The last fuel filter we did on a 2nd Gen W126 was interesting. Someone had lost the rubber buffer and the screw for the clamp. The filter was just hanging there by the fuel lines. The customer balked at paying $8.00 for a good used buffer and screw. To keep him and the car happy I just took it off the bill, I'm not greedy but it's only fair to charge a little more in labor when these cars are 25 years old and all the rusty hardware and whatnot. Kroil is not cheap. That's why I add an extra .2 hrs on cases like the above mentioned. My guy could have said nothing and simply buttoned the car up, but we don't work that way. .2 hours is a small price to pay for doing the job right.

Sounds like the son in law is the one taking umbrage at what the shop charged because most people would never spend $1600 on a car that's worth $2500 on a good day. I'm sure that the owner didn't ask for an estimate becasue there was a level of trust. He probably didn't even sign the ro when the car was dropped off.

In reality, the op correctly thinks that this was too much money to spend on an old car that may not pass smog the next time simply due to age and wear and tear. The shop charged a fair amount, all you shadetree guys should quit your whining and moaning. Like I said before, the car is fixed, right???

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"I was a dirty bird, Carol's not grungey - she's *****in" John Milner....American Graffiti