How Many Hours Labor Is This Job?

[Jersey Joe]

I'd charge ya that much just for the long tube header's, seriously it's quite a bit of work that took my old ass a month to do in my spare time so if you're figuring 60 to a 100 bucks an hour it's definitely ballpark for sure, I only hope that some day down the road you have the time to do this stuff yourself and experience a whole different sense of pride and accomplishment that only doing it yourself can provide.

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

Why do you care, Mike? You clearly think so little of guys like me.

Once you are in a career where you spend 7 out of 10 years overseas and less than 1/3 of your time sleeping in your own bed, and you still figure out how to do it all yourself, I'll have a little more respect for your opinion. I've moved across the country 4 times in the last 20 months, and 22 times in my 35 year life, and even though I'm damned efficient, it still takes 2 months just to get the basics set up before you settle into any kind of routine. Then you have to catch up on everything you fell behind on while you prioritized the needs of your career. Your relationships with family, close friends, and love interests suffer. It's tough to maintain your health and high level of physical fitness, which btw is a job requirement.

Now, I guess you're absolutely right. It's more logical to throw away anything not absolutely necessary, including impractical hobbies. This is the only interest I have that I spend anything on. I'm actually a damned frugal guy. I'm just doing what I have to in order to stay connected with something I really love, but yeah... go ahead and look down at me. You're so much better than me because you do it all yourself. Tell me what a piece of I am, because I can't go lay under my car for 2-3 hours a week, even though I still want something special. Or, just keep your condescension to yourself.

I was in the army cpt. sir. For 4 years. I drove guys like you all around the field so they could check on the rest of the subordinates to make sure they were doing what they were supposed to be doing, before going into the warrant program at Rucker, so try not to preach to me what it's like...I've been in a similar place.
It was you that decided that my comments were aimed at you, because the shoe fit. Take pride in what you buy or pay for, and I'll take pride in what I build. You talk about how it's like to buy junk, and I'll talk about what it's like to build it.

And we'll both agree to ignore each other.

 

[acoddo]

Have a great night everyone. thanks for the replies. I'll post pics next week is when it's all done.

 

[General karthief]

I would like to thank both/all for your sevice to our country so I/we can say/do what we want. I work on my crap because I can't afford to pay hundred dollar an hour labor costs and I get a kick out of get'n it done even if it means doing it a couple times to get it 'right'. Just don't park it in your living room and admire it like a fine piece of art. Take that b'tch out and beat the snot outa it!

 

[deathb4dismount]

Good deal on labor, but I would be hesitant of who I drop my engine off to. If this person has not done it before then there is no way I would let my engine be the guinea pig. As we have learned there are a lot of little tricks with this engine that only mustang or sbf people in general know. I hope it turns out well.

 

[cleanLX]

As someone who opts to pay for other parties to do the work, the labor price looks good to me.
Regarding the misc. part budget, I assume you have looked over a fairly complete list. For example, reusing your stamped steel rockers vs $200 rocker vs $400 rockers, so, I cannot comment on a misc. parts price if the misc.parts are not spelled out.

Now, to the whole bought vs built debate... having built 2 motors in the past, 1 transmission, and done all of my own ancillary work in the past... I'm over it.
I respect those who do their own work, and have a great deal of respect for those who do their own work well.
I am discouraged when those same folks come across they way they sometimes do.
We all make decisions about our own lives. I work 10-12 hour days, and 30%+ of my Saturdays and my commute is 1-2hrs a day. I need 8hrs sleep. That doesn't leave me a lot of free time. Math says about 2-3 hours on a work day, and, I get home before my wife, so I'm the cook. That means no actual free time through the week. Now for me... I much prefer hiking, playing tennis, or just hanging in the back yard with my wife... walking my dogs, Jeeping with friends, mountain biking with friends, spending a weekend up north in a cabin or down south on the beach... Some folks love to get in the shop and tinker with their car. That's their thing. I'm not going to tell them their life could be better if they lived it like mine. I'm more proud of time spent with friends and family, doing and seeing things, memories, than I ever was having torqued the last bolt or soldered the last wire on one of my vehicles. I can do it, and I have done it... I no longer have any desire to spend time in the garage. For "me", that feels like wasted time.
I still do the simple stuff... as long as it can be done in 3-4 hours... I'm typically up at 2-2:30am, so, I if can have a job done and cleaned up by the time my wife/friends get out of bed then I'll do it, otherwise, I've got lots of things I'd much prefer to be doing.
Certainly doesn't make me better, nor worse... just different.

/flame suit on.

 

[General karthief]

You are not different, just too many friends.

 

[acoddo]

As someone who opts to pay for other parties to do the work, the labor price looks good to me.
Regarding the misc. part budget, I assume you have looked over a fairly complete list. For example, reusing your stamped steel rockers vs $200 rocker vs $400 rockers, so, I cannot comment on a misc. parts price if the misc.parts are not spelled out.

Now, to the whole bought vs built debate... having built 2 motors in the past, 1 transmission, and done all of my own ancillary work in the past... I'm over it.
I respect those who do their own work, and have a great deal of respect for those who do their own work well.
I am discouraged when those same folks come across they way they sometimes do.
We all make decisions about our own lives. I work 10-12 hour days, and 30%+ of my Saturdays and my commute is 1-2hrs a day. I need 8hrs sleep. That doesn't leave me a lot of free time. Math says about 2-3 hours on a work day, and, I get home before my wife, so I'm the cook. That means no actual free time through the week. Now for me... I much prefer hiking, playing tennis, or just hanging in the back yard with my wife... walking my dogs, Jeeping with friends, mountain biking with friends, spending a weekend up north in a cabin or down south on the beach... Some folks love to get in the shop and tinker with their car. That's their thing. I'm not going to tell them their life could be better if they lived it like mine. I'm more proud of time spent with friends and family, doing and seeing things, memories, than I ever was having torqued the last bolt or soldered the last wire on one of my vehicles. I can do it, and I have done it... I no longer have any desire to spend time in the garage. For "me", that feels like wasted time.
I still do the simple stuff... as long as it can be done in 3-4 hours... I'm typically up at 2-2:30am, so, I if can have a job done and cleaned up by the time my wife/friends get out of bed then I'll do it, otherwise, I've got lots of things I'd much prefer to be doing.
Certainly doesn't make me better, nor worse... just different.

/flame suit on.

As far as that parts list, he's getting me all the receipts of these parts he's buying and when it's all said and done he'll adjust the price of the labor to make up from the estimate for the remaining parts needed to finish the job.

 

[FastDriver]

I was in the army cpt. sir. For 4 years. I drove guys like you all around the field so they could check on the rest of the subordinates to make sure they were doing what they were supposed to be doing, before going into the warrant program at Rucker, so try not to preach to me what it's like...I've been in a similar place.

Ha!

So, your vast experience of 1 term in the military means you know what it's like for all 1.3 million active duty service members? You've been there? Complete Arrogance!

Tell me please about how you juggled deployments and living overseas and still making time to work on your car. I'd love to hear it! I've spent almost twice as much time in hostile countries and overseas than the 4 years you just touted. And you think you know what it's like to be me? GTFO! You don't have the slightest clue to relate yourself to me in that way. You were a driver? What kind of unit? Ever deploy? How many duty stations? Ever even overseas? If so, how did you manage to work on your car? Did you come back to your tent and build parts while you were in the desert? Oh, you didn't actually live a life like mine? Right, so you don't know what you're talking about.

When you were a commander prepping your 180 man infantry company for its combat deployment and were working 80+ hour 6-7 day weeks, who did your personal chores for you while you spent your 1 free day under your car? How did you manage to get things done when you were in the field? Did you bring your car with you?

Obviously, since you've served out 1 contract, you're an expert on every job across the entire army? I'm a careerist and I'm not arrogant enough to believe that I understand the lifestyle of others. No! You're just an arrogant old man with plenty of time on his hands who puts himself on a pedestal he can look down from. You don't know as much as you think you do. But keep on marching to the beat of your own drum.

I like that you list "know it all" as your occupation. At least you realize that you're an arrogant prick.

Take pride in what you buy or pay for, and I'll take pride in what I build.

What about the motors I did build? What about taking pride in choosing the design of how my current car was built? Is that ok? I take pride in having a clean house. You can take pride in cleaning it if you like. LOL.

 

[acoddo]

Please let's keep this professional

 

[FastDriver]

When he told me to go join a book club, his words were intended to be personal. I took them that way. People don't talk to each other like that in person, though. Only behind keyboards and computer screens. He's the mod of a car forum! Tell him to be professional.

 

[FastDriver]

Obviously, we all appreciate guys with knowledge and strong opinions even if they differ from our own so long as the guys are cordial and give respect for you and your opinions. Afterall, that's why we all participate in these discussion forums with each other.

I respect and appreciate the 16 year old kid that doesn't have a clue or a dollar but has the same innate love for speed/mechanics that I do and is just out at "the hole" to have a good time. I can respect and appreciate the friendly rich guy with the lambo/ferrari as long as he's down to earth, whether he's knowledgable or not.

I definitely have more appreciation/respect for those that do all of their own work IF IT'S GOOD. Some of the stuff I've seen where people fabricate uncommon improvements or solutions to problems that took their own creativity and skills to do/solve really blows my mind. Those are the types of guys I love talking to and learning from because they usually think outside of the box and actually enjoy the work. Those guys, be they rich, poor, educated, or high school drop-outs, are the epitomy of car guys to me, but that doesn't mean that I don't appreciate the other car guys.

Most of the other people, myself included, know just enough to do the basic swaps/installations, bolt-ons, maybe a little engine internal work at most, and they like to hang out, talk a little smack among friends, see a few cars run, race your own when you can, blab about the latest and greatest coming from the factories, and argue over a bench race every now and then, which can be entertaining, especially before getting the two cars you're talking about to actually line up. These are the guys I get along with the best. To the point: ANY of the guys above, from the most experienced and capable to the least, can fit into this group. To me, these are the "car guys."

Hey, I love doing the work. It makes me feel bad that I can't. But here's another consideration: a backyard mechanic can't build a car from scratch. We don't forge metal and machine our own heads. Most don't install the valvetrain. Everyone has to pay other people to do stuff that we can't do ourselves. If we didn't, we'd all be walking around on foot. Maybe Mike can build fabricated 9" housing as good as Team-Z did for me. Perhaps he made his own billet crankshaft, or welded up and machined his own minitub. For ALL of the rest of us, there are limits at which we all have to pay someone else to make parts, do work, or we have to choose to go without them. Skill varies greatly, as does the time available in each person's life. Still, I pay people to do stuff that I can do, and even want to do, but "really really" don't have the time for it. And anyone who thinks less of me for it.

 

[deathb4dismount]

Haven't seen it happen in awhile...

 

[FastDriver]

Yeah, I probably would have when I was a mod.

 

[Noobz347]

Meh... I'm in the middle of a movie.

 

[FastDriver]

haha. I guess it depends on whether Mike can let it go, or not. I don't think I'm going to. I know I should, but that's passion vs. reason.

 

[85ragtop]

I suppose I could. And I still may. But I will add my two cents. I served from 01 to 03 in the Marines. I was and engineer. As you can Imagine I disabled IEDs. We had one that another branch was to freaking stupid to let us know wasn't secured as it should be. We lost mine and I had a large amount of metal in my torso. On my way back home I contracted meningitis. I had to learn to read and speak again. Fast forward to more resent. I have had a ton of money, lost it,was homeless with four sons and now I own two homes and almost bought a 911 turbo today. I build my own cars if I choose.
Everyone has a story, and everyone has a right to do whatever they want with their car. But the thing that I'll never understand is why people think it's so important to build a car by hand? Hell I've done more than once and have no desire to do it again. Who cares what someone does or doesn't do? The op ask a simple question why did it need to have anything other than a simple answer?

 

[Noobz347]

Drama

Let's begin voting people off the island.

 

[85ragtop]

Or bring in a lot of booze.

 

[FastDriver]

Damn right!