21 May 2020

Cheapest mechanic in Canberra?

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We have had a couple of threads about the best mechanic in Canberra, but what about the cheapest? I’m looking at over $800 to do the clutch on my laser which is why I’m asking.

Thoughts?

If you’re looking for a service specific for your car, check out our recently updated article on the best car service centres in Canberra.

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dvaey said :

Ive pointed out in these threads before, if you want a simple job like that done, just find a mechanically minded mate, give em a 6-pack and you’ll have your clutch done in a day.

A 6 pack??? That’s a bit tight… A case at least.

georgesgenitals10:11 am 14 May 11

Depends on how reliable the car is otherwise. The old laser/323 was a simple and reliable beast. It may well be worth paying the thousand bucks for another several years of reliable motoring.

wildturkeycanoe10:52 pm 13 May 11

Laser? Year model? I’d buy another car and then sacrifice the old one with a cremation. Honestly, if it’s over 15 years old, I wouldn’t waste my money fixing it or paying someone to do it for you. Unless you can fix it yourself, old cars and mechanics are just a black hole into which you cannot escape.

Captain RAAF7:02 pm 13 May 11

djk said :

No one has bothered to point out that by going with the cheapest mechanic, you are very likely to get the cheapest (read worst) work?

I would go with best value, not cheapest.

That’s a crock! Many mechanics that are ‘cheap’ don’t have the overheads of the big providers and pass the savings onto you, the customer.

As for the bloke I recommended, he works alone out of a small factory in QBN, his workshop isn’t much to look at yet he can mill his own parts, does structural welding, advanced servicing and minor jobs, a real jack of all trades. His specialty is cars that are 10 years old or thereabouts and anything older, though I have seen cars just a few years old there being worked on.

He has been a bloody great find for me, I have had him working on my 60’s US car, my mid 70’s GT Falcon and my 2002 Magna, that’s a good spread of technologies and problems and I’ve always driven away happy.

Give him a ring, he’ll tell you how to find him but he’s behind a fibreglass repair joint on Silva Ave in QBN. Take Pialligo/Fairbairn Ave into QBN, proceed under the railway bridge and Silva is about 500 meters up on the left.

No one has bothered to point out that by going with the cheapest mechanic, you are very likely to get the cheapest (read worst) work?

I would go with best value, not cheapest.

Advanced Tech. Don’t look at their hourly fee. Just be super glad that they’re good enough not to waste your time and bill you for it or to do a dodgy job and bill you for the dodgy follow up that becomes necessary afterwards.

Although for something as bulletproof and ubiquitous as a Laser I’d be happy to use my local suburban service station mechanic. There are people doing services at many local shops and plenty of satisfied customers happy to support them. Ask yours for a quote.

Thanks everyone for the comments. If I had a mechanically minded friend I would definitely have called him/her. I was also considering doing it myself but lack tools, knowledge and equipment

Captain RAAF said :

I know a mechanic, you won’t find cheaper and he’ll do right by you, Call Jason on 0409063849. He’s located in QBN near the bowls club up the road from Spotlight.

Cheers for that – does the place have a name?

I paid $1200 to get the clutch on my 20yo Subaru replaced 7 years ago! More than the car was worth. But cheaper than buying another car.

If you find anyone to do it cheaper than that, they are probably a fraud.

Captain RAAF10:51 am 12 May 11

Reprobate said :

$800 is about right for a Laser (pretty good actually), I recently got quotes of $900 – $1000 for a Corolla clutch replacement. Given it is a bugger of a job in a FWD car and takes mechanics the best part of a day in labour, as well as the cost of the clutch itself, flywheel machining and transmission oil, it’s a reasonable deal. Yes it may be 20 – 50% of what the car is worth but that’s all part of the cost/risk balance that comes with running an older car…

I know a mechanic, you won’t find cheaper and he’ll do right by you, Call Jason on 0409063849. He’s located in QBN near the bowls club up the road from Spotlight.

$800 is about right for a Laser (pretty good actually), I recently got quotes of $900 – $1000 for a Corolla clutch replacement. Given it is a bugger of a job in a FWD car and takes mechanics the best part of a day in labour, as well as the cost of the clutch itself, flywheel machining and transmission oil, it’s a reasonable deal. Yes it may be 20 – 50% of what the car is worth but that’s all part of the cost/risk balance that comes with running an older car…

Ive pointed out in these threads before, if you want a simple job like that done, just find a mechanically minded mate, give em a 6-pack and you’ll have your clutch done in a day.. alternatively you could even grab a gregorys/haynes manual and do it yourself.

Pretty much any commercial mechanic will be a member of industry associations and will be accredited, this means they have a responsibility to do the work 100% and warranty any work theyve done, which generally means they have (and have to pay for) insurance, licence costs, MTA membership, etc. If youre happy enough to pay for that reassurance, thats what the market is there for, if you want to do things on the cheap, you have to find someone who doesnt have to recover the costs of doing the job.

$6-800 is about right. $250 for the clutch kit and half a day’s labour to remove and refit the gearbox, plus oil.

What year model Laser is it? Some of them are a real biattch to work on….

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