pingdashf

We've all had our horor stories about quotes from stealerships or the local shop, but how the &$(#*(@ do you get around it OTHER than doing all the work yourself?

I took my vette to the shop because I have a power steering leak that I haven't had time to mess with. The quote came back parts + $500 in labor to replace the power steering rack. Now, I don't know anything about the power steering stuff, so I don't know if this is reasonable or not, but....

I was quoted $400 in labor and $50 in parts to replace the gaskets on the valve covers.

I know you have to undo the AC, and remove the air filter and unplug the EGR to get the passenger side cover in and out, but this seems so unreasonable.

can I get some reality checks here? Am I on crack, or these guys trying to pull one over on me? :mad :mad

p.s. Anyone know a reliable, honest, and affordable mechanic in Northern VA/DC?

77Dream

I'd do that for a six-pack :yesnod:

I have never had any luck getting a big shop to do good work at a fair price. You have to look at the small local guys that own there own shop, find one that works on GM cars (most do) and talk with him for awhile. If he sounds like he knows what he is doing and doesn't charge an arm and a leg the give him try. Another thing about the little guys is that they usually stand by their work and will have no problems fixing their mistakes.

:cheers:

Boofers

Lucky for me my mechanic is a guy my dad has known for over 30 years. He is a good friend of the family and has been a mechanic since before I was born. Prolly your best bet is to choose a mechanic based on word of mouth. Good luck :thumbs:

pingdashf

Boofers, got an address? At this point I'm willing to go out of country to find one. :lol: :lol:

stpman

THe problem with dealerships and large garages is they use a labour rate book. If the book say it takes 4 hours, you pay for 4 hours (even if the mechanic takes 3 hours) and with the labour rate climbing to $75 an hour it doesn't take much.. I was told it would cost $1200 to do the brake on my ppick-up.

Steve :steering:

Crash Dummy

"Are there any honest mechanics out there?"

Answer? *NO!* I brought my '86 pick-up to the Goodyear place here a few weeks ago and asked them to replace a heater fitting on the front of the motor and check why a belt was squeeking when I first started it up. DO NOT DO ANT WORK UNTIL I GET AN ESTIMATE!

Two hours later comes a quote of $425.00 to do just about everything in the world that had nothing to do what I asked for. The creme-de-crop was that they needed to flush the radiator and charge me for all new coolant on a fitting that would not loose more than handful(it's on the top of the engine). I picked it up of course.

And have been taken twice already by two other shops in this town on 2 different vettes.

pingdashf

Ok, my intension wasn't to start a mechanics suck thread, even though the topic obviously begs for it. Really, are the prices I'm being quoted here even remotely justified?

Shark Racer

Nope! Take the $400 and buy yourself a flashy pair of valve covers and put them on yourself. :)

-Steve

Crash80

The last time I dumped that kind of money, I got new valve cover gaskets as well as a new water pump, ignition wires, a compression check and new exhaust gaskets. I think you can do better with a different mechanic. Funny how when the Chevy you need worked on turns out to be a Corvette, the price sky-rockets, be it labor or parts.

CVT4ME :cheers:

Freepop

:iagree:
I always tell the parts guy that I want Corvette parts at Chevette prices :yesnod:

dath

Beside the fact that you don't have a rack (unless someone put an aftermarket rack and pinion in), that is crazy. As for the valve cover gaskets, that is a complete rip off. I would go elsewhere. Look for a shop that specializes in Corvettes or just about anywhere except a dealership shop. Or now may be a good time to earn your reputation as a "grease under the finger nails C3'er"... If you lived near me, I'd be happy to help you replace the stuff for free.

Jmccreary

What kills me is when they install parts that were not bad to start with and you still have the same problem that you took it in for. I have been doing all the work myself because mechanics simply can not be trusted. The only time I go to a shop is for exhaust work.

I had a friend that took her car into the shop because it was hard to start and would not stay running. No service light. The shop replace the O2 sensor, fuel injectors, plugs, wires and dis. cap. When she got the car back it ran just as bad. Come to find out it was the fuel pump in the gas tank. I ended up changing it for her. They are nothing but a big scam.

J

Fevre

I'll jump into defend the honest mechanics since they are many out there, the hardest part is locating one but when you find a good one they are usually busy as hell. Keep asking around and you will find an honest one to deal with. I have been doing all my own work since I had the back replaced 4 years ago which has meant buying many tools.

Crash Dummy

Valve cover gaskets - Felpro cork $10.00
PCV valve - $2.50
Permatex Blue - $3.00

About $15-$16 in parts and not hard at all to do to replace valve cover gaskets.

mrvette

Ping, send me an email or such, and I will give you the Bethesda/chevy chase telephone number of an old old friend of mine who works on cars on the side,....he and I go back many an decade....he's a bit too honest, he also works on my ex's cars and my son's and daughter's also....

GENE

mrvette72@earthlink.net

MotorHead

The valve cover deal is a ripoff.

I was getting a nice collection of tools the mechanics would leave under the hood untill I said enough is enough and bought air tools to do the work myself :lol:

JB

What Fevre said. There are gooduns out there, though when you find 'em it can take a while to get your car worked on because they'll be swamped. Ask around--counter guys at the better parts stores (not places like Pep Boys or Autozone) can definitely give your some recommendations, & if you live in a relatively small town like I do, usually they'll all be mentioning some of the same names, which lets you know it's not just their cousin or something.

JB

Hobbes Blk '80

I have had a local shop or two do me right a few times. If you know what you want, and how much you want to pay...you might be able to find it.

$400.00 to change valve cover gaskets? hmmm, sounds reasonable to me...

Wait, Are you talking American currency??!?!? :smash: :smash: :smash:

73 LS-4

I'm with Fevre, I like to consider myself one of the good honest ones out there. You have to be good to do what I do (electrical and driveability) and a large part is that 4 year degree in the stuff. But the drawback is you have to pay for good quality as well. I'm not defending 400 bucks for a pair of valve cover gaskets, that's rediculous, but I can defend the 75 bucks an hour tracing electrical problems or driveability problems. As far as the labor time guides, the end up being as good as bad for the mechanic or technician, some jobs they way over time and some they way under. If it took me close to the book time I usually charge that, if it took me considerably less then I charge considerably less, but sometimes it takes considerably more then I priced and often end up eating that time since I quoted book. Honest shops don't have to overcharge, they normally have enough volume that they don't have to. If you want to find a good mechanic to work on your vette, ask around at car shows and vette meets, but be prepaired to pay premium and wait a while to get your car back, but it wil normally be done right by someone who is very familiar with the design.


:cheers:
Pat Kunz

RJR99SS

well i can't really believe anyone's opinions about mechanics UNLESS they've worked as a mechanic in their life. Personally i have.

First off....being a mechanic (auto tech its now called...and deservedly so) is a really bad job. The problem is you really have to work your butt off, and you only make about 25k a year. Plus most mechanics have alot of health problems because of the job, bad knees, backs, elbows from lifting 60 lb truck tires and such all day. Constantly bending your body into painfull and absurd positions to get to the area you need to work on. Being covered in dirt and filth all day, In the winter nasty snow water constantly drips down on you from the car. frankly....i loved the knowledge i got from being a mechanic and the experience, but it was just way too much work and too little pay for me.

That said. It does take a special kind of person to be mechanic for life. Basically all the best mechanics i know do it just because they like working on cars. One of the better examples is a guy i know who's 60, has had 2 heart attacks, 4 concussions, 1 carple tunnel syndrom, 2 total knee replacements, and 1 elbow surgery that are all related to the job. He still gets up 8 am every day to do it though.

Let that sink in a minute. So do mechanics sometimes charge for repairs that dont necessarily need done? Yes. i have, all the mechanics i know have. Why? cause we'd make about 20k a year if we didnt. And thats 20k for working full time and doing exceptionally hard physical labor, which also requires a great deal of mental awareness.

Is it fair? I wouldnt say so. But hey, mechanics need to eat too. I suppose if they paid mechanics more then this sort of thing might get better.

I dont know what else to say. welcome to the real world. Do lawyers charge you for just talking on the phone? Does the power company bill you for time the power went out? Do credit card company slide hidden fees in there hoping you wont notice?

Yep.

Study up on cars and do the work yourself. Heck...thats why i became a mechanic, so i could get knowledge that i could use to work on cars by myself.