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Massive garage bill


Randy_Baton

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Blimey some of of us have work to do you know. I'm only aware of what's been going on here as a number of you have offered some solace via PM's.

 

 

As for the rest of you ....

 

 

**Tidied**

 

 

..... ;)

 

 

I'll post the bill up in a bit, then i'll leave the thread for you guys.

Edited by glrnet
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(That GIF was lighthearted) Can I charge for thread views, a little short of cash right now...

 

I'm not too bothered by the cost, I've got my car back now, it looks fine and doesn't have C**t written on the bonnet any more. Its just good to be able to drive and have people look at my car for the right reason (just don't start a topic on what a man could do with £2.5k).

 

There was a point further back where I thought I had been quoted 3.5k rather than 2.5k which is probably why it seems more okay to me now. I don't have any issue with the workmanship and a few other forum members will vouch for their work. I don't mind paying a bit extra for decent work and also using someone local. It saves the price of a fuel tank and a day wasted hanging around garages or rubbish town centres (Watford/Dudley I'm looking at you). The main problem I have is work carried out without my instruction.

 

And yes this is the first time I've had a service done to any car, its my first car and iv'e had it a year and no I'm not young, just levelling up.

 

IMG_2058_zps6f5ebc71.jpg

 

This is a tale of 3 parts

 

Part one

 

So I originally went in for the list below and had budgeted £700-£1K. I basically wanted everything changed that should have been changed in the last 10 years. I based my estimate on a days labour + ~£150 for oil + a bit of the unexpected + a bit of garages being garages

 

Service items

Engine oil filter and oil change (oil filter will be provided)

Brake fluid change

Spark plug change (spark plugs will be provided)

Aux belts change (both aux belts will be provided)

Gear box and dif oil change inc.

 

Additional work (all items provided)

New brake pads, all wheels - one of the brake had seized.

Fit new wheel arch liners both front wheels

Fit new radiator fan set (Non oem so needed rewiring)

Re-attach under tray + W brace cover

Investigate and fix rattling from back (this was the heat shield corroding, just needed bigger washers

extend wires that connect LED reflectors with side bulbs

 

I was quoted 5 hours for the service and an estimated 3-4 hours for the rest + parts.

 

The seized rear calliper was an unexpected find and the fan replacement not being a straight swap caused issues (probably not 3.5 hours of issues though). Excluding the fan issue which was solved by a post on this forum the service part came in okay.

 

This came into £1K , as above was more than I'd hoped but if the work was good so be it.

 

Part two

 

The brake issue occurred when the garage was about to take the car a out for a test drive. I was there at the time so could see the damage. I left them to investigate and they latter called back to say the pipes at the front were fine but the rear pipes would need replacing. However the work carried out was to replace all the brake lines, hoses and discs.

 

I had already planned to change the discs next year and I've not been overcharged for them, but would have liked to have been consulted so I could have chosen my own. I wasn't going to swap to uprated/braided hoses but would have done so if I'd I known they were being changed, the hoses have been replaced with standard ones.

 

I've seen my old parts and they are in a bad state (kind of knew this before the service), if it need to be replaced so be it but I've no idea if the cost is okay. The brake pipes have been completely replaced so have been routed from the front of the car to the back

 

This came into £1.1k and is the major issue here.

 

rusty bits....

 

IMG_2052_zps88d4149d.jpg

IMG_2050_zps62a5589c.jpg

IMG_2054_zpsaac96936.jpg

IMG_2053_zps02d7a593.jpg

 

 

Part 3

 

As some of you may know from my other thread a number of cars in my road were all keyed with rude words on the bonnet. I've been looking to get this fixed for a months now but the quotes I've been getting back have seemed ridiculous. The damage went from one side of the bonnet to the other so everyone has stated I'd need the bonnet and at least one wings resprayed. One of the wings had a spot of rust on it so I wanted that fixed anyway. I was also reversed into so wanted the bumper resprayed. I've been quoted close to a grand for all 4 panels by a number of places locally and £380 for the bonnet alone by a trader on here.

 

Lets revisit this picture.

 

IMG_1930_zpsbd92260d.jpg

 

 

The garage offered to do it at a reduced rate due to the extra cost incurred above. Usual rates would have been £780 but they did it for £420. It looks fine, the colour matches, any corrosion has been fixed and the whole front of the car fits together better than it did before.

 

So this looks to have saved me £350-£500.

 

Part 4

 

I know I said 3 parts but as an extra I had to cancel a days holiday because of this. I had a wedding to go to and usually do my driving in the day time to avoid the traffic, got the train after work instead. Its basically manic at work at the moment and I managed to make it look like I was working my day off to help out and got an extra ~£300 as a thank you.

 

So I'm classing the bill as 2.2K plus a trip to the Belgravia clinic.

Edited by Randy_Baton
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Just ouch....

You say you've saved some money on the spraying etc by shopping around, it's the exact same scenario with this service :lol:

 

So just to clarify - they never once said to you 'do you want us to change your discs as they are ****ed' or ' we're going to replace your discs'?

 

 

#teamtarmac

 

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Nope, the paint was arranged after the breaks had been done. Maybe they felt guilty?

 

No only conversation we had with regards to the issue that started with the breaks is that the "front looked fine, probably due to the heat of the engine drying out any moisture, but the lines at the back would need to be replaced"

Edited by Randy_Baton
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