LiQiCE

Was at Pohanka Acura today looking at RSX Type-S's with a friend of mine, so I decided to stop in to ask how much it would cost to install headers, springs, sways, and an icebox. The price I was quoted was outrageous! ... $980 for the install! The mechanic said it would take 1.5 Hours per spring, 1.5 hours for the sways, 1 hour per header (there's a front and rear header pipe) and about 1.5 hours for the icebox ...

Does this sound right to you or is his off the top of his head estimate really off?

Is there anywhere else I can take it that would cost less? I'm thinking about calling them back up and talking to Jerry Soriano since I heard he has been giving lower price quotes, but that still sounds crazy to me.

unbeknownst

Try calling Rick from Rosenthal Acura in Gaithersburg. I have had work done by him. His cell number is 301-524-2905. He is a mechanic there and does work part time on the side out of their shop. Just let him know Brian E. referred you off of this board.

mp3coupe

LiQiCE
Here are some labor times for most mods on our cars. Hope this helps you and others.....
If possible try and tell who ever is doing the job you're will to pay cash Most places will knock quite a bit off the bill --- no reported income
Labor Times

Darkshear

iTrader: (1)

Yah, dealers have set durations for stuff. A design though up years ago to ensure all techs were paid equally, to avoid commission wars. 1.5 or this, 1.5 for that, when a tech that knows what hes doing is .5 for that, .5 for this. I can rip the front bumper off, pull the resonator, yank the airbox and have a CAI in in a half hour. Its not that hard.

Dealer labor = BAAAAD
Dealer labor with benjamins in your hand = GOOOOD mp3coupe is right, offer cash, less $$$, but no reciept usually.

BlackTLS420

he must have been mistaken, because unless my math is off that works out to $90/hr. I came up with 11hrs of labor, just correct me if im wrong, its 130 in the am and im a little high.

Pure Adrenaline

iTrader: (2)

$89.09/hr at 11 total hours of labor. So you're right.

But what do you mean "he must have been mistaken"??

r10apple

That actually is quoting less hours than my dealer quoted on my install (which is good), but my dealer does Comptech install labor at $45 per hour...My header and spring install alone was quoted at 11 hours!!! Go figure...

BlueXTC

those quotes are normal... pretty good deal coming from a dealer/shop. suspension work alone takes lotta work, ppl expect spring swap to cost around 150 to 200 because some idiot kid who started imort aftermarket in CA long long time ago..only charged like 100 bucks for installations. but in reality spring swap should cost around 300 to 400 dollars.
some of the things i heard from
my friend who's a Honda mechanic and other friend owned a performance shop in va...

justint

LiQiCe- man, I used Pohanka also. With that price, I am hesitated to do any mods...

fsttyms1

header and springs in 11 hours? i change all 4 (springs)on mine in 2-2 1/2 hours, did a buddies maxima in under 3 and i know the header wouldnt take me 8 1/2 to 9 hours. i think they are over estimating job time a little

bug230

It shouldn't take more than 2.5-3hrs for the spring install

*cough* BS *cough* *cough*

DEALERS:rocketwho

LiQiCE

Thanks for all the help. The mechanic that gave me the quotes did it right off of the top of his head, so it wasn't by the book or anything ... Thats why I wanted to know if he was wrong or not. I'm going to have to call again and get a hard price quote ... I'm hoping its closer to $500 for the install and not $1000 though!
(~$500 is what I have budgeted for the install ... I know $160 is what people have been charged at Pohanka for a header install, which is already a lot cheaper than PAA was quoting for it).

mp3coupe

Technicians get paid flat rate(per job) not per hour. When i used to be a tech at a honda dealership I would work 30hrs a week and make on average 110hrs a week. We would get paid 5.5hrs for a t-belt and waterpump. I got so good and fast at it my best time was 37 minutes (90-93 accords) average time 45-50 minutes.
There were days i was making my 40hrs in one day. After working for a dealership and seeing what goes on... I would never work at another one again nor would i ever bring my car to one.
There is no one looking over a techs back so some techs take major shortcuts. The faster he can crank out a job (parts not being installed) the faster he can move to the next job. I've seen a lot of sh!t in my time. There was this one time a tech got caught not balancing tires, just hammering new weights to the out side of a rim. The customer got under the car and had a look around. The tech didn't get fired nor did he get yelled at... till this day I just shake my head.