Interesting: New Radiator shop charges $430 parts & labor; it's a $52 radiator! &...

background there was a crack in my radiator,

my trusty auto repair shop that I've brought a lot of work to, 1st quoted me off the top of their head $200 parts and labor, then after making a phone call to their parts dealer said it was $430

my free lance mechanic friend charges $50 for labor

the part is $52 on Ebay!

My friend offered to charge only $50 to install it.

I felt bad-- & super pleasantly surprised--so I offered him double that $100 for his labor to replace it

After all, and this is the zinger....the auto repair shop said it was labor intensive and the condensor had to be pushed out the way,

my freelance mechanic said this was not true,

now that i think about it my other friend who owns a customized van said a shop charged him $400 also for a radiator replacement... now that I think of it they (all auto repair shops ) charge friggin $400 + more or less to replace a $60 plastic radiator on any car??! LoL...this is just crazy and that's why we do the DIY thing on older cars, right?

that's the going repair shop rate $400 or a tad more to replace a $50 to $70 radiator...ON Any car or truck or van?! IN-SANE! lOL

anyone had or has experience replacing a 93 Camaro v-6 radiator or a 1993-2007 Camaro v-6 pontiac radiator?

Is it easy?

(this by the way may be the shortest post thread I ever made since I've been here)

I just wanted to make sure my freelance mechanic friend is correct in saying that $430 is just INSANE, it may be labor-intensive but in NO way is it a $380 labor job (@ $95 an hour auto repair shop rates) for a $52 brand new plastic radiator. ???

thanks

 

Not really surprised,I had a new waterpump put on my S10 pickup a year ago to the tune of $500 parts and labor and after that they said the radiator was cracked as well and had to be replaced. They quoted me $300 parts and labor to which I replied I'd do it myself thank you very much. I bought one on ebay for $40,American made with a lifetime warranty, took me about an hour to install it myself.

 

Most reputable shops will not put cheap parts on a car even if you ask. Why? they know there is probably 5-10% it is defective day one. Chances are it will not make it 1/3 the life of the original radiator. Most shop owners will tell you that people will forget a big bill, but if the repair fails you will remember that and tell everyone. Cheap radiators have been around for is long as I have been working on cars (35 year). I avoid them. Especially if there is plastic involved.

Rock Auto has the AC Delco radiator for $138. Chances are the local guy is more. He will also deliver it, so I expect your mechanic is paying $165 for the radiator. It is standard practice for a shop to mark up parts. 20% is the norm but some shops do 30-35% (this covers the cost if the car comes back and has to be a redo for a defective radiator)

A radiator replacement is going to cost you around 1.5 hours in labor, 2+ gallons of anti-freeze and new radiator cap and if the shop is good a will do a thermostat at the same time. It does not take 1.5 hours to change the radiator but once the job is complete the system should be pressure tested and then has to be warmed up to full temp and bleed properly.

Try a search on Google for "How much to replace a radiator in a 93 Camaro".

I could not find any video a 3.4 below is the one for a 3800.

Changing a radiator is easy, not bleeding the air out correctly or pressure testing your work when your done can cost you a engine.

 

Thank you sooo much. I wanted to make sure my freelance mechanic who is primarily well-versed in Japanese imports knew what he was talking about when he quoted me the labor and what he was getting himself into working on my Camaro and where all the parts are.

There is a wide disparity in auto part prices on-line i.e. anywhere from $60 to $150 for an EGR valve on a 4th Gen. Camaro 1993....

they (the shop) might buy the most inexpensive auto part and tack on the expensive range price....

my trusty auto repair shop tech / shop owner did clean my EGR system increasing the likelihood of my passing California smog test, but that's where he got me on overcharging me to replace a cracked radiator....

With respect to the auto repair shop industry, It's like with every other business some people, there are only so many used cars that need work, there are lots of competitors, they lease auto repair shop space closely adjacent with sometimes two (2) other auto repair shop places, and auto repair shop rent is very high on the U.S. side of the border versus just south of the border like near Southern San Diego, CA or south Texas by Laredo....


thanks again.

 

***
Thanks soo much Gorn, I wish I'd posted this 1st b4 buying a $52 yesterday...oh well-
...i guess i would have to buy a new radiator in about 1 to 2 years later or hopefully longer.....

thank you for the vid , Gorn, I really mean it, I shot it over to my freelance mechanic friend and reminded him

that it has to be bled, too, etc.

 

Not necessarily, I'd avoid anything Chinese (hard to do these days) ,I've had good luck with the ones I got from ebay that stated American made and again they stated lifetime warranty.
I knew when I did the S10 what I was getting into because it was the second S10 I'd owned and I had done it once before.
First one I sold 2 years after replacing the radiator and it was still holding up just fine, little truck was getting pretty tired with almost 300K miles on it.
1998 4cyl/5speed,I liked that little truck so much I bought another just like it same year and all. I found out the first week it was losing antifreeze at the pump so that's when I took it in for the pump replacement. I nursed it along another week pouring water through it 'till the radiator came and then swapped it out myself. That was almost two years ago now and she's just fine at 199K miles on the truck ,no leaks and I never add any antifreeze, doesn't even use a drop of oil between changes. Saved myself over $250 not counting taxes so even if I had to replace it again at some point I'd still be money ahead.

 

Keep in mind by GM standards a 1% failure rate under the warranty period is considered a huge failure. GM is looking for a CPK of 1.33 which means a 1 defect in over 6000 parts one non-safety related parts. I know of at least 4 times low end radiators failed there first pressure test. I am sure I was not involved in more then 300 replacements in my life. I don't know of any decent shops that will install them because of the high failure rate.

So if I am saying 2-3% are defective right out of the box that would mean you need to use a sample size of at least 100 installs to shed any doubt.

For a DIY guy a 2% failure rate is not a big deal. We exchange it and it costs us an hour or two. For a shop or a person paying for the repairs its a roll of the dice.

 

Exactly, if I ran a shop it would always be the best part available. Doing my own depends on how involved replacement is. A low cost radiator that takes an hour or less to replace I'll roll the dice on. Something like clutch replacement parts I would not.
That said my Camaro gets the best of everything. lol

 

Cam Bigcat is not really a car guy, He is less likely to notice something that would be a huge red flag to us. His friend could know everything there is to know about properly installing testing and bleeding the system or not. He in driving what PA would define as a Antique (25 years or older) with little value and hard to find parts. This is not a guy that should be rolling the dice. I mean no offence but with no support structure like a dad or a uncle car guy that is watching out for him chasing the cheapest repair every time will end this car.

If I remember right he has more money in the 93 v6 then I have tied up in all my 4th gens combined. He should be making a small monthy payment with a warranty a predefined maintenance program.

 

yes i have learned my lesson on cheap parts ,sometimes,but very little will i go with one,now like take to replace the rad in my 2002 z28 ,ok i can go with standard stock replacement for like $100.00,1 year warranty that has the plastic ends cheap 1 core ,or i can go with a all aluminum 3 core for $135.00 in change life time warranty cant beat it .dont need one yet

but wich i will do when i get the engine upgraded go with a better rad or if i ever need one ,with the local machanic i had deal with him if i buy the part no warranty on the part only the work,wich worked for me,when i bought a quality part ,other times it was worth getting there warranty ,after a bit it becomes a no brainer

for now i have a friend does all my work with me so get to learn while helping him do the work ,an it comes out in the wash ,but he allways tells me dont get the cheap part ,an couse i am saving alot with him right now,it makes it worth it

yup $400 for the water pump on an lt1 back in 2010 is like $550.00 now , an mights well do the opti too , the pump is a $40.00 part it is the labor,

On thing i never liked about any local mechanic is the mark up on parts,couse there getting the $135,00 rad for $90.00