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pez · Joined: 04 May 2005 Posts: 68 Location: Hong Kong

I just been given a bill for US$205 to change the engine mounts.... that is for labour only !

What is the standard hrly rate in your part of the world?
How long would this Job take? I had a quick look under the car prior & seemed a straight forward job

I also have had the lower steering shaft - a rod with universal joints at both ends connecting the steering column to the steering rack.
This also looks straight forward - what would you expect to pay inclu. having the steering aligned after ?

cheers...
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CGT #330 - & she's all mine....

Ozzie · Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2005 11:40 am Post subject:

Mechanics here charge about $55 an hour.

The steering shaft replacement will not effect the alignment.
If he did this because he changed it - he ripped you off.
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Porsche 924 1984 (UK import) NA
Its AUTO and its BLACK
Montego Black on black/red
Engineer of Electro/Mechanical Systems Maintenance

timstar92404 · Joined: 22 Sep 2004 Posts: 2075 Location: richmond BC

my old mechanic charged 80 dollars an hour (canadian). I think thats what most mechanics charge but a porsche shop will probably charge a bit more maybe 100 dollars an hour?

so sounds like you got charged ro 2.5 hours labour. don't know how long it should take to replace motor mounts.
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78 924 sold.
85.5 944

endwrench · Joined: 07 Dec 2002 Posts: 1631 Location: Victor, Montana

My shop rate is $54 per hr.

Flat rate for mounts on an early 924 is 1.0 hours

Flat rate for 924S is 3.3 hours.

Todd

Khal · Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2005 1:52 pm Post subject:

My mechanic charges on a sliding scale, I think... easy jobs are cheap, hard ones cost double

He only charged AU$56.25/hr when he did the steering for me -listed 3hrs to replace the tie-rod assemblies and the steering shaft bearing.

And it was AU$37.50 for a wheel alignment on top of that.

Pretty reasonable, I thought.

Gotta watch 'em, though. I'm lucky to have a good mechanic. But I've had it happen where they go "Oh, a Porsche?! Well... that's gonna cost ya..."
I've learned you don't walk... you RUN away from those types.

Can't say whether US$205 is expensive or not. But that's over AU$260 or four-and-a-half hours labour here. But it might be a bit of a PITA to replace the engine mounts, I've never had to do it.
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'80 924 Turbo

Ozzie · Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2005 5:24 pm Post subject:

I'm about to do mine, the LH looks easy.
The RH looks a real PITA cos of heat shields and steering arm
_________________
Porsche 924 1984 (UK import) NA
Its AUTO and its BLACK
Montego Black on black/red
Engineer of Electro/Mechanical Systems Maintenance

Neil924 · Joined: 18 Mar 2003 Posts: 4225 Location: Canada

My mechanic charges $25 dollars an hour {BMW/ Mini, Audi, VW & Porsche mechanic}. But he doesn't always bill me for all of his time and he comes to the house to pick up and drop off the car. I have it pretty good, so I never complain about getting parts for the car car since he charges me cost. On a side note, I buy what ever he tells me to buy and I just biught an exhaust I didn't need, so it's not always rosey.

P.S. By the fall, there will be a Porsche dealership less than 5 kms from my house! Now I don't have to go online to get it up the a$$! Yay me!

P.P.S. I'll rag the cock of every Boxster they have on the lot to make up for the crazy prices I've been paying for parts.

Diesel · Joined: 03 Nov 2002 Posts: 1061 Location: Ellington,CT

Neil924 · Joined: 18 Mar 2003 Posts: 4225 Location: Canada

Smoothie · Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2005 7:43 am Post subject:

kaffine · Joined: 13 Jun 2003 Posts: 644 Location: Las Vegas

Shops around here are expensive apparently. Where I work it's $88 hour for trucks and $105 an hour for RV, when we had a mobil mechanic they only charged $65 an hour for him to come to you and they didn't charge travel (I could never figure that one out). When I worked at a Dodge dealer it was $78 and hour and I know it's gone up since I left. Only time I thought about taking the 924 to a shop was for a four wheel alignment it would have been $280 just for labor. It was cheaper for me to take the suspension and steering class at the college and do the alignment in class.
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80 924
80 931

The best desciption of an atom boils down to something unknown is doing we don't know what.
Sir Arthur Eddington

The Fife · Joined: 17 Mar 2004 Posts: 241 Location: San Antonio, Texas

Porsche - San Antonio charges $110/hour.

Neil924 · Joined: 18 Mar 2003 Posts: 4225 Location: Canada

Neil924 · Joined: 18 Mar 2003 Posts: 4225 Location: Canada

pez · Joined: 04 May 2005 Posts: 68 Location: Hong Kong

well I've got my car back

I'll do this in US$ so everyone knows how much we're talking.....

The mechanics hourly rate works out @ $32 per hr (which is very reasonable)

I had 3 items on the invoice for labour (i supplied thge parts)....

1) Engine mounts 2 - $205 (6.4 hrs!)

2) Replce lower stering rod & needle bearing - $230 (7.2hrs!)

3) Steering (rod) alignment - $115 (3.6hrs!)

Total:- $550

Now as far as I am concerned that was taking the piss. Everywhere I looked (forums, tech papers etc) everyone said the engine mounts was a 3hr job & I have a labour invoice in the history for the mounts 5yrs ago for $80...

The steering rod.. well I can't believe that it takes 7hrs to remove & replace & I'm not going into the whole alignment thing.....

Anyway after questioning with the garage owner, discussions with the mechanic, reference to what I had established re: wk req'd on the job from external sources I got them down to $385 - thats 12hrs !

& I still feel that is a tad punchy.....

The thing is the work these guys do is good, it is just a shame I had to go through all this shite !

...rant over

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CGT #330 - & she's all mine....