what to charge for labor?

98lincmk7lsc

98lincmk7lsc

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Ok, so this may sound a little weird. I'm sure there are probably others out there like me though. Whenever I see a Mark VIII (specifically, a Gen 2) in a parking lot or something, I will usually look around for the owner (depending on where it's parked) or I'll leave a note on the car about this website and others relating to Mark VIII's and if there is something noticeably wrong with the car, such as a hazy auto-dim mirror, or maybe a leaking airbag, I'll offer to fix it at a significantly lower price than they'll find anywhere else.
So far, I've met like 5 or 6 Mark VIII guys that way in the last year or so. Lately, one guy has been having me fix a bunch of stuff for him. So far, I've fixed his hazy driver mirror, changed the idler pulleys, got him a new gas door popper, found and installed a new driver door handle, temporarily rigged the blend door to put out heat (will eventually fix it for good when he gets the money), and helped install a car bra on his 98 pearl white LSC. So far, he's given me about $150. He wants me to replace his passenger air strut, but I'm having a hard time deciding how much to charge him. I don't want to just give my time away, but at the same time, I want to build a friend base of Mark VIII owners and don't want to charge him too much. :shifty: Does that make sense?
How much should I charge him? I'm getting the air strut from another friend for the cost of shipping.

Thanks. :)
 
everyone here may have a different answer.

ME?, i say since a shop charges 50-75$/hour and up
i would charge 20-25$/hour, since you are doing it on the side,and probably enjoy working on our cars anyway.
 
One for memberbers here I'd never charge ... but seeing for this guy you have been doing a lot and that he seems to be using you for your generosity it's time that he does pay you. For a front strut which if you have done one before is about a half hour job. $20 to $25 is a fare price. He should respect that this is your time.

Oh and there should always be a case of beer involved ... LOL ...
 
98lincmk7lsc said:
I want to build a friend base of Mark VIII owners and don't want to charge him too much. Does that make sense?

Thanks. :)
Click to expand...

Yes it makes sense.

Have you heard the phrase "give a man a fish, it'll feed him for a day..but teach a man to fish and it'll feed him for a lifetime".

You should apply this in this case.

While you are helping this guy, your really not doing him any favors.
Your 25.00 per hour really isn't enough for your time and labor.

You should charge 50.00 to put on that air strut, but offer to show him how to do it for 25.00.
tell him, if you sit and watch me do this, it's 50... but if you want to learn how to do it, it's 25.00

At the end of the job if he actually "performed" and you didn't have to "do it ALL" for him.. maybe you JUST took out the bottom bolt.. and showed him how the solenoid came off..then you could say... Hey, you were a good student.. NO CHARGE.

If they are owners that cant or wont work on their car then you should charge them roughly 50 per hour, most shops are 85.00 and UP around here.
 
I just do it and show them how in the process. But I enjoy it. If you want to charge him $25 sounds about right. In my book friends and family are free. If they help. Members fall into those to categories as well. I sold a set of used bag to a guy I met on the road. Sold them for $100. I installed them and seafoamed the car. Then to pay me back. He got me infield parking at TMS. and Garage passes. So kindness does come around just remember that when you scratch someones back you might in turn need yours scratched as well. JUST DON'T BE A SUCKER
 
Most people with Mark8's don't really know or care about what they have.

To them, it's transportation and a name-badge of 'luxury' - nothing else.

We're a very small minority of Mark 8 owners who are actual fans of the car.

So offering discounted labor in the hopes of starting a club or something is kinda wasting your time.

But if you're doing it to make some extra cash - good on ya!
 
well it pays 1.1 flat rate and .8 for warentty, the dealership i work at charges $130 per hour for customer pay. just to give you an idea.
 
mespock said:
One for memberbers here I'd never charge ... but seeing for this guy you have been doing a lot and that he seems to be using you for your generosity it's time that he does pay you. For a front strut which if you have done one before is about a half hour job. $20 to $25 is a fare price. He should respect that this is your time.

Oh and there should always be a case of beer involved ... LOL ...
Click to expand...

I agree beer and if he has a hot sister! :D
 
I think XLR has the right Idea
but better than money is always some sort of trade labor if they have
something to offer that you need
 
I felt bad for charging my buddy labor of $50 an hour to replace the alt in his VW, on the other hand his wife needs it for work, and it was the dead of winter.
 
idk.... i dont think ive ever charged anyone to work on thier car... then again Ive never had anyone but my close friends ask for help multiple times
 
XLRVIII said:
Yes it makes sense.

Have you heard the phrase "give a man a fish, it'll feed him for a day..but teach a man to fish and it'll feed him for a lifetime".

You should apply this in this case.
Click to expand...

This is pretty much what I've been doing. He really has no knowledge-base for mechanics. He is at least somewhat eager to learn, though. I try to show him everything that I'm doing as I'm doing it, and he's very receptive to tips that I give him. (After I replaced the door handle, I told him that he should use the handle to disengage the mechanism and then pull the door from the top to actually open it. The next couple times I was over there, I noticed that he was using the absolute utmost care when opening the door, and doing the exact thing that I told him to. It was actually kinda funny.)
 
kracker said:
JUST DON'T BE A SUCKER
Click to expand...

That's exactly why I'm asking this question. I want to help a fellow Mark VIII owner, but I don't just want to give away my time.
I have very little extra/free time each week, so I want it to be worth it. But....at the same time, I really do like working on Mark VIII's, and in a way, I think this is my way of keeping a couple of them on the road a little bit longer. :D
 
Kevin said:
Most people with Mark8's don't really know or care about what they have.
To them, it's transportation and a name-badge of 'luxury' - nothing else.
..............
But if you're doing it to make some extra cash - good on ya!
Click to expand...

I think he bought the car with this in mind. That it was just a nice looking luxury car, but it seems as if he really is starting to really like Mark VIII's, which is pretty cool.
 
Your time, gas, etc isnt free...25 dollars is crazy low.

Shops around here charge 80+

I do a decent amount of side work and depending on what it is and how much of a pain it is i usually charge around 50 an hour or by the job if its less or easy or whatever i'll charge accordingly. I did an hid install on the girlfriends 98 today and it took an hour or so and if i were to do that for someone i would charge more then 50 because of all my tools, soldering iron, solder, mounting bolts, tape, split looms, zip ties, etc....all that stuff adds up. Also remember - Once you get familiar with a vehicle book time and real time are two different things, then again sometimes book says 1 hour and it takes 2, so you never know.

I understand what you guys are saying about teaching the guy to do the work...however, if he wanted to do it he would be doing it...people that dont know cars are scared to even take the wheel off it seems.

Also, keep in mind he will have no use for you in the future if you show him how to do work, which is great for him and nice of you to do but bad for your pocket.

Do you bring your own tools, chemicals, jacks, etc? If so...i would not be charging 25...more like 50.

You dont always have to charge by the hour you can charge by the job.
 
I'm sure glad I don't live by many of you but if I do I'll remember that I should charge you the arm and leg for my service.

Charge him what you feel is fair. If you feel that he's using you then up the price and he'll stop bothering you.

Like I mentioned before ...

mespock said:
for memberbers here I'd never charge ... but seeing for this guy you have been doing a lot and that he seems to be using you for your generosity it's time that he does pay you. For a front strut which if you have done one before is about a half hour job. $20 to $25 is a fare price. He should respect that this is your time.

Oh and there should always be a case of beer involved ... LOL ...
Click to expand...
 
mespock said:
I'm sure glad I don't live by many of you but if I do I'll remember that I should charge you the arm and leg for my service.
...
Click to expand...

meh.. for YOU it'd be a 500 dollar entry fee just to get into the STATE.
(LMAO)
 
Brandon got the deal of the century.

Drive all the way across the country, install my front license plate bracket and fender liner..and he got "not axe murdered" in return.

How's that?
 
Don't think for a second that it didn't cross my mind.... as I watched him sleep, so peacefully on my futon.
 
Your futon is way confortable...

Tiff Saturday someone could have taken you out with a slight breeze....
 
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