Scary quote from local shop

Discussion in 'The whoa and the sway.' started by hgiljr, Aug 17, 2018.

  1. woody1640

    woody1640 Well-Known Member

    Wow @ $110 hour it won't take long to eat up $500-$1,000. And I would also bet they mark the parts up anywhere from 100% to 300%. We charge $75 hour labor (sourced from chiltons labor guide for most jobs) and no markup on parts. I would seriously look @ doing this yourself, at least most of it anyway.

    As mentioned previously there is lots of help here from some very great and knowledgeable guys. When you look @ your list it can seem a bit overwhelming. Just break it down and do 1 or 2 @ a time and when your done you will feel good knowing it was done right and saved you tons of $$$.


    Keith
     
  2. pbr400

    pbr400 68GS400

    The fact that it’s a vette shop says a lot. Those guys aren’t happy unless they spend a lot.
    Patrick
     
    sriley531 likes this.
  3. sriley531

    sriley531 Excommunicado

    If you have a garage, decent amount of tools, and this isn't your DD, I'd start on that list with the help of this board and YouTube, you'll be surprised how much you can tackle. There isn't a thing on that list I haven't done, and I'm just a shade tree-hobby type mechanic. Plus you'll learn a ton along the way, and knowing you whipped the car in to shape yourself will give satisfaction money can't buy. It's only metal and rubber, not rocket surgery. Roll up your sleeves and dig in, you'll be glad you did. And this board will be here to help you every step of the way.
     
    Last edited: Aug 17, 2018
    woody1640 likes this.
  4. hvramesq

    hvramesq Silver Level contributor

    Hgiijr

    I am outside ft. lauderdale and recently found a mechanic that i feel comfortable with. I am happy so far. We are half way through a project and when concluded, i think i most likely would recommend him. send me a pm.
     
  5. GSX 554

    GSX 554 Gold Level Contributor

    I agree Brian with one exception ! Don't walk : RUN
     
    SteeveeDee and sriley531 like this.
  6. telriv

    telriv Founders Club Member

    As far as the rad goes. Look at the tubes on the outside that are soldered to the header. IF you see ANY white spots around the tubes at the header don't bother trying to fix just get a new rad. That kind of repair doesn't normally go to well at fixing tube/header repairs as you need to get the area REALLY REALLY REALLY clean which is impossible to get all the way around a tube.
     
  7. 300sbb_overkill

    300sbb_overkill WWG1WGA. MAGA

    For all the parts you're only talking less than $1K, for $7K you can buy every specialty tool you would need to do all those jobs on the list and then some! If you're married, that would help your wife be ok with buying the tools rather than handing over a king's ransom for the work on the list.

    Like mentioned, YouTube would be your friend to learn how to use those new tools you bought and fix the thing yourself.

    If you still don't think you can't handle the work yourself, the jobs on the list can be easily handle by your local muffler shop or even Bell Tire if you have those down there? I would say that even those shops would probably only be around $3K to tackle most of the jobs on the list?!
     
  8. knucklebusted

    knucklebusted Well-Known Member


    OK, not a bad list. I started out as an ignorant, poor college kid that needed to keep his car on the road. I've done about everything on your list except use a tach adapter which is pretty easy.

    If you can do the basics yourself, you can do everything on this list. Can you change your own oil? Can you pull start a lawn mower? Do you have a space to work? If so, you've got the skills and strength to manage this.

    I'll go down your list with some comments. I am not a stickler for originality so some of my comments are for alternatives that perform better but aren't stock.

    1. REPLACE LOWER CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS

    This will be the second most difficult thing mainly because it requires dealing with spring that can hurt you if you aren't careful. I'd go ahead and put new springs in it if they are original, front end is very low or it has a lot of blocks in it. It is not a hard job and you don't need a press as most any auto machine shop can put new bushings in for you. You can even buy replacement OEM style pretty cheap and go back with clean, ready to assemble parts. You will likely not need an alignment unless you do the uppers at the same time, which I would recommend. Lower ball joints wear out first so check them and replace them while it is apart.

    2. REPLACE SWAY BAR BUSHINGS

    One of the easiest things to do. If you do the lower control arms, you've already disconnected half of it. You can also put a bigger sway bar on it if you think you want it to handle better. A 70-81 Trans Am will bolt right up. Use polyurethane for a better handling experience even if you put the stock bar back on.

    3. REPLACE RADIATOR WEEPS FROM SEAMS

    This is pretty easy, done it many times. It will be messy due to the antifreeze but usually nothing difficult about it. If the hoses are worn, good time to put new ones on. Also a good time to replace the thermostat since the coolant is already drained.

    4. REPLACE MOTOR MOUNTS - COLLAPSED

    Unless they are broke, I'm not sure I'd worry about this and it is primarily the driver's side the breaks if it is. This will take some effort but with either an engine hoist or some creative jack use, you can swap the mounts one side at a time without too much problem. It might take half a day to do both.

    5. REPLACE TRANSMISSION MOUNT - COLLAPSED

    I question this one. Not sure I've seen any collapse, tear from abuse sure, but not collapse. Pretty easy. Just put a board on a jack so you don't dent the transmission pan and unbolt it from the cross member and transmission.

    6. ADJUST PARKING BRAKE

    Unless there is a lot wrong with it, it is literally tightening the parking brake cable so that it engages. Very easy. If you have issues in the rear brakes where it actually applies the brakes, it might be longer but still not a huge deal.

    7. ADJUST REAR UPPER ARMS, HITTING BODY

    They'd have to show me on this one. Your rear uppers are not adjustable from the factory but they do have bushings that can wear out much like the previous pic of the lower control arm wallowed out. They aren't much fun but easier than the lower front control arms.

    8. REPAIR TACHOMETER by installing TACH ADAPTER

    Do you have a tach now? What are the symptoms? Is it a factory tach?

    9. REBUILD STEERING BOX LEAK

    I wouldn't rebuild one unless it was a single seal that needed replacing. You can buy a replacement and swap it in, borrowing the tools from an Advance Auto or Auto Zone. I've done several and it is pretty simple.

    10. REPLACE KINKED FUEL FEED LINE

    Depends on where it is. Is it in a hard steel line or a piece of rubber hose. Generally, this is not a huge problem.

    11. INSTALL PCV VENT

    Unless there's something really strange going on, this is solvable in several ways, including a vented oil cap.

    12. REPLACE HOOD HINGE, ORIGINAL ONES SAG

    Not hard but getting one that works and maybe needing someone to help get the hood aligned back up is good.

    13. TIGHTEN BELTS

    Tie for easiest job. First, if the belts are worn, replace them. Unless you have working AC, you only have two belts so one for the alternator and one for the power steering pump.

    14. REPLACE UPPER CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS

    Might as well do these at the same time as the lowers since you are going to be taking the front end apart. Less difficult than the lowers as the springs aren't involved in just the uppers. If the bushings are shot, look at ball joints as well. There is a ProForged longer upper ball joint that really improves handling. You will need a front end alignment after this even if you put all the shims back like you found them since the new bushings likely caused it to shift.
     
  9. BUICKRAT

    BUICKRAT Got any treats?

    As a repair shop owner, I wouldn't touch your car with a 10 foot pole. Unless you have a fat wallet and want it done right, and are prepared to pay a lot for average repairs.

    Gotta love these guys saying do it yourself, its as easy as pie, and it actually really is, for guys who have lots of years on you, tools, patience, and strong mechanical aptitude. good luck!

    guy above says "go ahead and put springs in"...

    For a newbie, this is like saying "go play on I95 during rush hour".
     
  10. 70 gsconvt

    70 gsconvt Silver Level contributor

    I'm not saying everything is easy as pie. But most are not hard to do. It's more knowing what to do and in what sequence. Having fellow Buick members nearby is a great resource. Many are more than happy to come over for a couple of hours and help out. I've done it.

    Youtube is a great resource to see how some things are done. I agree that it would be good to tackle one or two things at a time to help build confidence. And removing and replacing control arm bushings does have some things that need to be done when putting them back together on the car. And you don't a lot of special tools for most of this work. A $99 set from Sears has almost everything you'd need to tackle those jobs.

    This is what motivated me to finally get my car back on the road after 9 years. I had a couple of small things to do, but life had gotten in the way. Then, while talking with a shop that was doing some work on another car of mine, he told me that he could get my car running for about $1,000. I was shocked. And it was the kick in the ass I needed. I went out to the garage the next weekend and within about 4-5 hours of work over a couple of days, it was running again for about $75 worth of new parts.

    So don't be afraid to work on your car if your new at it. These cars are pretty basic and fairly easy to work on compared to today's cars. Asking here is a great way to get advice. You can post your question along with a pic. I did it when I was getting my car back up and running just a couple of weeks ago. That's how I learned; by getting my hands dirty and figuring it out. I youtube didn't exist back in the early 80's.

    Oh yeah, I did have my radiator re-cored. It was almost $350. EEKKK!! Most people just want to slap a $129 aluminum one in there. But I wanted to keep mine as original as I could within reason. And if you are seeing that white crusty buildup around the tanks, it may need to be done.
     
    knucklebusted likes this.
  11. TORQUED455

    TORQUED455 Well-Known Member

    I also own a shop and from what you’ve posted, that estimate seems very high.
     
    300sbb_overkill likes this.
  12. BrianTrick

    BrianTrick Brian Trick

    And probably have 4 guys standing around scratching their heads.
     
  13. 2manybuicks

    2manybuicks Founders Club Member

    I know a good make-an-honest-living type mechanic in Fort Lauderdale. Just west of 95, just north of Commercial. Good guy.
     
  14. hvramesq

    hvramesq Silver Level contributor

    For certain things, there is no substitute for an experienced mechanic/tradesman. I am a novice and recognize my limitations or simple need for convenience. However, one of the reasons I like these cars is their "simplicity," getting my hands dirty and accomplishing something on my own. That's part of the hobby. And at the end, we are not practicing medicine where someone's life is at stake. If you screw it up, try again, buy a new part and try again, and if still unsuccessful, throw your hands up and get a mechanic involved. When I read the original posts, it was like Fantom Works getting a hold of your driver quality car and telling you everything was F'ed on it and hitting you with a five figure parts bill and 700 hours of labor. If i didn't want to work on the car my self, I could have bought a late model something, which would be much faster than my stock car. Everyone can participate in the old car hobby however they want-work on the car or don't work on the car yourself (because you don't want to or because you can afford to pay someone else to do it). Its is all good as long as these cars keep rumbling done the road/track. But i would recommend considering doing some work yourself as part of the enjoyment of the hobby and take advantage of the wealth of knowledge liberally and graciously dispersed on this forum, other Buick related websites such as buickperformanceclub.com, and the internet generally. My many thanks to all Members that have specifically responded to my questions and to those who posted general information to benefit everyone.

    Hector (hvramesq)
     
    70 gsconvt and pbr400 like this.
  15. Matt Knutson

    Matt Knutson Well-Known Member

    Can you post some pictures of the car (areas in question) and perhaps get some good ideas flowing ...

    If you have replaced motor mounts on some other vehicle - I'll make the grand assumption that you have some tools and maybe some shop equipment at your disposal. If you do have some decent tools and a nice place to work then you can easily do some of these repairs/ parts replacements on your own.

    I don't think the rear upper arms are adjustable. The trans has one center mount on the crossmember and perhaps two on the ends. This is a fairly easy parts replacement if the bolts will come out without breaking. If the end bolts break off you just buy new ones. You can knock this one out in an hour. Sway bar bushings are another easy one that should take one hour or less to do. Again, if the link bolts break - buy new ones. The radiator/ hose replacement job is quite simple - best to replace the belts at this time, too. Upper and lower front control arm bushings are a bit more involved and a PITA if corrosion is bad. If you have time and are not afraid the get your hands really dirty then have at it. A torch and BFH will be your friend. An air hammer is even better. Parts are cheap and labor is expensive. Get a GM service manual and or Chiltons manual to guide your way.
    If non of this appeals to you or you are not up to it or don't have a space to work then shop around for a experienced mechanic that will do it properly and finish the job(s) in a reasonable amount of time.

    Good luck,

    Matt
     
    Last edited: Aug 18, 2018
    70 gsconvt likes this.
  16. 70 gsconvt

    70 gsconvt Silver Level contributor

    View attachment 400020 And if you do need tools, Craigslist is a great place to buy a set of used tools of the Craftsman variety.

    Here you go. Tools out the wazoo. Asking $150 as an example:

    00e0e_l5PxdkxlUV3_1200x900.jpg
     
    Last edited: Aug 18, 2018
  17. CJay

    CJay Supercar owner Staff Member

    Repair shops are not "non profit" organizations. And rightly so. The're not running a charity. Any shop worth its salt would have to take into account for rust, snapped bolts, and other situations associated with a 50+ year old car that would wouldn't have to necessarily deal with on a newer car. There are jobs that take twice or three times as long because everything is either rusted solid, bolts snap that need to be drilled out or there were 20 people before you that screwed it all up. Situations like that can add hours and hours to a job. I had a straightforward heater core job that went south because Conan the Barbarian was there before me. Broken clips, stripped bolts, you name it. So Im sure the estimate was inflated to some degree for those inevitable situations. Plus they probably took into account the car getting stuck on a lift that makes them money. Old cars are a nightmare for a production shop

    And replacing control arm bushings is a PITA even for someone with experience and the right tools.
     
  18. hgiljr

    hgiljr Well-Known Member

    Thank you all for your feedback. I am not afraid to get hands dirty and plenty of tools. Again I took the car in mainly because of the oil leak which I knew would require a lift as I do not have one. I went to a recommended shop that works mainly on classics. They came back with such list which was very surprising reason why I posted it. As soon as I get car back, I will post pics and begin working on what they identified little by little. The oil leak I already had a precious mechanic supposedly fix it which obviously did a crappy job, reason why I wanted a shop that knew these cars better. I will pay the price this time around for such service but doubt I will return as I can see they are trying to screw me over.
     
  19. 70 gsconvt

    70 gsconvt Silver Level contributor

    Sounds like you have a "sound" plan. Good luck with it.
     

Share This Page