Learned my lesson

[spincobra03]

Well I just bought another cobra as some may know. So I went ahead to do some tasteful mods. I ordered the MGW shifter (with cobrabob's gasket, thanks bob, got the gasket within 2 days of ordering....thanks, its my thrid set) Also a magnaflow catback (from lethal) as the exhaust was stock. The throwout bearing is slighty noisy (not bad) but I am anal about things so I went ahead and ordered my stuff through lethal (heavy duty TOB and retaining sleeve.

So I was going to take it to a shop across town to a guy that did my last clutch and a few mods (he is a mechanic on all cars, its not a performance shop by any means). He takes good care of me and has great prices. He did my shifter, TOB, sleeve, piolet bearing, ram clutch, fly wheel, adjuster and quadrant all for 600 bucks. That was a few years ago.

Meanwhile a new performance shop opened up literally a mintue walk from my house, so I stop in to check the place out, the owner is a great guy and I ask him to take my car out with me for a ride to get his opinion on the TOB and his thoughts on how it shifts. So he thinks the car's shifting isnt bad but first to second is a little crunchy but I wanted it to be extremely smooth so I say lets go ahead and do these mods. Fast forward to today, I drop the stuff off and ask him "will it just be a day or so"? Knowing the mods that are going in, I figure 8-12 hours at most. (shifter 2 hours tops) (exhaust 2 hours AT MOST as I did it myself in that time and Im a newbie) and 8 hours for the bearing and sleeve at most (which I think is high but ok whatever) dropping the tranny is no easy task, plus a road test. So anyway, he says "oh no atleast 2 days maybe 2 1/2 :shrug: Im like really??????? So I say what do you charge per hour?....... he says $65. So I do the math in my head and come up with 16 hours is just over 1000 bucks for labor and 20 hours is 1300 :??:
Now I know modding isnt cheap but I think for the mods I need done that labor price is to high. But I feel bad taking the work out of this guys pocket, so im going to stick with him on this one and go elsewhere nextime. And the lesson learned is, do the shifter yourself and go to the mechanic your comfortable with. Just because a shop is a performance shop doesnt mean a whole lot. Any opinions? Am I crazy for sticking with this guy or am I just crazy and his prices are ok???

 

[steedafever]

this sux

 

[xenodragon]

I think thats way overpriced. If I were you I would tell him how long it would take you to install the parts. if he argues and says no the exhaust takes 4 hours (which is completel bullshit) takes AN HOUR at most for a shop to do it, then I would just leave and tell him no thanks.

There hourly prices seem decent $65 an hour is about right, but it looks like they are making up for their reasonable prices by charging aditional labor time. Explain to him that you know how long it really takes and if he disarees go somewhere else. Why spend an extra $500 - $600 when you can get it done cheaper.

The shifter is cake to install and the exhaust (especially a catback) isnt difficult either. You could install those on your own and save a ton of $$$ and then have cash for more mods. Get a few friends together and it will go super quick.

 

[spincobra03]

I think thats way overpriced. If I were you I would tell him how long it would take you to install the parts. if he argues and says no the exhaust takes 4 hours (which is completel bullshit) takes AN HOUR at most for a shop to do it, then I would just leave and tell him no thanks.

There hourly prices seem decent $65 an hour is about right, but it looks like they are making up for their reasonable prices by charging aditional labor time. Explain to him that you know how long it really takes and if he disarees go somewhere else. Why spend an extra $500 - $600 when you can get it done cheaper.

The shifter is cake to install and the exhaust (especially a catback) isnt difficult either. You could install those on your own and save a ton of $$$ and then have cash for more mods. Get a few friends together and it will go super quick.

Yes I agree, I know I could do the shifter and exhaust. IDK, like I said I feel obligated kind of but I will call him tomorrow and talk to him, I think if he quotes me 8 hours, I will go with that. Based on what im getting done whats a worst case amount of time it should take them 8-10 hours??

 

[03Cobrra]

That is wayy too much for that amount of work...bring it to me Ill do all of that for $300 and youll have it back by the end of the day lol.

 

[VNGNCE908]

yeah. thats not a good hour quote. I wouldn't feel bad about taking it else where. He in a ways is trying to kill you in a large labor quote, so why should you feel bad about taking it elsewhere instead of being taken advantage of?

 

[wudy]

What if you get your car back and his work is not up to your standards. Then how would you feel about overpaying this shop. You're giving your hard earned cash away to someone you have never had work on your car. Mabe just get him to do the TOB, then go from there.

 

[TRBO VNM]

I didn't read everyones response and I don't think I missed anything in the OP. But from what I read it didn't seem like he was giving you a timeframe of how long it will take to get the work done. more of a timeframe of when the car would be ready for pickup. maybe he had another car to finish or a couple to work on and just trying to work you in and was saying it would be ready in a couple days. I sure hope he isn't quoting 2-2.5 days to do that work. That is why I wonder if he is really just saying when it would be done and not the hours it takes to do the work.

you should have asked for a price prior to dropping the car off or when you went to drop it off, don't leave until a price was agreed on.

 

[LTHL VNM]

you're really gonna bend over and take those prices just because you feel obligated to go to him????
i'd tell him to get f*cked

 

[cobracide]

Yep, he's taking you for a ride.

 

[lloyd393]

Maybe he ment to say it wouldn't be done until 2-3 days, but actuall time working on the car would only be xxx hours? I would check to make sure he didn't mean it that way, and if he did I would take it somewhere else.

 

[spincobra03]

ya guys after hearing the feed back, I will call him first thing tomorrow as he doesnt have the exhaust or tob yet. I will tell him to give me a hard line quote. If its going to be more than 8 hours?? Ill tell him, im going to have to go somewhere else. Does anyone think 8 hours is fair?

 

[ririck]

Shitty. Shouldve asked before you let him do it, LOL

 

[Root1022]

8 hours should be good, exhaust no more than an hour and the shifter 30 minutes top but id give him an hour for shit and giggles, tob 6 hours max...anything more than that is bullshit!

 

[Johnny03]

Shifter and cat back will take under 2 hours. I could help you with that for nothing.. just buy the beer. I have done mine many times and we will have yours done quick. I have all the tools and live in Methuen. Plus it would be cool meeting another guy in Mass with a Terminator.

 

[bigdog93lx]

+1,

He may just be busy with another car and might due little things on your car if he is not busy. The guy that does work on my car is similar to the guy that use to do work for you. Charges me by the hour but does great work, has a great knowledge of cars in general and can work on anything and will tell me if i need better parts or if the ones i have are shit.

As far as asking the new guy for a quote it would be hard to ask the guy for a quote if you already dropped the car off. ersonally i would just see what happens and go from there. If he charges you an arm and a leg i just wouldnt go back

I didn't read everyones response and I don't think I missed anything in the OP. But from what I read it didn't seem like he was giving you a timeframe of how long it will take to get the work done. more of a timeframe of when the car would be ready for pickup. maybe he had another car to finish or a couple to work on and just trying to work you in and was saying it would be ready in a couple days. I sure hope he isn't quoting 2-2.5 days to do that work. That is why I wonder if he is really just saying when it would be done and not the hours it takes to do the work.

you should have asked for a price prior to dropping the car off or when you went to drop it off, don't leave until a price was agreed on.

 

[CosworthRS]

How well does this guy know his shit? Some new shops arent to familar with the installs on everything. And will just guesstimate the total from working on other vehicles. 65 and hour isnt bad at all. At my shop, we charge 75 an hour. And we've been working on some vehicles for literally years. Also keep in mind if he has other appointments set up.

 

[spincobra03]

How well does this guy know his shit? Some new shops arent to familar with the installs on everything. And will just guesstimate the total from working on other vehicles. 65 and hour isnt bad at all. At my shop, we charge 75 an hour. And we've been working on some vehicles for literally years. Also keep in mind if he has other appointments set up.

When we went for a ride in the car, I could tell that he knew what he was talking about when it came to 03-04's He had 2 foxes, 2 vettes, a gt, and a 68 camaro in the yard he was going to work on.

 

[spincobra03]

Shifter and cat back will take under 2 hours. I could help you with that for nothing.. just buy the beer. I have done mine many times and we will have yours done quick. I have all the tools and live in Methuen. Plus it would be cool meeting another guy in Mass with a Terminator.

That would be awesome! Im down for meeting people around here that are into our cars. I can do the work on the shifter and exhaust but a lift is perferable. Are you able to do a TOB? PM me.. :beer: Obviously money would be involved, I wouldnt ask you to help me for nothing.

 

[HURTNEM]

I didn't read everyones response and I don't think I missed anything in the OP. But from what I read it didn't seem like he was giving you a timeframe of how long it will take to get the work done. more of a timeframe of when the car would be ready for pickup. maybe he had another car to finish or a couple to work on and just trying to work you in and was saying it would be ready in a couple days. I sure hope he isn't quoting 2-2.5 days to do that work. That is why I wonder if he is really just saying when it would be done and not the hours it takes to do the work.

you should have asked for a price prior to dropping the car off or when you went to drop it off, don't leave until a price was agreed on.

I agree! This is the first thing I was thinking. Just because he needs the car that long doesn't mean he's charging you labor for those hours. Your car isn't the only car he has to work on unless business is REALLY slow. Ask how much the totat is for everything installed. I've had my car at TRBO VNM's garage for over a week before and my total was only $25:lol::rolling: