mechanics are jokes

[nho93accord]

never go to the dealership, they rip you off. try to get some ppl you know or local mechanics

[prNonVtec4u]

this here IS the reason you need certain posts to be able to post on the regular forums

do ya'll realize how STUPID it is to argue on the internet? the more done, the DUMBER you make YOURSELF look... why don't ya'll just give each other ya'll phone #s and take care of it somewhere else instead of ruining forum space?

[Fake Thug]

the joke is making your s/n the name of a rapper thats soft as shit... even worse is you aren't from NY. get a fucking life.

LOL...Lame as shit is more like it. Still better than cam though...haha

OP Anytime someone knows something you dont, you are at their mercy. Which is why knowledge is power. Also why I hate doctors.Bitch about pricing for that knowledge , fail. Get the knowledge and fix it yourself........end thread

[F20A CB7]

Go there he can help. Eddies Garage

[theAcorn]

This is why I love that my boyfriend does all the work on my car for f-r-e-e!

I didn't read this whole thread, but I think your best bet is finding someone who knows their stuff and trying to get them to cut you a deal. And I certainly wouldn't go to Pep Boys. Just my opinion.

[arcadiacb7]

Hey I'm a mechanic, and i'm no joke. I always make sure i do a good job to make sure i keep my job and make sure the customer is safe and problem free. But when all is said and done I would make a measly $75 on that job.

So before you go and say mechanics are a joke why don't you say garages are a joke. And as almost anyone would probably agree, "If you don't want to pay the high prices do it yourself, and if you don't have the means to do it then suck it up and spend the money."

Its not the mechanic, Its the garage.

[prNonVtec4u]

Hey I'm a mechanic, and i'm no joke. I always make sure i do a good job to make sure i keep my job and make sure the customer is safe and problem free. But when all is said and done I would make a measly $75 on that job.

So before you go and say mechanics are a joke why don't you say garages are a joke. And as almost anyone would probably agree, "If you don't want to pay the high prices do it yourself, and if you don't have the means to do it then suck it up and spend the money."

Its not the mechanic, Its the garage.

VERY well AGREED

[oranger]

Amen brother...

Dealers may be more expensive but they guarantee that your car will be in good condition.

I have experienced many negatives on other local shops and keep bringing it back to them due to work not being done properly.

Lets go easy on the indie shop bashing. I work for an independent shop. We do high quality work, many of our customers are millionaires. Needless to say, they don't need to put up with BS work. A lot of our customers don't have that much money. But we charge about 850 for a timing belt on our engine. The thing that people who are bashing in here are missing is that when you buy a timing belt job from a mechanic ANYWHERE he or his business is paying for tools, a building, other employees, supplies that you aren't billed for (cleanin agents, etc), paper. This is all known as overhead costs. The costs of running a business. AND the poor guys also has to try and make enough money to feed his ass.

And dealers aren't not all great. I have personally cleaned up more screwed up crap because the dealer didn't take the time to fix a problem. It's incredbile. There are independent shops out there just as good as or better than the dealer. Many of our customers come here saying they will never return to the dealer again because our service was much better. Indeed, our shop was rating the sevnth best shop in Washington state buy consumers. So I have a little credibilty on this issue.

To rebuttle myself however, I also can completely agree that many independent shops can be ripoffs, AND it's unreasonable for a shop to charge too much if their quality and reputation don't stand behind it. Pep boys repuatation (From what I hear does't stand behind a 600-700 timing belt) that sounds like a ripoff. I agree a dealership does guarantee that you won't get your money jacked, but quality isn't always perfect there either.

And on another note, people make mistakes. If you get work done at a mechanic and something breaks or isn't as it should be. Sometimes its just an HONEST DAMN MISTAKE!!! I get so many customers coming in here all high on their horses ready to sue my ass, and its just a little mistake. There is a need for forgiveness with people. You probably would have made the same damn mistake. Anyone ever hear of humiilty?

Also, anyone is free to disagree with my ass, but I'm trying to help everyone understand that not ALL independent shops are out to rape you and your cars. Some of us actually do good work. Please treat us as such.

And another note: if you are on here bitching about independent shops, but you go to "Joes Auto Garage" and its a one-man show and Joe is half-drunk, don't be surprise if your car is screwed up. It's easy to say independent shops suck, but are you setuping yourself up for failure by going to a sucky independent shop? Take some damn personal responsibilty too! Don't blame the mechanic if youre the retard for taking your car to his shop. Do some damn research figure out who a good mechanic is. It's just like on this forum, there is tons of good information on the web, you just have to SEARCH!!!!

Alright I'm done ranting I just can't stand to listen to people bitch about Indie mechanics!

[Dom]

ill do it parts and labor for $200

[93cbh23]

well just for comparison purposes, i got a timing belt kit which included everything including balance shaft belts, tensioners and seals along with a water pump and accessory belts for the powersteering and altermator all for around 180 bucks w/ tax. That's just parts. They weren't OEM parts, but some Conti-belt kit, and Goodyear gatorback accessory belts. I paid this mechanic guy i know 120 for the job, so out the door two hours later it cost me 300. So i would HIGHLY suggest asking your friends for good quality mechanics they know. 900 is pretty pricey even including labor and parts.

we shall be looking for post in a few months titled" shit my shit broke, shouldn't have used cheap crap and had an idiot lookin for beer money fix it"

[blizzard335]

jimjonez, PM F20A CB7. He can help you out.

The bashing stops here.

[deevergote]

mayberry, jimjonez, alifeva, 3 days each. What your name is, where you're from, and what you drive has very little to do with the topic of this thread.


The fact of the matter is, mechanics are people. People are all different. If you want to generalize, go elsewhere. WHERE you go can certainly determine the level of service you get (Pep Boys might have a significant lack of quality compared to an owner-operated shop or a brand-focused dealer) However, that's not always true.

"mechanics" aren't bad, cheap, stupid, or greedy. Some mechanics may be. Others may not be. It's an idiotic generalization just as ridiculous as any racial assumption.


If you want it done right, learn how to do it yourself, or learn how it SHOULD be done so you can inspect the work of another. If you aren't willing to do that, then you have to trust someone else.

When you go to a mechanic to have a $50 part installed, and it takes 4 hours to install, you're looking at a $300 job AT LEAST. The mechanic needs to get paid. If the mechanic isn't the owner, the owner needs to get paid. The owner needs to pay the rent for the shop. The part costs money, and there may be a markup (which isn't unfair, unless it's a significant markup). Shipping, retrieving, or having the part locally delivered takes money (you don't think the shop around the corner has every part you need in stock, do you?). To do the work PROPERLY, a mechanic can't halfass something. If your valvecover comes off, a good mechanic will replace the gasket... and charge you. You don't take shortcuts when you work on someone else's car... not when that someone else can sue you if something goes wrong.

So, $45-$65/hr labor, costs associated with the part you need, costs associated with parts that need to be replaced (gaskets, fluids, etc... some will be assumed in the estimate, some may be unexpected and require your permission).

Jokes? No.
As I said, if you want to save money, do it yourself. If you want it done right, do it yourself. If you want it done halfassed, do it yourself. If you want someone experienced, who knows exactly what they're doing with your car... go to a mechanic, and make sure he knows what he's doing. There are "jokes" out there, but that certainly doesn't apply to all, or even most, of them.