I just had my 700R4 transmission rebuilt by a personal friend of mine, Drew, who does online transmission rebuilding... Basically you drop your tranny and ship it to him and he'll rebuild it for you. What he did with mine is a standard 700R4 rebuild and he also put in a B&M shift kit. His website is http://www.netgearhead.com and you can email him directly at sales@netgearhead.com i just thought i'd pass on the info. His rebuilds run $550 - $750, mine cost $690 total with the shift kit installed and a new heavy-duty torque converter. He does race rebuilds and will do shift kits, and any other aftermarket accessory..he's really cool to work with.

 

Thats is interesting because it costs me at least that much just for parts! What is his warranty? Why do you call B&M a shift Kit? Who pays for shipping if the tranny drops?

 

I think his warranty is on his website, which is www.netgearhead.com. If there is any major problems with the tranny he pays for shipping back.. but since I've talked to him he never has never had to have anyone ship any back. He rebuild mine last July 00 and it's been solid ever since.

I was referring to the B&M shift improver kit.. I think they sell a "transpack" too which is different.

He does it at such a low cost because he used to be a rebuilder himself in a shop and he realized how much the local shops mark up the rebuilds.. He wanted to set something up where he could charge much less than a shop, so all he does now are transmission rebuilds & transfer cases.

 

What if there is a problem, he's not going to send you the $100 plus shipping and crating money to you first. What about the initial shipping cost? I sent one cylinder head from Florida to Alabama for $40, trans weighs twice that. Like said earlier, quality parts cost about the price he's asking.. The whole deal sounds "shifty" to me. $350 Must be for the bare minimum.

 

If there is a problem, they will prepay your shipping costs to ship the tranny back to them. That's the risk they take when they do rebuilds -- It also forces them to do a quality job the first time that is for sure...

$350 would be for the bare minimum. A 200R4 that just needed a overhaul kit and no extra hard parts or new torque converter would run approx $350. That is not including shipping -- which can run anywhere from $50-$80 depending on your distance through FedEx or Forward Air. It's not as much as you think, he prepays his own account for shipping.

A 700R4 rebuild, with a torque converter, shift kit, and a new band & sprag, and any other hard parts would probably run around $500-$600, still half what a shop would usually charge.

They do it much less than a shop because they want your business -- and Drew knows that the best advertisement is word of mouth. They also take pride in their work -- rather than your local shop who only cares about making a buck. Drew is a hot-rodder himself and after working in a transmission shop for years he realized how much shops overprice for rebuilds.

------------------------<<<<<<
Corey Turner - 91 9C1 - Toledo, OH
http://www.coreyturner.com "Project Potent Rodent"
GM_TBI List Moderator

 

Well it doesn't sound too bad, maybe some people here can try it out.
How long has he been doing this online?

 

He's been building trannies locally for 5 years, but only took it online I believe about 3 months. He's had a great response from what he tells me.

 

So he just rips the locals off? Just kidding.
To fill you in a little bit, the local shops take just as much pride in their work. I know, I work at one in my area. The last thing we want to see is a car or truck come in for the same repair (comeback) that we already performed. Yes, the local shops are in it to make money (so is your buddy, or he wouldn't do it!) but there's no money in having to do a job a second time for free!

I'm not trying to flame you, just let you know where the "local shop" guys stand.

Your friends idea sounds great though, and our shop is working on setting up a similar deal for the Mitsubishi 3000 GT - Getrag transmission. We are the only shop in our area that will touch one!

------------------
Working on:
'84 Z28 LG4 305 with 209,000 original miles!
Dual electric fans (from a formula).
9 bolt posi disc rear with 3.27 gears.
145 MPH IROC Speedo
430 HP 350 (ZZ430) Coming soon! (Building it myself, so I don't get those AWESOME valve covers!)

Starting to look like the Kicker poster child!

ASE Certified Master Tech
+ L1 Advanced Engine Performance
+ X1 Undercar Specialist

And....A sig. that's getting way too long!