meh

[Engel]

I really wish i owned my own performance shop or service shop..


think of a procedure of maybe a gear install. The going rate is about 300$.


now my current job workin for a cable company (thank god its temporary) I have to work 72 hours for a mechanic to do 3-4 hours of labor..

Or my personal favorite the going rate on changing spark plugs in vehicle is about 70$ for 20 min of work. I would have to work 4 hours of overtime or 6.5 hours of normal pay to cover that work..



Now I know the mechanic is not getting paid that much, which means its going into the shop owners pocket.


I would kill to be a shop owner in a large city

 

[Nik_95Cobra]

We've owned our Repair/Service/Parts shop here in Phoenix for the last 46 years. There are HUGE land tax fees, accountant fees, advertising fees, insurance, employees wages, tool fees, electricity, and many, many other things to pay for. And we OWN our land. Some of the surrounding shops are paying $12,000 a month just to rent the space they're on. That's why I laugh out everyone coming in trying to compare prices on parts to some ebay POS or what they "think" the labor should be. Definately not an easy business to be in. On top of that you have to deal with the people who have you do a tune up, then call 6 months later trying to blame you for some retarded other unrelated problem that had nothing to do with the job you performed, or someone wondering why they bought an intake and don't run 12's, or the THEFT that occurs in all parts yards. Anyone that thinks it's easy for the owner needs to go open their own shop and then their eyes will open to the real world. How many people go complain to their doctors how much they're being charged, or to their grocery store and tell them they're charging too much for food.

 

[illwood]

I have a math question. . .

think of a procedure of maybe a gear install. The going rate is about 300$.


now my current job workin for a cable company (thank god its temporary) I have to work 72 hours for a mechanic to do 3-4 hours of labor..

$300 / 72 hours = $4.16/hr. (Florida's minimum wage is $6.67/hr you should contact your employer)

Or my personal favorite the going rate on changing spark plugs in vehicle is about 70$ for 20 min of work. I would have to work 4 hours of overtime or 6.5 hours of normal pay to cover that work..

$70 / 6.5 hours = $10.77/hr.

So, one of these is your hourly wage and the other is an exaggeration.

Not that I'm trying to knock you, but. . .

I'm sure that all of us on Stangnet are aware that we have an expensive hobby. A lot of us try to help curb some of the costs by doing the work ourselves. This means that we have to buy (or rent) the appropriate tools and sometimes learn by T&E (Trial and Error). If you don't have the time or tools or technical expertise, then you pay somebody to do the work for you. Not to mention the expenses that Nik_95Cobra mentioned.

 

[ponypowa2]

i wasnt aware of all the fees to run a shop but it still seems rediculous for 70$ for spark plug changed


yea a little exageration. I just do not think 20 minutes of pulling spark plugs equates to (lets say I make 10$ an hour) 7 hours of work somewhere else..

Thats assuming the shop is honest, most shops take age into the labor fee equation.

I replaced most of my suspension in 2 days on my car, with a little help from a buddy ( i probably could have done it alone). Now i saved myself at minimum $1000 for a job that took about 12 hours.

So I would have to work over 10 days to get that procedure done assuming i make 100$ a day


-------------------------------------------------

I agree expensive hobbies, but double the expense when you figure in labor charges

 

[Nik_95Cobra]

i wasnt aware of all the fees to run a shop but it still seems rediculous for 70$ for spark plug changed

One caan go to dealer and pay more, take it to independant shop with same or more experience and pay less and deal with it, or one can do it themselves and be done with it, individuals choice...

most shops take age into the labor fee equation.

Most shops that have been around the block base labor on experience having done the job a million times over, shops that haven't been around a long time go by what the book says the job will take in hours

Thats assuming the shop is honest

Most shops are honest, it's the chains like department store auto repair facilities, the tune and lube shops, the brake shops, and so on where people get in the most trouble. Yeah I've seen some independant shops who aren't the most honest, but that's very rare compared to how many different cookie cutter corporate shops rip people.

I can see where the public assumes one thing or another about how a business works, but a lot of the population has no idea about the business and think the automotive field is a bunch of cavemen they can push around and tell how to run their business. The automotive field has to eat and put food on their table just like everyone else. You don't walk into your office in the morning and lay down on a bed of $100 bills while you rake in the money. People need cars, they need them fixed, and the ones who can't fix them pay to have it done. No different than walking into a Dr's office because something on you isn't working right. Only different scenery. If someone can do the work themselves, great for them. We get tons cars that come in where the customer tried to tackle a job way beyond their scope and wind up ruining any number of things and wind up with large bills simply because they tried to save a buck on something that could have been easily done by a professional. People still go out to eat when they can spend $1.50 to make their own meal at home, but not everyone's a chef. Near impossible to explain unless someone's in the business and sees what goes on day in and day out but it's way different than it seems.

 

[badstang123]

I work in a GM Dealership service department and we charge $95 dollars an hour. As has been said above: your paying the overhead, the knowledge, the liability, the tools, and so much more. Most dealerships and companies go by "book times" or the approximate time it takes to do a job, which is deemed by independent companies like Chilton and such. When your paying that time to a mechanic that can do it in less time, your really paying for his experience, his schooling, his trial and error learned over the years, and his 30K many spend in tools. Your really paying to have the job done right the first time and to avoid the hassle yourself of any problems that may pop up along the way.

But I don't disagree that doing things yourself is much more cost effective if your capable and willing. That's what I do
- Justin