Big bills...
Big bills...
Author
Discussion

clarkmagpie

Original Poster:

3,665 posts

218 months

Thursday 27th June 2013
quotequote all
Well I've just had a whopper!
4 years of just odds n sods and a few niggles.
Then...
4k :O

Looks like summer holiday is now camping in the lakes and then camping in Scotland!
Good excuse for some nice drives outsmile

ToneyCaroney

1,075 posts

207 months

Thursday 27th June 2013
quotequote all
Uhm, what happened!!

clarkmagpie

Original Poster:

3,665 posts

218 months

Thursday 27th June 2013
quotequote all
Running faults, suspension replaced, brakes sorted, battery, and various other little things.
Through the mot and no advisories so I'm pretty chuffed.
Can't wait to get it back.
Will try and use it a lot more often now.
They really don't like to be laid up do they!

Doc Toad

490 posts

173 months

Thursday 27th June 2013
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Tough luck Nick - but it'll be good to have another Griff along for runs out with the North Cumbria lot (hint hint) smile

PeteGriff

1,262 posts

180 months

Friday 28th June 2013
quotequote all
clarkmagpie said:
Running faults, suspension replaced, brakes sorted, battery, and various other little things.
Through the mot and no advisories so I'm pretty chuffed.
Can't wait to get it back.
Will try and use it a lot more often now.
They really don't like to be laid up do they!
Hi there, can you not do any of the work yourself to take some of the cost out? It is quite often the labour that ramp up the costs. Would not want you not having a holiday mate! Regards, Pete

TVR Beaver

2,874 posts

203 months

Friday 28th June 2013
quotequote all
Obscene! eek

To keep my car to the standards I require, I literaly could not afford to keep it if I could not do it myself. It's just rip-off time!!

I too have bills in my file from past owners totaling £3-4K?????... What on earth are they doing for this?....

Ludicrous confused

PeteGriff

1,262 posts

180 months

Friday 28th June 2013
quotequote all
TVR Beaver said:
Obscene! eek

To keep my car to the standards I require, I literaly could not afford to keep it if I could not do it myself. It's just rip-off time!!

I too have bills in my file from past owners totaling £3-4K?????... What on earth are they doing for this?....

Ludicrous confused
Well said TVR Beaver - clap

carsy

3,019 posts

188 months

Friday 28th June 2013
quotequote all
TVR Beaver said:
Obscene! eek

To keep my car to the standards I require, I literaly could not afford to keep it if I could not do it myself. It's just rip-off time!!

I too have bills in my file from past owners totaling £3-4K?????... What on earth are they doing for this?....

Ludicrous confused
Totally agree. Where an earth have they got that figure from. I'm affraid i too wouldnt be an owner if i couldnt do things myself. Anyway OP glad your car is now sorted, enjoy.

GlynMo

1,142 posts

272 months

Friday 28th June 2013
quotequote all
PeteGriff said:
TVR Beaver said:
Obscene! eek

To keep my car to the standards I require, I literaly could not afford to keep it if I could not do it myself. It's just rip-off time!!

I too have bills in my file from past owners totaling £3-4K?????... What on earth are they doing for this?....

Ludicrous confused
Well said TVR Beaver - clap
You seem to forget that some TVR owners don't have the skill, time, inclination, facilities, whatever, to maintain their own cars. What are they supposed to do? Not own one?! eek

ETA: 4k does sound an awful lot though.

Podie

46,647 posts

298 months

Friday 28th June 2013
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GlynMo said:
You seem to forget that some TVR owners don't have the skill, time, inclination, facilities, whatever, to maintain their own cars. What are they supposed to do? Not own one?! eek
Exactly.

We are time poor, so we pay someone to do the work for us. The alternative? Take the car off the road for the best part of the year and tinker at the rate that time allows.

leerdam23

606 posts

284 months

Friday 28th June 2013
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£4k, bloody hell, I've had a full chassis refurb for less!!

I hope that includes Nitrons, new wishbones, bushes, pads and discs..... and a full geo set up.

TVR Beaver

2,874 posts

203 months

Friday 28th June 2013
quotequote all
TBH. I'm not blaming the owners.. although I would never buy a car myself that I could not sort out as I can't imagine paying out these lumps of money on this type of work!. (that said I am from Yorkshire laugh )

so in answer to your question.. personal I would not buy one....

But on the flip side... garages have hourly rates to cover overheads / wages etc... and these small 'nothing type' jobs can take time to sort out and therefore cost a fortune!

I think as cars get older they split into two groups... The typically rougher cars where owners cannot do jobs (and can't afford others doing them).. and the better cars where they are kept up with either by owners spending loads on them, or doing it themselves...

It’s a shame to see the group ones (however these do offer purchasing oppertunaties wink )... the first of the group twos are going to get cained!.. and the second in group two are lucky as they can DIY... I guess 'Thats Life'

I do think TVR specialists milk the TVR / sports car bit quite a lot, charging what they can get away with over 'normal' garages etc.. let's face it, it's a very easy car to work on from a mechanics perspective.. nothing too difficult.. and it's got a Rover Engine and Borg Warner transmission.. so why they need to charge £85 per hour for simple servicing, god knows.....

It's just spending £4K and basicaly getting nothing for it!.. make me feel vomit

Edited by TVR Beaver on Friday 28th June 12:05

Toady1

1,622 posts

247 months

Friday 28th June 2013
quotequote all
TVR Beaver said:
Obscene! eek

What on earth are they doing for this?....

Ludicrous confused
Calling themselves 'specialists' and pulling peoples pants down mainly!! wink

Podie

46,647 posts

298 months

Friday 28th June 2013
quotequote all
Toady1 said:
Calling themselves 'specialists' and pulling peoples pants down mainly!! wink
Still, it makes a nice change from the number of people who come on to this forum and say they have received "great service" based purely on the price they paid...

PeteGriff

1,262 posts

180 months

Friday 28th June 2013
quotequote all
I am very fortunate in having the space, skills/experience and tools for most work on my Griff. Where not, like when my diff needed rebuilding, I took it off, sent it away to a recommended specialist and refitted it. All I paid was the £350 rebuild plus £30 for new bushes. I remember, just for reference, getting a localish specialist at Stanstead to quote; they stated about £900 for the rebuild plus the labour to remove and replace! When talking to the guy that done my rebuild he also does the rebuilds for them! So there you start to see how sometimes job costs can escalate with what is essentially a severe mark up!

Basic servicing can be tackled, with care and attention and a good session of prior reading of the Steve Heath book and very worthy - RV8 Resource (Google this one).

I fettle and check my Griff on an ongoing basis (part of the pleasure of ownership for me). Then during the Winter months take it off the road for about three months (sorry guys, I do not want to take it out in the snow, ice and salted road conditions). During this time I carry out and work planned/budgeted for, servicing, repairs etc.

Also, I have an account where I regularly put spare cash which is solely for my cars, so there is a buffer for any job that comes along or just plain servicing parts.

Well that's enough of me rambling, all the best, Pete

Podie

46,647 posts

298 months

Friday 28th June 2013
quotequote all
PeteGriff said:
I am very fortunate in having the space, skills/experience and tools for most work on my Griff. Where not, like when my diff needed rebuilding, I took it off, sent it away to a recommended specialist and refitted it. All I paid was the £350 rebuild plus £30 for new bushes. I remember, just for reference, getting a localish specialist at Stanstead to quote; they stated about £900 for the rebuild plus the labour to remove and replace! When talking to the guy that done my rebuild he also does the rebuilds for them! So there you start to see how sometimes job costs can escalate with what is essentially a severe mark up!
Don't forget some places will consider storage as it effectively stops them having another car in for work.

m4tti

5,486 posts

178 months

Friday 28th June 2013
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Thats a pretty shocking bill... thats Ferrari level billing. Can you tell us what they were charging per an hour.

Podie

46,647 posts

298 months

Friday 28th June 2013
quotequote all
A lot depends what "suspension replaced" actually means.

A complete set of wishbones from Clever Trevor is about a grand - and that's before any labour or dampers.

It depends entirely on what work was done, so making a judgement without the full details serves no useful purpose.


clarkmagpie

Original Poster:

3,665 posts

218 months

Friday 28th June 2013
quotequote all
I will scan the bill and put it up when I get it.
Rough prices in no detail...
£1,500 labour
£1,700 parts

I trust the guys working on it so I really wouldn't expect my pants to have been pulled down.

I know a fair chunk when on getting it running right.
Was running by rich, rust getting dragged through into the air flow meter due to a previous owners rerouting of the air filter by all accounts.
New set of Nitrons fitted
Brake master cylinder fitted
Geo carried out
To be honest, I've lost track a little of what's been done.
The main objective was getting it running and then getting through MOT.
Things like suspension and brakes dropping bks were just darn unlucky but now they have been done then shouldn't need replacing for a long time.

I'm mechanically inept and have neither the time or the space to do anything.
Plus after a few garages that I thought were looking after my best interests, proved to be not, I'm left with HHC that I know will do the job even though its a bit more tha an indie,

Was a bit shocked at how the costs spiralled but once it got expensive the was no point in not getting minor things done as well.

It has been put to one side in the last 2 years and regretfully with one thing and another just not used.

ToneyCaroney

1,075 posts

207 months

Friday 28th June 2013
quotequote all
OP pays someone to do something he doesn't want to do himself, shocker!

Anyway, £4k over 4 years (even in addition to normal servicing costs etc). Well worth it to not have to spanner it yourself if you are not so inclined (and I'm not either, OP).