Today, I'd like talk a little bit about being taken advantage of by auto and specialty shops. I recently purchased my next project car, which is a 1973 Ford Ranchero. It happens to be in very nice shape as far as body condition, very straight with very little rust... perhaps only 2 percent. The suspension needs a lot of work including upper control arm bushings; idler arm and shocks, this is what led me to the topic of today. When I found that the upper control arm bushing were destroyed, to the point of which it made the car unsafe to drive, I decided to see how much it would cost to have someone do them for me.
Well, after calling around town to four different reputable shops ( ha ha) I found that the least expensive was approx $485.00 including labor. Hmmmmm I wondered if I could take try to save myself some cash by do them myself. I went ahead and ordered the bushings at a cost of $32.00 yes, that's right only $32.00. Wow, I said to myself, in other words... O.M.G. the rest was labor. I started on the left side (drivers side) and after an hour I said I need a spring compressor for the coils. I knew this since I've already done this job on a 1965 Mustang in 2006... but I was wrong........ on this model of Ford, the only required work is the removal of the brake callipers ; upper ball joints and two bolts that secure the upper control arm... in essence the driver side took two hours and 45 min and the passenger side took 45 minute's total.
It really pays to try these projects on your own and to have the manuals that are necessary to complete the job correctly. I'm sure you can understand the disgust I felt when I realized that a shop could be so bold as to try and charge me for four and a half hours of labor when the job would only take them one and a half hours which equals approximately $120.00. Hmmmm, talk about inflation. Id appreciate comments on this issue so feel free, I' ll try to have pictures of this new project on my next posting, remember drive safe.........
SHARKTOOTH MOTOR SPORTS...
Well, after calling around town to four different reputable shops ( ha ha) I found that the least expensive was approx $485.00 including labor. Hmmmmm I wondered if I could take try to save myself some cash by do them myself. I went ahead and ordered the bushings at a cost of $32.00 yes, that's right only $32.00. Wow, I said to myself, in other words... O.M.G. the rest was labor. I started on the left side (drivers side) and after an hour I said I need a spring compressor for the coils. I knew this since I've already done this job on a 1965 Mustang in 2006... but I was wrong........ on this model of Ford, the only required work is the removal of the brake callipers ; upper ball joints and two bolts that secure the upper control arm... in essence the driver side took two hours and 45 min and the passenger side took 45 minute's total.
It really pays to try these projects on your own and to have the manuals that are necessary to complete the job correctly. I'm sure you can understand the disgust I felt when I realized that a shop could be so bold as to try and charge me for four and a half hours of labor when the job would only take them one and a half hours which equals approximately $120.00. Hmmmm, talk about inflation. Id appreciate comments on this issue so feel free, I' ll try to have pictures of this new project on my next posting, remember drive safe.........
SHARKTOOTH MOTOR SPORTS...
TAKING A BITE OUT OF THE COMPETITION
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