just did my last free auto work..

**0rion** · 03-27-2007, 12:03 AM

On occassion I'll do repairs for friends, family, and co-workers. I never ask for anything and rarely get anything but this weekend finally pushed me over the edge. I did 2 brake jobs for co-workers. One on an 04 Maxima and another on an 01 Mustang. Those are my last freebies for anyone. The Maxima guy helped out because he wanted to learn so I can understand him not offering up anything but the mustang guy just dropped his car off and picked it up. He did offer to buy me a gift certificate to a restaurant but that never happened. I just got to thinking how much money I saved those guys and how much time I threw away. I could've spent that time with my kids. The mustang owner was quoted $520 at a shop and he was out $220 for parts when I did it. He saved $300. So from now on I'm having people get quotes and I'll save them half the labor charge because the time I lose from my kids is worth something.
FWIW mustang rear brakes suck donkey balls. Worst design ever.

**JonB** · 03-27-2007, 05:23 AM

Damn dude your way to nice. I would never work on someones car for free unless they were immedate family. Your doing them a huge favor and saving them mad money the least they could do is throw you $50. There's a lady that i've worked with for 5+ years and she wants me to do here brakes they quoted her some outragous price I told her if she buys the parts and gives me $50 I'll do it.

**third_shift|studios** · 03-27-2007, 05:38 AM

"Someday - and that day may never come - I'll call upon you to do a service for me. But until that day, accept this as a gift."

**SSwt00SS** · 03-27-2007, 06:29 AM

time to cut some brake lines...

**9t8z28** · 03-27-2007, 07:09 AM

I use to help my friends out to.
Alot of it was stupid shit, like oil changes. Then you would ocassionally run into problems like, the last service center put the drain plug in crooked.
Then I would be dealing with it and getting nothing in return for fixing shit and saving them a shit load of money.

**Neil** · 03-27-2007, 07:52 AM

That's what friends do - help each other out. Acknowledgement of your efforts is always nice, but if you expect it then you will usually be disappointed.

**lakmflx** · 03-27-2007, 08:17 AM

Thats cause he drives a honduh

**zbizkit** · 03-27-2007, 08:53 AM

That is exactly how my uncle does it. It tells them to get a qoute and show him and he will do the fix for 1/2 the cost of the labor

**Spaz** · 03-27-2007, 08:56 AM

bang thier wives for payment...

**86 IROC-Z** · 03-27-2007, 09:40 AM

I've only done it for my girlfriend... she payed me back well

**Danger731** · 03-27-2007, 09:59 AM

Originally Posted by The Real Spaz

bang thier wives for payment...

+ 1

**310stanger** · 03-27-2007, 10:01 AM

Believe me I know this situation all too well. Unless they are really good friends and a small charge is discussed only do auto work for family. Something always happens. Lets say you go to do something simple and it gets complicated, now you've married this small job turned project and your gonna get shit for it. Shops charge and you should to. Im an auto tech for profession so people think I'm an expert on all car lines and I can diagnose stuff based on the noises they make with their mouth. I know all about this stuff.

**99blueZ** · 03-27-2007, 11:26 AM

Originally Posted by The Real Spaz

bang thier wives for payment...

omfg i almost just spit my gatorade on the floor when i read that. hahahaaaaaaaaa that made my day

**Spaz** · 03-27-2007, 11:28 AM

Originally Posted by 99blueZ

omfg i almost just spit my gatorade on the floor when i read that. hahahaaaaaaaaa that made my day

i'd do it...

**AKIRA** · 03-27-2007, 12:16 PM

I dont see what all the hub-bub is all about. You offered a service without a price.

My friend helps me with my car, but I always stickaround cuz I want to know what the hell to do if he cant help me. Either way, Ill usually buy him lunch or drinks.

If I dropped a car off to someone, Id expect to pay some sort of price, but (not saying you did or didnt do this) if the guy kept saying "no its ok, its ok," then I wouldnt pay him.

**Marc 85Z28** · 03-27-2007, 12:32 PM

Originally Posted by 310stanger

I'm an expert on all car lines and I can diagnose stuff based on the noises they make with their mouth. I know all about this stuff.

I feel your pain! LOL

It's like calling a doctor on the phone, and saying: "[cough], [cough], What's wrong with me doctor?"

I'm a mechanic by trade, and NEVER do free side jobs. I turn most down in fact, unless I'm so familiar with the job and vehicle that I know exactly what tools I need before starting.

I once had a friend who needed brakes on his Expedition and couldn't get the front rotors off. I comlpeted the service, and asked for $20 when done. He said he had no money on him, so I walked in his front door, into the kitchen, opened up the refrigerator and proceeded to make myself some dinner. The look on his face was priceless!

**310stanger** · 03-27-2007, 01:20 PM

Originally Posted by Marc 85Z28

I feel your pain! LOL

It's like calling a doctor on the phone, and saying: "[cough], [cough], What's wrong with me doctor?"

I'm a mechanic by trade, and NEVER do free side jobs. I turn most down in fact, unless I'm so familiar with the job and vehicle that I know exactly what tools I need before starting.

I once had a friend who needed brakes on his Expedition and couldn't get the front rotors off. I comlpeted the service, and asked for $20 when done. He said he had no money on him, so I walked in his front door, into the kitchen, opened up the refrigerator and proceeded to make myself some dinner. The look on his face was priceless!

I know all about the Expedition front rotors too. If its like a 97 to 02 you need one hell of a good swing at them with a BFH (big fuckin hammer). You can pound on them for 2 hrs and leave jus the hats on the hub. Sometimes you have to cut the hat down to the hub with a torch to get em off. Fords genious engineers thought its a good idea to put unlike metals to real close tolerances and not use anti-seize.

**Dax** · 03-27-2007, 05:37 PM

Originally Posted by 0rion

On occassion I'll do repairs for friends, family, and co-workers. I never ask for anything and rarely get anything but this weekend finally pushed me over the edge. I did 2 brake jobs for co-workers. One on an 04 Maxima and another on an 01 Mustang. Those are my last freebies for anyone. The Maxima guy helped out because he wanted to learn so I can understand him not offering up anything but the mustang guy just dropped his car off and picked it up. He did offer to buy me a gift certificate to a restaurant but that never happened. I just got to thinking how much money I saved those guys and how much time I threw away. I could've spent that time with my kids. The mustang owner was quoted $520 at a shop and he was out $220 for parts when I did it. He saved $300. So from now on I'm having people get quotes and I'll save them half the labor charge because the time I lose from my kids is worth something.

More power to you- you've just taken an important step to maybe eventually owning and running your own side business.

**Daniel P.** · 03-27-2007, 05:57 PM

My uncle owns a parts store/repair shop and he helps me whenever I need somethin, parts for cost, no labor charge stuff like that, but I always either help him with labor or offer to pay him for it, but he won't accept anything. He just likes to see me learning and enjoying myself in the shop. Sometimes I will just stop in to ask him a question and end up staying for an hour or so helpin him with his current projects. He is a very critical person however and most people can't stand to be around him, he has ruined his relationship with several nephews so tries to be pretty good to me. I brought putting headers on my camaro the other day, and he replies why do you just want to be replacing gaskets once a month, I just asked if thats what would happen, he said thats what has happened on all of them he put them on when he was a kid. He said it was my choice, and that they would be a bitch to put in. If I bought the beer he would do it I said I would, but I'll have to wait till I have some more money.

**Hi-Po** · 03-27-2007, 07:53 PM

Originally Posted by 0rion

On occassion I'll do repairs for friends, family, and co-workers. I never ask for anything and rarely get anything but this weekend finally pushed me over the edge. I did 2 brake jobs for co-workers. One on an 04 Maxima and another on an 01 Mustang. Those are my last freebies for anyone. The Maxima guy helped out because he wanted to learn so I can understand him not offering up anything but the mustang guy just dropped his car off and picked it up. He did offer to buy me a gift certificate to a restaurant but that never happened. I just got to thinking how much money I saved those guys and how much time I threw away. I could've spent that time with my kids. The mustang owner was quoted $520 at a shop and he was out $220 for parts when I did it. He saved $300. So from now on I'm having people get quotes and I'll save them half the labor charge because the time I lose from my kids is worth something.
FWIW mustang rear brakes suck donkey balls. Worst design ever.

I hear ya man. You really have to charge something. I get quite abit of sidework, but usually its from my parents telling people, ughh, but they always pay decent. But most of family gets the work for free. Especially The G-ma, lol. Sounds like your being too nice of a guy! Not always bad though.