Would you buy parts yourself, and ask a mechanic to fit them?

Esel · 13-02-2017 04:34PM

gillianmcd wrote: »

Most tyre centers charge a min 20- 30 euro per tyre if someone buys tyre online for fitment locally. You got lucky. If you bought outside Ireland (in Europe) you also don't pay VAT which makes the tyre cheaper. Support local. Obviously the price determined your decision in this case, understandably.

Ah heyore...

Truckermal · 13-02-2017 05:13PM

I always source my own tyres and get a local guy to fit 4 and I give him fifty quid. My mechanic tells me if he will supply parts or if I will supply them, the last service I supplied almost everything..

GoOnTaigh · 13-02-2017 05:20PM

I always buy my car parts, genuine parts from dealer and the mechanic fits them no problems. Always ask for a discount at the parts counter, all the garage systems have "discounts buttons" they can apply, they may or may not apply them but if you don't ask you don't get.

jimbis · 13-02-2017 06:25PM

I happily fit tyres that the customer has supplied all day long. And I charge cheaper than anyone else in the wide area. The way I see it is they are just going to go somewhere else and if I look after them, they recommend me to others and I'm the first one they call when they need repairs/tyres/servicing.

my3cents · 13-02-2017 06:32PM

jimbis wrote: »

I happily fit tyres that the customer has supplied all day long. And I charge cheaper than anyone else in the wide area. The way I see it is they are just going to go somewhere else and if I look after them, they recommend me to others and I'm the first one they call when they need repairs/tyres/servicing.

Good attitude!

CiniO · 13-02-2017 06:33PM

jimbis wrote: »

I happily fit tyres that the customer has supplied all day long. And I charge cheaper than anyone else in the wide area. The way I see it is they are just going to go somewhere else and if I look after them, they recommend me to others and I'm the first one they call when they need repairs/tyres/servicing.

How much do you charge for fitting and balancing?

johndaman66 · 13-02-2017 08:32PM

Add clear odds with everybody else's experience on the thread here I rang a mechanic once and asked him if he'd fit a timing belt kit to a Vectra if I sourced and supplied the parts. He absolutely tore chunks out of me for making the suggestion....was highly abusive. Was so shell shocked I hung up but rang him back to let him know his attitude was not good for business and I would have let him source the parts too if he had only listened to me besides going off on a fit of rage. No good though, he didn't give me a chance to speak second time round, just went off on another aggressive rant.

Another mechanic locally had absolutely no issue with me sourcing and supplying parts for a head gasket after him telling me exactly what was needed.

On a side note I thought Gaites was recognised one of the best brands of timing belt out there.......

jimbis · 13-02-2017 09:03PM

CiniO wrote: »

How much do you charge for fitting and balancing?

€10 per tyre fitted and balanced. Being into cars all my life also means I have respect for the rims aswell.

I'll stop talking now incase I get accused of advertising

13-02-2017 10:59PM

jimbis wrote: »

I happily fit tyres that the customer has supplied all day long. And I charge cheaper than anyone else in the wide area. The way I see it is they are just going to go somewhere else and if I look after them, they recommend me to others and I'm the first one they call when they need repairs/tyres/servicing.

That's my mechanics approach too. He gets all my servicing/repairs work so I never feel guilty about saving a few euro ordering my tyres online and getting them delivered to his shop. It's a win-win.

intro · 13-02-2017 11:15PM

My mechanic generally does not like customers providing parts.He feels that if there is a problem with something not working/fitting correctly then it will be a row as to who or what is at fault ( and i can understand that!). Having said that, my turbo actuator was playing up but you basically needed to replace the whole unit. A new Mitsubishi turbo (for BMW 320D)was being quoted at 1350 euro in Ireland. 1100 to 1150 from uk depending on exchange rate. He was getting me a quote for a recon unit when i found a new one from Germany for 725 delivered. No brainer and he had no problem fitting it. Even came in a bmw box. Without much trouble there are loads in Germany for 800 to 850 delivered.Use google chrome for automatic translation. Its a bit annoying the price difference and i was lucky that the turbo had not "let go" completely so i had a bit of time to locate it. Delivery was 4 days.

colm_mcm · 14-02-2017 12:14AM

gillianmcd wrote: »

Most tyre centers charge a min 20- 30 euro per tyre if someone buys tyre online for fitment locally. You got lucky. If you bought outside Ireland (in Europe) you also don't pay VAT which makes the tyre cheaper. Support local. Obviously the price determined your decision in this case, understandably.

Places near me are €10 per corner to fit, balance and dispose of the old one.

Esel · 14-02-2017 12:53PM

intro wrote: »

My mechanic generally does not like customers providing parts.He feels that if there is a problem with something not working/fitting correctly then it will be a row as to who or what is at fault ( and i can understand that!). Having said that, my turbo actuator was playing up but you basically needed to replace the whole unit. A new Mitsubishi turbo (for BMW 320D)was being quoted at 1350 euro in Ireland. 1100 to 1150 from uk depending on exchange rate. He was getting me a quote for a recon unit when i found a new one from Germany for 725 delivered. No brainer and he had no problem fitting it. Even came in a bmw box. Without much trouble there are loads in Germany for 800 to 850 delivered.Use google chrome for automatic translation. Its a bit annoying the price difference and i was lucky that the turbo had not "let go" completely so i had a bit of time to locate it. Delivery was 4 days.

Read that as 'automatic transmission'!

Sam Kade · 14-02-2017 02:00PM

grogi wrote: »

That's weird...

My man (Joe Spanner) calls his man (Mike Belt) with the list of the parts, which are delivered often the same day. If they don't fit, the same van will pick them up with the next delivery...

Invoice comes at the end of the month AFAIK.

Same day delivery doesn't work so well out in the country which would mean he'd still have to drive 8 miles to the local town to get the part or else wait to have it delivered to his door

You seem to be dealing with a big garage this is a one man operation.

Sam Kade · 14-02-2017 02:09PM

johndaman66 wrote: »

Add clear odds with everybody else's experience on the thread here I rang a mechanic once and asked him if he'd fit a timing belt kit to a Vectra if I sourced and supplied the parts. He absolutely tore chunks out of me for making the suggestion....was highly abusive. Was so shell shocked I hung up but rang him back to let him know his attitude was not good for business and I would have let him source the parts too if he had only listened to me besides going off on a fit of rage. No good though, he didn't give me a chance to speak second time round, just went off on another aggressive rant.

Another mechanic locally had absolutely no issue with me sourcing and supplying parts for a head gasket after him telling me exactly what was needed.

On a side note I thought Gaites was recognised one of the best brands of timing belt out there.......

Sounds like a complete bollix, he must have a hefty mark up on parts.

CianDon · 14-02-2017 03:02PM

Most of my car's have been very uncommon models, or ones that have just completely died out on the road, so I find it easier to investigate the parts needed if there is an issue and source them myself, rather than have a garage scratching their heads and killing time. I once had the Peugeot inside in a garage for 17 days just to get new rear brakes, so me and the mechanic have an understanding that if I supply the parts then everyone wins. Very handy on a budget as I can source second hand parts from breakers, and once the mechanic is happy with the quality of the part he'll fit away and everyone wins

MetzgerMeister · 14-02-2017 03:10PM

I would normally buy the parts myself because I know what I want. The only time I ever had a problem was with my interim Ford Fiesta. The coolant valves went on them meaning you only got hot air. I bought one from a motor factors, fitted it myself only to then find out if was based on the original design and was fvcked from the moment I put it in. Bought an OEM Ford upgraded part, fitted myself and it was perfect from then on.

knifey_spoonie · 14-02-2017 06:13PM

This is just a devils advocate approach here.

If for instance you were to supply your mechanic with a clutch kit, which turned out to be the incorrect kit, who would you be willing to accept the the hourly labour while that lift is occupied by your car sitting idle.

MetzgerMeister · 14-02-2017 06:16PM

In that case, yes because it was your own fault.

quadrifoglio verde · 14-02-2017 08:31PM

knifey_spoonie wrote: »

This is just a devils advocate approach here.

If for instance you were to supply your mechanic with a clutch kit, which turned out to be the incorrect kit, who would you be willing to accept the the hourly labour while that lift is occupied by your car sitting idle.

Of course. It's my fault. Why would I expect my mechanic to be out of pocket because I screwed up. Likewise I would not expect to be out of pocket if it turned out he messed up.

I generally supply the parts if I can get them cheaper or it's an emergency situation

ShadowHearth · 14-02-2017 09:33PM

My situation is unique, because very very good friend is my mechanic, so he always looks after me and gets discounts on parts that he would get, if he would get it for his own car.
Though in some cases I would get my own parts. When coil pack went on my mx5, it was way cheaper for me to get it online, then he would get it from his suppliers.

One thing for sure, I prefer him getting parts. If the parts ordered wrong ( it happens 80% of the time), then he can return them and ger proper ones way easier and faster.

Markcheese · 15-02-2017 12:13PM

I've bought a rubber bushing for a fiver on line and my mechanic was happy to fit it rather than the 250 euro part he have got from motor factors ... says he does it all the time....
Same guy fitted a new ball joint to the van for doe test... and the ball popped out ... had to be replaced ( at his expense ) .

naughtysmurf · 15-02-2017 02:39PM

I got a good deal on a pair of shocks, gave them to a mechanic I use from time to time, he had no problems fitting them,

MetzgerMeister · 15-02-2017 03:15PM

I would think that mechanics in general don't have any problem fitting customer-supplied parts as it means that if something happens the parts down the line or they are the wrong ones, the mechanic will get paid more cash to swap them as it wasn't his fault in the first place.

rex-x · 15-02-2017 04:23PM

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

I would think that mechanics in general don't have any problem fitting customer-supplied parts as it means that if something happens the parts down the line or they are the wrong ones, the mechanic will get paid more cash to swap them as it wasn't his fault in the first place.

In my experience 95% of people don't see it this way and want their super cheap ebay specials swapped again for free, so I simply don't allow it anymore! I only use high quality parts and charge no markup on them, someone doesn't like it or wants to cheap out then they can jog on

Had a few people who could not fathom why it was an issue to leave their car on the lift with no gearbox in it while they returned their clutch to misterauto for the correct part.....

MetzgerMeister · 15-02-2017 05:06PM

When I got H&R lowering springs for my MPS I got my mechanic to fit them. The car was way too low for my liking so I asked him to swap back to OEM. €130 each time but as I said, it was my own fault :pac:

rex-x · 15-02-2017 05:36PM

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

When I got H&R lowering springs for my MPS I got my mechanic to fit them. The car was way too low for my liking so I asked him to swap back to OEM. €130 each time but as I said, it was my own fault :pac:

If only everyone was like you! We had a customer come in with a passenger side driveshaft on a clio and asked us to fit it as it was clicking, grand job done then he comes back complaining that the clicking was still there and accused us of not properly diagnosing the correct shaft before fitting and wanted it swapped to the other side even though they were different..... people

rex-x · 15-02-2017 09:11PM

This is not entirely relevant to the thread but gave me a bit of a chuckle

One of my friends needed 4 new discs and pads on his 407 about 18 months ago, nothing would do him but to buy the cheapest crap he could get online.... got a call today about a vibration in the pedal, they aren't even that worn! You get what you pay for with car parts

Eddie756 · 26-04-2017 09:56PM

The problem here is if a mechanic fits parts that a customer supplied he can be liability for a claim if that part fails.
And his public liability insurance won't cover him cause he can't supply a paper trail to where the part came from,
There was a court case before where a customer supplied a ball joint to a garage, the joint failed bad quality part , the car was involved in a accident , the customer took the mechanic/garage to court and won

johndaman66 · 27-04-2017 12:17AM

ShadowHearth wrote: »

When coil pack went on my mx5, it was way cheaper for me to get it online, then he would get it from his suppliers.

One thing for sure, I prefer him getting parts. If the parts ordered wrong ( it happens 80% of the time), then he can return them and ger proper ones way easier and faster.

Tut tut tut, not being able to fit a coil pack yourself ShadowHearth

Do you really reckon the wrong parts are ordered 80% of the time though? I did have the problem once or twice myself before, nothing like 80% of the time though, that's really unfortunate.

Would you buy parts yourself, and ask a mechanic to fit them?

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