The Story of the $5800 subframe job...

[BMWahba]

Bottom reinforcement with TMS plates and seam welding done by Vorshlag: $1300
Top reinforcement with CMP rear & front kit done by Coyne Performance: $2024, which included replacement of flex disk, CSB, and all the ball joints & bushings in the rear control arms.

If the reinforcement was done for bottom side only, oof, I would be furious as well... and no other parts were included in the job..

These prices seem on par with what I've been quoted for the vincebar install, top side with gusset cups and underside plates.

[jbfrancis3]

The shop was working on a T&M basis. Unless the shop disclosed this to the OP when providing the initial quote, these are two vastly different ways of charging a customer and creates a lot of confusion, or worse. Frankly, from the looks of the shop, their customer base probably doesn't balk at T&M work and will pay whatever is presented to them. Possibility because the customers know they are getting quality work and relationships have been built over the years. I don't know why the OP asked about how costs were looking when calling to ask when car would be complete.

[Onefastsicilian]

thats ridiculous. I live fairly close to where you are.. It should never be a 5k job unless they're replacing the RACP.. F that!

For 2 minor cracks and a few bushings, you shouldn't have paid more than $2500..

I've done that job 3x, and its 2 days MAX worth of work if they know what they're doing and that includes an alignment.

[timmo]

Who did the work?

Auto Evolution in Oakville. I'm pretty satisfied with the work - the underside wasn't paint-matched (not that I care much about that) but Wurth products were used which are very high quality

[Good]

I agree, $5800 is too much even for a full Vince bar/CMP top reinforcement. I paid $1600 in labor at JMP in Los Angeles, for the installation of my CMP reinforcement plates, solid differential/subframe bushings, SDW Rtabs, Giubo, and transmission mounts.

[oceansize]

I agree, $5800 is too much even for a full Vince bar/CMP top reinforcement. I paid $1600 in labor at JMP in Los Angeles, for the installation of my CMP reinforcement plates, solid differential/subframe bushings, SDW Rtabs, Giubo, and transmission mounts.

I feel like you got a better deal than most will with that list.

I would like OP to chime in with answers to my questions in my previous post number 10.

[Tbonem3]

Finding a shop who's cool with client supplied parts is a battle unto its own.

[oceansize]

Finding a shop who's cool with client supplied parts is a battle unto its own.

I actually encouraged the shop I used for my reinforcement to stop accepting user supplied parts. People bring in shit parts and then don’t understand they get no labor warranty if that part breaks. They say they understand but they don’t. It was killing him.

I’m happy to have someone I can trust.

[Tbonem3]

That's normally true, but for this car, we have a lot of one off parts and boutique stuff. If we were only doing basic OE replacement, I'd agree with you 100%. I think a shop that is willing to bend their policy a bit for special stuff, is the best.

[LeeForst]

Mine was higher than that and was glad to have someone like Chris at Bimmerworks in West Chester PA complete the work. The piece of mind, if you are fully committed to the car for the long haul, is worth ever penny to me, personally.

[oceansize]

That's normally true, but for this car, we have a lot of one off parts and boutique stuff. If we were only doing basic OE replacement, I'd agree with you 100%. I think a shop that is willing to bend their policy a bit for special stuff, is the best.

Agreed. I have a good relationship with him and he knows I don’t buy crap so he is cool about it. He has stopped accepting parts from the general public.

[Sharocks]

I paid 3500 to do Reddish plates with AKG everything etc. 5800 is nuts. You're getting that extra CT tax. Get it done of state or hit up Munich Motorsport. I know for a fact that Turner does them all day for 1200 as well.

[genesis]

The only parts installed were subframe bushings and the plates? What is his hourly rate?

Yes. Don't know what they charge hourly.

[genesis]

Did you do topside reinforcement or just plates?

Topside is a ton of work, but doing just plates may yield future hairline fractures as you just shifted the stress points without addressing the culprit.

Just plates. I ordered 8 tubes of structural foam to have done as well, but they didn't arrive in time. Have to find someone else to do that now...

[genesis]

I don't live in the US so am not aware of the prices over there but that is terrible customer service.

Stop drilling and welding cracks (especially 2) does not take very long and there really shouldn't be any additional cost to this.

Did they check for spot weld failure?

Did they check for separation around the the rear left wheel arch? Or the spring perches? Or the rear trailing arm pockets?

Also did they check your internal mig welds? (ie behind the rear bench)?

Did they underseal your underside correctly? (ie seam sealer finish with cavity wax to prevent corrosion)?

For 3,200 USD which is circa 2,500 GBP I would want an extensive repair including all common areas of failure on both the underside and the internals resolved.

I honestly don't know. I assumed that the entire RACP would be inspected for any damage based on him telling me they'd done several before. They were supposed to provide me with photographs of the underside and all the work done, but I was so furious I ended the conversation and quickly left before I lost my temper.