Darn. 12 years old, going by date on pics. And they're already toast. I have loose A and X body lines (68-74) that have been off donor cars for 20-25 years, outside, on a pallet, and they could be blasted and used again. Compression nuts on ends still spin freely.
Yeah Dave . I think the previous owner put a boat into salt water with it . Rear bumper rusted out too . And being from PA didn't help .
So I called classic tube to see if they have a set of pre bent fuel lines for this car. No go. They have them, but they said it'll take 6 weeks and they were $300! Sigh....off to the auto parts store for steel line. Bent up my own. Came out pretty good. I couldn't get a long enough length to do it in one piece so I had to splice two pieces together using a compression fitting which I hid the best I could. Took me all afternoon. Just need to zip it up.
Wow! That seems like a reasonable rate. As a network engineer, when I was working side jobs, I quoted $70/hr, which some folks will pay and some folks balk at. That's my dividing line. For friends, I work for pizza and beer if they supply parts. Does that New Yorker have the same rich Corinthian leather that the Cordoba came with? Dad was selling Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth along with Buicks and GMCs when GM was having allocation issues. I drove a 79 Cordoba to the prom in 79.
With that style of compression fitting is there a ferrule you are slipping on to the tube? When I have joined these type of lines I used a union which took the (double)flared ends?
If it was a brake line, I would of used a flare union. But because it's just a supply line for a carbureted car, I used a compression fitting. It was just easier.
I guess it depends on how the conversation went before you started the job. I'm guessing you are a pretty fair guy, $700. to $800 should be fair! Bob H.
I charge $40 to $50 an hour for side jobs. I probably wouldn't have touched that car. If it is a true friend I'll do the work for dinner and beer, assuming there is no rush.
I just finished reading your first posts of the thread: Holy smokes, you completed all those tasks in 10 hours!? That’s absolutely killing it! When I was young and in retail automotive I guess I can remember those days when I could really pound out some work. there’s no way I would do that work for anything less than $1000 cash, and it’s still a complete bargain at that. Someone of your level of competence, experience with old cars, willingness to touch anything that has to do with rust AND A Chrysler product of that particular vintage……… Yea…….. There is not a shop ANYWHERE that would’ve done same amount of work for for anything less than a grand, and if they did it would be garbage work and come back city. I honestly don’t know how you guys do this rust thing. If I lived in a part of the country where I had to deal with that stuff I’m quite certain I wouldn’t even be in this hobby. You pull your 50 year old Skylark onto the lift here and all of the brake lines, fuel lines, suspension bolts etc. They are all still serviceable, all reusable, nothing breaks…… I think I’m just turning into a cranky old guy Cheers to you and the revival of the Chrysler! (and thank God it’s not me, (laughs…..) May you retain your sanity and please charge enough to put a smile on your face when that thing drives out of your life for the last time PS……. I had a good laugh when you mentioned it ran like poop and wasn’t very smooth. Nothing like a Lean Burn, smogged over, catalyst, no compression, carbureted, 5 miles of vacuum line 318 (oh wait, it probably has the BIG 360 with 10 extra horsepower!) Think twice before you except the tune up job, lots of missing and gray hair involved with that deal……. Steve weim55 Colorado
Ha! Thanks Steve! Yeah, I can spin a mean wrench! Not bad for a guy approaching 55! Ugh.... Honestly, taking on these side jobs is like therapy for me. Keeps me busy and takes my mind off stuff I shouldn't be thinking about.
Whats a real time saver is having a well stocked shop and toolbox. All the little stuff, like fittings, clips, hardware, battery terminals, all the nickel and dime stuff that requires 10 trips to the auto parts store is only an arms reach away in my garage.
I can say, I really appreciate your attitude. I guess I have too much residual bad attitude left from working on 80s garbage when that stuff had just fallen out of warranty. A neighbor Recently brought over a 4 Wheel Dr. S10 that needed 4.3 V6 replacement. If you have ever done that job, and I have, it’s one that will make you want to put your wrenches away forever. He was rather crestfallen when I told him no amount of money could get me to dive in on that one. He called all of the shops he could find in the area and couldn’t find one that would even TAKE the job……. Steve weim55 Colorado
Thst was basically what was around when I was working in shops. 80s garbage! And around 1980 or so was when they were switching over to metric. So you'd do a water pump and half the bolts were fractional, half were metric. You'd be swapping sockets 50 times. Good times....
