Since he's in Switzerland, his "mechanic" has probably never worked on an old American car and is used to modern stuff where it might take 5 hours to do the job. Original Poster - some of these guys has given some great advice and even offered to talk you through it (thanks
@RedFish). Take them up on it and save yourself a bunch of money. Are you a member of an American car clubs there in Switzerland - another resource to take advantage of.