upper ball joints

[Richard]

I am having my upper ball joints replaced on my 65 Tbird. I am using a new mechanic and am happy he has owned and worked on Tbirds of this era. He says each side could take around 4 hours labor. He charges $100 an hour working on classic cars so labor could be $800..Sounds a bit much..Is that fair or is it to much ? What do you guys think? Thanks

Oh I bought the ball joints from Rare Parts because of the recommendation from this forum. My mechanic really liked the build quality of them..

I should say he will be going over my whole suspension for that time and replacing anything it needs..

[jtschug]

If they break off one rusty bolt, that could easily eat up a few hours. Often time estimates include some padding for running into problems that frequently happen when working on cars that are decades old. Many mechanics refuse to work on them at all. On the flip side if everything goes smoothly, then it might come in cheaper. Prices vary by region, but $100/hr for a mechanic at a shop with a good reputation in NY, doesn't seem out of line to me.

[paulr]

I am using a new mechanic and am happy he has owned and worked on Tbirds of this era.
I should say he will be going over my whole suspension for that time and replacing anything it needs..

Second option, do it yourself.
Third option, every other contemporary mechanic.

If you can't choose the second option, the Lincoln/Tbird experienced mechanic you have is, plainly put, worth whatever he charges. Under no circumstances will the third option mechanic do everything right or charge anything fair, given they don't know what they're dealing with, although many will pretend to.

Also, by all means, let him advise on whatever adjacent suspension repairs he believes are needed (bushings, etc.) with the exception, IMHO, of coil springs. Having replaced my own, along with the whole front end, I now believe the Tbird coils are indestructible. But, some like a cosmetic upgrade. Like I said, opinions.

Probably gonna need an alignment afterward. Good luck, Richard.

[Richard]

I am using a new mechanic and am happy he has owned and worked on Tbirds of this era.
I should say he will be going over my whole suspension for that time and replacing anything it needs..

Second option, do it yourself.
Third option, every other contemporary mechanic.

If you can't choose the second option, the Lincoln/Tbird experienced mechanic you have is, plainly put, worth whatever he charges. Under no circumstances will the third option mechanic do everything right or charge anything fair, given they don't know what they're dealing with, although many will pretend to.

Also, by all means, let him advise on whatever adjacent suspension repairs he believes are needed (bushings, etc.) with the exception, IMHO, of coil springs. Having replaced my own, along with the whole front end, I now believe the Tbird coils are indestructible. But, some like a cosmetic upgrade. Like I said, opinions.

Probably gonna need an alignment afterward. Good luck, Richard.

Thanks for the advice..Makes me feel better about my choice of mechanic..He really does know old cars.. The mechanic I was using really DID NOT know old cars..