[jaybaum96]

So the lady that I'm selling my drivetrain to for $450 asked me if I could also install them for her. Her 96 grand prix needs the trans and her sons monte ls needs the motor. So that means I'd be working on two cars doing 2 pretty big jobs. I'm not the kind of person who likes to rip people off, not to mention she and her son are in need of it. If you were in this position would you turn it down or would you take the offer to do it? If I were to do this, what do you think I should charge her? Let me know what you think.

[NiftyMonte]

well most shops charge between 65 to 85 bucks per hour labor (around here in minnesota, our shop charges 65/hour) so maybe keep that in mind. are they just people you know or are they friends? i've never done either so i don't know how long they would each take but i'm sure someone will chime in.

[KevinGTP]

Do it for parts + half what the shop charges for labor.

[me6894]

300 each and have fun swapping a trans on the ground.

[ChibiBlackSheep]

Are they close to you?

Will they demand you to do additional work if they aren't satisfied? Or if something is wrong??

Sometimes it isn't worth the hassle to do a favor

[Manitcor]

This is known as R&R (Remove and Replace) and for your average FWD engine and trans it will run you about $900 for parts and labor (it's mostly labor)

keep in mind that if the engine and trans put into the car have issues that need troubleshooting then it can likely be higher.


And honestly, unless you know this person and they happen to be a car person who would understand what they are asking for then it's cool. If this is just joe schmoe "I want a cheap engine" then steer clear of the install work.

[jaybaum96]

Yeah i really wanna do it for the money, but i dont wanna be liable if anything else were to happen.

[ChibiBlackSheep]

I would honestly just steer clear, could be way more headache than you want.

[Manitcor]

jaybaum96, on 30 July 2010 - 12:55 PM, said:

Yeah i really wanna do it for the money, but i dont wanna be liable if anything else were to happen.

yeah, sell her the engine, make sure it is understood this is AS-IS no warranty is expressed or implied.

If you want to be helpful and you know a shop you trust that can do the work you can refer her to them.

[me6894]

Like everyone else said, I would definitely steer clear if they're just looking for the cheapest solution. And not to knock down your skills, but have you ever swapped an engine and transmisison before? If not, someone else's car is not what you want to learn on.

[jaybaum96]

me6894, on 30 July 2010 - 01:53 PM, said:

Like everyone else said, I would definitely steer clear if they're just looking for the cheapest solution. And not to knock down your skills, but have you ever swapped an engine and transmisison before? If not, someone else's car is not what you want to learn on.

Yes i have swapped an engine and tranny before into multiple cars (2 trucks, a handful of hondas , a ford explorer, and an older gto, just not on a w-body . Im in the process of doing it now to mine. All i have to do yet is pull off the front suspension/steering and axles, then unbolt the dogbones and lower motor mount and its out!

I sent her an email saying "im sorry but i dont wanna be liable". I am going to give her a few numbers for home mechanics i know.