Looking for a reliable/reasonable shop
Thread Starter
RSX2002
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Looking for a reliable/reasonable shop
I've run into a snag with friends that say they will help with jobs but then are unavailable. So, I need to find a shop in north Pinellas or south Pasco that feels comfortable with any or all of these jobs;{for my 2002 Acura RSX Type S]
1] welding a hi-flow cat to my race header
2] installing new rotors [the screws that hold the old ones in won't come off and I don't want to screw them up]
3] Installing new coilovers and doing the allignment afterwards
4] Potentially installing new ball joints and/or tie rod ends . [I should have all the parts soon]. I think they may be the source of clunking and high speed vibration in the suspension and steering, but I'm not sure.
I know some of these jobs could be expensive, so I'm looking for a shop that honestly charges by the hour, since I have all the parts. I've run into situations before where a shop told me they could do a job for $330 with parts I supplied and did the job in three hours. Do the math, that's $110/ hr. I know that I'm paying for skill but to me that's still expensive. I've also run into problems with shops that do performance work but won't work on imports.
Could anyone give me a place near Palm Harbor that fits this description?
Thanx............Russ
1] welding a hi-flow cat to my race header
2] installing new rotors [the screws that hold the old ones in won't come off and I don't want to screw them up]
3] Installing new coilovers and doing the allignment afterwards
4] Potentially installing new ball joints and/or tie rod ends . [I should have all the parts soon]. I think they may be the source of clunking and high speed vibration in the suspension and steering, but I'm not sure.
I know some of these jobs could be expensive, so I'm looking for a shop that honestly charges by the hour, since I have all the parts. I've run into situations before where a shop told me they could do a job for $330 with parts I supplied and did the job in three hours. Do the math, that's $110/ hr. I know that I'm paying for skill but to me that's still expensive. I've also run into problems with shops that do performance work but won't work on imports.
Could anyone give me a place near Palm Harbor that fits this description?
Thanx............Russ
Is workin on his car
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,864
Likes: 0
Well we can do everything you have listed except for the alignment. But first let me tell you how pay in this business goes so you have a better understanding on how shops charge (or atleast how most shops should charge)
There are a couple differant books out there that have what they call "book time" of the things you have listed to have done everything is basically a standard repair. The only real custom thing going on is the welding.
This is how book time works. Its is an industry standard. You look up the year, make, model, etc. in the book. Then you look for what the customer is looking to have done. So lets say hypethetically you want your motor R and R. Lets say the "book time" calls for 20 hrs to replace the motor. So the shop charges 20 hrs x their hourly rate. As a mechaninc if we can do the job under the allowed time great, but if it ends up taking 40 hrs to replace the motor the shop losses. Make sense? So even though the shop did the job in 3 hours and you now are thinking that they are scamming you saying their hourly rate was 110 was probably not the case. That is how this business works take it or leave it. We use "book time" for everything here at the shop. The only time we dont use the book is when it is all custom work.
Now with you installing coilovers its pretty much like replacing the stuts. So what we will do is look up book time for your car and see how many hours it pays to replace the struts on all 4 wheels. Ok now that we have that to replace the rotors will be no charge cause we will be in there and have them off any way to take off the struts. Its what we in the business call overlapping time/work. So naturally your not suppose to charge (yet most shops try to get away with it) Now for the ball joints that will also some what fall into the over lapping time catagory but not quite. Even though we will be in there working taking the struts out we arent taking the ball joints out. What is supose to happen is lets say it pays maybe 2 hours to replace the ball joints. But since we have everything apart to do the struts already you cut that time in half.
Sorry for the long reply but hope you now have a better understanding how the business works. I can gauranttee you every single has this book sitting on the shelf or access to one on the internet (or again atleast any honest shop should have one) and this is how any fair shop should do business. The book is there to protect the customer and the shop. This way its all even and no one should feel cheated in the end.
PM me if your interested in us doing the work and I will give you an estimate.
There are a couple differant books out there that have what they call "book time" of the things you have listed to have done everything is basically a standard repair. The only real custom thing going on is the welding.
This is how book time works. Its is an industry standard. You look up the year, make, model, etc. in the book. Then you look for what the customer is looking to have done. So lets say hypethetically you want your motor R and R. Lets say the "book time" calls for 20 hrs to replace the motor. So the shop charges 20 hrs x their hourly rate. As a mechaninc if we can do the job under the allowed time great, but if it ends up taking 40 hrs to replace the motor the shop losses. Make sense? So even though the shop did the job in 3 hours and you now are thinking that they are scamming you saying their hourly rate was 110 was probably not the case. That is how this business works take it or leave it. We use "book time" for everything here at the shop. The only time we dont use the book is when it is all custom work.
Now with you installing coilovers its pretty much like replacing the stuts. So what we will do is look up book time for your car and see how many hours it pays to replace the struts on all 4 wheels. Ok now that we have that to replace the rotors will be no charge cause we will be in there and have them off any way to take off the struts. Its what we in the business call overlapping time/work. So naturally your not suppose to charge (yet most shops try to get away with it) Now for the ball joints that will also some what fall into the over lapping time catagory but not quite. Even though we will be in there working taking the struts out we arent taking the ball joints out. What is supose to happen is lets say it pays maybe 2 hours to replace the ball joints. But since we have everything apart to do the struts already you cut that time in half.
Sorry for the long reply but hope you now have a better understanding how the business works. I can gauranttee you every single has this book sitting on the shelf or access to one on the internet (or again atleast any honest shop should have one) and this is how any fair shop should do business. The book is there to protect the customer and the shop. This way its all even and no one should feel cheated in the end.
PM me if your interested in us doing the work and I will give you an estimate.
Last edited by 91Notch; Aug 17, 2008 at 02:13 PM.
I can fix your bullshit
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 2,998
Likes: 0
^has point. but i feel the more you have done.you should get a deal of some sort.If i charged by the BOOK on everything . I wouldnt have what i have today.no offence to you dave at all .you can have honesty and integrity while still lookin out for your fellow man and not bending them over the book lol
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