Did I just get ripped off? (ball joint)

[IDAS 69]

replaced left ball joint on a 1969 442, 400ci, Everything stock.... 170.00 parts and labor?
Please respond. New guy I'm working with. Did he clean my clock? Thanks Eddie

[2blu442]

Hi Eddie
That seems high, but I had new ball joints and bushings installed in a set of A-arms last fall. The brand of parts were MOOG and I had a shop knock out the old ones and press in the new ones, I ended up with over $400 into them. So... that seemed high at first but considering his labor plus parts it maybe reasonable. John

[jensenracing77]

if he is $50 per hour that is 3 hours with a $20 part. if you took him the car and he did all the work i would say that was about right / maybe a little high. but also don't know what he may have ran into. he could have had a bolt that was bad or a caliper bolt that was rounded off. if he ran into something like that then it would definitely be an OK price. if it was the upper ball joint then he had to drill out the factory rivets that may have taken a little longer than just unbolting them. the more i type and think about it i would say that it was about right.

[gearheads78]

Parts and labor that sounds more than fair.

[74 Omega]

could you do it yourself?
if not, and you are happy with the results, it sounds fair to me.
i run into it all the time in my line of work.

[joe_padavano]

Originally Posted by jensenracing77

if he is $50 per hour that is 3 hours with a $20 part.

Here in Northern VA the typical shop labor rate is more like $75/hr, plus they add on "junk" fees like chemicals, shop supplies, disposal fees, etc. They also likely marked up the $20 ball joint by at least 50% (which is why most shops will refuse to install parts that they don't supply). I consider these prices high, which is one reason why I do all my own work, but your $170 is consistent with what other shops would charge.

[Danny Wiseley]

I paid a guy $180 today to dig up some ground cover, mow the yard, and clean up leaves. . .
Bum knee, or would have done it myself.

[wmachine]

Doubt that you were ripped off, but I'm more concerned that you only did one. Better in twos, best all four. Two because rarely is just one *that* much worse than the opposite side. Four because you already have it apart and it is 40 years old.

[IDAS 69]

Thanks Guys, Great information. I wish, I had done all of them. Does stop much much straighter now. I guess the price wasn't too bad...I didn't get my hands dirty or get sweaty...ha

[oldsdroptop]

IDA's...Let me know next time you need to work on the car...I have plenty of space here at my place....I'm in upstate SC and have done 2 frame ups myself and have the shop manuals and assembly manuals for the 70 model...close enough for yours beleive me...and I'm in upstate sc...I have tools to do just about anything you might need to do...as long as you don't mind getting your hands dirty....advice is free and so is everything else as long as your willing to put in the work. Just drop me a line at oldsdroptop@embarqmail.com and we'll work out the details. Anything to help out a brother Olds lover....Oldsdroptop.....

[IDAS 69]

Wow, Such kindness. Talked with you before. I have NONE of what I need to work on my car. Live in a subdivision, HOA, No land, etc.....ha
That's an offer I can't refuse. Where is Cross Hill? Below Ft Inn?
We have a group of people here in Greer who have old cars, ratrods, muscle, vw's etc... who get together once a month a do a cruise ride... We ride convoy style mabye 25-30 miles and stop for Ice cream etc... Turns into cruise-in/car show for vistors. Lets talk.

[GoodOldsGuyDougie]

oldsdroptop , Damn nice of you. I thought all of you guys were gone. Must be something about the GoodOldsGuys, you've actually restored some of my lost faith.

[IDAS 69]

AMEN

[oldsdroptop]

There aren't that many Olds people around here....when I go to the local shows around here I'm usually the only guy there with an Olds....I helped a buddy of mine I work with restore a 70 Olds cutlass convertible I sold him for a bargain price of $2000.00 (that included a 455 engine, a dual gate shifter console, and an authentic hurst rear wing spoiler with the bullets on the tips) And every morning he would come into work and ask advice on how to fix something or what he should buy. He did an awesome frame off restoration on this car and considering it was his 1st restoration project I was really impressed with his work and determination. Its well worth over $20K now. Not a bad investment, but he worked hard on it getting it right. If you can beleive it I spent 3 years looking for that convertible (you ever try to buy a decent convertible for $1500) It actually had brackets welded onto the front bumper for a tow bar where the previous owner had drug it over half the state of South Carolina. Needless to say the bumper was scrap. I live in between Clinton and the city of Greenwood not far off of Highway 72. Just type the word "mancave" in the search window and you can see my garages. I shot you my e-mail address in the earlier post just let me know if you need to do some work on the car and we'll move something out of the way, and give you some room to work and I'll give you advice, if I don't know it we'll look it up in a manual. Anything to help out a brother Olds owner. Oldsdroptop....

[IDAS 69]

Man, Please join us tomorrow at the little rebal restraunt on hiway290 about 3 miles north of greer sc. we are leaving for a cruise....last time 28 cars.... i know short notice.