DIY or pay too much :-)

78 mercedes benz 280E - ignition steering lock freezes while I'm at a gas station so I can't even start the car. I get it towed (free with AAA), look up the dealer fix - $1000 as you have to drop the steering column down, pull the gauge cluster, drill out the pin and replace the tumbler/lock mechanism. This is after I hotwired the power window relays to roll up the windows...

So...being the good porsche DIY-er I looked up the fix online, ordered the $200 parts, and about 4 hours later it was done. So I just upped my hourly wage to $200 - works for me!

Cheap ba$tard that I am ...

My wife's van cracked the support for the rocker arms and trashed itself 5 miles from home. She nursed it to the nearest exit ramp two miles away from home, where we assessed the damage and called AAA. Towed it to a shop we've used before and got a quote of at least $5,000 for replacement of the engine.

Towed it home, went to the junkyard, found a low-mile replacement engine for $675, belts and hoses for $300 and changed it out over a four week period - my wife used the Mercedes while the family hauler was out of commission.

Saving $4,000 is high on my priority list, especially when I know I can do the work as well or better than most.

Regards,

Boy there are a Lot of CHEAP BA$TARDS on this forum

And a lot of smarter ones, as well.

I just bought a Meco torch to weld in the top of a 356 fender that I fabricated (the driver ran under the corner of a truck). I got it from Tin Man Technologies. It came with aircraft size inlets (which I knew about), but instead of buying his hose I went to my local welding supply. Lo and behold, the Meco was on the shelf there for $60 (with 2 tips!!) instead of TimMan's $115 (one tip). Oh, and the hose was 2/3 the price as well.

Think I'll shop this cat again?? ;)

Was out of state and driving my old benz. Ran into a really nasty rain storm and realized my wipers where not up to snuff. Found an autoparts store and went to the counter (all blades behind the counter) and ask for a set for my car. He came back with a price of $20 each.

Said no thanks - went out to the car and asked my wife to go in and ask for the wipers by size.

She came back out with two wipers and a receipt for $8

cheap, yes. stupid, no
 

Took my girls Camry to Toyota with an underpowered engine. I was too busy with work and it's her daily driver.

They told me it diagnosed with a misfire and therefore needed-
New plugs and wires
New cam belt
EFI clean
tranny flush
and something else. for $1200

They charge $90 for diagnosis-which is offset against any work i got done.
Here is the problem- i recently changed engine and tranny fluid, i also put on a new cam belt, which i might add you can't see without taking the timing cover off, which they didn't do...

I got them to clean efi and test it $140 to offset the cost of diagnosis. When i collected the car the dude said it needed new plugwires, therefore misfire. I said i ain't paying $200 for plugs and wires. He said don't go thinking you can just go and use Bosch wires as they don't work on Toyotas!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fing idiot

I guess he can never could have known that i have owned and driven German cars my whole life- Bell End.

I went straight to Autozone, got the plugs and wires- car runs great

Funny that many of you will pay at your P car wrench, or for some at the dealer without any problem.

Not me, unless it's an engine rebuild.

You haven't seen CHEAP BA$TARDS until you've grown up in the South -- and, yup, we're proud of it!

"up to code as well"

Do you know what code is? How many elbows are acceptable in the "t&p" line? Did you get a drip leg? Were problematic gate or globe shut-off valves replaced? Did you get earthquake straps if required by local ordinance? The cost of a bargain hot water heater installation comes later during maintenance headaches or early replacement due to inferior components or when it fails the mechanical inspection when you try and sell the house. You can pay too much for plumbing work but you can also pay too little. Cheers, Jim

look 171
 

look 171- is life so bad, you seem a little depressed. It's friday, cheerup, go and have a beer with your friends.

PS i do my own wrenching

Most don't think it is a rip off if a Home depot monkey come out and charge $250 to change the heater. All they do is reconnect the hot, cold copper flex line which needs to be change and connect the half smash up rusty vent line up through asbesto pipe. What pressure relief? what, off the ground. Ball valve? They are suppose to last years like 75. Just like heaters 30 years. Motor Mi Mi Miste who?

Some of these bid might sound like a bit much, I do have to agree.

Jeff

I'll even do the engine rebuild...just finished one! It's the body and paint stuff that leaves me dazed and confused. I hate messing with body work!

Re: look 171
 

Sorry you must have read that all wrong. Depress??? I don't understand. Life is great I am the happiest person you ever met. I am just trying to say that many of us, myself included, are willing to pay more for a different service like our cars and its parts then say a piece of diamond ring or work on the house. I needed a turbo tranny mount. I call Porsche, they wanted 700bucks+ fot it. Thank god it was only a loose bolt. I know it is a rip off, I will buy it in a heat beat. Why, becasue I want it and are willing to spring for it. The 20 year old heater isn't that hot anymore and the pipes are rusted, well, I think I can wait, but to spend an X amount on that???

By the way, I do not do any of my wrenching. I just don't have the time. Thank goodness The boys at TRE is close by. plus I do not enjoy it.

Stepson calls, "The Saturn misses when I accelerate. Pep boys said that they would tune it up for $200. Is that a good deal?"

I told him to leave it at his house and Nancy and I would pick it up. I got the car and drove it to Wal-Mart. Bought the house brand Fuel Injection cleaner and a set of plugs. I drained the can of cleaner into the gas tank while in the parking lot and drove it home. I pulled the plugs and found the clearance on the electrodes around 1/8" inch. I bent the tip towards the electrode to around .040" and reinstalled them. Car is fine.

The repair industry just blows as far as I'm concerned.

David Duffield

:mad: I'm not a cheap bastard, in fact I spend too much, generally, and not just on my car.
Recently I stopped by a body shop to see how much a little spot painting would run for a couple of small areas on my Carrera and the guy said the only way to fix them would be to remove the back window (Targa :eek: ) AND the windshield! Mind you all, I'm talking LITTLE scrapes here!
Their price? Just the left side alone, and of course they would "have to paint the whole side," $2,500.00! I didn't wait to hear the rest of his #%*!.
Anyone know of a good shop willing to work for a fair price on a nice "driver" in the Lakewood/Tacoma area (south of Seattle)?
Still :mad: ...............
Replaced my own water heater with a 80 gallon number two years ago for under $300.00. :)
It's not a Porsche, and so doesn't leak....:D

Well, they don't diagnose the way they used to when parts were not as readily available. Example: When the shop would need to wait 3 days for a part, they would rather check a little further and see if they could "repair" the problem rather than wait for the part. That way, they may be able to get that car and the customer out of the way for the next car. When doing this, it's amazing to see how many times the parts are workable like adjusting plugs or cleaning plugs rather than replacing them. Now I realize that it's cheeper to replace them than get your hands dirty by cleaning them, but it's just an example.

Sure seems like this thread has struck a nerve, maybe some of the examples have hit home? ;)

I'm not cheap.. I'm just broke:D

Jim brings up a good point - you need to distingusih true gouging from a situation when a full "safety job" was done -- even if that was w/o your knowldege.

Also, expertise is expensive -- if an engineer is involved or some other highly trained proefessional, you will be paying for their education. They might be retained in the background and not seen by you.

Nontheless, there are numerous examples of gouging above, and it sure seems that the presence of ANY Porsche brings it out...