hay guys please help me

[kl95fto]

ok so i bought my new fto well new to me about a month ago 95 gpx auto. payed 10 and a half grand inc on-roads.

only waranty i had was 1 month or 1 kilometer driving so its expired.

i found an oil leek a few days ago took to kmart tyres and auto for general check up here is whats wrong and there prices. i have no ideas about cars but here is what thay wrote

oil leak from rocker cover area ($295)

suspect cam & crank seals also($500) thay said whilee there moswell put new timing belt in as i wont have 2 pay for labor becose thay have 2 take it off any way belt is ($260)

rear engine mount split ($301)

now im a little upset due 2 the fact i payed 10 grand for it and needs all this sh*t but hay what can i do nothing lol.

but what do u guys think of these prices are any decent? or just ripping me i have no idea about cars so yeah thanks a lot in advance i live in brisbane.all that includes parts

[nvr2low]

hey mate you can get engine mounts so much cheaper from www.camskill.co.uk mate and they dont take long to get to australia to.

[nicholas]

I take it you know nothing about cars (please correct me if that is not the case)

The first thing you should do is take it to a mechanic recommended by someone on the forums; unfortunately for you Kmart is not on this list.

That way, your first question (are these prices reasonable) will already by answered - because no-one on this forum would recommend somewhere dodgy.

Your second question (not sure if you know you have a second question yet) is - does all of this actually need to be done in one go, or at all? A reputable shop will also answer this question for you.

Your third question - can I cut corners and save costs, is unequivocally NO. Unfortunately, as import owners we have to be prepared to either a) put up a significant amount of cash from time to time to pay someone who knows our cars and can professionally do the work that needs doing, or b) invest a lot of our own time and energy into getting to know our cars back to front, so that WE can do the work for ourselves.

There are both types of people on this forum. The third type, who just ignore the issue / cut their springs / buy massively heavy chrome wheels instead - they don't last long.

[I8A4RE]

That way, your first question (are these prices reasonable) will already by answered - because no-one on this forum would recommend somewhere dodgy.

Thats not always the case there was a couple of people on here just recently arguing over whether a mechanic was very good or not.

[kl95fto]

no i know jack all about cars motor/engine wise good with electrical lol.

and no im not trying 2 skimp out but ive been told mechanics rip imported cars a lot so wanted 2 know if these prices were around average or just riping me off and also skimp out i payed 10 grand for it less than a month ago!!.

so was just wondering prices no dosent need 2 be all in 1 go but im gana get it done all in one go.im ringing the fto specialist 2 morrow ijust took it 2 k mart due 2 thay looked through my car told me what was wrong and gave me quotes for free

[mr-charisma]

That way, your first question (are these prices reasonable) will already by answered - because no-one on this forum would recommend somewhere dodgy.

Thats not always the case there was a couple of people on here just recently arguing over whether a mechanic was very good or not.

We do our best to only provide details for mechanics who know what they're doing with FTO's & aren't total rip off artists..

.. that said, the workshops could change management or go downhill / start getting greedy .. in which case we rely on people to post their experiences as much as possible so that we can decide whether or not to endorse them ..

Mods .. Could we set up a seperate section listing suppliers / mechanics / other workshops etc that have good reviews & stick it as a link on the left hand side of the main page?

cheers

[kl95fto]

guys update on my quote on the mechanic i rung the guy in the gold coast rick or somthing he specilises in fto he said he can do all that + water pump for 1500 so im droping it 2 him on monday pick it up on thursday. ?? what u think??

[Fulltiltorgasm]

yeah mate i use rik all the time, hes a good bloke know him thru a family friend, i just got the major service done month or so ago which is what it sounds like your gettin done, i had

*spark plugs front and back
*Reseal cam towers
*fuel and water pump
*all filters
*adjust tappets
*Timing belt
*oil change
etc

all for about $1400

some mite consider it a little expensive but there is quite a lot of work there to get to those parts and they specialise in the ftos and do a great job, i cant think of anyone who knocks there service

[pete_gpx]

guys update on my quote on the mechanic i rung the guy in the gold coast rick or somthing he specilises in fto he said he can do all that + water pump for 1500 so im droping it 2 him on monday pick it up on thursday. ?? what you think??

Kahael, did you get log books with your car detailing when it has been serviced etc.?

Do you even need a timing belt + water pump replacement at this stage? How many kilometers has the car done? Do you know if a 100 000k service has been performed?

[dstocks]

BTW, if they use a gates belt instead of the stock Mitsi belt, itll shave $150 off that price. Most people on the forums are running these. Apart from that if they are buying any bits off Mitsi Australia (the mounts for example),there are cheaper alternatives there as well.

[FTEvolution]

Just because you had a 1 month warranty with the car doens't mean you aren't covered any more.

Did you get it through a dealership? (If so, you are lucky). If private sale, then you are indeed sh*t out of luck!

My mum brought a cheap runabout (Suzuki Cultus) 2 years ago, 2 months later it was drinking oil and smoking, the dealership told her she was sh*t out of luck so I told her to contact the Motor Trade Association. She got in touch with them (www.mta.org.nz) and the car ended up having rings done first (which the workshop put the wrong ones in making the problem worse) then ended up having a full rebuild. All at the cost of the car dealer.

I don't specifically know your contry's laws, but being civilised, and not 3rd world, there would be some pretty hefty consumer rights laws covering you as a car buyer.

People at the MTA here said that you can claim back from a dealership after 5+ years in some circumstances (for example, someone buys a brand new car and the cambelt breaks well within the first 100,000 kms). My point is this, you still have the opportunity to get them to rectify the problem at their cost, but MAKE SURE YOU DON'T GET SOMEONE ELSE TO FIX IT FIRST or you will lose all claims to the dealerships liability (as they can say the other mechanic fucked with it).

The laws are on your side, you just need some relevant information and advice in your own country. Do it once, do it right.

Don't let these f**kers push you around, you have rights. Just remember, you don't need to know anything mechanically, take it to a testing station (like our AA has here) and pay to get the car looked over. Get a report and stick it to them, the customer is always right!

[sublime19]

I take it you know nothing about cars

He said in his opening post he didn't know anything about cars

As far as the dealership warranty goes - I'd say don't bother since it's past the one month. Even if it was WITHIN the one month, dealerships will do everything they possibly can to pay you as little as they possibly can.

I've had first hand experiences when I've gone with friends to argue the point across for his R33 and another friend's civic, everything comes down to "wear and tear", car salesmen are the biggest bastards of them all.
If it was within the month it may be worth taking somebody along who can be a real d*khead and demand things to be done, but forget it if it's out of the 1 month period.

$1500 is a decent deal for what you're getting done anyway.

[kl95fto]

guys update on my quote on the mechanic i rung the guy in the gold coast rick or somthing he specilises in fto he said he can do all that + water pump for 1500 so im droping it 2 him on monday pick it up on thursday. ?? what you think??

Kahael, did you get log books with your car detailing when it has been serviced etc.?

Do you even need a timing belt + water pump replacement at this stage? How many kilometers has the car done? Do you know if a 100 000k service has been performed?

nope no log books and its done 170k and buy my guess it didnt get the 100k or 150k major service tbh. no dont need timing belt but as it has 2 come of in order 2 do the rest i moswell get it done then i dont have 2 pay for labor