Mechanic trying to screw me?
04-09-2008, 07:31 AM
#21
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
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Posts: 8,162
RE: Mechanic trying to screw me?
Yes theres always a mark up get use to it or ask if you can bring them the parts will they put them on.Or buy a mechainc tool set a couple repair manuals a jack and 4 jack stands you can do everything with those tools listed.
04-09-2008, 10:41 AM
#22
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Join Date: Mar 2007
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Posts: 388
RE: Mechanic trying to screw me?
ORIGINAL: mjr46
NO...........WHY NO!! ???? Cause if any of THE GUYS that said they were screwing you in the replies you got understood what it takes to run a shop and the overhead involved.........parts are not sold what you can buy them at the parts store...they are sold based on list or own personal mark up needed to turn a profit...a shop can't operate on LABOR ONLY!! Trust me I know.........but if you don't agree with the price take it elsewhere.
..but for shyt sake don't bash them for trying to make a living.and turn a profit.....I mean you don't sell me that hamburger you flip and make at Booger King for 2 cents on the dollar do you??For the cost of a whopper value meal I can make 5 hamburgers and buy a whole bag of fries and 2 liter of sprite for around 7.00..and you don't cry foul to them do you?????......the repairs you need are not difficult to do but will take sometime....but shop around and compare
ORIGINAL: dugan
sent the mustang to the shop to have some steering work done.
turns out the Center link is broke, it needs a new pitman arm, the ball joints are bad, and they said it needed a new gearbox because it used to have Power steering (PO clipped the lines and took the pump off).
I donk know if i trust them though, as they said so far it will be at least 1000 bucks(didnt say if that included labor or not) plus another 200 and some for the ball joints. Said that they were having truobe finding parts for it and they would be expensive.
That being said i looked up a center link for manual steering on Napa and it was 100 and some odd dollars, looked up the pitman arm and it was 193.49 and a 50.00 core charge (they said it would be a 100 dollar core charge)
they are a "napa certified shop" so why would they have not checked with napa for the parsts first?
Would you say they are trying to screw me?
sent the mustang to the shop to have some steering work done.
turns out the Center link is broke, it needs a new pitman arm, the ball joints are bad, and they said it needed a new gearbox because it used to have Power steering (PO clipped the lines and took the pump off).
I donk know if i trust them though, as they said so far it will be at least 1000 bucks(didnt say if that included labor or not) plus another 200 and some for the ball joints. Said that they were having truobe finding parts for it and they would be expensive.
That being said i looked up a center link for manual steering on Napa and it was 100 and some odd dollars, looked up the pitman arm and it was 193.49 and a 50.00 core charge (they said it would be a 100 dollar core charge)
they are a "napa certified shop" so why would they have not checked with napa for the parsts first?
Would you say they are trying to screw me?
NO...........WHY NO!! ???? Cause if any of THE GUYS that said they were screwing you in the replies you got understood what it takes to run a shop and the overhead involved.........parts are not sold what you can buy them at the parts store...they are sold based on list or own personal mark up needed to turn a profit...a shop can't operate on LABOR ONLY!! Trust me I know.........but if you don't agree with the price take it elsewhere...but for shyt sake don't bash them for trying to make a living.and turn a profit.....I mean you don't sell me that hamburger you flip and make at Booger King for 2 cents on the dollar do you??For the cost of a whopper value meal I can make 5 hamburgers and buy a whole bag of fries and 2 liter of sprite for around 7.00..and you don't cry foul to them do you?????......the repairs you need are not difficult to do but will take sometime....but shop around and compare
04-09-2008, 10:47 AM
#23
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Join Date: Mar 2007
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Posts: 388
RE: Mechanic trying to screw me?
ORIGINAL: andrewmp6
Yes theres always a mark up get use to it or ask if you can bring them the parts will they put them on.Or buy a mechainc tool set a couple repair manuals a jack and 4 jack stands you can do everything with those tools listed.
Yes theres always a mark up get use to it or ask if you can bring them the parts will they put them on.Or buy a mechainc tool set a couple repair manuals a jack and 4 jack stands you can do everything with those tools listed.
as for all of you that asked why my dad won't let me I HAVE NO CLUE. he could fix it, i could fix it i dont know. he is being weird this time.doesn't make sense either b/c a few years back he decided to pull the tranny from a 86 toyota cellica to change the clutch (he doesn't know anything about foreign cars) but now when it comes to, BTW Aussie66Fastback its a 67 coupe, cars he actually knows what he is doing on he wants a "professional to do it"
ughh iritating.
04-09-2008, 12:04 PM
#24
Foghorn Leghorn
Join Date: Dec 2006
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RE: Mechanic trying to screw me?
If they are doing that much work and supplying that many parts it could very easily reach $1k.
Save some jing, buy your own parts and do ityourself if you thinkthat shopsare trying to rip you off.I have a couple of good friends that run auto shops and they are good people that provide a valuable service. Don't go to a shop with an arm load of parts that you bought somewhere else and ask him to install them. They hate that and charge accordingly.
Profit is not a dirty word people. A mans gotta eat.
Save some jing, buy your own parts and do ityourself if you thinkthat shopsare trying to rip you off.I have a couple of good friends that run auto shops and they are good people that provide a valuable service. Don't go to a shop with an arm load of parts that you bought somewhere else and ask him to install them. They hate that and charge accordingly.
Profit is not a dirty word people. A mans gotta eat.
04-09-2008, 01:01 PM
#25
Join Date: Mar 2007
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Posts: 48
RE: Mechanic trying to screw me?
How do you break a center link? Was it bent?
Although $1000 doesn't sound too bad for that much work, the price will probably go up once everything is done. Garages are pretty bad at shopping for parts whether it's the best deal or the best quality.
If I were you, I'd take the car to an alignment shop recommended by members of the local Mustang Club and get them to tell you what's wrong with it. Even if you dothe workyourself, you'll still need a wheel alignment done when your finished.
I'm not sure about the ball joints, but the steering linkage is all very accessible and pops apart quite easy with the tie rod fork. I can see why your dad is iffy about you working on the steering. It's not something you want to have come apart. If you want him to stop complaining about helping you with the car, buy a house and get him to help you replace the shingles (just don't let him near the air nailer).
Although $1000 doesn't sound too bad for that much work, the price will probably go up once everything is done. Garages are pretty bad at shopping for parts whether it's the best deal or the best quality.
If I were you, I'd take the car to an alignment shop recommended by members of the local Mustang Club and get them to tell you what's wrong with it. Even if you dothe workyourself, you'll still need a wheel alignment done when your finished.
I'm not sure about the ball joints, but the steering linkage is all very accessible and pops apart quite easy with the tie rod fork. I can see why your dad is iffy about you working on the steering. It's not something you want to have come apart. If you want him to stop complaining about helping you with the car, buy a house and get him to help you replace the shingles (just don't let him near the air nailer).
04-09-2008, 01:06 PM
#26
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Posts: 388
RE: Mechanic trying to screw me?
i don't know how it broke.. i was backing out of my driveway one day and the wheels wouldnt turn so i just kinda pulled forward a little bit to get the car out of the middle of the road. the shop said it was caused because the PO took the power steering pump off and just clipped the lines..? i don't know.
or maybe by taking a sharp corner just a little to fast?
like i said i i didnt know if they were trying to rip me off, so i just thought i would be safe and ask.
or maybe by taking a sharp corner just a little to fast?
like i said i i didnt know if they were trying to rip me off, so i just thought i would be safe and ask.
04-09-2008, 03:29 PM
#27
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Texas Hill Country
Posts: 2,100
RE: Mechanic trying to screw me?
ORIGINAL: dugan
i don't know how it broke.. i was backing out of my driveway one day and the wheels wouldnt turn so i just kinda pulled forward a little bit to get the car out of the middle of the road. the shop said it was caused because the PO took the power steering pump off and just clipped the lines..? i don't know.
or maybe by taking a sharp corner just a little to fast?
like i said i i didnt know if they were trying to rip me off, so i just thought i would be safe and ask.
i don't know how it broke.. i was backing out of my driveway one day and the wheels wouldnt turn so i just kinda pulled forward a little bit to get the car out of the middle of the road. the shop said it was caused because the PO took the power steering pump off and just clipped the lines..? i don't know.
or maybe by taking a sharp corner just a little to fast?
like i said i i didnt know if they were trying to rip me off, so i just thought i would be safe and ask.
04-09-2008, 04:32 PM
#28
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Ramona, CA
Posts: 2,682
RE: Mechanic trying to screw me?
your dad might just be looking out for your safety.. He dont want his boy getting hurt, and cant blame him for that.. Its enough that he is letting you drive a 40 year old tank.. (which in some ways makes me feel better about wrecks).. but im sure he just wants you to be safe in that car.. no matter what the cost..
if a clutch goes out ,, the car stops going.. If steering goes out,, the car keeps going with no control over what his boy is about to smack into and possibly loose some limbs if not more. He's just being a dad.
"though I think you guys should tackle this one together anyway.." IMO
if a clutch goes out ,, the car stops going.. If steering goes out,, the car keeps going with no control over what his boy is about to smack into and possibly loose some limbs if not more. He's just being a dad.
"though I think you guys should tackle this one together anyway.." IMO
04-09-2008, 05:54 PM
#29
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Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 2,266
RE: Mechanic trying to screw me?
ORIGINAL: mjr46
That's why I don't work nor service cars for people who think like you....why??? because they're never happy with the price and at a moments notice ready to cry"rip off".......and to make such a generalized statement of "paying a 12.50 an hour grease monkey to slap parts on a car"???? if you think all shops employ such slave inexperience labor....your clueless....maybe a hole in the wall place does butI don't employ mechanics......I employ well trained/certified technicians...and there is a difference and they don't work for 12.50 an hour[&:]....your right any baffon can slap suspension parts on that car...but I gaurantee the one who does it for 12.50 an hour will look like it was done for such....seen it hundreds of times.......I work on classics numerous times a month and have numerous customers as such and everyone has told me that they are happy to pay a higher rate as the 30 to 40 dollar an hour back yard joke they were taking it to "quote" un "quote" old timer who new the cars goobered more stuff up then fixed....bottom line is when it comes to service: if you feel parts are to expensive bring your own in..many of my customers bring in their performance parts for me to install = fine.......but as for the labor it's like buying oats for your horse..: you want nice clean fresh oats the price will be considerably more....now however if you want oats that are recycled and already been through the horse the price will be considerably less don't take any of this personally ...I'm not supporting the shop..I however do support bussiness owners as I know what it takes to run a succesfull shop.....there's more to meets the eye then you think or can see from the price list on the front counter when you enter a shops front door...come see for a day personally and your jaw will be left hanging
ORIGINAL: Aussie66Fastback
mjr46, theres plenty of profitable shops out there that many of us would be willing to keep in business but IMHO this aint one of em.
maybe it works different over there but herethe shops pay a "trade price" for parts that isonaverage20% less than retail price you or i pay through the shop or a parts vendor. That gives the shop a margin plus what they make on the labor.And if they cant cover o/headswhilepaying an apprentice $12.50 per hour and charging me at between $65 and $85 per hour they dont deserve to be in business.
SO...to charge a $100 core charge on a part i pay full retail of $70 for...Well I call that being ripped off. To say the parts are expensive and hard to get...I hear alarm bells ringing. I wouldnt take my car to that shop if you werepaying. They clearly dont do regular work on classic Mustangs.
the bit i do agree with Dugan is shop around for a better mechanic.
mjr46, theres plenty of profitable shops out there that many of us would be willing to keep in business but IMHO this aint one of em.
maybe it works different over there but herethe shops pay a "trade price" for parts that isonaverage20% less than retail price you or i pay through the shop or a parts vendor. That gives the shop a margin plus what they make on the labor.And if they cant cover o/headswhilepaying an apprentice $12.50 per hour and charging me at between $65 and $85 per hour they dont deserve to be in business.
SO...to charge a $100 core charge on a part i pay full retail of $70 for...Well I call that being ripped off. To say the parts are expensive and hard to get...I hear alarm bells ringing. I wouldnt take my car to that shop if you werepaying. They clearly dont do regular work on classic Mustangs.
the bit i do agree with Dugan is shop around for a better mechanic.
That's why I don't work nor service cars for people who think like you....why??? because they're never happy with the price and at a moments notice ready to cry"rip off".......and to make such a generalized statement of "paying a 12.50 an hour grease monkey to slap parts on a car"???? if you think all shops employ such slave inexperience labor....your clueless....maybe a hole in the wall place does butI don't employ mechanics......I employ well trained/certified technicians...and there is a difference and they don't work for 12.50 an hour[&:]....your right any baffon can slap suspension parts on that car...but I gaurantee the one who does it for 12.50 an hour will look like it was done for such....seen it hundreds of times.......I work on classics numerous times a month and have numerous customers as such and everyone has told me that they are happy to pay a higher rate as the 30 to 40 dollar an hour back yard joke they were taking it to "quote" un "quote" old timer who new the cars goobered more stuff up then fixed....bottom line is when it comes to service: if you feel parts are to expensive bring your own in..many of my customers bring in their performance parts for me to install = fine.......but as for the labor it's like buying oats for your horse..: you want nice clean fresh oats the price will be considerably more....now however if you want oats that are recycled and already been through the horse the price will be considerably less don't take any of this personally ...I'm not supporting the shop..I however do support bussiness owners as I know what it takes to run a succesfull shop.....there's more to meets the eye then you think or can see from the price list on the front counter when you enter a shops front door...come see for a day personally and your jaw will be left hanging
I was quoting Australian rates. I have no idea what you pay your guys. Over here the $12.50 apprentice is the pimply 15yo with the brand new tool kit who wouldnt know a steering box from a spark plug...yet the Subaru shop let him loose on my car and their rate is now $85/hr. The local GM dealer charges $97. I've worked in finance in a big rural dealership that sold Subaru, Toyota and Hyundai. They had one gun mechanic who could change big end bearings on a landcruiser in a couple of hours...blindfolded. They had one gun parts guy who could just about quote the part numbers off the top of his head to build a landcruiser from the ground up. The rest of their workshop team were oxygen thieves.[8D]
So we're probably talking mostly the same thing...do your homework, find an independant shop or at least owner/ operator franchise who regularly works on classics and be prepared to pay good money for good work.
04-09-2008, 07:59 PM
#30
2nd Gear Member
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Join Date: Mar 2007
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Posts: 388
RE: Mechanic trying to screw me?
yea pretty lucky, he made my brother and sister buy their first car..but with me he bought me a 67 mustang
after talking more, he is prolly just going to let me and one of my brothers friends do it.
after talking more, he is prolly just going to let me and one of my brothers friends do it.