Labor cost?

[tpweiss9953]

Went to a local shop and they quoted me $2000 for installing front and rear shocks, front a arm bushings and rear swing plate bushings. Bushings are neatrix. Everything is already purchased so this is just for installation and alignment after all the work is done.

Is this reasonable?

[timmy2]

Probably at current shop rates.
For that amount you could buy a used lift and some tools.
Just sayin...

[James Brown]

so what, 3 hours per corner if you got the right parts, plus alignment time (corner balance, ride hight) $125+ per hour, it adds up quickly

[Surf65]

I think $2,000 is aggressive. I had front and rear Bilstein shocks installed on my 68 911 for $600.00...I too included the parts. The New Orleans local Porsche dealer could likely do it cheaper than that...quality alignment should cost no more than $200 once installed.

Good luck.

[schumicat]

that sounds pretty reasonable to me. shocks are not that difficult (I did them myself). the bushings expecially rear are harder and I haven't tackled those yet. and I have paid a few hundred bucks just for a quality alignment in NOLA. if they are old I'd replace the front strut bushings while you have shocks off and also the sway bar bushings (fronts are easy to replace while control arms are off).

[gregwils]

What is the shop's hourly rate or how many labor hours?

I agree with James, it probably isn't far off. Make sure the alignment include corner balance.

[James Brown]

bushings man, it's the bushings!!!! see all the horror stories here about how hard it is to get them suckers off and who knows if it will go back together. And they won't powercoat or even paint the A arms

[Jdub]

That price reflects you bringing in your own parts - shops dislike that because you cut them out of the standard markup that goes to them and leaves them with no room to adjust the price favorably for you. That is, when a shop does work for you, they cut you a price that lets them make a profit - when you pull the parts profit they must now make all of their money on Labor.

You can do this yourself. A chance to purchase four jackstands, a jack, and off you go!

[Yellowb1rd]

Yeah, the bushings are a real PITA, and replacing the front shocks presents its own challenges. I found that the rear shocks are very easy to replace. Took like 20 minutes, if I recall correctly. Of course, that was with engine out, so I had more room to maneuver. $2000 seems a bit steep, but the word Porsche says you can afford it. Just kidding....

[RWebb]

you do not mention a corner balance it is a lot of time, so maybe the $$ reflects that

- why not do it yourself??

[Yellowb1rd]

Even with a corner balance [approx $250-$500) that seems a bit high, and bear in mind, that's just labor. He's supplying his own parts. JDUB has a good point - perhaps he's getting gouged on the labor because the shop isn't making money on the parts markup. Still, it probably wouldn't hurt to shop around for a better bid. If you want work down on your house, you get bids from multiple contractors, then choose the contractor who does the best work (and hopefully is the most reasonable too). Getting your car fixed should carry the same logic, yes? If a shop thinks it's the only game in town, then what is their incentive to quote a competitively priced estimate? The OP should be able to get a good idea as to what the going rate is for such work in his local region [and immediate surrounding] by doing this. The posters in this thread are from all over the place in the US, so labor costs will vary geographically too - Labor rates in Beverly Hills are probably going to be different than the rates in Lincoln Nebraska, as an example.

[JTL]

'- why not do it yourself??'

I would do all the work 'in house' and then take the car in for an alignment/corner balance.

[tpweiss9953]

It's my daily. So I can do the shocks but I am worried about the bushing.

[Yellowb1rd]

the front shocks are kinda tricky, and the bushings???? fuggedaboutit...

[ben parrish]

Originally Posted by tpweiss9953

It's my daily. So I can do the shocks but I am worried about the bushing.

It will certainly take more than a day for the shop to do it. Just take a few days off and do it yourself...I did mine last winter and even string aligned it afterward. It's aggravating but not that hard.

[bike2ride95]

Its about right, a tad high but if the corner balanced included its reasonable.
The parts that was put on plays a factor.