Quote:
Originally Posted by Stretch
Where I live it is getting harder and harder to get jobs done on a per hour rate - they have learnt to do a per job rate which when you backwards calculate it it seems like they are lawyers not tradesmen!
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Thank you for giving me the opportunity to clarify my earlier remarks, congressman
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That is very much the case here as well -- I just did the backwards math to relate it to hours.
Frankly it is becoming difficult to find 'ordinary' shops willing to do anything on these cars. Mostly one is stuck with the shops that are trying to position themselves as 'upscale' (that is, an somewhat economical alternative to the dealer for newer European marques once they go off warranty, but in Sillyville in terms of cost for a w123).
Also, even minor challenges during the install will quickly be added to the bill. When I had the motor replaced in my '83 SD the final bill was $1,600, which I argued down to about $200 less. The initial estimate had been $875.
And when I got the car back -- which they claimed to have road-tested -- the throttle linkage was so messed up the car wouldn't accelerate at all, it was so bad I thought the parking brake was sticking. It would barely get out of its own way. I had to regig the setup from memory in their parking lot in 0 deg C weather.