|
|
|
Minor back story.........My regular repair shop was ran by a couple old school Volvo dudes. Life happens, and then they retired earlier this year. The new owners have really cleaned the place up and is looking good.
So I decided it's time to have all the bushings and king pins replaced, then get some new tires. I called and asked for a ball park quote. The lady tells me that finding parts for the PV is like finding hens teeth.
STRIKE 1.
Then she asks that I bring it in for an evaluation first thing Monday morning. I arrive by 9:30 and I asked where she looked for parts and she said IPD. OK, I've bought from them too, but for front end parts, I sourced VP and found them to have very good pricing. I found the Springs, King Pin Kit and Bushing Kit for about $450. I shared my knowledge of where to get parts with the shop as I like the previous owners and just trying to pay it forward. So I drop my car off and they called me 2.5 days later with the quote. $3,500 ! Holy Effing Cow!
STRIKE 2.
Hold on gang, it really gets good now. I talk to Herman, the lead counter dude. He tries to butter me up by telling me how nice the car is and his mechanics love the Older Volvo's. He then tells me that the labor will be 7.5 hours..............per wheel !! I've never done a front end before, but with ya'alls knowledge to share, I could probably figure it out and do the work in 8-10 hours. Then, he proceeds to tell me the parts with be $1,900. WTF!! I just shared with them where to find the parts in the future, and I will supply the parts for this job! needless to say, I am picking up the car tomorrow and going to inform Herman he won't be doing the work.
SO, after all this, am I way off base, or is the shop?
I am looking for someone qualified to do the work in the greater SF Bay Area..............
|
|
-
|
|
|
UPDATE :
I found a semi retired guy to rebuild my front end ! Very fair quote. He estimated it would take between 8-10 hours, just like Eric mentioned. He is from England and has a wealth of experience with European cars, more on the Jaguar and Triumph end, but has also done vintage Volvo's. He did quite a bit of work for another friend with a 544 and he couldn't be happier. I guess I shall find out next week sometime. He's also going to throw in a tune on the SU's. I don't think they need it, but he seems to feel he can really make it run better than it already does.
|
|
-
|
|
Nothing helpful to add here, just commiseration. I had the same experience with the dentist.
Alas, do-it-yourself dentistry is beyond my desire, but it makes me wonder how many years of doing-it-myself mechanical experience and tool collecting would have been lost if I had long ago found a shop like you did, as trustworthy as was my now-retired dentist?
Old cars: A hobby for the do-EVERYTHING-youselfer or the wealthy.
--
Art Benstein near Baltimore
Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
|
|
-
|
|
|
Giving high estimates can be a polite way of saying that they don't want to work on your car.
1 of the ways I suggest to my website customers on how to find a local Volvo independent repair shop is to call the nearest Volvo dealer and ask someone in the parts department if they know of any shops.
And since you need front suspension work, there might be a shop that specializes in front end work in your area like an alignment shop that will do the job for a reasonable amount.
I'd be glad to do the work if you can get the car down to me in Torrance, CA. I know you are over 400 miles away, but I have customers that do come from farther. Although I have to admit, most of them usually make it a dual purpose trip like visiting relative, vacationing or a business trip.
The parts to rebuild the front suspension for a PV, kingpin kits, all 6 pivot kits, sway bar bushings and lower A-arm bushings should cost around $700.00 and I charge 10 hours plus machine shop labor for replacing the kingpins and a front end alignment brings the total to around $1700.00. If the shocks need to be replaced then the price will be higher.
--
Eric
Hi Performance Automotive Service (formerly OVO or Old Volvos Only)
Torrance, CA 90502
hiperformanceautoservice.com or oldvolvosonly.com
|
|
-
|
|
|
Thanks Eric. 10 hours is much more inline with my thinking. I got the car back today and did a thorough evaluation of the quote. They had several duplicates on the quote that really got me to thinking about how their shop is now run. They quoted both polyurethane AND rubber kits along with individual item which were included in the kits. They did say however, that the king pins didn't have any play and checked out ok.
I overheard a conversation of another customer that didn't sound too pleased either. I'm sure the original owners are getting an earful from past customers they run into while out and about.
I may take you up on your offer if I am unable to find another reputable mechanic in my local area.
Thanks.
|
|
-
|
|
|
Disassembled and mark everything. Count the shim when removing the link pins. Send the part needing new bushing to a machine shop , so they can be pressed in and reamed to fit the king & link pins. Reassemble. I still have to do mine in the PV444. You could also purchase a hydraulic press from Harborfreight for cheap and press the other bushing yourself. Not hard to do.
|
|
-
posted by
someone claiming to be CB
on
Thu Aug 29 10:28 CST 2019 [ RELATED]
|
|
my dentist too, maybe we had the same guy. As he moved up to more expensive office space with his partner, then got joined some kind of dental group...every time I went he want to sell me a crown.... he retired then reappeared with another larger expensive group. I knew the that something was up as he had no denatl assistant and he personnaly cleaned my teeth. Then came the Crown that I 'needed' ==== for $1K ..
re" the OPs new mechanics --- it must cost a lot to have a shop in the SF Bay Area, much less to pay for housing. Maybe the new owners are wanting to take advantage of TechRichSillycon collectors of cool old Volvos and for that you can't really fault them.
|
|
-
posted by
someone claiming to be CB
on
Thu Aug 29 10:38 CST 2019 [ RELATED]
|
|
typos on steroids LOL sorry, english really is my first and only language.
so to my point re 'money to thro at cars'
Hello, my name is Lisa and I drive a 73 BMW 2002
1973 BMW 2002: A Tastefully Modified Treasure
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osjNGwcl7Ps
|
|
-
posted by
someone claiming to be CB
on
Thu Aug 29 11:03 CST 2019 [ RELATED]
|
|
Lisa's 1967 BMW 1600
Jay Leno's Garage
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-PYhs2wYzI
|
|
-
posted by
someone claiming to be CB
on
Sat Aug 31 16:08 CST 2019 [ RELATED]
|
|
more BMW 2002 "German car porn"
1976 BMW 2002 - Jay Leno's Garage
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICMSnedTBQc
|
|
-
|
|
Hi James,
Do you continue to reside in Modesto, CA?
As Spook indicates, indeed, the new owners of this shop are (we'll state politely) attempting to deceive you and provide no useful service. With this statement you seek vintage Volvo repair service in the SF Bay Area where hourly rates correspond to relative values. Yet indeed, a total and complete rip off.
You'll need to get out your Google and Bing and other resources like you local Volvo Club of America chapter. Also, this brickboard site contains a SHOPS listing at the home page. There also exists a Volvo mechanics web site. Verify any listing with the BBB, social media comments, and the like.
As another resource, if you facebook, there exist some PV sites that are a small yet globally attended member community. May or may not help.
My usual response when ask on where to find Volvo repair services. You will want to contact the repair shops and ask for hourly rate and such.
Brickboard Volvo SHOPS - Listing is terribly out of date and rarely updated by board members for a long time.
https://www.brickboard.com/SHOPS/
Volvo SHOPS in CA-state
https://www.brickboard.com/SHOPS/?cat_id=&state=CA
And I find CRO Volvo in San Rafael, where I worked for a short while in the late 1980s, is now closed. Thanks for the opportunity, Carlo.
Volvo Mechanics
https://www.volvomechanics.com/
Click and Clack Car Talk Mechanics Files
https://www.cartalk.com/mechanics-files
Golden Gate VCOA
https://www.ggvcoa.com/
Sacramento, CA VCOA
http://www.sacvolvoclub.org/
You may find the VCOA clubs may have facebook group pages. You can search facebook for these VCOA chapters and ask for repair service locations and opinion.
I'd sure like to know what repair service changed hands and decided you were not so bright as to succumb to their poor use of guile. It helps other to know, also.
There is:
iROLL Motors, Inc. in Morgan Hill, CA.
http://www.irollmotors.com/
Scandia in Sunnyvale, CA
https://scandia.com/
Ackerman's in Berkley, yet no vintage Volvo mention
https://www.ackermanservicingvolvo.com/
Nordic Motors in Redwood City
https://www.nordicmotors.com/about.asp
Volpar in Santa Clara
http://volpar.com/
Berkeley Bob's in Berkeley
https://www.berkeleybobs.com/volvo-service
Popular Mechanix Volvo repair in SF
http://www.pmvolvo.com/
Listing from the Volvo SHOPS that are open and in service.
You'll find addition repair service through the Volvo Mechanics site and the Car Talk site. Also, the AAA auto club may help also.
Questions?
Hope that helps.
Charge it Boyeeee, Rent, Food, and the Like.
--
Donate NOW! Give your brickboard.com a big DONATION!!! Find the ![]("https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_donate_SM.gif") on brickboard pages!
|
|
-
|
|
|
i had a 87 Ford e150 they are similar contruction w king pins.maybe an older mechanic east of the Bay area will be willing to fix it
|
|
-
|
|
|
Yes I do still live in Modesto. Thanks for replying in such detail about Volvo shop. I have called most of the shops listed and so far, none want to work on the older models. From what I am gathering, they shy away from repairs that require a press. Most of the front ends today are simply swap and replace.
I believe I found a mechanic in Oakland that can do it and still not break the bank. I meet with him next week to discuss.
|
|
-
|
|
|
I hope the Oakland, CA repair service works.
My apologies. I should have made mention of Eric Planetman on this forum and his shop who is maybe your best resource for parts and any sort of vintage Volvo network out West. As Eric is in SoCally, the notion did not appear in mind when replying to your original post.
So, the shops that disdain vintage Volvo repair service shy away from press work? As with suspension rebuilding? OMG that so silly yet utterly ridiculous!
Art Benstein and a host of other folks here that have useful to giant garages and collect the presses and pullers to service suspension bits. Yet withou garage I've used good and caring auto machinists with comprehensive presses and mandrel sets if not merely giant bench top vices. Bring them the A-arm(s - upper and lower with stub axle for king pin service), and the like. For $5-$20 a quick press out and press in. It can help to watch them do the work so they apply good press or puller work. Align the mandrel to the outer bushing shell you may need to tell them.
I read here the presses and pullers from places like Harbor Freight work well. I gotta a junky multimeter from HB. Not wholly accurate!
I'm glad you can get quality parts. Ever more a challenge for 240 owners!
My complaint on 240 is the rear trailing arm bushing. The on-axle 'ears' that retain the bushing outer shell and the rarity of the unique press. Two of three current 240s need these rear trailing arm bushes replaced. Fortunately, SuprPro offers two different 240 rear trailing arm bushings. My hope is that the version to reuse the factory pressed in rear trailing bushing outer shell is remains available then. (Lotsa silicon lube like SuperLube NLGI-2 with them blue urethane bushes!) What satisfaction with access to Volvo factory TAB press the motoring feel of no more crabwalking rear axle with new solid rubber OEM Boge bushes back in the day, same for 140/164 I did for pay. Not good for the differential when rear axle crabwalks as old rear suspension bushings allow. Like tacking under sail againts the wind!
Sort of envious of you. I greatly care for the PV series like what you seek to restore. Hope it all assembles together for you to your satisfaction!
Happy Friday!
Back to Work cGMP writer Boyeeee. Remoting from Michigan UP or Sandpoint, ID someday soon? Thankfully no more debt based eventually. Thank the RWD Volvo.
--
Donate NOW! Give your brickboard.com a big DONATION!!! Find the on brickboard pages!
|
|
-
|
|
|
Dear phonemanjames,
Hope you're well. I usually limit my comments to 940s (or 960s, if the issue is shared with 940s).
That said, your conclusions are rock solid. The new owners' ethos is not that of the former owners. More specifically, the new owners are not honest. Nothing more need be said.
Hope this helps.
Yours faithfully,
Spook
|
|
|
|
|
