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Your Largest Repair Bill For Your 1:1 Ride?

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My car is still not fix as I can only get into 2nd under 2000rpm. The service guy wants over US$1000.00 just for labor and I still don't know the part costs. I have a feeling I am being taken to the cleaners. That's what happen when you have one local shop than can fix Alfa's else the dealership which you will have to take out a 2nd mortgage and sell blood on the side to pay for the repairs.

If I can help it, my future cars will be of more popular brand and model.

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When I took the Supercharger off my 1992 Camaro Z28 5.7L, the motor ran like a badword and needed to be refreshed as I could not sort it. The bill was only $1200 to my surprise as most was labor related since I kept most parts needed. Chevrolet dealerships go for blood on the norm. Just the camshaft, rockers, ECM and fuel system had to be sorted (all put back to stock parts or settings) and tuned up for smooth rear tire scorching daily driving.

American Muscle, cheap and affordable.

I have plans on restoring this car, paint/bodywork alone will be over $4000 :huh:

camaro25th.jpg

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Part 1, before had to replace the actuator, wish bone, bushing, cam belt etc.. where parts alone come to BP1521.50 or approx.

US$2,295.00 plus labor at approx. US$1256.41 for a total of US$3,552.00.

Part 2, after replacing the above, the tranny for 2nd gear will not go in unless is at 2000rpm...parts BP420.51 or approx. US$634.50 plus labor at approx. US$1,141.00 for a total of US$1775.50

I know I am getting taken for the labor, but the dealer is not any cheaper.

Total of $5,327.50.. not sure if my Alfa is worth that much B)

Let just hope everything works this time around and not something else. I will say there will be no more Alfa's in my future as I have never came across another make such as Volvo, VW, Honda, Nissan, Toyota, Benz have this type of problem with only 42000 km and the Alfa was not abused.

what can you do with $5,300.00?

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Just spent £530GBP. New rear shocks, front stabilizer bushings replaced, and linkage arms front replaced.

Even though I feel it was expensive, car now runs perfect and quietly over bumps, feels better driving it too.

To previous poster:

Alfa = problem car, as all things Italian it is made with Italian quality. Similar rules apply for French cars.

If you want quality go German or Japanese.

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£750 for a full engine rebuild for a VW Golf GTI 8v, was racing an Escort RS turbo (on a private road obviously) and managed to bend a valve (well 3 actually as the cam belt broke).

Thats the most expensive repair bill i had.

Worst loss i had was when i wrote off my Escort RS turbo (some 12 months later) unfortunatley for me i had just (that very morning) fitted all my Pioneer AV into the car from my previosu ride, about £2500 worth, Top of the line header unit, 12 disk stacker, 8 Speakers, 2 Subs and 5 Genesis Amps, also my King Cobra golf clubs were in the boot (about £1000 worth of clubs) and i managed to crash and the car set on fire and i lost the lot, along with my coat (£300, and about 50 CDS worth about £450), so i lost £3750 of stuff (plus the car) and the insurance company paid out for the car and £300 for stereo ;)

Fortunatley for me i had Home insurance which covered personal belongings away from the home so i got the money back for my coat, CD's and Goolf clubs, but i still lost over £2200 on the stereo, after that loss i never bothered to replace it lol and my boy racer days were over :P

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My HSV GTS twin turbo got hit pretty bad with the hail we had in Melbourne this year.

New bonnet, boot, both drivers side doors, both front guards, a roof re-skin, metal finishing of both quarter panels and cantrails, new door moulds, front and rear screens, and a full respray.

$18,000. Thank you Shannons!

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My HSV GTS twin turbo got hit pretty bad with the hail we had in Melbourne this year.

New bonnet, boot, both drivers side doors, both front guards, a roof re-skin, metal finishing of both quarter panels and cantrails, new door moulds, front and rear screens, and a full respray.

$18,000. Thank you Shannons!

Is a dimpled GTS, which should cut through the air faster like a golf ball :blink: Was the repair covered by insurance or was deemed acts of god, hence god has to pay for it...

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Part 1, before had to replace the actuator, wish bone, bushing, cam belt etc.. where parts alone come to BP1521.50 or approx.

US$2,295.00 plus labor at approx. US$1256.41 for a total of US$3,552.00.

Part 2, after replacing the above, the tranny for 2nd gear will not go in unless is at 2000rpm...parts BP420.51 or approx. US$634.50 plus labor at approx. US$1,141.00 for a total of US$1775.50

I know I am getting taken for the labor, but the dealer is not any cheaper.

Total of $5,327.50.. not sure if my Alfa is worth that much :blink:

Let just hope everything works this time around and not something else. I will say there will be no more Alfa's in my future as I have never came across another make such as Volvo, VW, Honda, Nissan, Toyota, Benz have this type of problem with only 42000 km and the Alfa was not abused.

what can you do with $5,300.00?

Just to reply on my own forum...part 2 the shop is offering to replace the tranny with a 2nd hand one all for US1,025.00, a saving of around $750.00 I am going for it and he assures me will not blow up within a few months. fingers and toes crossed that will work out...

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Is a dimpled GTS, which should cut through the air faster like a golf ball ;) Was the repair covered by insurance or was deemed acts of god, hence god has to pay for it...

Nah, Insurance covered it. Should pick it up in two weeks or so.

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i do all my own work so i really don't know what stuff would cost retail as i also pay less than wholesale on parts.

but for around 5300 i turbo'd my vw as well as tons of supporting mods, diff, suspension, brakes, engine managment, etc...

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I finally got the car back and is running find... for now. But guess what? I have a flat tire and not sure if can be repair/plug until tomorrow else I am looking at 2 new tires. It has been a very expensive month for me. :P

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I also do all my own repairs. Probably the most costly car to keep on the road has been my current car, a 1991 Mazda MX-5 Miata. I bought it with unknown miles (odometer showed 205,000 but speedo cable was broken) about a year and a half ago for $2000. Ran and drove OK, and it's the model I really like, the NA without power steering or AC. It had a hardtop and came with an extra set of wheels. I sold the wheels for $100 and the hardtop for $800, and then...

Speedometer cable: $75

Clutch slave cylinder: $100

Shifter boots and shifter rebuild kit: $100

Radiator: $140

Water pump: $105

Timing belt kit, including gaskets and seals (must be removed to access water pump, so I went ahead and replaced it): $100

Replacement soft top: $300 (installed it myself!)

Rear differential center unit (pinion bearing went out and chewed up the R&P): $200 used

One rear brake caliper: $70

Total: $1190, + the original $1100 for the car. And it still needs parking brake cables, so I can stop putting a brick behind the wheel when parked on a hill. Runs and drives great now, though. But I'll probably have to put a clutch in it eventually.

Before this one, I either had nice reliable newer cars that didn't need much, or old clunkers that I just junked when the transmission went out or a valve spring broke. No point in spending $1000 on a $500 car; just get another $500 car.

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Talking about bad omen. About a month ago, the company van was filled with gasoline instead of diesel by a gas station and the driver didn't realized it and drove off until it stopped :lol: The station paid for the tol and repair. Good! After it was repaired, our driver pick it up and promptly caused an accident where there other vehicle hit a curb resulting in about $500.00 damage. We had to fix and pay (insurance deductible )for the damage. Last week the tranny went and the wind shield was damaged by some road debris. Total cost just under $2K including some brake works. It seems bad things comes in threes. The good part was the garage named us custom of the month. :D

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i do all the work to my cars - most of my expense has been parts, the most recently was £300 on a set of twin Weber 40s and in the same week nearly £300 for a Cosworth brake set-up.

a £4,500 engine rebuild would have me on the verge of suicide, saying that the pistons for my 1900 CVH are over £790 just for supply (low comp for high boost)

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Last year I had the suspension on my 23 year old Sierra RS500 Cosworth overhauled by Eggenberger Motorsports here in Switzerland. Eggenberger ran the Ford Works RS500 'Texaco' cars in Gp.A and won the World Touring Car Championship with them, so they are no mugs when it comes to the RS500. Unfortunately, Swiss engineering costs and with a whole bunch of other small jobs in there as well my overhal cost around US$12'000. Should be good for many years to come though...

Shiny.jpg

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Last year I had the suspension on my 23 year old Sierra RS500 Cosworth overhauled by Eggenberger Motorsports here in Switzerland. Eggenberger ran the Ford Works RS500 'Texaco' cars in Gp.A and won the World Touring Car Championship with them, so they are no mugs when it comes to the RS500. Unfortunately, Swiss engineering costs and with a whole bunch of other small jobs in there as well my overhal cost around US$12'000. Should be good for many years to come though...

Shiny.jpg

To the new King of Car Repair. Actually is cheap because is less than $525.00/yr., except you had to pay for it all at once. Is a nice car and I think is worth more than double your repair bills so is still worth it.

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Back in 1992 I bought an XJ 12 series 1 Jag for $300. Fifty grand and 5 years later it was on the road, albeit very modified!

I wish I still had that car.....

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To the new King of Car Repair. Actually is cheap because is less than $525.00/yr., except you had to pay for it all at once. Is a nice car and I think is worth more than double your repair bills so is still worth it.

That's exactly what I told myself when I was forking out for the overhaul...! It's only a few bucks a year...! It took me a long time to find this car and I don't plan on selling it anytime soon, so I didn't feel so bad (although my bank account went from hero to zero in 24h flat). There's not many RS500s left in this condition and the car is the only one in the country, as such, it's insured for $75'000, so on the face of it's it's not a bad investment...

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Last year I had the suspension on my 23 year old Sierra RS500 Cosworth overhauled by Eggenberger Motorsports here in Switzerland. Eggenberger ran the Ford Works RS500 'Texaco' cars in Gp.A and won the World Touring Car Championship with them, so they are no mugs when it comes to the RS500. Unfortunately, Swiss engineering costs and with a whole bunch of other small jobs in there as well my overhal cost around US$12'000. Should be good for many years to come though...

Shiny.jpg

that's gorgeous! well worth the bill in my opinion

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that's gorgeous! well worth the bill in my opinion

Thanks chap. Glad you like her :)

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Guest Greg67

Had a 1990 chevy 1500 truck, went to a local corporation brake shop in the US, ~$800 later, back on the road again. :) Now have a ford ranger, and bills seem to run a lot less.

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50Gs :) you got post some photos. I am thinking a fully loaded WRX sti or the 2012 Boss 302 and still have lots of gas money in my pocket. I guess your pony meant a lot to you for putting up that kind green and time. :blink:

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I should change this topic to "How A Fool Lost over $3000.00" Just last year, I spend over $5G in fixing up my car thinking I would drive her to ground given she had just 50000 km, which for a 10 year old car is very good.

Well, I just sold her for less than $2G because I will be using company car for job site visits, which the Alfa will not do so well with it low ground clearance plus I sense more replacement works like the AC unit. Could I have gotten more? Yes, but don't have the time to post / allow test drive or go to more sellers to get a better price. Do I regret it? She is a looker but not a Toyota, hence the cost of ownership will just go up and I will have to rent a parking space just to keep her. I did took several photos of her before I gave the keys to the buyer. :)

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Full engine rebuild on my MK2 GTI 16v, back in 1997, cambelt broke while "Driving enthusistically" in the presence of an Escort RS Turbo (Left him for dead on Roundabouts but he caught up on straights, anyhoo, lots of new valves later I was faced with a Bill for £650, So i said while you have the head off you might as well flow and port it lol, so I ended up with a bill of £900 (and more power) B)

Prior to that I wrote off an RS Turbo (Crappy brakes :) ) and lost not only the car (It burned to a cinder after the crash) but also my £800 golf clubs (in the boot) as I was on my way to my local club at the time, 3 days later came out of hospital, fortunately the insurance coughed for everything except my golf clubs (Which i had insured at home anyway), So I only ended up losing about £300 worth of CD's (They did not belive i had 40 CDS in the car, even tho in the boot was a 12 disc player lol)

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