ZZ42Fast

iTrader: (2)

That is what I have been quoted to install the HOT cam on my ZZ4. He would adust clearences etc.. But to me that just sounds waaaaayy too high. All that needs to be done really is radiator out and change the cam through the front!

Admittedly it sounds worse because the US$ ain't worth too much against the £ at the moment...

I was expecting more like $175 or something?!

RB83L69

It's about a 6 hour job in a shop. Think about it.... pull the water pump and all that off the front of the engine, pull the rad, pull the distributor and intake, then do the 5-minute cam swap itself, then put it all back together.

$675 US sounds a bit steep even for an import car in the UK though. Shop labor rates over here are in the $65/hr range, so I'd expect no more than $500 if I just had to pay somebody to do it. If your shop rates are what I usually see over there, around £35-40/hr, you should be looking at about £225-240 or so to do it.

Don't figure the current exchange rate into it. That makes the numbers meaningless. I can assure you, shops on this side of the pond don't raise or lower their rates according to fluctuations in the value of the pound sterling, even for British cars. Maybe rates on US cars over there float against the dollar, but I doubt it. Parts, maybe; labor, no.

Over here, virtually no one at all pays a shop to do that sort of thing. We mostly do it ourselves. Those who pay a shop to do it, usually are getting other stuff done at the same time, as a package, like an intake and carb and so on.

ZZ42Fast

iTrader: (2)

Hi ya,

Thanks for the reply. I only did the conversion thing so you guys can relate to it in terms of cost- not everyone knows the rates etc..

As for paying someone to do it- I wouldn't have the confidence in changing it myself. The engine is running so well that I couldn't risk anything going wrong. I don't mind jobs like headers, back axles and brakes but when it comes to the engine prefer to leave it to the pros. I'm not 100% sure it is plug and play either, at least they could confirm that for me too- I wouldn't really know what the potential pitfalls could be and how to spot if something was wrong.

So basically it is steep. £100 too steep.

Thanks,
Felix

MrDude_1

im sure somewhere in England, theres a group of american V8 enthusiasts... they might not be into 3rdgens, but they probly know a thing or two about the small block chevy..

if you can find them, im sure they would be able to lead you to a cheaper place, or perhaps even do it themselves.... most car clubs have one or two guys that can do alot of mechanical work, and they do it for reasonable cost (somtimes free)for other car club members or friends.. just a idea.

Ray87Z

I called around here in the US asking about cam changes and really didn't find anyone who wanted to do it, and the ones I did get quotes from were actually similar to that. Just did it myself, and did another cam swap in my 87 later. It's not that hard, but if you don't feel comfortable you gotta pay it... Don't know what to say, keep calling around. If this isn't your daily driver I would really say do it yourself, there is nothing tricky or hard about it really, plenty of directions to follow too.