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| 03:47 AM | ||
| Users Online Now: 990 (Who's On?) | Visitors Today: 171,406 | |
| Pageviews Today: 287,772 | Threads Today: 91 | Posts Today: 1,831 |
| 03:47 AM | ||
So I talked to a muffler shop owner yesterday while my car was on the lift | |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 77487197  Netherlands05/05/2021 03:18 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | The minute they get a cheap car for repair. The first tool they grab is an old hammer. Straight into the engine compartment. Tapping here , pushing there. Im amazed when they sell those cars  |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 67904014  United States05/05/2021 03:22 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Most muffler and brake specialty shops are clip joints, especially the chain named after a Greek King. The last time I set foot in one was 25 years ago, to get a quote on having them replace all four rotors and pads on my daily driver sedan with disc brakes. Keep in mind this is 1996 when I tell you the quoted price was $1,400. I managed to keep my poker face when I asked for it in writing. Even though I was working 60 to 80 hours per week back then, I made the time to buy the parts and do it myself. Two hours later I completed the job in my driveway for $150 in parts. I kept that quote in my auto repair file at home for nearly 20 years, as a reminder to never let myself be screwed by the "Greek King." Quoting: Anonymous Coward 75364881 So you installed some $25 brake rotors? and 25$ pads on the car? I bet they were high quality. good rotors will cost you 80 a pair for a medium sized car that has a high production number, and these will be manufactured by a respectable company with a one year - lifetime warranty. You're getting ripped off if you pay more than 25-35 for a set of pads. The 90 dollar ones wear out just as fast as the 30 dollar ones and most people dont need brakes rated for formula one racing What kind of car was it? |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 75364881 United States05/05/2021 03:23 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | ... Quoting: Anonymous Coward 79094956 Yea so you pay what 3k or more a month to rent a shop and then pray people come to you ? Seen many shops start and close in the first year due to lack of business. There are losers in every line of work, usually because they're not any good or dont have any fuckin brains.  First of all, you dont RENT a shop, you build one, on your own fuckin land in a location that is not to hard to find or get to, and you pay off your debts as soon as you are able to financially even if you have to scrimp. This cuts down on INTEREST, which is often 30 percent of any kind of business development THEN, you actually work yourself. You are there in the shop ramrodding anyone you hire and doing the hardest and most profitable jobs YOURSELF, and you pay employees based on their ability TO MAKE YOU MONEY Mkay?. You dont have to be a certified public accountant to run a business either, you just need to know some old alcoholic who hates the government and is good with numbers Land has to be zoned for commercial automotive use. You dont know much do you? Where I live in East Texas you can build a fuckin moat with crocodiles and poisonous snakes in it around your house if you want to. I wouldn't live in a place where you have to operate in some "zone". Basically if you're not within the boundaries of an incorporated municipality you can put any business you want to, anywhere you want to. And if you have any problems you can always loosen up their thinking by hiring a combination lawyer/hit man. God Bless Texas! |
rccola
 User ID: 79830924 United States05/05/2021 03:25 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | I watch these old guys fixing cars all the time close to my storage unit. Quoting: Anonymous Coward 77487197 The minute they get a cheap car for repair. The first tool they grab is an old hammer. Straight into the engine compartment. Tapping here , pushing there. Im amazed when they sell those cars haha  The secret is... knowing the precise spot and the number of tap tap's to apply to that spot. Sort of like making love to a woman. Last Edited by rccola on 05/05/2021 03:26 PM |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 79094956 05/05/2021 03:25 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | ... Quoting: Anonymous Coward 79094956 Yea so you pay what 3k or more a month to rent a shop and then pray people come to you ? Seen many shops start and close in the first year due to lack of business. There are losers in every line of work, usually because they're not any good or dont have any fuckin brains. First of all, you dont RENT a shop, you build one, on your own fuckin land in a location that is not to hard to find or get to, and you pay off your debts as soon as you are able to financially even if you have to scrimp. This cuts down on INTEREST, which is often 30 percent of any kind of business development THEN, you actually work yourself. You are there in the shop ramrodding anyone you hire and doing the hardest and most profitable jobs YOURSELF, and you pay employees based on their ability TO MAKE YOU MONEY Mkay?. You dont have to be a certified public accountant to run a business either, you just need to know some old alcoholic who hates the government and is good with numbers Land has to be zoned for commercial automotive use. You dont know much do you? Where I live in East Texas you can build a fuckin moat with crocodiles and poisonous snakes in it around your house if you want to. I wouldn't live in a place where you have to operate in some "zone". Basically if you're not within the boundaries of an incorporated municipality you can put any business you want to, anywhere you want to. And if you have any problems you can always loosen up their thinking by hiring a combination lawyer/hit man. So build a shop in the sticks, away from primary income areas, thats your advice? You dont know the first thing about having a successful business. Rule 1, location. Yea i can build a shop in the middle of nowhere, but who is going to bring me their car? Most successful shops are in the middle of town in high traffic areas. |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 75364881 United States05/05/2021 03:34 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Most muffler and brake specialty shops are clip joints, especially the chain named after a Greek King. The last time I set foot in one was 25 years ago, to get a quote on having them replace all four rotors and pads on my daily driver sedan with disc brakes. Keep in mind this is 1996 when I tell you the quoted price was $1,400. I managed to keep my poker face when I asked for it in writing. Even though I was working 60 to 80 hours per week back then, I made the time to buy the parts and do it myself. Two hours later I completed the job in my driveway for $150 in parts. I kept that quote in my auto repair file at home for nearly 20 years, as a reminder to never let myself be screwed by the "Greek King." Quoting: Anonymous Coward 75364881 So you installed some $25 brake rotors? and 25$ pads on the car? I bet they were high quality. good rotors will cost you 80 a pair for a medium sized car that has a high production number, and these will be manufactured by a respectable company with a one year - lifetime warranty. You're getting ripped off if you pay more than 25-35 for a set of pads. The 90 dollar ones wear out just as fast as the 30 dollar ones and most people dont need brakes rated for formula one racing What kind of car was it? It was a 1992 Ford Taurus. Also, I did the brake job in 1996, a fact which has escaped at least one responder to my original post. |
| BRIEF
User ID: 79662918 United States05/05/2021 03:39 PM  Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | ... Quoting: BRIEF Here's the kick. If you are the best, you can fix a car in ten minutes, but why should you only charge ten minutes labor? No, the skill and talent that allows me to diagnose and fix a car in just a few minutes, where the other guys are scratching their head trying to figure it out, allows me to charge MORE... Maybe surgeons should work that way... They don't charge by the hour either...Hourly work is for the unskilled... Yea thats why more people are just letting their car fall apart and then get another rather than pay for repairs. Make no difference to me...Jackass Joe down the street will work on your car for a case of beer... I never forgive and I never forget I am a licensed firearm holder. I will, under protection of law, use lethal force if attacked.  |
| Supreme ChugALugging
User ID: 79792592 United States05/05/2021 03:40 PM  Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Once the electric cars take over....Muffler jobs and Mostly 90% of mechanics WIll be out of a job... As there is nothing hardly to fix on a electric car! Romans 14:11 It is written: “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God. Revelation 20:15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 54028161 United States05/05/2021 03:41 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
| BRIEF
User ID: 79662918 United States05/05/2021 03:42 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | That's news to me...Whatever helps you sleep at night... You’ve acted like such an asshole for so long ,I would not expect anybody to try to even converse with you politely but you’ve made your bed. You owning a muffler shop makes total sense why you are a cunt of a human. Are you gonna go killdozer on the world? Nope, that gut went nuts over zoning laws I think...I never had any zoning issues... I never forgive and I never forget I am a licensed firearm holder. I will, under protection of law, use lethal force if attacked. |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 80305779 United States05/05/2021 03:42 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 80305779 United States05/05/2021 03:43 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 75364881 United States05/05/2021 03:47 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Once the electric cars take over....Muffler jobs and Mostly 90% of mechanics WIll be out of a job... Quoting: Supreme ChugALugging As there is nothing hardly to fix on a electric car! Yes, muffler jobs will go away. However, there's other mechanical stuff that will need maintenance on an electric vehicle, including the expensive nightmare of replacing first and second generation battery systems. |
| BRIEF
User ID: 79662918 United States05/05/2021 03:47 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | God has always guided my hand...I retired in 2018 and sold my shop in 2019...It's not MY problem! Quoting: BRIEF  You do realize nobody gives a shit about you You are a narcissist That means scumn Then why take the time to post that? You just lied. I never forgive and I never forget I am a licensed firearm holder. I will, under protection of law, use lethal force if attacked. |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 80305779 United States05/05/2021 03:48 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Once the electric cars take over....Muffler jobs and Mostly 90% of mechanics WIll be out of a job... Quoting: Supreme ChugALugging As there is nothing hardly to fix on a electric car! and thus electric HAVE TO BE OFF THE GRID... not going to happen until Tesla technology from the real Tesla kicks in.. the car must charge itself as it is used.. not plugged in. I have spoken with Tesla who is NOT dead.. on this one.. He tried to bring it with dynamos on the car.. easy with axles that rotate.. or electric out of the air. somebody in Europe I came to converse with.. said a dynamo tesla car could be plugged in at NIGHT if it didn't need an axle and power a house. there was not related to cars.. a company in Europe that designed a tesla generator to power a house.. which included puttin in electric baseboard heat.. and the people wanting to convert to it.. could pay it off over several years from what their electric bill would have cost.. and the fellow that was at the head of that got murdered.. |
| BRIEF
User ID: 79662918 United States05/05/2021 03:49 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | I once was a service writer for the local muffler shop in town (I’ve done just about everything) Quoting: Golfcart 77110102 My kid started as a auto tech at 17 at the dealership in town, he’s 21 now, he’s got more money than me... Here's the kick. If you are the best, you can fix a car in ten minutes, but why should you only charge ten minutes labor? No, the skill and talent that allows me to diagnose and fix a car in just a few minutes, where the other guys are scratching their head trying to figure it out, allows me to charge MORE... I spent 12 years practicing the skill and buying the tools to enable me to do the job in ten minutes.....your paying for the years not the minutes. When I was doing this kind of work I would tell the customer what was actually wrong and give him a price for labor. For instance replacing a throttle position sensor or O2 sensor would take me five minutes, but I would charge 100 dollars. Just to move the car around is a pain in the ass, and deal with the customers. I told them what was wrong from the get go and that was FREE. They could always try to do it themselves but most are afraid to. If he didn't like the quote he could always go somewhere else. It's not just the work you are paying for , its the knowledge you dont have yourself. If the O2 bung strips the threads coming out and can't get a tap up to it, do you just take it in the ass and give them the additional labor? Which can be substantial... I never forgive and I never forget I am a licensed firearm holder. I will, under protection of law, use lethal force if attacked. |
| ku commando
User ID: 80304445 United States05/05/2021 03:50 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | nobody wants to work Quoting: CharlieFoxtrot he has work backed up the employees I saw were over 50 years old I am contemplating quitting my IT job and going to work in a muffler shop, at least my work will have some meaning. I heard that kind of work is exhausting... I saw 2 overweight old dudes getting it done. C'mon man......it was a "play on words" joke |
| BRIEF
User ID: 79662918 United States05/05/2021 03:50 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Nobody respects mechanics. Everyone wants it done now for free. Fuk working on cars and I am an expert with all the tools. No way everyone is a pain in the ass in those shops esp the bosses. ASSHOLES. Quoting: Anonymous Coward 72553316  my car was leaking exhaust from the engine compartment. I had a mechanic check it out and he said an exhaust manifold had a crack in it. The cost to fix it could easily be $1000 or more.I decided i would learn how to do it myself. I spent 100s of hours watching how-to videos. When i was ready, i open the hood to inspect the manifold and what i found shocked me! The manifold was missing nuts on two of the studs. I replaced the nuts and the leak was sealed. I suppose the mechanic who replaced my engine a couple of years earilier did not tighten them properly. The mechanic who checked it out was incompetent or a liar - maybe both. So you are damned right! Nobody repects a fcuking mechanic! They are low IQ liars and thieves! Yea some are. But so are the people who made that phone or computer you are using. So are most doctors. The world is profit driven and thats the true issue. A good mechanic has a valuable skill that no machine or computer can replace. A computer can plug into a car and show the mechanic how things are functioning but it still takes an experienced human mind to unravel the information. And for those of you who insist mechanics are dumb monkeys, these days they have to basically be electronic engineers and computer IT techs just to diagnose all of the complex electrical systems of a modern car. Damn right. I never forgive and I never forget I am a licensed firearm holder. I will, under protection of law, use lethal force if attacked. |
| BRIEF
User ID: 79662918 United States05/05/2021 03:53 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | A good mechanic who knows his shit and has the proper tools and setup can EASILY make 300 grand per year these days. A muffler shop hire will be lucky to afford the basic needs, mainly because people like Brief own them Quoting: Anonymous Coward 80319674  .1000 a day minimum. Most trained mechanics get 50-80 dollars an hour WORKING FOR SOMEONE ELSE. If they work for themselves it can amount to 200 an hour easily. Same with a welder or a carpenter. A welder with his own equipment can contract out for half a million / year in some cases. On the other hand, a trained IT worker will be lucky to top 40 grand to start. Everyone wants to go into IT these days, or some job connected to it thinking it is the wave of the future. In the meantime their cars have to be fixed, their bridges built and their buildings constructed, and none of them have the skills to pour piss out of a leaky boot.. I have a degree in mechanical engineering and training in electrical engineering, but to be honest with you I made twice as much actually working with my hands AND my mind. And it's a lot more rewarding work. Nope Trained mechanics these days are topping out 100k in the dealership, thats having years of experience and certifications and doing warranty work. Working for a private guy you can expect maybe 20 an hour, maybe more after working for him several years. Its the overhead of a shop that drives up the cost of repairs. But heres the thing, people are too cheap today. They would rather drive their car into the ground and get a new one. yeah, working for someone else.... A smart mechanic doesnt work for someone else. To be fair theres a difference between a good business man and a good mechanic. The good business man has others do the work for him, but he himself cant efficiently fix cars. I was both, but I hired mechanics because I specialized in Exhaust and Radiator repair...My tools were a welder, Co2, Argon, pipe bender, lift, propane and acetylene gas, and Oxygen...and hammer... I never forgive and I never forget I am a licensed firearm holder. I will, under protection of law, use lethal force if attacked. |
| BRIEF
User ID: 79662918 United States05/05/2021 03:56 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | ... Quoting: BRIEF Here's the kick. If you are the best, you can fix a car in ten minutes, but why should you only charge ten minutes labor? No, the skill and talent that allows me to diagnose and fix a car in just a few minutes, where the other guys are scratching their head trying to figure it out, allows me to charge MORE... Did you follow the flat rate manual? There is a new vernacular I think it is called flag time. There's no standard for custom work... On the diagnostic side there were standard prices, but when it comes to labor, I operated by the job and not by the hour unless it's a long tedious job like drilling a head or manifold bolt extraction... Did you ever remove broken exhaust manifold bolts from the heads of Ford FE engines? 352,360,390 v/8s from the 60s and 70s If I could get to them before they broke, I could use heat to extract them...If already broken, I put someone on it to drill... I never forgive and I never forget I am a licensed firearm holder. I will, under protection of law, use lethal force if attacked. |
| BRIEF
User ID: 79662918 United States05/05/2021 03:58 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | ... Quoting: rccola Did you follow the flat rate manual? There is a new vernacular I think it is called flag time. There's no standard for custom work... On the diagnostic side there were standard prices, but when it comes to labor, I operated by the job and not by the hour unless it's a long tedious job like drilling a head or manifold bolt extraction... Did you ever remove exhaust manifold bolts from the heads of Ford FE engines? 352,360,390 v/8s from the 60s and 70s The secret there is two things really, heat them to red hot with a torch before trying to remove them and use a socket especially designed for removing rounded or rusted nuts. You should also give it a liberal dose of penetrating oil AFTER it cools off and let it sit overnight. BE PATIENT. What this does is causes the bolt (or stud) to expand enough to break the rust free from the cast iron head , and it gives the penetrating oil a gap to go into in by something called capillary action. The bitch can be when you break off a stud in the head by trying to remove a rusted on nut (and they are always rusted on), but if you get them red hot and let them cool before you try to get them out they will come off pretty easy. studs can be removed by the same technique once you get the manifold off, if you need to replace them. You'll need a GOOD set of vice grips for this "procedure". No oil and no cooling, extract red hot! Heat the area around the stud to expand the metal and you must have a feel for the stud turning or twisting... Last Edited by BRIEF on 05/05/2021 03:58 PM I never forgive and I never forget I am a licensed firearm holder. I will, under protection of law, use lethal force if attacked. |
| BRIEF
User ID: 79662918 United States05/05/2021 04:00 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | God has always guided my hand...I retired in 2018 and sold my shop in 2019...It's not MY problem! Quoting: BRIEF Blowjob factory? What do you charge? I never forgive and I never forget I am a licensed firearm holder. I will, under protection of law, use lethal force if attacked. |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 79721723  India05/05/2021 04:02 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Exhaust work is an art form. Sure you will have the gravy jobs (just replacing the muffler or cats which become routine and tedious) but most of those are modular now and are bolt-in, making things much easier for the most part. Custom exhaust jobs will be the relief valve. Learn about scavenging. It is fulfilling work and welding skills will always be needed. H-pipes, x-pipes, resonators, muffler placement in relation to desired tone and/or volume... yeah. Quoting: ZOOM OUT Edit: forgot about turbo plumbing. Yes, it's absolutely an art...I custom bent all of my pipes... I bet you bent your little muffler good in a hole meant for other purposes, Mr. Von Braggenbrief. |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 79094956 05/05/2021 04:02 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 79094956 05/05/2021 04:03 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | ... Quoting: Anonymous Coward 79094956 Nope Trained mechanics these days are topping out 100k in the dealership, thats having years of experience and certifications and doing warranty work. Working for a private guy you can expect maybe 20 an hour, maybe more after working for him several years. Its the overhead of a shop that drives up the cost of repairs. But heres the thing, people are too cheap today. They would rather drive their car into the ground and get a new one. yeah, working for someone else.... A smart mechanic doesnt work for someone else. To be fair theres a difference between a good business man and a good mechanic. The good business man has others do the work for him, but he himself cant efficiently fix cars. I was both, but I hired mechanics because I specialized in Exhaust and Radiator repair...My tools were a welder, Co2, Argon, pipe bender, lift, propane and acetylene gas, and Oxygen...and hammer... I would give my left nut for a chance to start my own shop. |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 45460200 United States05/05/2021 04:05 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
| Dipshit20
User ID: 80056139 United States05/05/2021 04:05 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
| BRIEF
User ID: 79662918 United States05/05/2021 04:06 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Exhaust work is an art form. Sure you will have the gravy jobs (just replacing the muffler or cats which become routine and tedious) but most of those are modular now and are bolt-in, making things much easier for the most part. Custom exhaust jobs will be the relief valve. Learn about scavenging. It is fulfilling work and welding skills will always be needed. H-pipes, x-pipes, resonators, muffler placement in relation to desired tone and/or volume... yeah. Quoting: ZOOM OUT Edit: forgot about turbo plumbing. Yes, it's absolutely an art...I custom bent all of my pipes... I bet you bent your little muffler good in a hole meant for other purposes, Mr. Von Braggenbrief. Not sure how you would bend a muffler  I never forgive and I never forget I am a licensed firearm holder. I will, under protection of law, use lethal force if attacked. |
| BRIEF
User ID: 79662918 United States05/05/2021 04:06 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
| BRIEF
User ID: 79662918 United States05/05/2021 04:08 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | It was either take over dad's business or study physics and engineering and possibly architecture...So I walked into a successful business and ran if for two and a half decades... Last Edited by BRIEF on 05/05/2021 04:09 PM I never forgive and I never forget I am a licensed firearm holder. I will, under protection of law, use lethal force if attacked. |
