Over $6000 to install TTI headers on 66 Barracuda

cudajames said
Thank you Captain Kirk.

Here is an update, I meet with the mechanic and he will be working with me on the price and getting the car in running condition again. I told him that the car would be towed out and we would go from there.

Earlier I spoke with the Bureau of Automotive repair, just basically stated there really isn't anything they can do.

I could get the car, but the mechanic could take me to court. In this case with out a signed contract, they would have fined him and looked for other issues, basically giving him a hard time. Also without a signed contract, he could not but a lean on the car.

Not a perfect end, but something of a resolution. We will see how it works out

Verbal agreements are binding, so even if you verbally agreed to a $1k job he is responsible for that. Now, without a written contract it's basically your word against his should it go to any kind of court, unless there are other witnesses. Given the situation though, I think you would be in a better spot than the mechanic should it end up in small claims court.

Sounds like the best bet is for you to come to an agreement with the mechanic. But I wouldn't forget that the BAR can fine him, and that taking him to small claims court over the contract would be a significant burden to him, even if it's a burden on you as well. Maybe not having an estimate in writing isn't a big fine, but the hassle of dealing with the BAR is a fine in itself.

Personally, I wouldn't pay a cent more than what was originally agreed to. The mechanic should have contacted you immediately when it looked like things were going to go outside of the original agreement. When he didn't do that, he was taking the risk that he was working for free, and he should know that. If he has issues with that, I would get a lawyer to write him a letter as suggested earlier. A formal complaint filed with the BAR and the possibility of court action should be more than enough leverage to hold him to the original agreement. While it may not sound like much, the BAR can make the mechanic's life more than difficult enough even without large fines. Just having them show up at your shop is a PITA, let alone if they do any kind of investigation. And that will be on record for his shop as well, so its not good for the reputation of his business (if he cares). You can also always go to the local news station, a lot of them have do their own consumer investigation stories. An auto shop trying to rip someone off is a bread-and-butter story, they'd jump on that in a heart beat, especially considering the amount of money in this case.