Does $4250 in labor sound right?

[seymore]

New shocks, ball joints, tie rods, sway bar bushings, Valve adj with new spark plugs, SSI's, M&K muffler, Lowering and repositioning torsion bars for $4250 plus tax.

I Bought all parts thats just labor.

Is this a good deal?

Thanks for your input.

[Quicksilver]

Sounds rather high. That just isn't that much work. Not sure if DC is just one of those places where prices are through the moon but I would think that you could get this done for less then $2500 at a lot of good shops.

[Vintage914Racer]

I'm no expert, but that seems steep to me. Assuming $100+/- labor rate, that comes out to 42 hours of labor. I am a slow worker, but I would like to think I could get it all done in a few 8 hours days.

If I'm delusional please let me know.

[FinallyGotOne]

NO. I do not think that is right, too high. I paid about $1300 I think for the labor on my exhaust swap from stock to a 74 OEM set up. I paid 450 to lower and have it realigned, Valve Adjustment was about $400. I replaced the struts up fron myself and it took me about 45 minutes or so each side. My guess is all of the work should be about $3500.

My opinion, I'm not a shop tho...

[zippy_gg]

If you do the math that is 42.5 hours @ $100/hour, or a week worth of labor.
That sounds more like my speed as I am not a pro and do not possess all the tools.
I am doing slowly what you had done to your car, and my Carrera is not my primary transportation. Then again I like doing that $h1t...
The money saved on labor is used to buy parts...

Was you labor bill a good deal depends on how much you value your free time, like to do your own wrenching, or are in a hurry; very subjective.
For me personally I'd say it is high, but YMMV.

[Facey]

I just had an oil change, + inspection, ball joints, turbo-tie rods, Lowering and repositioning torsion bars, corner balance (x3) and a couple of different alignment setups (with me seeing in-between) performed for for roughly$1500CDN including parts, labour and tax. They also washed and vacuumed the car.

Major props to Bernie and MB Euroworks in Vancouver - everything seems absolutely top notch, communication, time, quality, the shop cleanliness.

[IROC]

Re-indexing torsion bars on an older car can turn into a nightmare. If your rear bars are the same as when it left the factory, this could be the pad in their labor quote.

Years ago (like, 17 years ago), I wanted to get my rear torsion bars replaced and most European auto shops refused to even do it claiming it was a nightmare. I ended up doing it myself and it was a nightmare. I even wrote an article for Excellence magazine about it...

[paulgtr]

is that an estimate? or did they already do the work?

[Facey]

should be noted that i had already done the nightmare jobs of getting the old bars out and installing all new bushings

[IROC]

Originally Posted by Facey

should be noted that i had already done the nightmare jobs of getting the old bars out and installing all new bushings

Then the shop actually owed you money...

[Vincent Hill]

WHO are you having to do this for you? I know several Good Places (one in Silver Spring and one near the Dulles Airport which is not cheap but I bet less than this. I also (Actually on 7th St NW as opposed to near DC in Maryland or Virginia) live in DC

[seymore]

They had already started on the car and called me with about 20 other things they said I should do. I told them to please give me an estimate on the work I wanted done first and I would see how much futher I wanted them to go. They told me 4250 and I said I didnt want them going any futher. Im going to say something when I pay, If they want me back hopefully they will give me a break. Otherwise I need a new shop. Any Suggestions? Preferably nothing in Mcclean VA.

Iroc they told me 650 for the torsion bars.

[paulgtr]

they didn't give you an estimate before the work was done?

[ivangene]

if you did the T-bars why didnt you tackle the whole job...itys not THAT hard just takes time

[r_towle]

these shops make profit on parts and dont make alot of money on labor.
If these guys are trying to make money, they would need to charge a higher rate for labor because they are no longer making any money on parts.
Its a business, not a hobby, and they have overhead costs to cover, bills to pay, insurance and lights to keep on etc etc.

I find it odd that anyone would assume that its ok to buy your own parts and bring them to a shop.
Seems like the same thing as buying grocieries at the store then going to a restaraunt and asking them to cook the raw goods for you, then complaining about how much it costs to sit there and eat your own food.

I am in no way trying to be rude, just stating the basic rules of business....they have an hourly rate that the shop must make to stay open...that rate includes not only labor, but also parts profits...together they make an hourly number.

You bring your own parts, the shop rate still is the same...so they charge you for it.

Rich

[seymore]

Rich,

All part were bought about a year ago with the intention of doing the job with father. He got sick my wife got pregnant and the parts sat. I cant return them and no longer have the time to wrench myself. What should I have done? Your telling me no shop should take my business because I bought the parts and if they do raise the rate? 4 thousand 2 hundred dollars keeps the lights and the doors open for a long time!

[nesslar]

How many mechanics make anywhere near $100/hour? Plenty of profit there.
I don't buy that, "You bring your own parts, the shop rate still is the same...so they charge you for it." They can try, but ain't happenin' to moi....
....the shop doesn't have to go out, look up, order, take in, or whatever, the parts; saves them a lot of time. Not to mention "prep/demolition/disassembly"... I've done this, no problem, just shop labor beyond that.
I'd just go elsewhere, (though too late, I gather), get an estimate for the labor and go for it. The labor described can't possibly be worth more than $2500-$3000 (if that), depending on hourly charge....
I'd b****; they owe ya.....

[Flat6pac]

$4200 keeps the lights on at my house a long time too.
I dont see anything except maybe the rear bars that 2 men cant produce in a day at home and if it runs into Sunday, so be it.
When you insert the struts, do the bushings and the turbo tyrods and ball joints.
You havent accounted for the change of oil lines that is required on the heat boxes and the lines to the external thermostat that you might loose when you break them loose.
Once the exhaust is off, set the valves and change the plugs. Put the exhaust on and youre finished.
Bruce

[kramer747]

Originally Posted by r_towle

these shops make profit on parts and dont make alot of money on labor.
If these guys are trying to make money, they would need to charge a higher rate for labor because they are no longer making any money on parts.
Its a business, not a hobby, and they have overhead costs to cover, bills to pay, insurance and lights to keep on etc etc.

I find it odd that anyone would assume that its ok to buy your own parts and bring them to a shop.
Seems like the same thing as buying grocieries at the store then going to a restaraunt and asking them to cook the raw goods for you, then complaining about how much it costs to sit there and eat your own food.

I am in no way trying to be rude, just stating the basic rules of business....they have an hourly rate that the shop must make to stay open...that rate includes not only labor, but also parts profits...together they make an hourly number.

You bring your own parts, the shop rate still is the same...so they charge you for it.

Rich

This is dead on correct- we have to explain this to customers of ours all the time

[paulgtr]

you might have that policy at your shop, but that is not the point here. looks like the OP did not get an estimate first and is being taken for a ride...