Price gouging P-car shop in NY? Anyone see this?

[WolfeMacleod]

Posted on Jalopnik. What's the typical charges for an oil change in that car?

Gouging NYC Shop Forgets To Take Me Off Email Chain, Calls Me Retarded

[id10t]

13 years ago I paid $90 for an oil change in the 356, but that also included checking the timing and valve clearance.

[WolfeMacleod]

Originally Posted by id10t

13 years ago I paid $90 for an oil change in the 356, but that also included checking the timing and valve clearance.

And they probably didn't call you a retard, either.

[JJ 911SC]

That is why my scissors lift bought 3 years ago paid for itself in a couple of years and I know the job was done right...

[jwgn777]

The link you posted does not work for me. I'm interested to know what shop it was. And if it's true.

[WolfeMacleod]

Originally Posted by jwgn777

The link you posted does not work for me. I'm interested to know what shop it was. And if it's true.

Looks like Jalopnik may have deleted the post. I was kind of wondering that myself.

[jwgn777]

I think there is one dealer in NYC that has been known to have some ruff personal however I don't believe they would pull something like that. At least i hope they wouldn't. I use the dealers in Long Island for my parts.

[TimT]

I know of most of the shops that do PCA track techs in the area.. and am having a had time associating a "Mike"... The whole post stank like rotten fish... and much of what the poster posited was dubious..

I read the Jalopnik post post before it got taken down....lot of high and mighty posts...some of the posters should try and bring there own eggs to a diner and ask to have them cooked for breakfast...

[BKLYNTARGA]

Maybe the shop is......

Formula Motorsports
3216 37th Ave
Long Island City, New York 11101
718-482-0515

Owner is Mark - His son is Michael

[Rick Lee]

I'm pretty sure an oil change on my 993 would run that much here and things are a lot cheaper here than in NYC. I can't imagine letting someone else do it, even if it were free. DIY'ing an oil change is part of what owning a real Porsche is all about.

[motion]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

I'm pretty sure an oil change on my 993 would run that much here and things are a lot cheaper here than in NYC. I can't imagine letting someone else do it, even if it were free. DIY'ing an oil change is part of what owning a real Porsche is all about.

Rick, I'm gonna try to be like you and do my next oil change on my own. The last shop that changed my oil tried to charge me $1100, because my engine was "dirty" (I had a leaking valve cover).

I always laugh at the P-car oil change gouging when I get my F150s done for $19.95, which includes a lube and tire rotation, and inspection of all belts, fluids, etc. I guess Porsche oil change techs think they must be brain surgeons.

I go through the same thing with the Mercedes dealer... they want $300 for an oil change on a turbo 4 cyl. I guess you're really just paying the $$$ to reset the ridiculous reminder warning on the dash computer.

[Rick Lee]

Motion, if you're doing it in SoCal, I'll be there in two weeks and can supervise. After all these years, I just learned a new trick on the last oil change that saved me a lot of headache. And you think the stealer is gonna pull off the hard oil line and get that extra qt. of old oil out of there? Not bloody likely. I do it while it's piping hot and even angle the right front of the car up a little for maximum flow back down.

[motion]

Thanks, Rick, but the Porsche is up in Montana these days. If you want to do some board riding on the slopes, we can talk

[aigel]

The only thing I find high is their shop rate of $170 / hour.

And of course being unprofessional in emails. Never send curse words or put down people in professional emails. For exactly the reason shown.

G

[aigel]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

Motion, if you're doing it in SoCal, I'll be there in two weeks and can supervise. After all these years, I just learned a new trick on the last oil change that saved me a lot of headache. And you think the stealer is gonna pull off the hard oil line and get that extra qt. of old oil out of there? Not bloody likely. I do it while it's piping hot and even angle the right front of the car up a little for maximum flow back down.

It took you that long to find out that you can get the small oil filter out with the proper filter socket wrench?

G

[cashflyer]

$170 per hour labor???
I don't charge even half of that for aircraft maintenance!!

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by aigel

It took you that long to find out that you can get the small oil filter out with the proper filter socket wrench?

G

Actually, that was the challenge. I've always had the proper wrench, but just last time realized that totally removing those heat x'er extensions (beyond the orange rubber pieces, i.e. removing both hose clamps) makes it come out so much more easily.

[aigel]

Originally Posted by cashflyer

$170 per hour labor???
I don't charge even half of that for aircraft maintenance!!

I don't go to shops much. Latest I have seen was $115 at reputable indy shop in SoCal. That's acceptable. $170 better be in a ultra high rent district ...

G

[Noah930]

Originally Posted by aigel

The only thing I find high is their shop rate of $170 / hour.

Man, maybe I'm a cheapskate (go figure--a Pelican being a cheapskate), but I think everything is a bit high. I suppose that's market rate for that neighborhood, but $14 per quart, $55 for a filter, and $5 for a washer?! So the shop is making money on selling all those items at full retail, plus the cost of labor. And the oil filter will still be gorilla'd on too tight to remove without using the screwdriver-as-a-skewer method at the next fluid change. But if you have no time/skills/tools/desire to DIY, you're paying for the convenience of somebody else getting their hands dirty.

Still, as a couple friends have discovered, that $320 pales in comparison to the $800 my local Maserati dealer charges for an oil change.

[Baz]

Back when I got my first Porsche (late 90's) I remember a local shop's labor rate was $55.00/hr.

So I decided right then and there...that's what I will charge when I work by the hour.

Seems legit!