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Thu Jul 17, 2025 9:16 am

What you guys seeing for Vanagon shop labor rates in Florida?

Thu Jul 17, 2025 10:54 am

fknmovin60 wrote: What you guys seeing for Vanagon shop labor rates in Florida?

not going to help but I'm in CT and at 165/hr for cars up to 10 years old and 190/hr for anything 10 and older IF I take it in. Porsche....well somewhere in the middle of both of those numbers added together

Thu Jul 17, 2025 11:17 am

OK... any more responses?
What you guys seeing for Vanagon shop labor rates in Florida... or anywhere esle... chime in.

Thu Jul 17, 2025 4:21 pm

fknmovin60 wrote: OK... any more responses?
What you guys seeing for Vanagon shop labor rates in Florida... or anywhere esle... chime in.

Just go to any local Midas muffler shop. Look at the labour rate and add50%

Thu Jul 17, 2025 4:26 pm

fknmovin60 wrote: OK... any more responses?
What you guys seeing for Vanagon shop labor rates in Florida... or anywhere esle... chime in.
$145/hour in Durango, CO, including their paying about as high of shop rent as anywhere in Colorado.

Thu Jul 17, 2025 7:36 pm

fknmovin60 wrote: What you guys seeing for Vanagon shop labor rates in Florida?

You might want to make a new thread with “Florida” in the title so other folks in that state know to check in. I’m guessing there’s only a small number of Floridians here and they may not be clicking on this thread.

Fri Jul 18, 2025 10:28 am

"What you guys seeing for Vanagon shop labor rates in Florida... or anywhere esle... chime in

Fri Jul 18, 2025 11:43 am

fknmovin60 wrote: OK... any more responses?
What you guys seeing for Vanagon shop labor rates in Florida... or anywhere esle... chime in.

not being snarky but are you rate shopping mechanics? because that is the wrong criteria for having someone work on a vintage vehicle. find a shop that knows what they are doing, is willing to work on your van, and their rate is what it is. if you DO find that shop, even if the rate is $200/hr, it could be far less expensive than an inexperienced shop hunting and pecking around for $95/hr but wasting many hours trying to find/fix the problem.

also, high shop rates do not always equate to high quality work. so again, it gets back to that the shop *rate* is the wrong criteria but it is the shop itself that should guide your spending on an older vehicle.

Fri Jul 18, 2025 12:55 pm

SCM wrote:
You might want to make a new thread

Done. The prior thread was about shops no longer working on vans, not specifically about labor rates.

As to the OP's question, can't answer as my van hasn't seen the inside of a shop in a long while.

Fri Jul 18, 2025 1:23 pm

DanHoug wrote: fknmovin60 wrote: OK... any more responses?
What you guys seeing for Vanagon shop labor rates in Florida... or anywhere esle... chime in.

not being snarky but are you rate shopping mechanics? because that is the wrong criteria for having someone work on a vintage vehicle. find a shop that knows what they are doing, is willing to work on your van, and their rate is what it is. if you DO find that shop, even if the rate is $200/hr, it could be far less expensive than an inexperienced shop hunting and pecking around for $95/hr but wasting many hours trying to find/fix the problem.

also, high shop rates do not always equate to high quality work. so again, it gets back to that the shop *rate* is the wrong criteria but it is the shop itself that should guide your spending on an older vehicle.

Quoted for emphasis. I have no idea what the shop I use when I have to charges per hour- it might be on the receipt, but I haven't paid attention. I do know I have been happy with their work and prices on both my old vanagon and my current eurovan.

Fri Jul 18, 2025 1:35 pm

$160 hour Palm Beach County. Straight time, no flat rate. Mainly supporting existing customers. We have found it is not profitable taking in unknown to us classics.

Fri Jul 18, 2025 2:01 pm

FWIW - Just had my snapped in half alternator pivot bolt replaced in Benton, AR. Shop rate was $130.

Fri Jul 18, 2025 2:12 pm

blyhigh wrote: FWIW - Just had my snapped in half alternator pivot bolt replaced in Benton, AR. Shop rate was $130.

What they charge you for the snapped bolt repair?

Fri Jul 18, 2025 3:38 pm

In Miami my mechanic for my Vanagon Westy is charging $175.00/hr but told me he is going up to $230/hr. I said WHAT. He does know my Vanagon and had previously worked on Vanagons when he was at a VW dealer. He has had his own shop for years. I think I got sticker shock on the time he charged for removing and replacing my windows for a windows out paint job. I did put in Jalousie windows on the center windows and I helped hiim. I also put sliders in the rear quarter windows. I also thought my paiint job was a bit pricey. Not sure these vans are worth it anymore. I see a lot of people selling.

Fri Jul 18, 2025 4:33 pm

Westified wrote: In Miami my mechanic for my Vanagon Westy is charging $175.00/hr but told me he is going up to $230/hr. I said WHAT. He does know my Vanagon and had previously worked on Vanagons when he was at a VW dealer. He has had his own shop for years. I think I got sticker shock on the time he charged for removing and replacing my windows for a windows out paint job. I did put in Jalousie windows on the center windows and I helped hiim. I also put sliders in the rear quarter windows. I also thought my paiint job was a bit pricey. Not sure these vans are worth it anymore. I see a lot of people selling.

So.....what did your point job Cost?

Paint jobs are astronomically higher now than they were 20 years ago. It's a combination of the cost for paint and solvents, air quality fees in certain states, disposal fees....and high labor costs because less and less people can be find that knkw how to paint.
Ray

Fri Jul 18, 2025 4:50 pm

Paint job cost $13,900. My van is brown and tan two tone. They did replace the right rear fender, which requires a little tack welding.. I purchased the parts needed which was an additional expense.. Window removal and install plus powder coat the handles by my Mechanic cost $3,700.

Fri Jul 18, 2025 5:25 pm

Westified wrote: Paint job cost $13,900. My van is brown and tan two tone. They did replace the right rear fender, which requires a little tack welding.. I purchased the parts needed which was an additional expense.. Window removal and install plus powder coat the handles by my Mechanic cost $3,700.

The window removal install sounds....a little pricey. Just labor right? About 8 windows? Then again....$175 an hour is 21 hours. Powder coat aside, that's 1.3 hours each for removal and and 1.3 hours each for install. Some take longer than others. That's not bad.

$14k for a two-tone? .....two tone runs more than a single color. A bus/van....lots more paint and work. $10-$11k for a GOOD single color paint job from my research for a larger vehicle.

Good quality work with good quality paint ($400-700 a gallon) for a mid to large size car these days is $5-7k.

Ray

Edit: i guess the real question is how good is the paint job. If it's factory or better....you got a good deal.

Fri Jul 18, 2025 6:52 pm

I wouldn’t call it a factory paint job, at least not like my original VW paint. Factory paint today isn’t as good as the past, except for the rust proofing. This shop is a very high end paint shop. They specialize in Corvettes and are also working on restoring a Jaguar XKE. They have been in business for about 30 years which is saying something in Miami. Most shops here just want collision work with insurance payments. They did do a nice job and tried hard to please me and my mechanic who is very picky. Also, the cost of living in Miami is very high. It is getting expensive to maintain these old Vans. There aren’t many Vanagons in Miami.

Sat Jul 19, 2025 1:34 am

Westified wrote: In Miami my mechanic for my Vanagon Westy is charging $175.00/hr but told me he is going up to $230/hr. .... previously worked on Vanagons when he was at a VW dealer. $230 per hour for a VW dealer tech to work on your Westy is high?...sounds like a good deal.

"Miami's cost of living being 21% higher than the national average"
and he is increasing his rate by about 25% to keep up with increased costs
Eat some humble pie, and be thankful, that he is still wiling to work on it for that price.

Westified wrote: He has had his own shop for years.
He must be doing good work, correct?

Westified wrote: I think I got sticker shock on the time he charged for removing and replacing my windows for a windows out paint job.
So, he removed all of your windows, for you to get a good paint job, and reinstalled all of the glass with the old seals, or did he put new ones in? The front door seals can be a real pain, especially the vent window seals

Westified wrote: I did put in Jalousie windows on the center windows and I helped hiim. I also put sliders in the rear quarter windows.
How did the Jalousie window install go...how good is their fit?
Did you install the sliders or did he... the cabinet window is a real bear of a job, let alone aftermarket sliding windows...they are a tad bit big

Sat Jul 19, 2025 1:37 am

skills@eurocarsplus wrote: fknmovin60 wrote: What you guys seeing for Vanagon shop labor rates in Florida?

not going to help but I'm in CT and at 165/hr for cars up to 10 years old and 190/hr for anything 10 and older IF I take it in. Porsche....well somewhere in the middle of both of those numbers added together

And grump Volvo owners like me pay $335 but he did give me a $20 discount for having a 1999 p80