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BUT EITHER WAY....if it's "SOOOOO F'n hard", shouldn't the hours be there for the job? Yes, they should. So why should a tech turn down that job? They shouldn't. If the job pays, it pays.
But if the tech feels like they can have easier pickings, they just might decide your job pays but doesn't pay as much as another job or it is a bigger PITA than he wants and decides to get lower hanging fruit.
Do you have evidence that C4's task rates are meaningfully different than other cars? Like C5's?
I'd take a C4 any day of the week over a Phord, on a flat rate basis. Every Phord job I take, I feel like I'm donating my time, but that's not the point. The point is the job pays for the time and I highly doubt that C4's are magically under rated time wise for their given jobs, than other cars. Some jobs you win, some you lose, on average you come out even if you're an average tech. Same as any other car.
The outstanding difference with any C4...or ANY '80's or '90's car, compared with something newer is:
Most C4's... owners don't take care of them
Cheap owners
If a shop refused to work on my car, I'd consider myself lucky! What they're saying is that they don't know what they're doing! That's much better than a shop that will take my money, but still doesn't know what they're doing!!
Some of guys are ridiculous lol
Getting parts for a C4 is not an issue. Rockauto was mentioned above plus you've got ecklers, mid america and at least 2-3 other Corvette specific vendors. C4's are old. What's the point in modifying an old car if you aren't going to do it yourself? I would think that's like guys getting synthol injections instead of putting forth the work in the gym to get bigger/stronger. Gotta love the Corvette crowd.
If a shop refused to work on my car, I'd consider myself lucky! What they're saying is that they don't know what they're doing! That's much better than a shop that will take my money, but still doesn't know what they're doing!!
Just because I turn you down doesn't necessarily mean I don't know what I am doing. It could also mean I don't want to do work that is more stressful when there are easier pickings around.
Some of guys are ridiculous lol
Getting parts for a C4 is not an issue. Rockauto was mentioned above plus you've got ecklers, mid america and at least 2-3 other Corvette specific vendors. C4's are old. What's the point in modifying an old car if you aren't going to do it yourself? I would think that's like guys getting synthol injections instead of putting forth the work in the gym to get bigger/stronger. Gotta love the Corvette crowd.
I think part of the issue is that for some parts, those vendors might not work. I get your car in and start working and discover I need something and the vendors you mention don't have it, now I have an issue. Case in point. They took my car in and it sat there for 3 months because the vendors didn't have the PS hoses and we had to wait. Another shop didn't want to mess with my ABS. They told me which sensor was bad and how to do it. They didn't want to have to drill out the ABS sensor and have to find that it is unavailable.
I think part of the issue is that for some parts, those vendors might not work. I get your car in and start working and discover I need something and the vendors you mention don't have it, now I have an issue. Case in point. They took my car in and it sat there for 3 months because the vendors didn't have the PS hoses and we had to wait. Another shop didn't want to mess with my ABS. They told me which sensor was bad and how to do it. They didn't want to have to drill out the ABS sensor and have to find that it is unavailable.
Aklim, don’t waste your time. Let people pretend that owning a C4 is like rainbows and unicorns. So magical.
I believe there are two places I would be looking if I lived in your area OP...
Lingenfelter... they arent THAT close, but do-able.
For the rear end I would contact RPM. They are just over in Indiana a bit from you. They might not list C4's, but C4 gears are stupid easy to set so they should be able to get you taken care of. Also any offroad shop should be capable of doing gears in a C4 rear end.
Thank you for the recommendation. I will check that out and I'm starting to see there are some things in Indiana that are not too far from me. I go to Indianapolis from time to time so the drive isn't bad.
Originally Posted by Hot Rod Roy
If a shop refused to work on my car, I'd consider myself lucky! What they're saying is that they don't know what they're doing! That's much better than a shop that will take my money, but still doesn't know what they're doing!!
You bring up a great point that I hadn't thought of. I'd much rather take my time and find someone who will work on my car then someone who will take the money but do a halfassed job.
I agree with a lot of what everyone is saying. I would expect some of the resistance I received if I told them I want to make 500 hp and beat this car and that car but I'm only looking into basic bolt ons. I'll look into the places some of you have recommended. I wish I was more quick witted when I spoke to some of these shop people I just wasn't expecting their responses and it caught me off guard. This was first time I've had a shop respond like that. Like I said I didn't experience any of this in Orlando or even south Florida when I was living down there. I guess I was just lucky b/c clearly this is an issue all around the country haha.
Right? Because I talked about real objective figures and used flat rate to make a legitimate point. You're just fear mongering.
No...let's scare the unwitting into thinking owning one is an unmanageable horror show.
Get a grip.
OP, if you want to take a road trip, I'd be happy to help you w/your car. They aren't hard to work on....I'm not "afraid".
Since you are all knowing. Let me know where I can find a brand new SIR impact sensor for a 90. Need one for an NCRS car. Also need a brand new rear ABS sensor since the original corroded in the knuckle.
Last edited by ChumpVette; 06-17-2019 at 08:16 PM.
I don’t need your help. I know that for sure. Built two 4 Corvette ace cars (2 C4’s and 2 C5’s) along with plenty of other toys.
Since you are all knowing. Let me know where I can find a brand new SIR impact sensor for a 90. Need one for an NCRS car. Also need a brand new rear ABS sensor since the original corroded in the knuckle.
I got 4 ABS sensors but they were not brand new and it took a while to go dumpster diving and find 4 acceptable ones in pictures and later on weeded down the ones that I wanted to keep. It took me months to gather power steering hoses and the shop the car was at wasn't going to spend any more of their rack time to take it out, have me try get new ones made and try to fit them in. They wanted it all at once. It also took me a while to get the brake cable "suspenders" from dumpster diving. So parts aren't going to be as simple as walking in to the dealership and ordering it. You have to work for it and MAYBE you will get it. I had the fender pieces covering the battery from a vendor. We had to get the supporting rail from the broken ones and make them work. So vendors aren't always the answer.
First, I'd like you to go ahead and quote where I said that I was all knowing. I'm quite sure that I've never said that. I can say with confidence though, that I'm not afraid of owning or fixing C4's. I'm not afraid of meeting or beating book on a C4 repair. I can also say, for sure, that I'm not going to "fear monger" all the made up, pie-in-the-sky unlikely possibilities that could but probably won't ever happen with a C4...or any older car.
Do you actually need those items? Or are you just trying to cherry pick the .01% problem that very few will ever encounter? I really don't see you as being a C4, NCRS kind of owner. You're posts certainly haven't led me to believe that. I also can't see too many NCRS owners needing those parts and/or trying to find mechanics to repair them. Those folks typically take care of themselves. So, "pie-in-the-sky". But, if you're truly needing those, I can give you some advice as to where to find them. Like I said; you mentioned wheel bearings earlier (and actual part many will need)....I have a brand new one in my garage right now for $32. Easy.
Hard? Finding parts for these cars. THAT is "hard".....
The first time i ever let someone else touch my car was to get an alignment.
I ran into some seriously fucked up bs.
I even got the asshat on my dashcam talking about his plan to get out of the job.
It seems he saw shims in the front and his ******* puckered right up.
I took that video/audio to his boss, and then to the manager of the dealership in my best attempt to get him canned.
The first time i ever let someone else touch my car was to get an alignment.
I ran into some seriously fucked up bs.
I even got the asshat on my dashcam talking about his plan to get out of the job.
It seems he saw shims in the front and his ******* puckered right up.
I took that video/audio to his boss, and then to the manager of the dealership in my best attempt to get him canned.
Tom saved me with a decent shop!
Risk is higher of something breaking so he wasn't willing to do it for flat rate, if at all. Perhaps there were easier pickings with less frustration for him. IIRC, in the end, the dealership felt he was too valuable to be let go over this saying he was talented but has a big mouth?
Nah, that tech was lazy as ****, he wanted to get out of a job that he did not feel like doing.
So at the expense of the customer experience, he did his best to have them kick me to the curb.
Eta: And had he even looked at my car, he would have found a bad inner tierod...
Lazy as ****!!!
If one of my guys pulled that ****, i would have done my best to have him canned as well.
No excuse for that **** imo.
Nah, that tech was lazy as ****, he wanted to get out of a job that he did not feel like doing.
So at the expense of the customer experience, he did his best to have them kick me to the curb.
Eta: And had he even looked at my car, he would have found a bad inner tierod...
Lazy as ****!!!
If one of my guys pulled that ****, i would have done my best to have him canned as well.
No excuse for that **** imo.
So did they fire him in the end or was he too valuable to be let go over this?
Honestly this doesn't surprise me at all. These car are a pain in the *** to work on. Some how we have a hood the size of a football field and still no room to work. A lot of the design on some of it makes no sense. Its also 35 years old now, so a lot of the guys that really know these cars are getting less and less. Just way easier money out there, I dont blame them, its a business.
So did they fire him in the end or was he too valuable to be let go over this?
I don't know, i have not gone back to check.
I provided them the facts, and let them decide on their own.
At a minimum i gave the tech a black mark.
However, if they are short techs, and this guy shows up to work on time.
Then i doubt much changed for him, other than less trust from his management.
I have had that problem at my work, low on techs, guy had some bad feedback from our client, black eye for him but he keeps his job until we back fill.
Then the bad tech is usually the first to either get pushed to another account or canned.
Large company = HR to work these things out.
However work avoidance is VERY serious, and i have had guys get canned on the spot for it.
06-17-2019, 02:12 PM
Sometimes, you need to shop around a little.
