Is this too much for labor cost
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 99
Likes: 0
Is this too much for labor cost I just got a quote from a guy that is going to do a engine and trans swap in my gbody here is a detail breakdown for the work that is getting done to the car below.now i already have the parts so all i am playing for is the labor.so all he has to do is swap the parts in place.well he told me that the price would be 4,870 hundred for everything below.the exhaust is not even included here a list of all the parts that he is replace and swapping so remember its all labor.
this are the things that are getting swapped and replaced
engine
transmission
radiator
gas tank
fuel pump
wire harnes for engine
parts that are being swaped on the engine for performance parts
timing chain
injectors
cam,
oil pan
intake
its a 5.3 thats going in there and a modified 200r4 that i already had on hand
what do you guys think of the price of labor that he is asking for is it fair.
or is it
this are the things that are getting swapped and replaced
engine
transmission
radiator
gas tank
fuel pump
wire harnes for engine
parts that are being swaped on the engine for performance parts
timing chain
injectors
cam,
oil pan
intake
its a 5.3 thats going in there and a modified 200r4 that i already had on hand
what do you guys think of the price of labor that he is asking for is it fair.
or is it
Teching In
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
From: GRAND MARAIS, MN
Hard to say. I own a shop and having done custom work before, I always try to shoot high on the estimate so that if things do not go as planned, I have some wiggle room. Has he done ls swaps before? How did they turn out and are his customers happy? Why aren't you attempting this yourself?
That is not that much to me. Depending on where you live. That is about 48 hours of labor where I am. At a 100 a hour. If you want it done correct then the price is gonna be a little more. Sure someone could do it cheaper but then you may end up with a crappy looking job. I think it is a OK price. I have done 2 swaps on trucks and they have both took way longer then I had planned for them.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 99
Likes: 0
the reason why i am not doing it my self is because i currently work in afgahanistan as a contractor and i dont have the time now to do it.I just wanted it done before i get home so i can dive into my studies
If it gets done by an agreed upon deadline,with quality workmanship and a car that actually runs-it is likely a fair price.The problem is,these projects rarely get done on time and ALWAYS cost way more than budgeted and quoted,expect unforeseen issues,parts failures and other surprises-you will be spending $10K on this by the time the smoke clears.
When we used to do LS swaps (only do tuning now) we charged a fixed labor for swaps in most cases. Usually they ran around $4,000-$4500 labor for no AC and $4500-$5,000 with AC. Sometimes we made out really well and sometimes the customer made out really well and all we worked on was LS vehicles. If they are familiar with ls swaps and do quality work then the price you got quoted seems about right in line. If they are not familiar I would be scared to pay by the hour. I tuned a 6.0 swap in a 4.8 truck and it was the shops first ls swap. They charged the guy book labor for every task pretty much even when they had to re-do something that they didnt do right. He was over $10k in a simple 4.8-6.0 swap. I felt bad for the customer.
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Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 99
Likes: 0
When we used to do LS swaps (only do tuning now) we charged a fixed labor for swaps in most cases. Usually they ran around $4,000-$4500 labor for no AC and $4500-$5,000 with AC. Sometimes we made out really well and sometimes the customer made out really well and all we worked on was LS vehicles. If they are familiar with ls swaps and do quality work then the price you got quoted seems about right in line. If they are not familiar I would be scared to pay by the hour. I tuned a 6.0 swap in a 4.8 truck and it was the shops first ls swap. They charged the guy book labor for every task pretty much even when they had to re-do something that they didnt do right. He was over $10k in a simple 4.8-6.0 swap. I felt bad for the customer.
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I personally wouldn't pay that much just bc I have been burned everytime I let someone touch my vehicle, but like mentioned before if they have a good rep and HAVE done an LS swap before would be the biggest determining factor...I also would ask that they record a log of all the hours they put in to it just to keep them honest...anyway good luck man you made a great choice going with an LS, you couldn't give me a SBC (even though I'm GM for life)
That is what I would charge for it.
It is not just the labor but the nickel and dime stuff to get the engine in the car.
When I did the chevelle not one thing just bolts in everything needs to be modified to fit the car.
Tim
It is not just the labor but the nickel and dime stuff to get the engine in the car.
When I did the chevelle not one thing just bolts in everything needs to be modified to fit the car.
Tim
It's a little hard to tell from the pics since all the wiring is covered. One thing I can spot is that the radiator only has 1 fan and no shroud. Maybe there is a pusher on the other side but there should still be a shroud on the fans. I also see a couple of big butt splices on the passenger side above the fender. Those are not a great way to provide power but it may not be related to the swap. Butt splices will always come back to haunt you later on down the road. Other than that it looks pretty good. I think it seems like a fair price. I usually tell people to count on $10,000 to do a swap which includes all the parts. It's a good starting point to work off of.
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2022
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Ummm Really I personally wouldn't pay that much just bc I have been burned everytime I let someone touch my vehicle, but like mentioned before if they have a good rep and HAVE done an LS swap before would be the biggest determining factor...I also would ask that they record a log of all the hours they put in to it just to keep them honest...anyway good luck man you made a great choice going with an LS, you couldn't give me a SBC (even though I'm GM for life)
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 22,291
Likes: 3,616
From: Central Cal.
Somewhere out there is a group of ASE certified gurus that establish labor hour time. This time is based on the hopeful fact that your mechanic has the knowledge to do a task. Good mechanics like myself are like doctors or any other fancy professionals because by chance we’re born with an ability to strip a car into a bucket and naturally remember where it all goes back. Basically the labor time guide is a guide. An average mechanic can do the job in book time. I generally beat the crap out of book time. My knowledge cost more than the average mechanic. You can’t just keep up with the hours it takes. I say this because I already know you think you should pay less because it took less time. WRONG What’s your skill worth? I only signed up so I could respond to this statement of yours.
I hate when they dig up old posts, I also hate when I see mistakes in old posts lol
