- Oct 10, 1999
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a cheaper idea is to call a local machine shop and see what they have kicking around. You'd be surprised at the bargians they have. I have seen stock built chev 350's going for $1200 Canadian and all it needed was the ignition and exhaust and the accessory stuff.
One day I was checking out a local machine shop and they had a 340 mopar long block sitting there for $1500 with 10:1 pistons and a nice high lift cam and all steel double roller timing chain. I should have bought that for my mopar instead of using my 318.
PS: i am sure they could find a good running 350 chev in an wrecking yard very easily. I know that here in Ontario most of the wreckers are joined on a database of parts. If they are looking for something, they can find out if another wreckers has it very easily.
Crate engine.
You could buy a whole used truck and load it up with a crate engine and offroading suspension for what you're being quoted (that is, if you're good at bargainhunting)
You could buy a whole used truck and load it up with a crate engine and offroading suspension for what you're being quoted (that is, if you're good at bargainhunting)
Looking at the autotrader, the resale value after repairs should be around 6-8k. There are 255000km on the engine. The problem with taking it to another shop is i don't know where to go. In my short experience having a vehicle, i've found that a lot of mechanics will try to screw me over if they can see that i don't know much. I've already gotten $400-500 worth of work done at midas by taking the heads off. Since now the truck obviously can't drive on it's own, just getting it to another shop will be a trip. Also they said the engine block is fine. What is a crate engine? Is that just an engine from a scraped truck?
I would personally start looking for another car at that point (and I say this having spent $2000+ on repairs on my own car since I bought it in September...)
- Oct 10, 1999
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where do you live?
a crate engine is a new engine bought from the dealership.
I say get Midas or whoever to get a low mileage 350 engine from a wrecker. I am sure one can be located easily enough.
My mechanic did an engine swap for a guy's Buick wagon. He killed his 307 and replaced it with another 307 from the wreckers. Total cost? $2000 canadian out the door.
doesn't matter, if they are warped you need new cylinder heads, regardless if they are cracked or not
i've been through this before with my old car, and my friends 1990 sunbird (horrible on heads that car)
each time the cars only needed cylinder heads and the head gasket obviously... i'd scrap the motor and try to find a used engine from a wreckers, or see what you can do along that line.
Oringinally the guy at midas told me he was going to look for another engine from a wrecker. However, the only one he found was that 305 for $850, and i would have to go to another town (arnprior) and buy it and arrange to have it delivered here to ottawa. Kinda hard when you don't have a car. Not sure how hard he looked, because i would think there would be a lot more gm 350's and 305's around.
Edit: They already told me that getting a brand new engine installed would cost $4600.
Edit: They already told me that getting a brand new engine installed would cost $4600.
New motor. I am pretty sure you can put a small block 350 in those. That is EXTREMELY easy to find. Hell you could get a built motor for the price of those repairs.
DrPizza
Administrator Elite Member Goat Whisperer
Hmmm... smells like you're being ripped off to me...
I could be wrong though...
Ironically, I went through nearly the exact same thing
(except, in my case, I had (and still have) a bad temperature gauge and rather than a bad radiator, I had to change the thermostat)
Engine overheated - led to head warping (and later found it had a crack and had to be replaced) - led to blowing the head gasket. Unfortunately, the AAA tow guy insisted the rules said he *had* to take it to *his* garage - Midas. The next day, they had an estimate for umpteen bazillion dollars, with the chance that I'd have to pay a bazillion dollars more if more problems were found. (plus a bill for 2 hours of labor for the estimate!) I did my research, argued that any idiot could figure out it was a blown head gasket without even lifting the hood and asked them if THEY even bothered to lift the hood - oddly, they hadn't put the mat in on the drivers side that they normally do when they work on cars (that's weird, I commented, what do you do, put those mats in when you're done?) They reduced the time they spent on diagnostics... :roll:
Anyway, I had my own mechanic take care of the problem for about 1/3 the cost Midas wanted... and that's after finding out the head needed to be replaced.
Do your reading... check out the prices from other places for the exact same thing.. once you know what needs to be done, you'll sound more knowledgeable.
and, btw, since no one pointed this out yet...
I'll bet the water pump isn't bad.. you just asked them to find more problems, so they were happy to accomodate you with things that could easily be done while they were as far as they were.
I could be wrong though...
Ironically, I went through nearly the exact same thing
(except, in my case, I had (and still have) a bad temperature gauge and rather than a bad radiator, I had to change the thermostat)
Engine overheated - led to head warping (and later found it had a crack and had to be replaced) - led to blowing the head gasket. Unfortunately, the AAA tow guy insisted the rules said he *had* to take it to *his* garage - Midas. The next day, they had an estimate for umpteen bazillion dollars, with the chance that I'd have to pay a bazillion dollars more if more problems were found. (plus a bill for 2 hours of labor for the estimate!) I did my research, argued that any idiot could figure out it was a blown head gasket without even lifting the hood and asked them if THEY even bothered to lift the hood - oddly, they hadn't put the mat in on the drivers side that they normally do when they work on cars (that's weird, I commented, what do you do, put those mats in when you're done?) They reduced the time they spent on diagnostics... :roll:
Anyway, I had my own mechanic take care of the problem for about 1/3 the cost Midas wanted... and that's after finding out the head needed to be replaced.
Do your reading... check out the prices from other places for the exact same thing.. once you know what needs to be done, you'll sound more knowledgeable.
and, btw, since no one pointed this out yet...
I'll bet the water pump isn't bad.. you just asked them to find more problems, so they were happy to accomodate you with things that could easily be done while they were as far as they were.
GO SOMEWHERE ESLE ANYWHERE ELSE.
They are totally ripping you off. That is one of the most commen engines on the planet and you can pick up rebuilt/reman long blocks all over the place for around $600 US so I can't imagine paying that much to have yours fixed.
Wouldn't that year 350 still have iron heads? You would have really had to do a number on it to warp those. Might have just blown a headgasket which could cause it to run like crap.
As I said take it somewhere else.
They are totally ripping you off. That is one of the most commen engines on the planet and you can pick up rebuilt/reman long blocks all over the place for around $600 US so I can't imagine paying that much to have yours fixed.
Wouldn't that year 350 still have iron heads? You would have really had to do a number on it to warp those. Might have just blown a headgasket which could cause it to run like crap.
As I said take it somewhere else.
JulesMaximus
No Lifer
- Jul 3, 2003
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- Oct 10, 1999
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Iron heads on a v8 like that may need replacing. Older chevy heads would be fine because of thickness. As long as they pass magnafluxing, they're fine.
Ok i'm getting really fvcking pissed at midas now. I told them i didn't want to go any further and i'd get it towed out of there. They then said that the machine shop had already went ahead and checked for cracks, so i'm in for $1184, even though i clearly to them not to do anything until i got back to them. FVCK! They said i don't really need to do a valve job, so that would take the total price down to about $3100 (original estimate plus water pump, which they said is pretty much cooked). The consequences of not doing the valves are the engine will burn a bit more oil and i'd get some white smoke out of the exhast for like 2 mins after i start it. Also if i want to get a valve job done later it will cost a lot more since i will have to take the heads off again. I guess i'm basically screwed now and have to go through with it. Never going back to fvcking midas again that's for sure.
Tell them that you told them not to do anything. You shouldn't be responsible for their wrongdoings.
- Oct 10, 1999
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You have 2 choices now:
1. Get the headwork done, then go elsewhere.
2. or if the engine is toast, go to another mechanic and swap out the 350.
I would start by calling your local BBB for a mechanic recommendation. Then ask for his opinion on the matter with an estimate.
If you didn't tell them to do the work, then you shouldn't have to pay for it just because they decided they wanted your money and did something anyway. There's a reason everyone on these boards seems to hate Midas...
Edit: Plus is it really worth it to spend over $3000 (even $CDN) on a car that's 13+ years old?...
Vic
Elite Member
- Jun 12, 2001
- 50,422
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This is why no one should ever do business with Midas. Not only are they overpriced and underqualified, but they are crooked as hell.
Did you ever sign anything authorizing them to do the work? If not, then tell them you just want the truck back and they can keep the heads that they sent to the machine shop without your authorization. File complaints with your local authorities if necessary.
Whatever you do, do not go through with the repairs with them. See the part of your post I bolded? It is quite possible that they are lying about getting the heads worked on already and were just hoping you would roll over with that attitude and finish the work with them anyway. If you do, you are rewarding them for being crooks.
That's what i told them, but they said i signed the estimated which is true, so i don't think there's much i can do.
If i do that, then i'm basically paying them $1184 to turn a truck that runs (barely) into one that doesn't run at all.
- Oct 10, 1999
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