View Poll Results: How Much Would You Be Happy to Pay
$10 - $25 per hour
26
63.41%
$25 - $50 per hour
5
12.20%
$100 per 1/2 day
2
4.88%
More then Above
0
0%
Less then Above
8
19.51%
Voters: 41. You may not vote on this poll
Pool: Do-It-Yourself Shop
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 10,179
Likes: 2,306
From: Wesley Chapel, FL Las Vegas, NV
Pool: Do-It-Yourself Shop
If you had a place where you could go to work on your Vette that had a lift, tools, compressor, place to dispose of oil etc. Would you use it?
If so how much would you be willing to pay to use it?
$10-$25 per hour
$25-$50 per hour
$100 per 1/2 day
More then Above
Less then Above
I ask because I talk to a lot of guys that have the desire to do their own work but don't have the space and/or proper tools to do it.
If so how much would you be willing to pay to use it?
$10-$25 per hour
$25-$50 per hour
$100 per 1/2 day
More then Above
Less then Above
I ask because I talk to a lot of guys that have the desire to do their own work but don't have the space and/or proper tools to do it.
Last edited by Vega$Vette; Mar 21, 2008 at 06:58 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,059
Likes: 12
From: AKA Harvey Mushman-I know just enough to be dangerous "Those who sacrifice liberty for safety deserve neither"- B. Franklin
Senior Member
Cruise-In V Veteran
I would think that the overhead -especially insurance- would keep the hourly rates higher than your low end scale. I generally feel that people without their own tools probably are not that good with someone elses. If you don't believe me go ask someone that works at a tool rental center. Friends and family are always welcome to use my pretty well equiped shop for free, but guess who usually does the wrenching?
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 16,477
Likes: 26
From: Gone
CI 6-7-8-9-10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '03
I've seen cars fall of of lifts before ( a 78 pace car in fact).
I've seen people welding and torching items located inches away from fuel tanks and lines.
And I know of someone that was run over because they failed to comprehend when you take a screwdriver to jump the starter solenoid posts, the starter motor WILL turn the engine over, even if the car is in reverse gear and you're laying behind the front tire.
Not everyone is a "car guy", and not everyone has basic comprehension of the dangers involved in what a lot of us consider very basic and simple tasks. It's one thing to let your good friends use your equipment...it's quite another to sell that as a service to Joe Public.
Insuring an "DIY automotive repair hosting facility" would be outrageously expensive, if attainable at any cost.
I've seen people welding and torching items located inches away from fuel tanks and lines.
And I know of someone that was run over because they failed to comprehend when you take a screwdriver to jump the starter solenoid posts, the starter motor WILL turn the engine over, even if the car is in reverse gear and you're laying behind the front tire.
Not everyone is a "car guy", and not everyone has basic comprehension of the dangers involved in what a lot of us consider very basic and simple tasks. It's one thing to let your good friends use your equipment...it's quite another to sell that as a service to Joe Public.
Insuring an "DIY automotive repair hosting facility" would be outrageously expensive, if attainable at any cost.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,956
Likes: 2
From: Indianapolis In
Been there done that...........
WHat ends up happening is you get some Nascar wannabe who has a 74 monte carlo & wants to put a big block is it. After the 3rd day, He owes you more for lift/tool time than the cae is worth. So you end up haveing all these POS's sitting around the shop waiting for some one to pay. Now you have a signed contract stating that the owner is liable REGARDLESS of charge amount but you cant get blood from a turnup. He has filed bankrupsy & walked away from everything. Good Luck........
Oh just for the record, Your liability insurance for having uncertified mechanics working in your shop has cost you 22x the normal rate. Why do you think all the dealers only have "certified" mechanics?
WHat ends up happening is you get some Nascar wannabe who has a 74 monte carlo & wants to put a big block is it. After the 3rd day, He owes you more for lift/tool time than the cae is worth. So you end up haveing all these POS's sitting around the shop waiting for some one to pay. Now you have a signed contract stating that the owner is liable REGARDLESS of charge amount but you cant get blood from a turnup. He has filed bankrupsy & walked away from everything. Good Luck........
Oh just for the record, Your liability insurance for having uncertified mechanics working in your shop has cost you 22x the normal rate. Why do you think all the dealers only have "certified" mechanics?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 7,604
Likes: 8
From: Belleville Il
Have my own in my back yard. 4 poster compressor sand blast cabinet,cherry picker and so on.DIY is alive and well.Being new to C5s is a major challenge though,especially compared to my big block shark.That one I've done springs shacks trailing arms Rebuilt the motor and swapped the trany and more.This electronic/computer controlled stuff is a real brain buster.Going to keep me scratching my head for a long time. Popular with family and friends as well !!
Popular with family and friends as well !!
Last edited by itzza427; Mar 22, 2008 at 01:35 AM.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,384
Likes: 87
From: Horncastle Lincolnshire, England
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Dont forget the military guys could use the Auto Shop on base. For the rest that would be a great idea but you'd need to cover the legal side carefully to CYA.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 6,266
Likes: 156
From: Galloway Twp. NJ
Cruise-In VII Veteran
many years ago my father and a friend opened up a place EXACTLY like that in Conshohocken PA.
my fathers friend was a certified mechanic and would "supervise" the customers to make sure that they were doing things correctly and in a safe way.
aside from a few motorheads doing work on their cars, the majority of the people using the place were people doing there own tune ups, brake jobs and oil changes.
they offered classes on how to work on your car and sold tune up parts, brake parts, etc....
I thought it was a good idea, but today you can get sued for just looking at someone the wrong way.
my fathers friend was a certified mechanic and would "supervise" the customers to make sure that they were doing things correctly and in a safe way.
aside from a few motorheads doing work on their cars, the majority of the people using the place were people doing there own tune ups, brake jobs and oil changes.
they offered classes on how to work on your car and sold tune up parts, brake parts, etc....
I thought it was a good idea, but today you can get sued for just looking at someone the wrong way.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Every 2027 Corvette Engine Explained
Joe Kucinski
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Verdad Gallardo
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,375
Likes: 426
I read about a kind of 'co-op' like this run by a group of motorcyclists. They rented the place, bought large commonly shared tools and decided who could and couldn't join the co-op. Everyone had their own hand tools because the first rule of mechanics is you don't lend your tools. During the course of the article one of the guys left the co-op because he couldn't keep up the payments. No hard feelings. They were looking for a replacement. It seemed to work for them because it was not a commercial enterprise. Since everyone owned a piece there was no incentive to sue yourself.