Thread: Question on Average Prices

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To Install A Rear End?
To Install Gears in a Rear End?
To Install A Shifter?
To Install Seats?
To Take out and Install A Motor?

more specific
what rear end in what car?
Gears need machining to fit a larger carrier?
kind of shifter?
buckets?
Custom swap?

what rear end in what car? 12 bolt in a 79 malibu from a 7.5
Gears need machining to fit a larger carrier? just the ring and pinon
kind of shifter? b&m starshifter.. currently the col. shift
buckets? yes bucket seats
Custom swap? yes swaps are all upgrade changes..

Well you would be better off going with a 8.5 10 bolt because it will bolt right in and is way stronger then a 7.5, 12 bolts require major modification, there are bolt in buckets out there,

All this is custom work.. I am just wondering price ranges for the situation.. i dont need a stronger rear end.. i am only running HP in the 300-350 hp range.. before when i had a 400 sb i never had a problem with my 7.5 ....

Originally posted by YoungMalibu
To Install A Rear End?
To Install Gears in a Rear End?
To Install A Shifter?
To Install Seats?
To Take out and Install A Motor?

@50.00 hr.
To Install A Rear End?......................... 2 hrs...............100.00
To Install Gears in a Rear End?............3 hrs...............150.00
To Install A Shifter?...............................2 +.................100.00
To Install Seats?...................................1 1/2 hrs ea....75.00.00 ea.
To Take out and Install A Motor?..........10 hrs 350 chev...500.00+
"should be in the ball park"

.

I work to cheap I see.

I had one of those signs up, didn't do no good, they still knew more about it than I did.

Knowing the right friends, a lot of that work could be done for a couple six packs and a pizza.

find someone who does not do flat rate. flat rate is great for the tech/ mechanic but can often jip the customer by charging a job for so many hours, then doing it in less time. being this is custom, your going to have to find a shop that will do custom, driving up to the local mechanic and requesting this work, is not the answer, some sort of a speed shop or custom fab shop is your only option in hiring out the work, an aupolstery shop could put the seats in probably, but that's it.

"........find someone who does not do flat rate. flat rate is great for the tech/ mechanic but can often jip the customer by charging a job for so many hours, then doing it in less time.........."


Tell you what Matt, go to work as a flat rate mechanic (say in a dealership) for a month and then come back and tell me what a great deal it is for the mechanic. If I beat the flat rate all well and good, but who eats it if takes longer than the book gives (you know the book that doesn't give allowances for rusted/seized bolts on a 20 year old car)? What happens on a slow month when your stall is empty? Yeah, flat rate gives you an incentive to turn out more work, but if you get a defective part, or screw up.........you get to do it again for free. Yeah, a GOOD flat rate mechanic can make a decent living, but he busts his butt to do it, regardless of what someone who has never worked in the field may think.

As far as custom work goes, any shop that does it will tell you they can't go by flat rate because no flat rate manual exists that can cover all the different things that may be required. Even something that sounds as simple as installing the bucket seats can go every quickly (i.e. finding a set from a similar model that are a bolt in to being a nightmare involving modifying tracks, building spacers etc etc.

The engine swap is another good example, if I'm replacing a small block with another small block the price would start at around $550 (labor only). Changing over from say a V6 to V8, or small block to big block ( basically an engine that was an option in the car or truck) would add an extra $100-$200 in labor. Doing something major like slipping in a 500CI Caddy would START at $1000. Until you actually get into the swap it's almost impossible to have a feel for how much time it's going to take unless you have already done a similar swap in the past.

youngmalibu, one thing I have seen over the years is that the GOOD mechanics in an area usually charge about the same rate as each other, you can always find someone who SAYS he can do it for half the price but you will find that you get what you pay for. Check with the reputable shops in your area and in order to get the best estimate be very specific on what it is you want them to do, the more information you provide the better they will be able to tell you how much it will run.

good post mike. never worked any other way, and if a machanic came into my shop wanting stright pay, I wouldn't talk to him, most good mechanics wanted flat rate. its a dog eat dog world though. we did everything and a lot of it was time and material.

Yup, you beat me too it, Mike!!! Flat rate sounds like a ticket to being a zillionaire, but reality is a whole lot different!!!! IMO, it would be a lot easier to "jip" the customer charging time and materials vs. flat rate. None of it, with maybe the exception of installing the seats, is any kind of "custom" work.

Originally posted by Dave Severson
Yup, you beat me too it, Mike!!! Flat rate sounds like a ticket to being a zillionaire, but reality is a whole lot different!!!! IMO, it would be a lot easier to "jip" the customer charging time and materials vs. flat rate. None of it, with maybe the exception of installing the seats, is any kind of "custom" work.

Or maybe the shifter. The rest, there is a book time. I guaranteed my mechanics minimum wage, after he doubled that I paid him 1/2 of the labor on the w/o, he fixed his come backs, and if he broke anything (like the windshield putting the hood on) he paid 1/2 of that. that minimum Wage didn't mean nothing, because if he couldn't turn no more time than that, he didn't stay long no how. hard way to make a living.

Yeah, maybe the shifter, too. I always thought flat rate was fair to the mechanic, the shop, and the customer. Big thing on flat rate, sure does keep a mechanic busy instead of leaning against his tool box smoking a cigarette and drinking a Pepsi!!!!!!