I have to pay the mechanic today for this phase of work (96D1). This is what he did for me already:

-steering damper
-tie rods
-sway bar ball joints
-sway bar bushings
-drivetrain coupler
-steering box
-springs
-shocks
-engine gaskets (main)
-crank shaft gasket
-water pump
-brake pads
-radiator repair
-thermostat
-new rear drive-train (02D2)

He's far from an authorized LR mechanic. He's doing mixed work..some very good, some a bit ghetto. He'll do the right thing on future re-repairs if required. He took a 1 week process and turned it into 5.

What do you think I should pay him?

I asked this in the other forum but I thought I'd try here.

__________________
*******
SLANG

 

That is alot of work. Anyhow my rule of thumb if I use other mechanics besides myself is to pay them based off of the going rate. What I mean is what does a mechanic shop charge you per hour of work in your area. Divide that hourly charge in half and pay the man. If he used his own material, pay him for the materials used.

 

"pay the man"

i agree. i always try and find the fair price for both. this is a guy who I have done some pretty good favors for. he should make me a good price and I should feel good about paying it to have my Rover back running real nice. He said the lift and steering rebuilds make the truck feel aggressive. he knows how to butter me up.

 

Did he give you a price or was it open ended? That is a lot of work, you could be looking at quite a huge bill, I hope the truck is solid to put that much in it.

 

Like many things here, things go a little differently than the US. This is more of a friend than a "service provider." He rents my killer apartment and does his work in my garage and driveway. I charge him hundreds of dollars below market rent and helped him out when he needed a place to stay fast. I also give him lots of "beer."

He's very talented but makes mistakes as is his personality. Like putting my springs on in the wrong positions lifting the front of the truck after I gave him the video and explained where the springs go. There is a small language issue as well.

We bantered around about the pricing. More about the total cost of the job etc. so there is a range. He knows not to charge me too much as I prefaced it with it won't be worth doing if we don't do it smart and economically.

I think the half of going rate is a good model. Maybe less in this case. The problem is that even tho I told him to account for his hours, I'm sure he hasn't. It is in fact somewhat open ended and could be disastrous if I was doing this somewhere else. But I'll be okay.

I bet I get it all for under $1000.

Is the truck sound and worthy of all this investment. I think yes. Not in terms of resale but in terms of years of use and enjoyment. Despite sinking the cash right now and dealing with some bs, I'm really enjoying this process and I have learned so much about my truck.

I'm sure I would make a different decision if I was back in NYC.

Thanks for your comments.

 

I totally understand. It is really cool to have such a situation. I am sure it is much better than being in NYC.

Having a solid vehicle is really priceless, too bad more people don't enjoy that situation.

Happy Trails to You.

 

You need to agree on a price that both of you feel is fair. I have some friends that a fair price is the use of their boat...others get to bake me a cake...others have to pay my hourly rate(which also changes depending on who it is)

How many hours did he work on it? What would he be paid if he was in a shop?(not what would you pay the shop, but what would his pay be?) Try to meet in the middle somewhere. You could contact a shop and ask them how much they would charge to install that list of stuff for you. If you pay him too little, he will not be so anxious to help next time. If you pay him too much, he will expect that or more in the future and you will become unable to afford him just like any other shop. Also take into account his skill levels and education/experience.

 

It's usually better to work these things out in advance. Not really in this case. I asked him to account for hours but he is just not that type of person. The situation is good, not great for a few reasons. It should get better as I gain more control of the fixes. I paid him what he asked for after testing him a bit on how he got there..not wanting to push him.

$1300 (including the drivetrain on my D2). I'm fine with that.

 

By the way LR mechanics at the dealer here make $40K yearly. The dealer is a douche.

 

That's why I got out of dealerships and back to heavy equipment. Much more money to be made.

I have never paid someone to do repairs on a vehicle before, but I think $1300 is a fair deal.