how much should it cost for a cam install?

 

I've been quoted anywhere from $300 (by people on this board who have done anywhere between 3-10 installs themselves) to $600-$700 (by performance shops who go by some card that states standard time). And there seems to be nothing in the middle, which is really weird.

 

Sent you a pm!

 

I'm in Houston and I charge $300 for cam and springs I also don't charge extra for timming chains or oil pumps while I am there. The price has just been argued down to here where I don't think any one would do it for less it is pretty easy with the right tools, but there is still a lot of stuff to take off and put back together ETC... I would love to charge $400-500 but some one would under cut me or anyone else for that matter so that is just where it ended up I know I won't do them for any less. JMO.
Jeff

 

ls1howto.com and do it yourself.

 

I charge $150 for cam and springs. i've done about 30.

 

Well that's almost worth a drive to Texas...

 

ls1howto.com......thats what I did and my buddy did his too so that helped..

 

After quoting me a price of $660.00, Lamotta Performance of Longwood Florida charged me $958.00 with no tune. I got a respectable tuner to dyno tune it for $350.00.

 

YOu piad 958.00 for a cam install??

 

ouchie

 

Hey guys these shops have a large amount of over head the building equipment ETC...
SUX2BU $150 I can do nothing and save that kind of money you my friend are doing it for next to nothing. But of course it is a free country sorta and you can charge what ever you want. And if you've done 30 I am sure it is because you are charging so little. They are easy but it is still a lot of stuff to take off ETC... I can't see how you can even feel like you made anything. WOW $150 that sounds like that guy Mighty Mex who was going to do them for $150 to get some clients established to get his bussiness going. Never herd from him again though. Good luck to all with your cam installs ETC...
__________________

 

hmm im not mechanicly good.. and i know i would screw it up.. im gunna get sum quotes find out how much people are chargin and i might get back to the guy who will do it for 150.. so ill post later thanx!

 

I have to say, even though my TR cam install was quoted that price in my earlier post and then cost me nearly $300 more with no tune, they did an excellent job and here in Central florida, everyone from dealerships to performance shops wanted minimum of $1,100, so I thought $660 for the Thunder racing kit was reasonable and still do, since they did the springs, as well.

I haven't addressed it to Jake Lamotta, the owner, but, so will reserve any negative comments out of fairness. Maybe he'll make up the difference. Everyone makes mistakes .... will see what he's really made of when I approach him. I'm headed to his shop, now.

 

I just did a 04 C5 cam and springs for $300 labor. I'll do F-bodies for $200. That is cam and springs only. I would charge more to do the oil pump and chain. The C5 was cam install #18 for me. I've lowered my prices a lot since the spring tool I use now has cut the time I spend doing the springs down to less than an hour.

 

Actually i've probably only charged $150-$175 for about 20-23 of them. the rest i just did for friends and my self. I do quality work and back up my work too. I just don't feel its right for guys to save up all their pennies to FINALLY buy that performance part they wanted and then have to pay just as much to get installed.
Parts for LS1's are expensive as it is. The labor shouldn't be.
I think i still charge too high. The way i look at it i make $150 in as little as 3 hours installing a cam. thats $50 bucks an hour. that maybe nothing to some people but thats alot to me.
I love working on LS1's its the only kind of car i touch. and i can do pretty much everything except rebuild an auto. I wish i could work on LS1's all day everyday. but performance installs aren't a steady buisness so i have my regular job being a weld shop supervisor 60 hours a week.

 

I'd like to see an actual video of one of these 3 hour cam installs. Like I said, I've done 18 of them and I just don't see it being done diligently in 3 hours.

 

That would be a very boring video to watch.
Thats kool if you don't belive it, no skin off my back.
Just go to LS1.com in the texas section and ask what the fastest cam install is and you'll be suprised how many can do it in under 4 hours.
I don't do a cam swap in three hours everytime. I wasn't even trying to do it fast the time i did it in under 3 hours. i was just pissed off so i did nothing but work on the task at hand.And i have ALOT of tricks that save me time that others don't know about.
Most of the time i do it in 4-5 hours.After you do 30 plus cams you get VERY good and VERY fast.

 

Hell, during the superbowl i did TWO cam and spring jobs on two cars at the same time in around 7 1/2 hours.
They were actually swaping cams and springs so i gave them a package deal of $250.

 

how far is it from los angeles to garland, tx?

im serious.