08-20-2009, 10:33 AM
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Boston MA
Posts: 92
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I prefer not to post my bad experiences... Some of these guys may well be forum members.
What I can do is post the quotes I've been getting today:
Shop // two rear wheel Bearings price (parts and labor included) // front engine mount price (parts and labor included)
- Auto Engineering : // 1012 // 338
- Motorsport garage : // 904 // 577
- European Performance Engineering // 850 // 425
- Auto Sport Engineering // 1100 // 462
I am in the middle of changing jobs and houses... no time for DIY's... And my neighbor is on vacations. And I still need to work to make this extra $1K  And it's a pity not enjoying the very few summer days in Boston...
Still looking though :-)
Last edited by gstoli; 08-20-2009 at 10:37 AM.
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08-20-2009, 07:57 PM
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Alta Loma, CA
Posts: 1,334
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whoa.. A little info needed here:
Shops charge X amount on top of what they pay wholesale. Now.. there are a LOT of parts whores out there that operate on moving a lot of parts cheap with nearly NO margin (this is who you find online) The reason for the shop markup? It is their WARRANTY on the part. If the part you bring in FAILS.. YOU (the car owner) is going to EAT the second repair. If the part the shop installs FAIL then the SHOP eats it.
Pretty simple.
This why shops don't want you to bring in your own parts, it is to protect them and to protect you.
Now.. I'll read the rest of the post 
B
__________________
Engine Builds, Transmission Builds, Engine Conversions, Suspension Installs, Suspension Tuning, Driver Coaching, Data Acquisition, Video, SCCA/PCA/POC/NASA/GRAND AM/ALMS.
We have worked with amateur and professional drivers for over 26 years. In house machinist, In house fabrication. Our cars, our parts, our engines, our transmission's run nationwide at events every weekend. We work side by side with industry names developing parts.
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08-20-2009, 08:10 PM
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Alta Loma, CA
Posts: 1,334
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Quote:
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The mechanic/engineer charges about the same money without having spend half of his life studying. And then they overcharge you for parts etc... It makes you wonder why should someone study?
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Overhead. Plain and simple. You make a salary and somebody else pay's the rent/lights/insurance A shop in your area charging $100 an hour *might* clear $35-40 after expenses. I have a very large Excel sheet matrix that takes into account ALL the expenses of running a shop with and without employees, with and without workmans comp (which isn't needed if the owner is the only person running the show/wrenching)
Don't throw us under the bus so quickly
B
__________________
Engine Builds, Transmission Builds, Engine Conversions, Suspension Installs, Suspension Tuning, Driver Coaching, Data Acquisition, Video, SCCA/PCA/POC/NASA/GRAND AM/ALMS.
We have worked with amateur and professional drivers for over 26 years. In house machinist, In house fabrication. Our cars, our parts, our engines, our transmission's run nationwide at events every weekend. We work side by side with industry names developing parts.
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08-20-2009, 08:24 PM
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Alta Loma, CA
Posts: 1,334
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OK. Now onto the task at hand.
I do these at the track.. but I use the proper tool
and I use MAPP gas to heat the carrier prior to the install of the bearing and I freeze the bearing prior to install.
The rear is hard to do and requires quite a bit of physical labor that cannot be avoided.
The first thing I'd like to ask:
How are you going to break the axle nut loose? or torque it properly when you are done? (340lb ft!!!) Most "home users" do not have a $500 LONG torque wrench capable of torquing the nut properly. I'm willing to bet ANY Porsche shop you take the car too will have ONE of these large torque wrenches that is shared amongst their techs.
I'm not trying to discourage anyone from trying to do this at home.. but you need to be real about this. Some of the "markup" helps techs pay for the special tools that you are asking about here.. and pay for tools you are not asking about!!
B
__________________
Engine Builds, Transmission Builds, Engine Conversions, Suspension Installs, Suspension Tuning, Driver Coaching, Data Acquisition, Video, SCCA/PCA/POC/NASA/GRAND AM/ALMS.
We have worked with amateur and professional drivers for over 26 years. In house machinist, In house fabrication. Our cars, our parts, our engines, our transmission's run nationwide at events every weekend. We work side by side with industry names developing parts.
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08-20-2009, 08:40 PM
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2007
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 218
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Great posts Brad. I like the first hand knowledge you bring to these discussions.
Another thing I can add to the discussion of why the mechanic charges $100 per hour: I work on motorcycles all day (and I have a physics degree, for what that's worth), but it would be an extrordinary day if I billed out even 5 hours of labor. I'm at the shop about 10 hours a day. So even without overhead, I'm already down about 50%. We keep the overhead low by not having any employees (no workman's comp, etc.), but that also means no paid days off, no sick leave etc. So anyone whose salary is equivalent to $100 per hour, is probably making closer to $140 once benefits are accounted for.
If I wasn't doing all of my own wrenching, I would definitely try to develop a good relationship with a local indi mechanic. That way, when you have a problem, you just take it to them and get it sorted, and feel good about it. The time saved shopping around each time will be worth the investment in getting to know a shop you can trust.
__________________
2003 Boxster S
1995 Ferrari F355 Spider
San Francisco, CA
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08-20-2009, 08:45 PM
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Sacramento
Posts: 3,417
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Dude Brad it's GREAT to see you around here!
__________________
-99' Zenith Blue 5-spd...didn't agree with a center divider on the freeway
-01' S Orient Red Metallic 6-spd...money pit...sold to buy a house
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08-20-2009, 08:46 PM
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Alta Loma, CA
Posts: 1,334
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22 years of Porsche shop owning/running other shops/plus PRO crew support and chief'ing cars in ALMS and Grand-Am gives you a perspective for this stuff that most cannot fathom.
Sometimes that is good.. sometimes that is bad 
B
__________________
Engine Builds, Transmission Builds, Engine Conversions, Suspension Installs, Suspension Tuning, Driver Coaching, Data Acquisition, Video, SCCA/PCA/POC/NASA/GRAND AM/ALMS.
We have worked with amateur and professional drivers for over 26 years. In house machinist, In house fabrication. Our cars, our parts, our engines, our transmission's run nationwide at events every weekend. We work side by side with industry names developing parts.
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08-20-2009, 08:48 PM
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Alta Loma, CA
Posts: 1,334
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Quote:
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Dude Brad it's GREAT to see you around here!
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Been busy building Boxster''s and working on a LS1 conversion for Boxster's
B
__________________
Engine Builds, Transmission Builds, Engine Conversions, Suspension Installs, Suspension Tuning, Driver Coaching, Data Acquisition, Video, SCCA/PCA/POC/NASA/GRAND AM/ALMS.
We have worked with amateur and professional drivers for over 26 years. In house machinist, In house fabrication. Our cars, our parts, our engines, our transmission's run nationwide at events every weekend. We work side by side with industry names developing parts.
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