Scooterotica

I guess you get what you pay for.......sometimes

Ive built 4 engines in the last year.. most were full rebuilds, check internals, fit new kits, order new parts and not really going into porting etc and I charged £120 labour for each and that includes removing, replacing engine, cleaning (3 had about 1" of grime on them) full rebuilds and one small frame had a small amount of porting..yeah I know im that man in the shed and I dont do it for a living so no overheads etc and im not a proffesional but it does take a quite long time from start to finish what with working full time. To be honest I dont even really like doing it but people keep asking . I think if you have to make a living off it then most of your prices are governed by your overheads, rent, heating, company vehicle, advertising and nothings cheap these days.

But do you get value for money with these car dealers ...?

I've rebuilt a few lambretta engines for people locally, usually about £300.00 + parts, includes fitting to scooter, setting up and quality parts (its not worth the grief otherwise)

I'll only fit quality parts from reputable dealers to eliminate any failures and ride the scooter myself to know that its right before handing it back.

It generally does not stop there! often many hours of aftercare to make it suit the rider as we all ride them differently or then change pipe or carb or air filter etc

drunkmunkey6969 wrote:
Sean and I work on £30 per hour and don't charge VAT so a 10 hour engine build with us is £360 labour as opposed to £500+ with others......but that's why we stay busy all year round.

For 10 Hours at £30 you charge £360

I am going to have to speak to our accounts department about the way we invoice

I do engine rebuilds for trades... I see that I am on the loss, big time

GBCS wrote:

drunkmunkey6969 wrote:
Sean and I work on £30 per hour and don't charge VAT so a 10 hour engine build with us is £360 labour as opposed to £500+ with others......but that's why we stay busy all year round.

For 10 Hours at £30 you charge £360

I am going to have to speak to our accounts department about the way we invoice

Sorry, was typed up on my mobile phone...should read: Sean and I work on £30 per hour and don't charge VAT so a 10-12 hour engine build with us is £300-£360 labour as opposed to £500+ with others......but that's why we stay busy all year round.

Supereibar wrote:I do engine rebuilds for trades... I see that I am on the loss, big time

You never lose for trades if you enjoy doing it and don't do it for a living

One builder's forty quid an hour could be money much better spent than another's twenty.

And, count the rebuilds. Mine hasn't had a rebuild in the last six years. But you hear stories of people paying over twelve grand for several rebuilds to the same shop over a similar length of time.

Cost/value are two different things.

poppygun wrote:Hi all just looking at an old receipt for an engine build and got charged 12 hours labour to build from bare casing.
seems like alot of time ,plus 1.5 hours dyno time to set it up, plus 2hours porting to match cylinder to casing.
12 hours @ £42.60 =£511.20 +vat
2hours porting @£50.00= £100.00 +vat
1.5 hours dyno @56.52 = £84.78 +vat
total alot of money. Was thinking of having a new engine done but finding it hard to pay £695.98 +vat on labour as seems abit excessive
or is this the norm any thoughts or recommendations on a good but not so expensive engine builder
thanks poppygun

Would say that looks like a bill from Taffspeed but can't be as no charges for him calling you to say it's ready or for the tea and biscuits.

Muttley McLadd wrote:One builder's forty quid an hour could be money much better spent than another's twenty.

And, count the rebuilds. Mine hasn't had a rebuild in the last six years. But you hear stories of people paying over twelve grand for several rebuilds to the same shop over a similar length of time.

Cost/value are two different things.

Totally agree, and we have seen many similar stories.......its frightening how much some places charge, and then if/when the scooter goes POP, they don't even want to know.....and the customer swallows that and pays for more work! WTF?

We had one guy come to us after spending a grand elsewhere, and ending up with a holed piston. He explained what work they had done and asked what our charge would have been.....300 quid. So we did the work to rectify the shoddy job done by another and the guy was delighted. He actually then took the other place to court!

Thanks for all the replies. As to the final results very good engine done about 1200 miles
but some little faults ie no dust cap on flywheel, no mag sealing kit on wires and only one spring put onto
exhaust stub as cowling they used covered one of the holes did not notice for a bit, but other than that good
thanks poppygun