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fknmovin60
Samba Member
Joined: May 01, 2006
Posts: 11
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 Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2025 9:16 am Post subject: Re: One less Vanagon mechanic (soon) |
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| What you guys seeing for Vanagon shop labor rates in Florida? |
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skills@eurocarsplus
Samba Peckerhead
Joined: January 01, 2007
Posts: 17827
Location: sticksville, ct.
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| Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2025 10:54 am Post subject: Re: One less Vanagon mechanic (soon) |
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| 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
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my reason for switching to subaru is my german car was turning chinese so i said fuck it and went japanese....... |
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fknmovin60
Samba Member
Joined: May 01, 2006
Posts: 11
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| Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2025 11:17 am Post subject: Re: One less Vanagon mechanic (soon) |
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OK... any more responses?
What you guys seeing for Vanagon shop labor rates in Florida... or anywhere esle... chime in. |
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Abscate 
Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014
Posts: 23784
Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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| Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2025 4:21 pm Post subject: Re: One less Vanagon mechanic (soon) |
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| 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%
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E1
Samba Member
Joined: January 21, 2013
Posts: 8244
Location: Westfalia, Earth
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| Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2025 4:26 pm Post subject: Re: One less Vanagon mechanic (soon) |
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| 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.
_________________
1984 Westfailure/2.1 Digijet/5.43 Ring & Pinion/Peloquin/D-rated BFG KO2s
AI has spoken to further illiteracy, to steal, to cheat, and to replace humans
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere." โ Colin Chapman |
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SCM
Samba Member
Joined: January 26, 2011
Posts: 3358
Location: Bozeman MT
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| Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2025 7:36 pm Post subject: Re: One less Vanagon mechanic (soon) |
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| fknmovin60 wrote: |
| What you guys seeing for Vanagon shop labor rates in Florida? |
You might want to make a new thread with โFloridaโ in the title so other folks in that state know to check in. Iโm guessing thereโs only a small number of Floridians here and they may not be clicking on this thread.
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'91 Westfalia GL Automatic (GTA "Turbo" Rebuild w/Peloquin) and 2.3L GoWesty Engine |
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fknmovin60
Samba Member
Joined: May 01, 2006
Posts: 11
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| Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2025 10:28 am Post subject: Re: One less Vanagon mechanic (soon) |
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| "What you guys seeing for Vanagon shop labor rates in Florida... or anywhere esle... chime in |
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DanHoug
Samba Member
Joined: December 05, 2016
Posts: 5673
Location: Bemidji, MN
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| Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2025 11:43 am Post subject: Re: One less Vanagon mechanic (soon) |
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| 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.
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-dan
60% of what you find on the internet is wrong, including this post.
'87 Westy & '89 Westy both 2.1 4spd
Past projects can be found at--
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kamzcab86
Samba Moderator
Joined: July 26, 2008
Posts: 8432
Location: Arizona
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| Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2025 12:55 pm Post subject: Re: One less Vanagon mechanic (soon) |
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| 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.
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~Kamz 
1986 Cabriolet: www.Cabby-Info.com
 1990 Vanagon Westfalia: Old Blue's Blog
2016 Golf GTI S
"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance." - 孔子 |
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mikemtnbike
Samba Member
Joined: March 26, 2015
Posts: 2930
Location: North Carolina
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| Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2025 1:23 pm Post subject: Re: One less Vanagon mechanic (soon) |
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| 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.
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1991 Vanagon GL 2.1 AT Westfauxlia. "Frankie" Totaled  https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=764510&highlight=carnage
1995 Eurovan Camper "Marzivan"
2020 GTI SE manual |
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MarkWard
Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2005
Posts: 18699
Location: Retired South Florida
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| Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2025 1:35 pm Post subject: Re: Vanagon repair shop labor rates? |
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| $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. |
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blyhigh
Samba Member
Joined: April 13, 2006
Posts: 167
Location: The Beaver State of Mind
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| Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2025 2:01 pm Post subject: Re: Vanagon repair shop labor rates? |
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FWIW - Just had my snapped in half alternator pivot bolt replaced in Benton, AR. Shop rate was $130.
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'89 Syncro Westy |
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zerotofifty
Samba Member
Joined: December 27, 2003
Posts: 3737
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| Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2025 2:12 pm Post subject: Re: Vanagon repair shop labor rates? |
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| 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?
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Give Peace a Chance.
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Westified
Samba Member
Joined: May 01, 2012
Posts: 418
Location: Miami, FL
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| Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2025 3:38 pm Post subject: Re: Vanagon repair shop labor rates? |
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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.
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1984 Westy Wolfsburg, owned since 1987. FAS 2.0 NA engine conversion in 2022. |
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raygreenwood
Samba Member
Joined: November 24, 2008
Posts: 23102
Location: Oklahoma City
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| Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2025 4:33 pm Post subject: Re: Vanagon repair shop labor rates? |
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| 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 |
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Westified
Samba Member
Joined: May 01, 2012
Posts: 418
Location: Miami, FL
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| Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2025 4:50 pm Post subject: Re: Vanagon repair shop labor rates? |
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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.
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1984 Westy Wolfsburg, owned since 1987. FAS 2.0 NA engine conversion in 2022. |
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raygreenwood
Samba Member
Joined: November 24, 2008
Posts: 23102
Location: Oklahoma City
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| Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2025 5:25 pm Post subject: Re: Vanagon repair shop labor rates? |
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| 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. |
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Westified
Samba Member
Joined: May 01, 2012
Posts: 418
Location: Miami, FL
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| Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2025 6:52 pm Post subject: Re: Vanagon repair shop labor rates? |
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I wouldnโt call it a factory paint job, at least not like my original VW paint. Factory paint today isnโt 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 arenโt many Vanagons in Miami.
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1984 Westy Wolfsburg, owned since 1987. FAS 2.0 NA engine conversion in 2022. |
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fknmovin60
Samba Member
Joined: May 01, 2006
Posts: 11
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| Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2025 1:34 am Post subject: Re: Vanagon repair shop labor rates? |
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| 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
Last edited by fknmovin60 on Sat Jul 19, 2025 2:24 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Abscate
Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014
Posts: 23784
Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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| Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2025 1:37 am Post subject: Re: One less Vanagon mechanic (soon) |
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| 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
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