my dilemma

[kuzman89]

please close, made up my mind, cheers for the help guys

[Morton]

Could be fair, could be a rip. Sometimes exhaust work can be a right royal pain in the arse when things seize up and have to be cut in strange places. That said, they know you don't have a choice and can tell you anything they want Low quote to draw you in, "hard work" to make the percentage.

But I've had $150 added to a quote before due to siezed extractor bolts (they were trying to get to my transmission) and I was there watching the whole time they were blazing it with torches and grinding the nuts down to try and remove it all without breaking stuff. Sometimes it can be genuinely hard work

[kuzman89]

well he said he had to remove the alternator to reach the standard manifold, which ive never heard of happening on any other modded 6's like mine

[Morton]

Maybe he's just not a very good mechanic. Removing an alternator takes me about three minutes tops. Four minutes if I can't find my 13mm socket.

[ClairBear]

I think it's a rip. A good mechanic or exhaust specialist will have fitted 1000's of exhausts and know exactly what is need to do the job including what parts need to be removed on certain models etc.

A reputable company also will give you a firm written quote before the job starts, or stand by their price. Failing that a reputable business man will ring you to inform if there is an issue that will cost you more and confirm it is ok to proceed.

This guy saw you coming sadly and he is seeing how far he can push you. Personally I wouldn't go back tomorrow.

[Morton]

I would have thought that if a mechanic gave you a legally binding written quote without exemptions for work he was about to do on a car he hadn't inspected, he would be an idiot

You never know when a rusty bolt is about to snap off in a hard-to-reach place and cause you hours of pain.

eg: the floor pan on my HQ has to be cut off in order to remove the seat. I literally have to cut the front seat out of the car because the bolts are so badly deteriorated, and cannot be accessed with a drill from within the car. Should have been eight bolts and five minutes

[Morton]

That said, I'm not saying this guy is legit. You'd have to see the work he did first. He's probably ripping OP off, but there's always a chance OPs car really was a pain to work on. It happens all the time.

[kuzman89]

its a VE, theres no rust, its barely a year old. He has inspected my car before hand, he originally fitted my mufflers and tips, so thought he had some clue.

[kuzman89]

oh and also on the instructions there was no mention of removing the alternator, nor much else, i gave them to him too