Repair Quote

[Photogirl]

Just had a quote from my local (well regarded) indi for some age related work on Bambi (1998 2.5). I thought the figures might be of interest, feel free to comment. They have the car as a service is being done and MOT points (brake pipes and PAS line), the other bits were advisories but some do need doing:

 

Needs Doing:

 

MOT  £54.85

 

Major Service (don't have price yet)

 

Front Shock Absorbers, Top Mounts, Bump stops and associated fittings £1440 inc VAT Pair

 

Replace Front Anti Roll Bar Links £336 inc VAT Pair (£240 inc VAT if done with Front Shock Absorbers )

 

Replace Rear Anti Roll Bar , bushes and links £659 inc VAT

 

Replace PAS pipes on steering rack and hydraulic lines from joiner half way down the car (MOT issue). £1868 inc VAT

 

Replace Coffin Arms (x3) £950 inc VAT

 

4 Wheel alignment £132 inc VAT

 

With Engine removed additional cost to replace 6 ignition coils £400 inc VAT

 

Remove engine to gain access , replace front sections of rear brake lines, replace rear sections of rear brake lines, replace hoses as required , refit and bleed system £2100 inc VAT

 

 

 

May need doing at some point in next few years:

 

With Engine removed additional cost to replace water pump £382 inc VAT - (has not failed, purely pre-emptive quote)

 

With Engine removed additional cost to replace clutch £576 inc VAT - (has not failed, purely pre-emptive quote)

 

With Engine removed additional cost to replace starter motor £360 inc VAT - (has not failed, purely pre-emptive quote)

 

With brake lines removed send calipers away for refurbishment, replace link pipes and fittings as required £1100 inc VAT set of 4 - colour choice TBC. - (has not failed, purely pre-emptive quote)

Edited July 19, 2023 by Photogirl

[Menoporsche]

Wowzers. Bangernomics has left the building. 

[Photogirl]

I had a separate quote from another local indi to just do the front to rear brake pipes (does not need engine removal, I think) which was £1156 ex VAT.

 

Not sure these quotes would be much cheaper elsewhere?

Do you think it's worth doing the clutch and water pump given it will be a bit cheaper as the engine is already out? She's on the original clutch and pump.

Edited July 19, 2023 by Photogirl

[greenman986s]

Those are crazy prices, especially the anti roll bar links, and way in excess of what Ive been quoted 

Edited July 19, 2023 by greenman986s

[hopz121]

Who is the indy out of interest OP? 

That seems very expensive!

That needs doing list is literally the cost of the car is it not?

It maybe worth contacting someone like cotswold for a quote to see if they can be more competitive. 

[greenman986s]

Anti roll bar bushes are c£40 per pair - see Buy Porsche Boxster 986/987/981 (1997-2016) Boxster S 986 3.2L 2003-04 Anti Roll Bar Bushes | Design 911

No way should be it £900 labour for those...

Edited July 19, 2023 by greenman986s

[Photogirl]

Had a couple of coffin arms done on the Cayman last year at a different indi, which cost around £600 as I recall.

Yes, this is a lot of money. I should say that in all the years I've owned Bambi, I've had no bills at all save for tyres, a MAF, a fairly cheap purge valve, and a battery. If I'd done these bits gradually this list might not seem so painful.

I've got to go ahead with the break pipes and PAS lines as she failed the MOT on those, so I can't take her elsewhere. It's engine out for the rear break pipes. I'm thinking I may as well just get everything done given the engine has to come out anyway so at least that would claw back some money vs having those bits done separately later on.

There is also labour time built in to some of the quote for removal and refit of the Zeintop. Another reason to try and get as much done in one go  😆

If I did get the clutch done whilst they've got the engine out, my next thought is whether to do the IMS at the same time as well. 

[Menoporsche]

IMS irrelevant on a 1998 2.5.

[Menoporsche]

There was a period where some people were driving from south London to Yorkshire (Revolution) to get relatively large jobs done, either because of money or job quality or both. @edc I think? Do you have any view on these prices?

[Photogirl]

2 minutes ago, greenman986s said:

Anti roll bar bushes are c£40 per pair - see Buy Porsche Boxster 986/987/981 (1997-2016) Boxster S 986 3.2L 2003-04 Anti Roll Bar Bushes | Design 911

No way should be it £900 labour for those...

They quoted £336 to replace the front anti roll bar links. Also quoted £659 to replace rear anti roll bar, bushes and links.

[Photogirl]

3 minutes ago, Menoporsche said:

IMS irrelevant on a 1998 2.5.

Yes, I was thinking she likely has the dual row bearing, so low risk of failure. But there is all the talk of putting the LN bearing in pre-emptively when the clutch is done, just in case. So I'm not sure where to go on this one, it seems to create some arguments. I have heard of one or two 2.5 models suffering IMS failure. 

[½cwt]

I'm guessing those are all using genuine Porsche parts...

Ask them to quote with the following OE quality (or actual supplier) Bilstein shocks (half Porsche price), TRW drop links (less than £30 each), Meyle or Spyder Performance coffin arms (a third Porsche's price), Sachs top mounts just for starters.  To give you an idea doing ALL my suspension including shocks (I went for Koni Special Active rather than Bilstein B4) and steering arms cost under £1400 in parts with my own labour, but an indy should do that much labour for around £1000.

6 BERU (OE supplier) coils are about £150, even with plugs their price is expensive, on a ramp with the engine in place it would be 30-45 mins at most.so what's his labour rate???

And over a grand to do front to rear brake pipes that is insane.  I'd be interested what they are doing from some for the brake lines as either one or two of the genuine Porsche ones are no longer available, the one over the top of the gearbox to the right rear is one.  BTW I did all mine from a kit which included a pipe cutter and flaring tool and new fittings and 4 Goodridge flexi hoses for £165, again own labour but I did have to cheat and put a couple of in-line joints to avoid dropping the gearbox and front subframe.

Water pump should cost much the same engine in or out as it is accessed through the rear bulkhead and/or from below so would not need the top removing.

Leave the IMSB alone!

Edited July 19, 2023 by ½cwt

[Menoporsche]

^^ listen to this man ^^

[Photogirl]

2 minutes ago, ½cwt said:

I'm guessing those are all using genuine Porsche parts...

Ask them to quote with the following OE quality (or actual supplier) Bilstein shocks (half Porsche price), TRW drop links (less than £30 each), Meyle or Spyder Performance coffin arms (a third Porsche's price), Sachs top mounts just for starters.  To give you an idea doing ALL my suspension including shocks (I went for Koni Special Active rather than Bilstein B4) and steering arms cost under £1400 in parts with my own labour, but an indy should do that much labour for around £1000.

6 BERU (OE supplier) coils are about £150, even with plugs that is expensive, on a ramp with the engine in place it would be 30-45 mins at most.so what's his labour rate???

And over a grand to do front to rear brake pipes that is insane.  I'd be interested what they are doing from some of the brake lines as either one or two of the genuine Porsche ones are no longer available, the one over the top of the gearbox to the right rear is one.

Water pump should cost much the same engine in or out as it is accessed through the rear bulkhead and/or from below so would not need the top removing.

Leave the IMSB alone!

Thank you so much for that.

Their quote for the front to rear brake pipes is in line with the quote I got from another local indie last year - I must admit I was shocked by it. 

This workshop automatically uses genuine Porsche parts wherever possible. Their focus is very much on maintaining original build, I would say a very traditional indi. I believe their labour rate is about £80 an hour. I will speak to them about using the parts you've mentioned. 

Out of interest would you mind expanding on why you would recommend leaving the IMS alone?

[dpg123]

You're not too far from @TROOPER88 - this is his bread and butter...get in touch with him and I'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised. 

[Photogirl]

I think most of the suspension things I could leave off the list for now, but I have to get all the brake pipes done and the PAS lines, as she failed the MOT on those and I can't drive her away. 

[Sanky]

The rear ARB bushes for £659, that's ridiculous.  Probably one of the easiest jobs to do on the list.

I would be looking for another garage, if you want to save some £££

[greenman986s]

16 minutes ago, Photogirl said:

They quoted £336 to replace the front anti roll bar links. Also quoted £659 to replace rear anti roll bar, bushes and links.

Exactly - they are taking you for a ride. That total quote is £995, of which less than £100 is parts...hence the extortionate labour charge

[bally4563]

Excuse me madam whilst I just pull your pants down for you!!

Shame you don’t live near me , I could save you a lot of money and the advice to get in touch with @TROOPER88 is right on the money for sound advice

[½cwt]

8 minutes ago, Sanky said:

The rear ARB bushes for £659, that's ridiculous.  Probably one of the easiest jobs to do on the list.

I would be looking for another garage, if you want to save some £££

Includes the ARB and drop links from the way I read it.

[Photogirl]

The quote was a shock - this is a popular and well thought of workshop. I'll be seeing them tomorrow to discuss (the Cayman is going there tomorrow for a major service which is no more expensive than any other indi, so I didn't expect such high prices for Bambi). That said, it was near enough the same at the other indi I asked (£1100 just to do the front to rear brake pipes). 

The MOT tester was my local garage who I've always gone to (mechanic is Porsche experienced). This indi said the tester had been nothing short of sadistic in failing me on the things noted. I am out of time for a retest so some of those jobs have to be done either way. I think most of the suspension points don't have to be done right now, though I will try to negotiate the parts as @½cwt advised.

[Photogirl]

1 minute ago, ½cwt said:

Includes the ARB and drop links from the way I read it.

Yes, it does. 

[greenman986s]

ignore some of my comments then...but why does the ARB itself need replacing? Is it broken (ie an MoT issue)?

 

[½cwt]

Definitely get in touch with Paul, @TROOPER88, at Torque Boxsters.  He will give honest advice on where to use Porsche and where to use other parts and he has pretty much universal good reviews.  He might even advise on getting the car to him without the MOT.

HOME | My Site Copy 2 (torqueboxsters.co.uk)

[½cwt]

2 minutes ago, Photogirl said:

The quote was a shock - this is a popular and well thought of workshop. I'll be seeing them tomorrow to discuss (the Cayman is going there tomorrow for a major service which is no more expensive than any other indi, so I didn't expect such high prices for Bambi). That said, it was near enough the same at the other indi I asked (£1100 just to do the front to rear brake pipes). 

The MOT tester was my local garage who I've always gone to (mechanic is Porsche experienced). This indi said the tester had been nothing short of sadistic in failing me on the things noted. I am out of time for a retest so some of those jobs have to be done either way. I think most of the suspension points don't have to be done right now, though I will try to negotiate the parts as @½cwt advised.

If that is the professional view on the MOT tester, appeal to VOSA and request a retest (done by one of their expert testers at your cost and risk of failure on other items) I got a tester struck off and his employer lost their MOT station status using this method.