Supporting local shops..... hmmmm....

MYBAD79

MYBAD79

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sunny Florida
Denpo's steering pump pulley is why I'm starting this thread ($60 at a shop to install the pulley vs $40 for he tool to get the job done).

A few examples:
- wanted to get my trailing arms and hubs sandblasted, local business quoted $100 ... bought a $100 blast cabinet instead....
- bought a cheap flowmaster and asked a local shop to cut the stock muffler and weld it on... they wanted $150, I bought a cheap flux core welder for $150 (might have been $180, don't remember)
- trailing arms: needed the spindles pressed in, local shop wanted $80.... bought a press for $99....

well, maybe these people should consider reasonable pricing. Instead many are bitching that they don't get business and have to close their doors for good....

any examples like this from other members ???

I'm sure there are plenty of good shops out there but from central Florida it seems it's a 8 hour drive to get to one ....
 
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Without my heavy welder buddy with TIG and stick experience, My car would not exist.....without my exhaust shop friend who has knowledge of my bad business deals from years ago, I would be exhausted.....

MOST of my car friends have stuck by me.....only 4 have not....

over nearly 60 years....


:twitch::surrender::smash:
 
almost forgot this one: several local businesse wanted between $6000 and $8000 to paint my '79 .... bought a book for $20, a compressor for $400 and a decent paint gun for $300.... material (paint/primer/clear) was about $700 or so.... saved quiet a bit and got a good paintjob :D
While the time and effort going into this job was quiet excessive it was not $5000 :lol:
 
MYBAD79 said:
almost forgot this one: several local businesse wanted between $6000 and $8000 to paint my '79 .... bought a book for $20, a compressor for $400 and a decent paint gun for $300.... material (paint/primer/clear) was about $700 or so.... saved quiet a bit and got a good paintjob :D
While the time and effort going into this job was quiet excessive it was not $5000 :lol:
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YOU obviously have more talent and or patience than I have with body/paint....

I flat don't have the talent, no matter how....

I"m a bolt turner, and concept guy, not a artist...

:twitch::surrender:
 
mrvette said:
YOU obviously have more talent and or patience than I have with body/paint....

I flat don't have the talent, no matter how....

I"m a bolt turner, and concept guy, not a artist...

:twitch::surrender:
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well.... as long as you sand all that crap off your car (or anybody, not me) we can re-spray it some decent color...
 
Same if not worse here, and then most just break mroe stuff and do shoddy work. Another reason for DIY.

The only local guys I use are the blaster/powdercoater and the zinc plater. Both deliver excellent work at a fair price. I hate sandblasting, the guy does small or big parts for reasonable prices. I'd rather have him do it.
 
MYBAD79 said:
Denpo's steering pump pulley is why I'm starting this thread ($60 at a shop to install the pulley vs $40 for he tool to get the job done).
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For the record the tool here is 49.99$ plus taxes (almost 60$), but with the lending program I'd get full refund once brought back. So it's more 0 against 60.
That why we made an agreement with my mechanic buddy, I fix his computer (he call his icons "square stuff on the screen"), he fixes my parts.
We both save hundreds if not thousands, too bad of the taxes.
 
I do not disagree that you can often do the job for less if you buy the tools and do it your self. The down side to that is that you wind up with a house full of tools.
The local repair shops have overhead to consider when doing a job, rent, power, insurance, salaries etc.... with the rising cost of gas driving the cost of everything else through the roof - well I am sure that you can see where I am going with this.
And yes, even though you are paying a "professional" there is still a good chance that you can wind up with a hack job.

It's a crap shoot if you are not willing or able to do the work yourself. Maybe that is why so many people just buy new cars every few years....
 
Well it's a hobby, to try to rebuild, modify or make an old car or bike better or at least to our vision.
I do understand the local business overhead and such but budget for a hobby is often in last rank in priorities.
Sooo I'll use them only if I realy have to for services like paint, plating etc.

About buying tools? or build up a garage?

I like tools and I put as much time in building the garage as I spend time on the cars.
Garage journal is one place where I'll lurk forever just to look at neat home shop.
I dont have an elaborate garage but I like the place.
 
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DeeVeeEight said:
I do not disagree that you can often do the job for less if you buy the tools and do it your self. The down side to that is that you wind up with a house full of tools.
The local repair shops have overhead to consider when doing a job, rent, power, insurance, salaries etc.... with the rising cost of gas driving the cost of everything else through the roof - well I am sure that you can see where I am going with this.
And yes, even though you are paying a "professional" there is still a good chance that you can wind up with a hack job.

It's a crap shoot if you are not willing or able to do the work yourself. Maybe that is why so many people just buy new cars every few years....
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As time went by, I grew and expanded my tool collection and garage space went from nothing to something decent....as with all of us, I suspect...
I took my '60 vette to a gas station, needing a starter motor, cost me a week's wages to get it changed....uh oh....time to buy tools and learn something....to boot it failed yet again 6 months later, last Neihoff product I ever bought, never again....

with help from friends, I learned how to fix or fuck up my own shit....mostly it was FIX, or can't get to work, but most of that crap was easy at the time, so my screw ups were minimal, really,....I had to farm out transmission work, but that was the only thing, leaving the race tracks has saved me a TON of money over the decades....:D not that I don't enjoy it, just toooo much money...for the last 25 years or so, it's been my own garages and free to do what I want, engine hook, floor jacks, jack stands and here in Florida, the time and guts to rebuild my own auto trannys somewhat frustrating, but WTF, just do it.....

:crutches::ghost:
 
Twin_Turbo said:
Same if not worse here, and then most just break mroe stuff and do shoddy work. Another reason for DIY.

The only local guys I use are the blaster/powdercoater and the zinc plater. Both deliver excellent work at a fair price. I hate sandblasting, the guy does small or big parts for reasonable prices. I'd rather have him do it.
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It's a fact it's all going to hell. I don't think it'll take another 10 years.
 
It's not only a matter of cost. It's also a matter of competence. Most shops do lousy work AND charge an arm and a leg.

I can't tell you how many fabricators, welders, remodelers I have worked with in the past 5 years that just out and out suck at their trade. I don't know how they make a living. Most of them bitch about the economy but, the ones I use that are good, are swamped with work.
 
BBShark said:
It's not only a matter of cost. It's also a matter of competence. Most shops do lousy work AND charge an arm and a leg.

I can't tell you how many fabricators, welders, remodelers I have worked with in the past 5 years that just out and out suck at their trade. I don't know how they make a living. Most of them bitch about the economy but, the ones I use that are good, are swamped with work.
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I've found that myself, a lot of the kids getting in the trades don't seem to care (or don't want to work hard) and yes the good ones are swamped.

I have a garage that I use from time to time (when I don't have time) that is a 2 man shop and they do quality work for reasonable $$, he usually has a day or 2 waiting to get in and the shop is full all the time.
 
Stpman said:
BBShark said:
It's not only a matter of cost. It's also a matter of competence. Most shops do lousy work AND charge an arm and a leg.

I can't tell you how many fabricators, welders, remodelers I have worked with in the past 5 years that just out and out suck at their trade. I don't know how they make a living. Most of them bitch about the economy but, the ones I use that are good, are swamped with work.
Click to expand...

I've found that myself, a lot of the kids getting in the trades don't seem to care (or don't want to work hard) and yes the good ones are swamped.

I have a garage that I use from time to time (when I don't have time) that is a 2 man shop and they do quality work for reasonable $$, he usually has a day or 2 waiting to get in and the shop is full all the time.
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I wonder if the ones that suck are getting overflow work from the ones that are good (but too busy)? I use some fabricators that can make anything and it looks like art. Unfortunately, they are usually 2 to 4 weeks before they can get to my job. I've been working with them for about 5 years and, during that time, they have tried many times to hire help and it never has worked out.
 
We live in yet one more age of "I want it now now, good good, cheap cheap--""
Has anything changed?

True tradesmen devoted to their craft are always far and few between. That's why such as we do it ourselves and/or find those who believe as we do to listen and learn from.
And then we try ourselves, at our own risk. Knowing the risk, accepting the risk because
We learn

""The kids nowadays".... ha ha ha
(I smile affectionately, bowing before my father)
What did your father say?!?!
And his father before? and his, and his..........

You want it done right, do it yourself. But study. learn. think. Learn respect. And if your idea don't work, well shit. Try again. learn. think. respect.

Walmart citizens deserve their fate.
Fuck em in the ass, suck their lifeblood, that's what they lovingly, whiningly labor for.
It's easier that way. Just charge it.....After all, "quality" only means "refund with compensation due to lawyers from whom I get a little cut I don't deserve but it's free money!!! wooohooo!!"



sorry, another pissed off rant I'll leave till I look back here next time then delete.
 
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I also try to shop privately owned stores and restaurants versus the big box stores. These local business owners are my neighbors and as long as they are good at what they do they will get my dollars.

I started learning about my cars out of necessity. I was an underemployed 17 year old teenager with a 69 Plymouth Satellite convertible that my father purchased from a secretary where he worked, the car was otherwise headed for the junk yard due to a front end accident (the front tires were bald). One of the first things I did was buy a metal tool box and some Craftsman tools (After I got some shocks and tires). The tool box was always in the trunk of the car if needed.... I too could not afford a mechanic and soon learned to distrust many of the local repair shops. I became familiar with Chilton's manuals and Hayne's manuals and soon had a close working relationship with my car.

I guess once you skin your greasy grimy knuckles and get all of that dirt and petroleum product(s) in your bloodstream you get infected with the I CAN FIX IT or MAKE IT BETTER fever. For many of us the fever never goes away.
 
The newer cars are somewhat modular so there is very little craftmanship or hard core repairs going on anymore.

For example, you don't really repair suspension components anymore, simply purchase brand new and just bolt them on. I went ahead and repaired my suburban myself by just purchasing brand new upper and lower control arms, hub, CV axle, rotor and steering knuckle all brand new for cheaper than what time you'd spend rebuilding them. Instead of spending hours trying to get all that rusted shit apart, i just unbolted the whole assembly at the frame and tossed it in the scrap heap at the dump. That's all the mechanics are doing either. Not much skill or knowledge involved.

I bet it's hard to find anyone who knows how to set up a bearing, weld competently, set up a rear end, etc.
When something doesn't run right just start replacing sensors and modules.

Have a dented fender. Just bolt a new one on. I'm not sure anyone knows how to repair dents and cracks.

The problem is the markup on parts. Find the most expensive price on a part then double it. So the shop charges me $250 for a control arm i can get brand new at rock auto for $45.
 
Some of you are aware I have a Corvette service and restoration business. I would venture a guess that at least 90% of my business comes from people who don't know how to work on their own cars, or don't have the time. The remaining 10% percent is either from other shops who have no clue or people who have messed up in their attempt to repair it themselves. Basically, we trade time for money. My hat does go off to those who attempt to do their own work. That is how I got started. Please don't belittle a shop for reasonable mark-up or labor charges. My overhead is crazy. Unless you are self employed, the company you work for is charging their customer for your skills a lot more than they are paying you.
 
I'm SO glad I moved to Florida, I don't have to put up with any of the .gov bullshit on cars, high taxes, EPA or any other crap....

I make my cars the way I want, I know every bolt on them, personally, as I have cussed ALL of them out many a time, they know me WELL....

and the wires, and the sensors....

and I hear these guys bitching about modern cars, well let's just say I have MY work arounds on that crap too.....

2/3 of the faults with modern cars are due to Naderite Weenie crap political shit....like ethanol in gas costing a matching % in fuel economy for each % of content.....

CASE CLOSED......:smash:
 
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