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It's gonna cost HOW much???

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Comments

  • fleetwoodsimcafleetwoodsimca Member Posts: 1,518
    I wanted one of those (Chrysler captive import)Sunbeam Alpines bad, back in the early 70's, but settled for a full size car that fit my practical needs better. I STILL want the Sunbeam. In recent years I tried on a Mazda Miata as a substitute, but it was too cramped in the cockpit. I passed it up. Nissan Z cars-- The reasons are always the same: I want it, but it doesn't fit.
  • ocelot1ocelot1 Member Posts: 101
    95 montero 3.5 you have to pull the intake plentum and all the goodys attached to get to 3 of the plugs and wires.60k changes.I think the book is 4 hours R&R. Tony (The lucky owner)
  • alcanalcan Member Posts: 2,550
    Spark Plugs - R&R

    V6
    Montero, 3000GT..... 2.2
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,638
    ...it's ba-ack! I ended up giving in and having the repair shop do the front brakes and idler arm/center link on our '85 LeSabre. Whole bill ended up being about $611. I do remember the labor portion was about $250, and the parts (2 front rotors, front pads, centerlink, idler arm) came to about $350, plus a few odds and ends to get to the $11.

    It turns out though, that my uncle ended up getting a brand-new car, anyway. 2003 Corolla. Don't ask me why we put $600 into an old car, and then he ended up getting a new one anyway...my family does stuff like that! It is amazing though, what a difference the new parts make. I hadn't realized how sloppy the car had gotten. I probably just adjusted and got used to it as the steering got looser and looser.

    Harry, thanks for the email. I'll give the caliper/piston rebuild a try when I have some free time. Hey, any idea how much those things are if I mess one up? ;-)
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    I have a 1996 V8 Explorer with 125,000 miles on it. The last time i had it in the shop for maintence, the mechanic mentioned that it the exhaust manifold sound rough and may need replacement. He asked if it smooths out once it warms up, which it does.

    What does the exhaust manifold do, how important is it and how much does it cost to repair or relace it?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Maybe he meant intake manifold?
  • alcanalcan Member Posts: 2,550
    The exhaust manifolds collect the burnt gases from the cylinders and route them to the exhaust pipe. Usually cast iron, and a cracked one might allow exhaust gas to escape when the engine's cold but seal up when the manifold heats up and expands.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Yes, but I don't know how that relates to rough running, unless he just meant "rough sounding".
  • mrdetailermrdetailer Member Posts: 1,118
    2 weeks ago, just before an extended trip I took the car in for a once over. Turns out the Seal between the manual transmission was leaking significantly and lost a pint of fluid in 3 months. The repair was about $100, including parts. When I picked it up they said you're lucky it's not a 1997 or newer. That repair would have cost $600.00. Go figure.
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    It sounds rough not rough running.
  • bcarter3bcarter3 Member Posts: 145
    My daughter has a 95 Contour that I do routine maintenance on. I finally figured out that the only way to avoid a real mess was to pack a bunch of rags under the filter. Enough rags to absorb all of the oil. After the new filter is on I just pull the rags out.
    I will NEVER change the PCV again!!!!! The timing belt is no picnic either. Come to think about it, that is one of the worst cars for DIY maintenance.
  • lokkilokki Member Posts: 1,200
    I remember an article that I read a few years ago in (Car& Driver?) which said that the cost of an alternator for an Acura Integra (about $400) was higher than the cost of an alternator for a Ferrari 308.
  • mrdetailermrdetailer Member Posts: 1,118
    I have been keeping detailed computer records for maintenence for 5 years on older cars and found that the Japanese cars generally cost 35--50% more to repair. Like front struts. Domestic was $150, and Import $225. Some are worse. Example, Changing a timing belt on my Dodge and related procedures $155.00. Same repair on the Subaru $350. Same Repair on my Japanese Mazda $400.00.

    I was astonished to discover that when the repair and maintenence costs are averaged over the 5 years that they cost approximately the same. The Japanese had fewer but more expensive repairs. It generally has one significant repair or maintenence item a year. The domestic had more repairs 2-3 per year, but lower cost.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    that was a cheap shot for C&D, because they didn't tell you the labor charge to put the Ferrari alternator on the car!
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Ohmygawd...how many hours at, what, 150.00/hr. in some speciality botique Ferrari shop?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Got a call from someone selling a 70s era Rolls Royce out of an estate. It's been in storage a long time, and the brake pedal goes to the floor. I waited for the phone to drop when I told the daughter that she should count on about $6,000-8,000 to redo the hydraulics.
  • swschradswschrad Member Posts: 2,171
    that's if they don't have to fly a mechanic in from either Noo Yawk City (get a rope) or England to carry the magic 5.241 mm wrench to permit bleeding the bleedin' lines. you get into the rolls and bentley class cars, you had better be in the class of never having to ask the cost, just of asking them to put fresh water in the bud vases before returning the car.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Maintenance costs on Rolls and Bentleys is a real bloodbath. It's shocking. It's beyond shocking. You have to see it to believe it. I remember once loosing the little tiny machine screws that hold the top of the mastery cylinder reservoir on. That was 8 screws @ $4 each and of course, nothing made in the USA seemed to work.

    After years and years of hanging around cars, you realize that some cars are engineered to be fixed easily and some aren't.
  • swschradswschrad Member Posts: 2,171
    had a coworker in the early 80s with a early 70s mercedes diesel. took it in for engine work to the certified Fritzes at the dealership. they lost one nut from a cylinder head. couldn't find one anywhere in the United States. anywhere. finally, in a former Mercedes dealer in the cities, a nut was found. it was airmailed the 240 miles to Fargo and cost my buddy $15. it took two months to get that valve job finished.

    there were something like 15 different sizes and pitches of metric hardware in those heads, he was told.

    it ain't just a joke that Mercedes are durable, but those $900 mufflers will kill you eventually. we all better hope that DC fails at "integrating the parts flow" between the brands ;)
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Some Benz parts are expensive but at least you can take the car apart and fix it. Benzes are really good for rebuilding things I've found. Always a good idea to shop aftermarket on German cars but one has to look for decent quality replacement parts.
  • fleetwoodsimcafleetwoodsimca Member Posts: 1,518
    I had an old 1951 Cadillac (YES! A Fleetwood!) during undergrad college. A local parts store dude took pity on me (and wanted my business). He knew how to cross reference my Caddy needs into Oldsmobile language. It cut my expenses considerably.
  • oldharryoldharry Member Posts: 413
    When I was working for a Pontiac dealer in the mid sixties, a friend who was parts manager at the Chevy dealership told me that '58 Caddy's and '58 Chevies used the same generator armature. The Chevy parts listed for about $13 and cost the dealer just over $7. Caddy part cost the dealer just over $14 and listed for about $28. The local Caddy parts man ordered armatures through the Chevy dealership for $7 then sold them for $28. Now most GM parts cost the dealers the same no matter which franchise, as to selling price, it is after all, maunfacturer's SUGGESTED retail price.

    Harry
  • fleetwoodsimcafleetwoodsimca Member Posts: 1,518
    Yep! Times do change. I suspect the hullabaloo some years ago over mixing brands of engines into the "wrong" vehicles may have had something to do with the parts pricing change. GM decided to make a lot of stuff GM generic, rather than Olds, Chevy, Buick, etc., specific.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Road & Track had a little piece about the relacement cost of a transmisson on a BMW 850 coupe --$5,000.
  • kinleykinley Member Posts: 854
    My fathers '50 Caddie Series 61 eventually had a lot of "Chevie" replacement parts on it, including the master brake cylinder. It lasted more than 10 years and 150,000 miles. Great car.
  • bbpalumbobbpalumbo Member Posts: 9
    Can anyone tell me APPROXIMATELY what I can expect to pay for new front brakes? I've got an appointment tomorrow for an estimate and I'd like to get an idea so I don't get "taken advantage of". Also, is there anything they will try to include that I don't need? I've got a 99 Honda Civic sedan with 53,000 miles on it, and they said the wear was 2/32. I believe they charge about $60 an hour for labor and they said it would take about an hour to do the work.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Just get a written estimate before the job starts.

    If labor is one hour, that's $60

    If you just need pads, then it's $60 + pads, which will vary but should be about....oh, $35?

    IF you need rotors those might be $25-40 apiece or more if they are the very best. Then there's the labor to remove the old rotors and put on new ones. They might also ask if you'd like wheel bearings re-packed.

    Turning the rotors rather than replacing them would cost less of course, that's just a labor charge.

    So the total price will vary depending on what the car needs and what kind of shop you are going to. If it's a large chain operation they may try to stack up the things you need as their service writers are encouraged to sell as much as possible. . If they say you need rotors ask them what the minimum thickness is for rotors on your car and what thickness your old rotors were when they measured them. If they don't know those numbers, they probably didn't do it.
    If they say the rotors have the right thickness but are "rough", then you'll have to either eyeball them yourself or take their word.

    I'd be more concerned about the quality of parts they are using and the care they use to install them then a $25 or even $50 difference from shop to shop.
  • oldharryoldharry Member Posts: 413
    If you live in a "salt" state, ask them if they are thouroughly bleeding the hydralics. It's a good idea even if you don'tlive in a "salt" state. Using the pressure bleeder to insure all old contaminated fluid is gone makes your brakes work better and last longer. It shouldn't add much to the price, as quality shops do it anyway.

    Harry
  • oldharryoldharry Member Posts: 413
    Has anyone else noticed that strut support bearings seem to be failing earlier than they used to? I find "memory steer" or "boinging" noises when turning in cars only three to five years old with less than 100 K miles all the time. Often now, I sell new struts to go with the mounts and bearings, rather than the other way around.

    Depending on the vehicle, bearings and/or mounts and bearings can add from $30 to several hundred to the strut job. When I first started doing strut jobs in the seventies, mounts were a rare addition, and frequently were still good when the second set of struts wore out. Now all I'll say is, that they seem to outlast the warranty on new cars.

    Harry
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I think (just guessing) that this is an effect of the increased precision of newer cars and also perhaps the effect of stiffer suspensions and low profile tires.

    Older cars were sloppier and you didn't notice degradation of the ride as much or all the clunks and bangs.
  • fleetwoodsimcafleetwoodsimca Member Posts: 1,518
    I've got to tell you, replacing struts in your garage at home is not for the faint of heart. I did it several years ago on a 1986 LeBaron Chrysler GTS-- and don't look forward to another opportunity! So, how much did I save?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    It's downright DANGEROUS sometimes!

    Went to appraise an '83 Porsche Targa the other day for a guy thinking of buying it. Asking price is $8,000.

    The car comes from the original owner, but it's been in dead storage 5-6 years. Straight body, no rust, no accidents, high mileage.

    So I'm lookin' at it, thinking....hmmmm....

    Needs paint, just old, faded, crazed from 17 years of sun and abrasion.

    Porsche engine not started in 6 years? Uh-oh, that's going to have to come out and be "freshened up" for sure. The garage was a bit damp and you know that moisture has bound the rings to the bottom side of the liners, or at least caused some galling.

    Car won't roll, also typical Porsche issue, the calipers will freeze from non use. So four calipers, rotors, pads.

    Tires are flat-spotted, so four of those

    Targa headliner falling down, all the door and targa weatherseals are old and dried up.

    So this car all fixed up, in today's market, maybe worth $16K

    Cost of repairs could hit $16K no problem.

    Basically the car is worthless.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Well...not really. I have to wonder, why do people do things like that? Seems like someone could have started it once in awhile?

    And, there's probably a bunch of things wrong you had no way to determine. Bad trans bearings etc.

    Too bad...
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Well, it's not a classic or anything. They made so many of them we'll be old and gray (well, gray-er) by the time the SCs bring any serious money, if they ever do.

    This is a typical case of why many older "luxury" or "sports" cars don't survive....if they are too common, but pricey to repair, then the cost of restoring them exceeds their value, therefore junkyard for parts. That's where this car should go, to keep really nice SCs on the road. Or better yet, I'd gut it and use the body for a builder if I had another car with good motor and trans but smashed up or rusted.

    It's the cost of the motor that's killing this car.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    So a friend brings her '96 BMW to the dealer for a check up and some work. Here's the quote:

    check engine light on -- defective secondary air pump, $450.

    needs rear brakes --$475

    power steering leak -- $600

    Now the air pump is a fairly common problem on these cars (used for emissions) and a bolt-on job, but where else you gonna get the part?

    Brakes --outrageous IMO.

    P/S leak -- no real diagnosis here. BMW lines are known to leak after a while, so what's the $600 for? A new rack at only 48K miles. Seems unlikely. And a pump shouldn't cost that.
  • fleetwoodsimcafleetwoodsimca Member Posts: 1,518
    What else could it be?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Yeah, well have you priced a windshield for a PT Cruiser? Not teutonic but greed none the less.
  • swschradswschrad Member Posts: 2,171
    list for new (double platinum) plugs on my 2000 V8 exploder is $11 each, wire kit list is $198. no wonder Motorcraft recently allowed the dealer parts departments a little leeway, like 30 to 50 percent off list, so they could sell the first set to somebody.

    there are two pricing models, as shown by videos. one is "we only need to sell ONE." the other is "we want to sell one to EVERYBODY."

    used to be there was an area in the middle, but it doesn't seem to be a "popular price" any more in anything.
  • snowdesk74snowdesk74 Member Posts: 2
    alcan .could you tell me what the time is on replacing the intake manifold gasket ,lower, on a 98 5.7 vortex K2500 ? THANKS, DUKE IN ANTELOPE,CA
  • alcanalcan Member Posts: 2,550
    Gasket, Intake Manifold, R&R
    C & K 15/35 (96-99)
    V8 305(5.0L), 350(5.7L)

    w/ Air Cond
    - Upper..... 2.5
    - Lower..... 3.9

    w/o Air Cond
    - upper..... 1.5
    - lower..... 2.9

    Where cruise control interferes, add .2
  • fleetwoodsimcafleetwoodsimca Member Posts: 1,518
    I don't really "understand" the pricing for glass in a rational sense. I was not long ago advised that a windshield for my 2K Villager listed around $1100.00, so I should consider such when setting up my deductibles on my insurance. For my 99 Ranger, the windshield is buyable at under $300.00, yet little, dark side glass for this "4-door" pickup was some outrageous thing-- so high I can't stand to type it!
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Me neither. Apparently there are "grades" of glass that you can buy for one thing, also grades and quality of tinting. I never really bothered to spend the time to figure out how this industry works.

    I can see where rare vehicles, or seldom replaced pieces, require higher prices (economy of scale and all that), but why a windshield for common cars like a Villager or PT Cruiser are over $1000, beats me.
  • leadfoot4leadfoot4 Member Posts: 593
    maybe because of radio antennas or rain sensors for the wipers ??
  • swschradswschrad Member Posts: 2,171
    the auto glass pricing model looks like the hospitalization pricing model to me these days. if lizard insurance only pays $400 for a DeSoto windshield, that is what the market will bear. except for Joe Cashpockets who is restoring one, then the price is $1200 or something outlandish.

    ever see an itemized hospital bill? for a heart attack and stent 6 years ago, the bill was almost $90,000. I was 3 days short of my company medical going into effect, so county welfare picked it up, at about $38,000. there were $14 aspirins and $65 IV bottles and the doctor's fees for angiography and two stents were $14,000 -- numbers that shocked the cardiologist, who of course got nothing near that amount, not even in the same galaxy.

    if you got it, we'll use you to even out our fiscal projections -- that's the list price difference.
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