sodding cars

[Zak33]

I bloody well hate cars just now. My old one died and i had to buy a new one. That has a few issues as well.

Im getting a Bus Pass

Joking aside, it good that we can fix them ourself and not have to play garages inflated prices. i was quoted £160 once for supply and fit front pads and discs on my old 307. £45 at ECP and 3 hours of my time and done it myself.

Don't be too harsh though

£ 160 is Inc vat

That's £ 133 pre vat

Take away the likely £ 35 pre vat for cheap pads and disks and we're at under £ 100 for your 3 hours work

That's less than £ 33 per hour

For a main dealer it's more like under two hours actually so more like £ 50 per hour and that's still good value

It's all about what you can do with your 3 hours in your private life really

I could list 5 items on eBay and get the money back tbh!

[deejayburnout]

That's a bargain. You don't want to know what Audi charge for the same. But brakes.. I don't touch.

i can imagine that they would be more expensive.

Don't be too harsh though

£ 160 is Inc vat

That's £ 133 pre vat

Take away the likely £ 35 pre vat for cheap pads and disks and we're at under £ 100 for your 3 hours work

That's less than £ 33 per hour

For a main dealer it's more like under two hours actually so more like £ 50 per hour and that's still good value

It's all about what you can do with your 3 hours in your private life really

I could list 5 items on eBay and get the money back tbh!

essentially it would cost me a days wage to pay for some ones time to fit the pads and disks for me, never mind to buy them. i think 3 hours of my time would be well spent fitting the pads. i would never attempt them if i didn't know a spanner from a spoon. it all depends on ones abilities. i have a lot of friends who are mechanics and they said to me that the first to jobs the apprentices get is tyre changing and changing pads and discs on cars. no way they get paid anything more than £33 per hour. I know that garages have to make a profit and cover overheads, but if there prices were more competitive maybe i would go to them. my mate charges £25 per side to fit pads and discs. ok its a homer but that's more reasonable to me.

Maybe i also have deep pockets and short arms

[Zak33]

i can imagine that they would be more expensive.



essentially it would cost me a days wage to pay for some ones time to fit the pads and disks for me, never mind to buy them. i think 3 hours of my time would be well spent fitting the pads. i would never attempt them if i didn't know a spanner from a spoon. it all depends on ones abilities. i have a lot of friends who are mechanics and they said to me that the first to jobs the apprentices get is tyre changing and changing pads and discs on cars. no way they get paid anything more than £33 per hour. I know that garages have to make a profit and cover overheads, but if there prices were more competitive maybe i would go to them. my mate charges £25 per side to fit pads and discs. ok its a homer but that's more reasonable to me.

Maybe i also have deep pockets and short arms

good mechanics are on no where NEAR £33 per hour bud no...but the dealer must charge MORE than that to cover their costs.

to run a dealership, and run 3 receptionists, 5 massive ramps, £150,000 of live parts stock, keep every one of 5 technicians trained, with fuill workshop, heating, cleaning, toilets, phones, loan cars, computer systems and PC's etc 5 1/2 days per week, holidays, national insurance, sick pay, pensions etc.... costs more than £33 per hour retail price

Most dealerships are closer to £75 to £100 per hour.

And while it is profitable, you'd be very surprised by how low the return on investment is at the end of the year.

for an outlay running into many many millions.

Fred in a shed is, by comparison, a lean green, servicing machine for overheads and is therefore very cheap.

If you find a good one.... keep him sweet.

but don't expect him to be able to move from a ... Skoda Octavia 1.9 TiD 130 to a new shape BMW 3 series or a Mitsubishi Shogun to a new shape Saab 9-5, and extinguish the ABD light in one go, or stop the cam chain rattle in one go

he just won't be able to fix it all.

Most main dealers struggle with lots of it bujt at least they have access to the tech lines and if need be normally regional problem solving managers and hour after hour of training.

[DanceswithUnix]

If you find a good one.... keep him sweet.

Absolutely! My wife's car broke, our usual mechanic fitted it in, on top of paying the bill she bought him a box of biscuits

Mind you, I think driving an Alfa makes it easier as there are enthusiast garages around that specialise.

[HalloweenJack]

and now it gets worse


so the factors have got me a replacement release bearing - a LUK poart but the numbers match the OE one...



except guess what?

yup - its doesn't fit , which it sits in place - it now rocks on the spline

[HalloweenJack]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10154679731445556

^^ high quality parts from ECP ; not going to use it BUT need a replacement , for the morning!

ARGH

[deejayburnout]

I agree that a dealership would be more expensive and you would expect that from them. However i was quoted that for my brakes by a local garage with none of that outlay.

My mate that does it for me has kinda stopped doing homers as he is getting married this year so lost out on his services. He is a bloody good mechanic too.

Lucky I am good with mechanics so I can do the basics for cars like brakes / servicing and simple fault finding. Would never attempt anything more that 4 spanners on a Haynes Manual.

[MrComputerSaint]

Cars are a pain and I think the key is to find a garage that can do the work at a reasonable rate that is trust worthy. I've been going to the same garage for years now and I do sometimes check the prices on parts and other garages, as well as the Internet to see what the enthusiast forums are saying and the prices are always really well placed. Not the cheapest but certainly not the most expensive.

[HalloweenJack]

and after all this it gets Worse

clutch cable , incorrectly fitted by garage last year has literally torn itself apart - so a new one is needed


not having a good time at all

[HalloweenJack]

double post

[MrComputerSaint]

and after all this it gets Worse

clutch cable , incorrectly fitted by garage last year has literally torn itself apart - so a new one is needed


not having a good time at all

I feel for you, although when I have problems like this it's often rewarded with some great driving.

[HalloweenJack]

well we are back up and running - the replacement gearbox is rather `stiff` as I suspect its been sat for a while , so use will get it running better - the replacement clutch cable is on , and the glow plugs were changed:




^^ cant see any reason they would need changing lol

fires up on the button now , clutch can be used with 1 finger - so now just bed In and MOT next month.

its an old bus but she is reliable usually.