 4
I get around 12 hours without the front end work. You were charged a reasonable rate.
Also the car is a bit old. Dont know what was seized or broken. Things snowball on old cars. Brake lines,seized front end parts etc..
Did you get ripped. No way. Anyone who says you got ripped off has no idea what it takes to do this for a living and/or run a professional shop.
Shop rates differ a lot. Any decent shop around here is 70 bucks an hour and up. My dealership is 94 an hour. Huge overhead though. The smaller shops run up to about 90 an hour. 110 an hour for driveability diagnostics. No matter how much you pay someone there will always be the guy who says you got ripped off. Maybe he works for free in his line of work.
Have a plumber connect a fixture in your house. Going rate for construction is 500 per fixture. Thats 500 for a sink,500 for a tub etc..
The Automotive trade is very reasonable when you consider the training and equipment needed to run a shop.
Paying to get the job done properly is a good thing. Its all done and over with by trained tech and you have warranty on the parts and labor usually. Our shop is 1 year on parts and labor. We dont all have the ability, time or facilities at home to do the work you had done.
Hell I've been trying to get my disc swap done for over a week at home and I do it for a living. Just too much on the go. Could do it at work in a few hours but decided to do it at home instead.
You know your car was done right and your driving it. Good for you.(assuming your tech did a good job). If the job was done well I say you have found a shop that you can rely on to fix your car properly. Thats important in this trade. Its all about the customer and good service.
At least you can drive yours. Mines still in the driveway and its making me crazy. Maybe I should follow your lead and pay our apprentice to come over and finish it.

 

25-50 is really low. I think with the overhead an all the usual 80 or whatever an hour seems fair. I mean its awesome you charge that low but you must be running a tight ship there. I don't think I got ripped off and even though its a lot I think it was worth it.

 

Missed his estimate

I wouldn't go back to a guy that missed his estimate by that much.