How much are garages charging?

[Kayos]

I too worked for a solicitor once, and it will remain 'once' forever more. If I were to post my thoughts on those drawn to that particular profession I'd likely be banned from the internet never mind the forum.

I've had a similar experience, big top floor apartment in what was the Terry's chocolate factory

Moving massive radiators for decorating and sorting the complex HIU no one else would touch, very condescending when I was chasing payment

I told him I wouldn't bother explaining the next steps for recovery as he should know how it works

Paid within 15 minutes

 

[Cato]

I've had a similar experience, big top floor apartment in what was the Terry's chocolate factory

Moving massive radiators for decorating and sorting the complex HIU no one else would touch, very condescending when I was chasing payment

I told him I wouldn't bother explaining the next steps for recovery as he should know how it works

Paid within 15 minutes

The legal profession, refuge for those possessed of baseless arrogance since time immemorial.

 

[Bobupndown]

The legal profession, refuge for those possessed of baseless arrogance since time immemorial.

My wife's best friend is a solicitor, very disappointing company she keeps

 

[Moose McAlpine]

That's the one.
Fitted many of those, and lost a good few 5mm allen key bits in the process on RWD Transits!

I did it the easy way and pulled the manifold for access. The thing's leaking oil like a sieve but they only want to do the bare minimum, this and the relief valve on the rail were £357.

Been a few years since i did one of these, used to do loads before ULEZ pushed these vans out the area.

I go thru the busy one week not busy the next manic cycle - even with constant dairy bookings

We're always busy. I have a Renault Trafic and Peugeot Partner stripped waiting for cylinder heads to come back from skimming, a 335d stripped waiting for a turbo, Transit recovered in for a rear axle and an A200 recovered in for a head gasket.

And those are just my jobs, there's 3 of us and oxygen-thieving apprentice. We have a constant issue with space for all the vehicles on site.

 

[Robotstar5]

I worked for a solicitor once, gave him my price and he said "that's more than I earn"

Told him he should have tried harder at school...

To be fair, ended up a good customer

Reminds me of going for an interview where a chap had been promoted and I was applying for his old job, when I told him my salary in my current job he said "that's more than I earn in my new position"

 

[m_c]

Transit recovered in for a rear axle
View attachment 529759
View attachment 529760

Never seen a Transit do that, but seen it a few times on Sprinters,
Classic sign of a "If starts and drives, I'll drive it" kind of driver.

 

[Roger440]

Then you run out yard space at the end of the month - as they won't collect the repaired cars till they get paid...

That one could be the killer. Ive had £25k of completed work in the yard awaiting collection, and not one of the buggers turned up to collect. Until after the end of the month.

Certainly makes cash flow "interesting".

Had one, big job, full engine build and other stuff, customer vanished. Had to hire a private investigator to trace. Took nearly a year to sort out. That was circa £7k if i recall. Ended up with the car.

You are just reminding me that i absolutely dont miss it.

 

[Moose McAlpine]

Never seen a Transit do that, but seen it a few times on Sprinters,
Classic sign of a "If starts and drives, I'll drive it" kind of driver.

I've known Sprinters to strip the splines off the half shafts and eat pinion gears, not had one fully collapse like this though.

Apparently this is really common, and down to the strange spring-loaded hub nut and its low tightening torque. We've put a MK7 axle in it.

 

[m_c]

I've known Sprinters to strip the splines off the half shafts and eat pinion gears, not had one fully collapse like this though.

Apparently this is really common, and down to the strange spring-loaded hub nut and its low tightening torque. We've put a MK7 axle in it.

Big problem was "techs" over tightening them, as obviously the manufacturers specs "don't seem tight enough".
Seen a couple bearings on them fail, but never driven to destruction.

 

[Jack_K]

All of them get recommended by loads of people when someone asks where to take their car on local facebook.

I always laugh at posts like that. People ask for mechanic recommendations and basically get every mechanic in the area recommended. Most of the people giving the recommendations probably couldn't even tell if a mechanic is good or bad.

The same thing happens with electricians and plumbers.

 

[Erie Fred]

The legal profession, refuge for those possessed of baseless arrogance since time immemorial.

What do you call 15 lawyers at the bottom of a pool ?
"a good start".....

How many lawyers do it take to grease a combine ?
Only one, if you run them thru real slow ....

 

[bricol]

I always laugh at posts like that. People ask for mechanic recommendations and basically get every mechanic in the area recommended. Most of the people giving the recommendations probably couldn't even tell if a mechanic is good or bad.

The same thing happens with electricians and plumbers.

I'd suggest a good recommendation comes from just a few things, especially if you are a lady.

Garage people speak respectfully to you, and don't condescend.
You take a car in that doesn't work, and come away with one that does, one that also doesn't look like it's been used as the chip butty run vehicle, and doesn't have greasy paw prints left all over it, especially inside.
And the bill explains it all, if you asked for one.

What more does the average car user want?

There's a local one that gets a lot of recommendation along the lines of "he seems grumpy, but he's soft inside - he did this, that and the other for me/mum/sister"

 

[Bobupndown]

I'd suggest a good recommendation comes from just a few things, especially if you are a lady.

 

[Cato]

A little job I did this morning reminded me of another point in the cost debate, stock.

I needed some more Molex one way connectors, and had to buy 100 and 92 of those will now sit on the shelf at my cost until I get through them.

A quick glance around shows a similar situation for gloves, oils/fluids, MIG wire, clips, bolts, bulbs, electrical cable, sheathing, terminals, a modest metal stock, etc etc. the list goes on. Hundreds if not thousands of pounds of my money tied up in materials purely for the benefit of customers.

All of which brings me to the conclusion that garages and workshops don't charge nearly enough.

"But it costs too much!" translates to "It's more than I can (or want to) pay."

 

[Moose McAlpine]

A little job I did this morning reminded me of another point in the cost debate, stock.

I needed some more Molex one way connectors, and had to buy 100 and 92 of those will now sit on the shelf at my cost until I get through them.

A quick glance around shows a similar situation for gloves, oils/fluids, MIG wire, clips, bolts, bulbs, electrical cable, sheathing, terminals, a modest metal stock, etc etc. the list goes on. Hundreds if not thousands of pounds of my money tied up in materials purely for the benefit of customers.

All of which brings me to the conclusion that garages and workshops don't charge nearly enough.

"But it costs too much!" translates to "It's more than I can (or want to) pay."

Add to that rarely-used special tools.

I have lots of timing tools only used once for one specific job, injector pullers, special hydraulic pullers, ball joint press tools, etc.

Even the cheaper end of timing tools can be ~£70 for one engine, makes a dent in your profit when you need to buy it for the job.

Even special sockets, i have loads of them, some being £50+ each.

 

[Cato]

Add to that rarely-used special tools.

I have lots of timing tools only used once for one specific job, injector pullers, special hydraulic pullers, ball joint press tools, etc.

Even the cheaper end of timing tools can be ~£70 for one engine, makes a dent in your profit when you need to buy it for the job.

Even special sockets, i have loads of them, some being £50+ each.

I try not to look at or think about those.

Last year I had to order some lefthand solid thread repair inserts, only place I could get them was Australia. Ordered the set, did the job, haven't used them since.

 

[dobbslc]

"But it costs too much!" translates to "It's more than I can (or want to) pay."

That's probably because the average punter looks down their nose at us 'mechanical' types and assumes all this dirty work is easy (because we're all thick so can only do this sort of work...)
and we're way beneath them.
Half of them are swanning around in expensive cars they can't afford to run and probably don't even earn what us dirt bags do

 

[Morris]

That's probably because the average punter looks down their nose at us 'mechanical' types and assumes all this dirty work is easy (because we're all thick so can only do this sort of work...)
and we're way beneath them.
Half of them are swanning around in expensive cars they can't afford to run and don't understand and probably don't even earn what us dirt bags do

Fixed

 

[addjunkie]

A little job I did this morning reminded me of another point in the cost debate, stock.

I needed some more Molex one way connectors, and had to buy 100 and 92 of those will now sit on the shelf at my cost until I get through them.

A quick glance around shows a similar situation for gloves, oils/fluids, MIG wire, clips, bolts, bulbs, electrical cable, sheathing, terminals, a modest metal stock, etc etc. the list goes on. Hundreds if not thousands of pounds of my money tied up in materials purely for the benefit of customers.

All of which brings me to the conclusion that garages and workshops don't charge nearly enough.

"But it costs too much!" translates to "It's more than I can (or want to) pay."

And that explains why no one keeps spares any more, stuff on a shelf is dead money. Once accountants started running businesses, stock disappears as its a cost. Just in time manufacturing is a prime example of this, bits delivered as you use them.

 

[Robotstar5]

And that explains why no one keeps spares any more, stuff on a shelf is dead money. Once accountants started running businesses, stock disappears as its a cost. Just in time manufacturing is a prime example of this, bits delivered as you use them.

I saw the change during my working life, when I started with Rover in 1980 they carried enough materials on site to build cars for 6 - 8 weeks without a parts delivery, when I retired a few years ago from JLR they could only run for a few hours without a parts delivery.