Just Quoted $800 For Plugs & Plug Wires

[special-K]

If someone told me $800 to replace plug wires and plugs I think they'd be laid out of the floor before I knew what I did. Did he have a gun on you? I'd take that quote as attempted robbery. I'd be thinking twice about how much business I'd do in the future. Are you sure you haven't been ripped off in the past by them? I find the shops that charge the higher amounts do the crappiest work. I just changed my plugs and wires. Took about an hour and parts were under $100...using Taylor 8mm wires. I have Hedman Torq-Steps and run the wires up. I ask for '75 Vette wires because they were run over the valve covers and had HEI.

[TCLARK]

Give us a sample of the other work he has done for you..

[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.

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

That's only $650 an hour, on the assumption the wires and plugs are VERY GOOD. Like others said, they don't want to do it. More than that, it was their clue it's a simple task you can do yourself. They'd have been more forthcoming to have just said so.

[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).

[ShortCST]

Thanks for all of the pep talks, guys. 👍🏻

I ended up ordering:

Taylor Universal-Fit 9mm FirePower Ignition Wire Sets 92051,

MSD Pro-Crimp Tool II 35051,

and (2) MSD Iridium Spark Plugs 37204

from Summit. Arriving on Wednesday.

I'm an HVAC contractor with over 20 yrs exp. I'm good with my hands, and a problem solver. If I can't figure this out...

[special-K]

I don't think this was a case of a guy pricing high because he didn't want the job. Why wouldn't he? It's a gravy job and a real money maker at 1/4 that price. I'm a contractor and if I'm plenty busy I bit higher, or at least with great confidence. But, if I'm too busy to do the job, money has nothing to do with it. I just tell people I'm too busy right now, either wait for me or find someone else. I often still get their work later by being honest.

You'll be back here showing pictures of a job better than Million Dollar Mechanic would have done talking about how easy it was...and how good you feel about the job you did.

[ShortCST]

Originally Posted by special-K

You'll be back here showing pictures of a job better than Million Dollar Mechanic would have done talking about how easy it was...and how good you feel about the job you did.

I think you're right, Tim. Thanks for the encouragement.

FWIW, the shop gave me a rough estimate of $800 for the labor on a rear end gear swap, and $1000 for the labor on a T350 to 2004R conversion.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[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!

[Grumpy old man]

Originally Posted by ShortCST

I think you're right, Tim. Thanks for the encouragement.

FWIW, the shop gave me a rough estimate of $800 for the labor on a rear end gear swap, and $1000 for the labor on a T350 to 2004R conversion.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Time to find another shop , Or learn how to walk funny after using them.

[ShortCST]

Originally Posted by Grumpy old man

Time to find another shop , Or learn how to walk funny after using them.

I actually didn't think that the estimate for the transmission swap was excessive, and figured the labor on the rear gear swap was about par for course in Southern California. If I'm wrong, and a reputable shop will do those jobs (well) for less than that, I'll be a happy man.

[special-K]

These other prices don't seem out of this world like the plug wires, considering your location. They must have just gotten done a plug wire job on some exotic that required removing half the engine compartment after quoting a couple hundred dollars.

[ShortCST]

Originally Posted by special-K

These other prices don't seem out of this world like the plug wires, considering your location. They must have just gotten done a plug wire job on some exotic that required removing half the engine compartment after quoting a couple hundred dollars.

That really is what I was thinking. But they've been working on American classics for well over half a century, so it's still a head scratcher. I wonder if they just rely on the mechanics to quote the jobs, and I ended up with the youngest guy.

[davepl]

Originally Posted by ShortCST

I actually didn't think that the estimate for the transmission swap was excessive, and figured the labor on the rear gear swap was about par for course in Southern California. If I'm wrong, and a reputable shop will do those jobs (well) for less than that, I'll be a happy man.

Depends on their labor rate. But assuming $85 or so, that's a lot of hours to remove a TH-350 and replace it with a 200-4R, since it's a bolt-in, is the same length, and uses the same crossmember.

It takes about me about an hour to R&R a transmission on a lift with a trans jack, and I'm slow. That leaves about 10 hours to hook up the TV cable.

If they're being very diligent, they'd pull the pan and check the plunger depth on their final TV setting, but there's really not much else to that swap.

[ShortCST]

Originally Posted by davepl

Depends on their labor rate. But assuming $85 or so, that's a lot of hours to remove a TH-350 and replace it with a 200-4R, since it's a bolt-in, is the same length, and uses the same crossmember.

It takes about me about an hour to R&R a transmission on a lift with a trans jack, and I'm slow. That leaves about 10 hours to hook up the TV cable.

If they're being very diligent, they'd pull the pan and check the plunger depth on their final TV setting, but there's really not much else to that swap.

Well, if you were my neighbor, I'd already have it done!

[jeffahart]

It has nothing to do with Orange County. The guy is just a rip... Period. Go elsewhere. He said $800 ... Translation.... "Go away, we don't need your business!"

[FleetsidePaul]

Photobucket Auto repair?

[special-K]

I think the person who gave the quote saw that cash '68 and the numbers started rolling in his head like a slot machine

I don't know how the shop is set up. If they have a service writer or any one of the wrenches that can stops to help or the bosses son just got started and doesn't know poop from Shinola. I wouldn't write them off if you've been satisfied up till this and you know no other place better. Just see what they quote next time and go from there. If they recognize you as a repeat customer, they may recall they the job they lost due to a high quote. Often, a place gets to be known as the shop to take the old stuff to get treated right and they feel they can charge a premium. If that's the case, maybe there is some place better. Ask around before you need something else. The fact is, this old stuff is easier to work on than what most mechanics see everyday, so really should cost less to have worked on. I didn't get into mechanics because I hate working on newer stuff. If I could only work on old stuff I'm ready for work! I'd think it would be a pleasant break for a wrench to have an oldie in their bay.

[CountofMonteCarlo84]

This brings up something I think we should have... A sticky for shop estimates to get advice on whether we are getting ripped off if we are not doing all of the work ourselves. While I would love to do all the work, I barely have a moment to breathe, even on the weekends so many times I have to have someone else do the work if it is ever going to get done or is urgent to keep the vehicle on the road.

[ShortCST]

Sound advice as always Tim.👍🏻

[ShortCST]

Sound advice as always Tim.👍🏻