E30 Zone

Ive been putting this off for ages now because dont really trust many garages around here (nor i like leaving my car with people), but didnt have much choice. Took the car there and the guy put it on the ramp and the list just started....

1. the rear subframe bush has gone

2. the propshaft coupling needs replacing

3. the wishbone bushes worn out

4. some bearings need replacing

5. thought might as well do the timing belt and service it at the same time

6. oh and i nearly forgot the driveshaft(not sure if this the right name for it) that goes into the lsd, one of them had all the bolts loose which was very very lucky indeed, as a few days prior to this i was on the motorway doing a bit of speed. So he suggested to replace these as they might be messed up as well.

7. And also he checked my wilwood 310mm disks and they were worn out to, by alot compared to when i first purchased them, he mentioned that the pads were the wrong ones for the disks thats why the discs have been eaten away, so now i need to get some new disks and pads.

8. think there was a few other things but just cant remember at the moment.

Well basically the guy came out with £300 bill(not including the disks) just for the parts, and thats not including his labour to fix all this yet... I wonder if how much that will all come up to....

He told me to replce the wishbone bushes with the m3 ones as they are more solid, is this true?

What do people suggest i do with the bushes, as to what to replace them with, i would like to replace all the necessary bushes just to be on the safe side and make sure the cars running good. As before the car wasnt driving in a straight line....and when i braked it use to swerve left/right.

Where did you take it?
What is the hourly rate?

£300 sounds a bit steep for the bits, tbh...
But not wildly OTT, depends on what bits were included and where they were being sourced...

Roughly speaking for the labour...

Subframe bushes: (pair) (2hrs)
Propshaft coupling: (1.5-2hrs)
Front Wishbone bushes: (pair) (1-1.5hrs)
Bearings: fronts: (30mins) and rears: (30mins-1hr)
Timing belt alone: 1-1.5hr
Timing belt with water pump and tensioner: 1.5-2hr
Then a few minuites for tightening/replacing the driveshaft flange bolts
Brake discs and pads: 30mins each (fronts), 45mins each (rears)

So I'd guess a full day of work for one person
Depending on the rate, I'd expect a *labour* bill of around £450 + VAT

The M3 eccentric front bushes correct negative camber induced by lowering on a regular E30...If your car is lowered, then go with the M3 ones, if not, stick with standard...
The bushes probably won't effect the braking performance, that'll be the discs/pads/calipers or simply an airlock in the brake line...
Change the brake fluid and bleed properly after checking that the calipers all work smoothly and evenly.

Sounds promising if he'd heard of the M3 wishbone bush improvements - most garages these days don't seem to know how to do anything without plugging in a diagnostic computer.

The only thing that annoys me when people slag off mechanics is, how many times have you taken apart something and it go wrong?or it isn't budging? and it takes longer then expected, that is just the way it goes not everything comes apart smoothly, so when people quote hours i think it should be taken with a large dash of salt.

As for the parts I have no clue so best of luck to you

mattyb240 wrote:The only thing that annoys me when people slag off mechanics is, how many times have you taken apart something and it go wrong?or it isn't budging? and it takes longer then expected, that is just the way it goes not everything comes apart smoothly, so when people quote hours i think it should be taken with a large dash of salt.

As for the parts I have no clue so best of luck to you

So true. The majority of non main dealer mechanics are paid by the hour. So they are not there to deliberately find things wrong with your car, its just making more work for them, with no benefits.

As rightly said its very rare that things come apart as they should when they have been exposed to the great British climate. Things snap, shear, round off as anyone on here that has worked on a car will tell you.

Which garage have you used Shakeel?

that is a list and you still got more to do yet

dude who's working on the motor Mercedes or Jag or something???

Obviously I haven't seen the car or know the mechanic, but I get the impression you've found a honest, real mechanic. The sort that's worth hanging on to.
Nothing sounds suspicious about the list of items - they're the sort of things I would expect on a badly neglected E30.
E30 eccentric front control arm bushes have no significant effect on camber, lowered or not. They are used to increase castor angle, which will improve 'turn in'.

Thanks for the reply people....

Im not slagging mechanics anyhow, it jsut generally i find that some people just charge too much for the work they actually do, and with me i dont like people messing with my car and taking the piss with not doing the job properly and then charging top rate for it...
At least when you do your own work on the car, you know its done properly or to the best you can do. I would have done some of this myself but just dont have the time or the weather to do it....

Fushion_ julz - that i was not expecting, the labour bill that is
but thanks for the breakdown, doesnt seem that bad...

bss325 & cliffybabe - The garage is in Selhurst(just off whitehorse lane), the guy has had a few e30s himself, but now is on a bann so has sold his latest one...

dips346 - i know thats just a small list of things to do, now have to start saving up again to finish the rest of it off, still waiting for you tho

Brainmoooore - the mechanic is good when he wants to be, is just not knowing when he is going to be reliable. Its just last time my car started having overheating problems, i spent just over £350 with him, getting the parts to sort it all out, ie: new radiator, pipes, etc etc and after all that still had the same issue... so really wasted my money.... had to sell the car cheap as i couldnt be bothered to spend any more on it, and then bought another e30.

Oh and dips, have to get my ready (PROPERLY) for the dragstrip that ive just read about...You coming to it? Might just fix my car up as much i can then leave it parked up until the dragstrip, that way at least nothing can go wrong with it....

can you do work yourself. I to be honest would attack most of that myself and then take it to him for the bits you can't do.

Too late for that, any how just had an operation, off for 2 weeks, so given the car to him to sort out as its my everyday car. Which i have to sort out, as its costing me too much to run as it need tuning/re-mapping etc.

cool ,i will ring you later

Sounds promising if he'd heard of the M3 wishbone bush improvements - most garages these days don't seem to know how to do anything without plugging in a diagnostic computer.

A bit of an exaggeration there mate. Believe it or not but even modern cars need bushes, links, brakes, pumps etc and diagnostic machines can't do these jobs. A lot of people seem to think that "diagnostic machines" are magical fix everything tools.

Just wondering if theres a way of finding out if the garage has "actually" doen any work to the head, as i asked him to put the thicker head gasket, and the non-stretched bolts on, and at the same time to get the head skimmed.

You should actually 'see' evidence of the headwork, if not feel a smoother idle.

All the other-work will be visible too and is the kind of stuff you want done.

You car will drive so much better if you get all that work done and it will need doing sooner or later.

If it's a cash issue, get the critical things done now, the other stuff can wait.

The M3 Bush comment is very good as it shows he knows E30's.

I like mechanics that point out more things rather than less as it shows they actually give a shit
about the state of the car and not just get you in get you out type of shop.

Richie_zone- the thing is the car isnt running properly as it is(engine wise) so dont think ill notice that yet, as i need to get re-mapped etc, but should at least notice the bushes etc as that can be seen. But as for the head skimming, dont think ill actually notice that its done unless i take it apart, even still wouldnt know cos dont know what it looked like beforehand.

Ive told him to do 1-6 as i think they were more important, obvioulsy the brake discs are more important than most, but will get that done as soon as i inherit some more £Â£Ã‚£, plus waiting for the Goodridge stainless hose pipes from the GB. This way do all the braking system at one time, might upgrade the brake reservoir as suggested by a former member.

Also whilst he was doing that list he told me i would need to change the rear drivshaft(no-6) as he was unable to take them off due to them being seized or something, so he could take them off to change the subframe bushes, so he ordered them at extra cost of around £150.

All adding up slowly slowly - still havent added his labour charges yet

Some mechanics would rather fit new stuff than get the torch out and weld/heat/hack something to make it 'fixable.'

I'd always rather go new parts.

Just do as much as you can afford but be very clear on what it's all going to cost.

I don't usually give the go ahead unless there's a close ballpark to and would appreciate a phone-call if any problems crop up.