Just Quoted $800 For Plugs & Plug Wires

[ShortCST]

I really like the shop. But I can't throw my money away like that. Does anyone know of high quality plugs and wires for a C10 that are tailor made for a small block with Doug Thorley Tri Y headers?

[harpo231]

summit has good wires , tailor-made not sure

['68OrangeSunshine]

For $800 bucks their other customers must be laundering money!
It's not so difficult to do it yourself.
Tri-Y headers are not very common these days, so you need to fit a custom loom anyway.
Best wires I've found are Taylor's. Get a universal fit set and cut to length, then crimp on the connector. A good crimper [and wires and plugs] would fit inside that $800 budget. Don't forget the champagne, guys who help you with $800 wires will be non-plussed if you only offer beer. JK.
You didn't say if you have HEI or stock points. Most of the universal kits have terminals and boots for both included.
You need:
*Wire set -- 7mm for points, or 8mm for HEI. [There's also 8.8mm and 9mm available, but I'm not launching a moonprobe, so I don't need that kinda stuff.]
*Tube of silicon dielectric grease. Pre lube the booties -- easier to pull thru.
*Plugs. What ever you like. This can be an endless debate around here on what's best. Stay away from platinum and multi-tip types, just gimmicks, and you can't clean 'em up with a small file like the copper tips. . .
*Crimpers. Ratchetting type are pro grade. [I still use the mini-anvil Accel type -- you put the lower jaw in a vise, and hold the upper in your fingers and tap it secure with a light hammer. Carefull with fingers. If I were new at it, I would just get ratchetting crimpers. Easier to work with.] Jegs has high end MSD crimpers for $84.22. Still inside your $800 budget. P/N121-35051.
*Needle nose pliers.
*Utility knife -- for stripping back insulation on wire leads.
*Dykes -- for getting a clean cut on wires.
*Tunes -- Good for morale and pace.
*Time -- Yours is not as expensive as Shop Time, which I'm guessing must be $125/hr. Take your own sweet time and be proud of your work.
Spend the other 600 or 700 on caviar for breaktime.

[ShortCST]

Originally Posted by '68OrangeSunshine

For $800 bucks their other customers must be laundering money.
It's not so difficult to do it yourself.
Best wires I've found are Taylor's. Get a universal fit set and cut to length, then crimp on the connector. A good crimper [and wires and plugs] would fit inside that $800 budget. Don't forget the champaigne, guys who help you with $800 wires will be non-plussed if you only offer beer. JK.
You didn't say if you have HEI or stock points. Most of the universal kits have terminals and boots for both included.
You need:
Wire set -- 7mm for points, or 8mm for HEI. [There's also 8.8mm and 9mm available, but I'm not launching a moonprobe, so I don't need that kinda stuff.]
Tube of silicon dielectric grease. Pre lube the booties -- easier to pull thru.
Plugs. What ever you like.
0Crimpers. Ratchetting type are pro grade. [I still use the mini-anvil Accel type -- you put the lower in a vise, and hold the upper in your fingers and tap it secure with a light hammer. Carefull with fingers. If I were new at it, I would get ratchetting crimpers. Easier to work with.]
Needle nose pliers.
Utility knife -- for stripping back insulation on wire leads.
Dykes -- for getting a clean cut on wires.

Spend the other 600 or 700 on caviar for breaktime.

HUGE HELP. Thank you so much. Do they sell the ratcheting crimpers at Home Depot/Lowe's? I was just thinking to myself, "I brought the truck in for a tuneup, and was preparing myself for $400 at the high end, unless they find something else wrong with it." Then, when I got quoted the $800, I thought to myself, "I just installed a front disc conversion. Plugs and wires probably won't be a problem."

I like the shop a lot. They've been around for 80+ years, their garage bays are filled with classics, and they do good work. And I know that they need to make a substantial profit in order to pay good wages. I'll take my truck there when I'm in over my head.

['68OrangeSunshine]

Originally Posted by ShortCST

HUGE HELP. Thank you so much. Do they sell the ratcheting crimpers at Home Depot/Lowe's? I was just thinking to myself, "I brought the truck in for a tuneup, and was preparing myself for $400 at the high end, unless they find something else wrong with it." Then, when I got quoted the $800, I thought to myself, "I just installed a front disc conversion. Plugs and wires probably won't be a problem."

I like the shop a lot. They've been around for 80+ years, their garage bays are filled with classics, and they do good work. And I know that they need to make a substantial profit in order to pay good wages. I'll take my truck there when I'm in over my head.

Home improvement stores won't have specialized automotive tools. Not even A-Z or ORAP seem to carry them. A Hot Rod Parts speed shop [what I call a ''Candy Store''] will carry them. Or go online to Jegs or Summit. The high end is the MSD ProCrimps #35351, There may be more economical crimpers than these $85 dollar ones, like a Jegs or Summit house brand, but they do have a stripper built-in, as well as a sparkplug wire terminal die as their initial jaw set. An electrical specialty shop may carry them too, but more likely set up for crimping cable connectors. You want the ratchetting kind. The terminal crimpers at the Depot may have a notch marked "Ignition Terminals" but don't trust these. They'll pull out the first time you pop a boot to extract a plug for a color check.
I use a shop for brakes, transmission, engine machine work, glass and differential work, but otherwise I tackle it myself -- usually with help from friends, either volunteers or bribed ringers. These trucks were made and designed to be simple to maintain with common tools. Unlike what is made now.
I edited my first post after you replied [but before you saw it] so you might go back and rewiew.

[Boog]

That quote basically says they really don't want to work on your truck. They priced it so high only a fool would let them do it.

[DT1]

Originally Posted by '68OrangeSunshine

For $800 bucks their other customers must be laundering money!
It's not so difficult to do it yourself.
Tri-Y headers are not very common these days, so you need to fit a custom loom anyway.
Best wires I've found are Taylor's. Get a universal fit set and cut to length, then crimp on the connector. A good crimper [and wires and plugs] would fit inside that $800 budget. Don't forget the champagne, guys who help you with $800 wires will be non-plussed if you only offer beer. JK.
You didn't say if you have HEI or stock points. Most of the universal kits have terminals and boots for both included.
You need:
*Wire set -- 7mm for points, or 8mm for HEI. [There's also 8.8mm and 9mm available, but I'm not launching a moonprobe, so I don't need that kinda stuff.]
*Tube of silicon dielectric grease. Pre lube the booties -- easier to pull thru.
*Plugs. What ever you like. This can be an endless debate around here on what's best. Stay away from platinum and multi-tip types, just gimmicks, and you can't clean 'em up with a small file like the copper tips. . .
*Crimpers. Ratchetting type are pro grade. [I still use the mini-anvil Accel type -- you put the lower jaw in a vise, and hold the upper in your fingers and tap it secure with a light hammer. Carefull with fingers. If I were new at it, I would just get ratchetting crimpers. Easier to work with.] Jegs has high end MSD crimpers for $84.22. Still inside your $800 budget. P/N121-35051.
*Needle nose pliers.
*Utility knife -- for stripping back insulation on wire leads.
*Dykes -- for getting a clean cut on wires.
*Tunes -- Good for morale and pace.
*Time -- Yours is not as expensive as Shop Time, which I'm guessing must be $125/hr. Take your own sweet time and be proud of your work.
Spend the other 600 or 700 on caviar for breaktime.

Spot on. The only thing I'll add is the ratcheting crimpers thing. I got the ACCEL 170036 Wire Crimp Tool from Amazon for $67.99. It's one of those things that you could go your whole life without but when you do finally get one, you'll wonder if you could ever live without it again (kind of like an air compressor). Also, with one of these and most other crimpers, they cut the perfect length and strip the wire cleanly (No need for utility knife and dykes).

[GR8-68]

I will sell you mine for 600

[camtoys1]

bring it to me in hb work from home

[Steeveedee]

Looks like camtoys1 has you covered. Plus, you get to BS with a fellow member while you wait!

I can do a complete points ignition tune up (plugs, points, condenser, cap and rotor, set dwell, timing and mixture if required) in less than an hour on my truck. Add an hour for wires.

['68OrangeSunshine]

Originally Posted by camtoys1

bring it to me in hb work from home

Here ya go, Short, your new drinking buddy, I mean wrenching buddy. Be sure to pop for champagne, unless he insists on beer.
Camtoys -- show the kid where the candy stores and goodie shops are. You got a lot of 'em down there, Brothers, Truck and Car, etc.

[68 Greenie]

$800 Dooolllllars? For plugs and Wires?

[KQQL IT]

Holy cow, that's the I'd rather not price.

While your there cap and rotor wouldn't hurt

[57taskforce]

Fwiw napa sells the wire, crimpers, and ends to do the job. They may have to order it all, but you should be able to have everything in a day or two.

[toolboxchev]

800 bucks really????

Here is what it did, buy a set of crimping pliers, 30 bucks. Then get these plug wires from any local auto parts retailer:

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/acc-5040y

If you can use the straight plug design its a go. This I believe is the longest set of wires they make, just cut accordingly!

[cypressbog]

I'm sitting here giggling over "$800 for plugs and wires".

[BossHogg69]

I'm using spark plug wires (LiveWires) on my '69 C10 (big block w/headers) and my '65 Bel Air (small block & ram horns) from www.performancedistributors.com. They are of very nice quality and are offered in many different lengths and boot styles to accommodate different headers/manifolds. I'm also using one of their DUI distributors on my bel air. Highly recommend.

You can do cap, rotor, plugs and wires and use the other $600 for other important stuff like beer.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by ShortCST

Just Quoted $800 For Plugs & Plug Wires

For that price they should at least take you to dinner first....

K

[bill3rail]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

For that price they should at least take you to dinner first....

K

And a reach around!

[Orange67]

You said you like that shop, and I respect your opinion. Even if they did price it that high just because they didn't want the work, it kind of ruins my trust. It would make me question how bad they had hosed me in the past, as well as the future if I was to ever go back. Jmho

[Grumpy old man]

Again ! OH MY GOD ! $800.00 ? I would have smacked the guy to bring him back to reality ! But you are in Orange county CA so you should expect to pay 5 times the actual cost ...

[saxart]

Originally Posted by Grumpy old man

Again ! OH MY GOD ! $800.00 ? I would have smacked the guy to bring him back to reality ! But you are in Orange county CA so you should expect to pay 5 times the actual cost ...

Whenever I see pricing like this on ANYTHING, whether it is automotive related, or not, my take away is just that the guy would rather not do that particular job, so he bid it really high. I've gotten bids on home improvement projects that were outrageous like this, only to learn that the contractor was booked out for many months and didn't really want to take on the project in the first place.

Maybe this shop makes more money on other jobs and doesn't like to do smaller jobs like this? Either way, don't be offended. Do the work yourself. You'll learn from it, and take more pride in your truck than having someone else work on it.

[Rufas]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

For that price they should at least take you to dinner first....

K

For $800 that should include a jar of Vaseline.

[Steeveedee]

Originally Posted by Rufas

For $800 that should include a jar of Vaseline.

55 gallon drum.

Man, this place needs a "like" button!

[biketopia]

I know they're 9.5mm but for the price...https://www.amazon.com/Degree-Spark-...g%2Bwires&th=1 I put a set on a SBC boat last year and they are still doing just fine, seemed like a fine wire set up.