I have a guy that wants me to give him a quote on restoring his front & rear suspension & steering parts. Clean & paint rear, leaf springs,drive shaft, steering box, all front steering & suspension parts. Also replace all bushings, ball joints ect. All new front & rear brakes, shoes, wheel cylinders. Also front bearings. Pinion seal & axle seals. Ill be doing every thing but the lower control arms. Not sure what to quote him.
SUSPENSION/STEERING RESTORE QUOTE
- Thread starter cawley
- Start date
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Way too many uncontrolled variables - how rusted up is the stuff that is in place, what happens if you find stuff beyond a simple replacement of parts? This sounds like a parts plus labor at an agreed on rate deal...
nothing is to bad he said just to wire brush things or sand blast them i figured the hardest thing will be the upper control bushings since i dont have a press any more.
Lord Sparky
Well-Known Member
Correct answer. Add up the necessary parts, more will be needed as you proceed. A hot rod shop shop can charge $100-120/hr.
Well I'm currently at 300 hours and everything is still off the car if that helps you out, and it ain't my first rodeo...
Also there is no point in rebuilding the front suspension and not doing the LCA pivot shaft bushings. They are usually rotten and the main reason your front end alignment is wacked.
Also there is no point in rebuilding the front suspension and not doing the LCA pivot shaft bushings. They are usually rotten and the main reason your front end alignment is wacked.
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Every thing he wants me to do i have done. Several cars. Just friends & family. The lower control arms are already done & on the car. This guy is to busy to do it him self. Wants to hire me for the job. He will install every thing back on the car him self.
Guess it depends if he wants the perfume job or the full monty. Like I said, I'm just shy of 300 hours. K frame/engine ready to go back in and still have to clean inside the rear housing and put axles/pumpkin back together before I drop the body back onto everything.
mopardude318
Well-Known Member
I did mine in a couple weekends. Quick blast job and rattle can I’d charge a grand, maybe 1500.
jonn6464
1970 Duster
Add up the cost of parts, add 20% for variables. Grab a piece of paper and figure out how many hours you'll need to complete each piece, add %20 for cushion, and multiply hours @ $80/hr.
Present the quote and if he says yes, do the work. When you come in under budget (due to your %20 adders, and the $70/hr shop rate that you feel is fair), you get to be the bearer of good news when you tell him it's actually less than what you quoted. Client will be thrilled, you'll have a new buddy, and he'll spread your good name to anyone that'll listen. If you'd like to get into this line of work (maybe as a side hustle), that kind of positive "word of mouth" advertising is worth it's weight in gold.
Just my opinion, of course.
Present the quote and if he says yes, do the work. When you come in under budget (due to your %20 adders, and the $70/hr shop rate that you feel is fair), you get to be the bearer of good news when you tell him it's actually less than what you quoted. Client will be thrilled, you'll have a new buddy, and he'll spread your good name to anyone that'll listen. If you'd like to get into this line of work (maybe as a side hustle), that kind of positive "word of mouth" advertising is worth it's weight in gold.
Just my opinion, of course.
$80 an hour sounds more than fair. By the time you factor in shop overhead, employee benefits, worker compensation and income tax, it doesn't leave much in the pocket.
jonn6464
1970 Duster
I think this is a side gig for the OP, working out of his home. So, those costs may not be relevant for him. I could be wrong.
383Scampman
Well-Known Member
300 hours @ $10.00 is $3,000.00 . Just an example ,n ot saying anyone should work for that , but....
383Scampman
Well-Known Member
Best idea I've heard about pricing for friends in a long time . don't lose ariend over the project .
Good luck, I sure hope it goes like you think it will. I really hope you have exactly what is expected of you in writing and it doesn't expand into the extra work I've done to mine, that expanded only slightly from what you stated he wants done. I looked at my actual hours work log again today and was in error above, I'm only at 240 hours (but still need to put the K frame and rear axle assembly back in the car). Based on that, and your quote, I haven't worked for less than 10 bucks an hour since 1981. I'd be at about 10x your quote right now with materials if I was charging a customer.
Im not installing everything back on the car. I am blasting,cleaning, painting, rebuilding front & rear chassis parts & steering parts. Parts wise the biggest expense is going to be the lower ball joints. They are expensive. $45 & $156 The hardest things are going to be the upper A arm bushings & ball joints. They can be a bear. Just might have to use my cousins press for the bushings. Ill post some pictures.
67autocross
A new iron curtain drawn across the 49th parallel
My brother has a welding shop and no rate posted...he says he charges what he wants. Last week he spent 2 days welding a piece for an industrial client and charged them $5000...he also spent 2 days welding on a Toyota pickup that some kid who lives on his street just bought and charged $450...he said in both cases his customers were happy.
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