Topic: Bubba Lives
in Forum: C3 General Discussion
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Sigh. I'm gonna be in this for about $1,200 depending on the cost of the case. New case, new or rebuilt torque converter. And yes, they're going to drill a little bit to make the shift just a little more firm. Not sloppy like it was before. This is at or around the lowest price I've found in town.
|UPDATED|8/20/2013 2:26:06 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|
They quoted me $200 to fix the leaks. That is... until they found the damage Bubba had done.
It's very very easy for tranny guys to take people for a ride. I think these guys are honest enough. (They do have a very good reputation.)
|UPDATED|8/20/2013 2:26:06 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|
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Lifetime MemberModerator
Duncanville, TX - USA
Joined: 11/8/2003
Posts: 20229
Vette(s): #1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/
Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight"
#2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto
Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas
dbarnesid said:It's very very easy for tranny guys to take people for a ride.
HEY!!! 
We're not ALL scumbags....
But yer right..lottsa scammers out there. It pays to do your research before shelling out hard earned cash. $1200 might sound like a lot, but in reality, for a Corvette trans, it's really not. They're not the easiest things to get out or put in, so they is a little more labor intensive than other cars of the era. The trans itself is just a trans....it's the labor that cost on these cars.
Hope they do ya a good job!
Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56 
My Link 
(click for Texas-sized view!) NCRS
"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"
I'm more hopeful thanks to you. I wish you could do the work but the drive to Texas would cost me $1200. Smile. They convinced me to get a new torque converter or rebuild mine because of accumulated crap inside. Do you agree?
|UPDATED|8/21/2013 6:03:35 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|
|UPDATED|8/21/2013 6:03:35 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|
Lifetime MemberAsh Fork, AZ - USA
Joined: 4/18/2007
Posts: 1058
Vette(s): 1981 Red Interior White exterior
David, As Joel has said, it's the labor that really gets you with these cars. Don't skimp on the parts...lord knows I've done that when doing stuff on my own in the past and have paid the price of having to do it over. You hate to have to go back in and have to replace the converter a yr or three down the road.
Like you mentioned it's better to find a good, honest mechanic than to find the cheapest. Often the honest ones end up saving you time and money anyway.
As far as having Joel do the work, wouldn't that be great to show up at his door with a tranny on your shoulder! "morning, where you want it!"
Dave C..........My mantra: I can not be bought!! Long and short term leases available.
In the words of Zora Arkus-Duntov "Is your seat belt fastened? Alright, Let's go"
Yeah, I know, Shut up Dave.
Yeah, I know, Shut up Dave.
Lifetime Member #192
dads2vette said: David, As Joel has said, it's the labor that really gets you with these cars. Don't skimp on the parts...lord knows I've done that when doing stuff on my own in the past and have paid the price of having to do it over. You hate to have to go back in and have to replace the converter a yr or three down the road.
Like you mentioned it's better to find a good, honest mechanic than to find the cheapest. Often the honest ones end up saving you time and money anyway.
As far as having Joel do the work, wouldn't that be great to show up at his door with a tranny on your shoulder! "morning, where you want it!"
I think I'd say, "Hey Bubba, where you want it?"
I do wonder about the little mods they're going to do. They have been doing Chevy trannies for a long time. Their dad started the company some 40 years ago and the sons have been working there for 27 years. Not bad. Anyhoo... they want to make the car shift a little more like a sports car than a Caddy. So they propose doing a little drilling to make the shifting be a bit more firm, not squishy like it is now.
Is there anything I need to know about this? Anything I should tell them about what I want before it's too late?
And you're right, Dave. The tranny is on the bench in about 100 pieces right now. Why not put it back together right? That way I don't do it again. You know, I spent this much on a new interior but I have heartburn over the tranny. That's just messed up thinking. The tranny makes it go while the interior just looks good. Crazy...
Adams' Apple said:
HEY!!!
We're not ALL scumbags....
But yer right..lottsa scammers out there. It pays to do your research before shelling out hard earned cash. $1200 might sound like a lot, but in reality, for a Corvette trans, it's really not. They're not the easiest things to get out or put in, so they is a little more labor intensive than other cars of the era. The trans itself is just a trans....it's the labor that cost on these cars.
Hope they do ya a good job!
dbarnesid said:It's very very easy for tranny guys to take people for a ride.
HEY!!! We're not ALL scumbags....
But yer right..lottsa scammers out there. It pays to do your research before shelling out hard earned cash. $1200 might sound like a lot, but in reality, for a Corvette trans, it's really not. They're not the easiest things to get out or put in, so they is a little more labor intensive than other cars of the era. The trans itself is just a trans....it's the labor that cost on these cars.
Hope they do ya a good job!
Okay Joel. The final total for this rebuild is $1364.92 out the door. Includes new converter (stock, not high stall) and good used case.
How does that sound to you?
Lifetime MemberModerator
Duncanville, TX - USA
Joined: 11/8/2003
Posts: 20229
Vette(s): #1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/
Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight"
#2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto
Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas
Honestly? It's a pretty decent deal. Around here, you'd be looking at prolly $2000 or more....and you'd prolly wind up with a few more scratches on the car than it had when you took it in....
And yeah....a new converter is a no brainer, considering they're only like, $50 these days. Poke a few holes here, stretch a spring or two there, block the accumulators, and you've got you one fine shiftin trans for....well...nothin!
Hope it works well for ya....a Corvette SHOULD shift like a real car.
|UPDATED|8/21/2013 10:22:14 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|
And yeah....a new converter is a no brainer, considering they're only like, $50 these days. Poke a few holes here, stretch a spring or two there, block the accumulators, and you've got you one fine shiftin trans for....well...nothin!
Hope it works well for ya....a Corvette SHOULD shift like a real car.
|UPDATED|8/21/2013 10:22:14 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|
Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56
My Link
(click for Texas-sized view!) NCRS
"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"
Breakdown:
531.00: Parts.
748.00: Labor.
52.00 grease and tranny oil
Big hit was 175.00 for used case and 120.00 for converter.
It shifts pretty nice. A little abrupt between 1 and 2. It really flies when I hit passing gear. Not so before. I still wanna emasculate Bubba though.
|UPDATED|8/22/2013 6:55:32 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|
|UPDATED|8/22/2013 6:55:32 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|
Well, my restoration is not complete and I found that Bubba had been there once again. While replacing all of my vacuum hoses here's what I found. (Hey... some of those hoses are 40 years old. Maybe that's why I'm not getting good response in the headlight system or why the wipers don't work at all. Doesn't hurt to do this while the dash pad is off anyway.)
|UPDATED|4/14/2014 10:26:04 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|
Near the passenger side wiper there is a wiper valve. Three hoses attached to that valve. One from the override, one to the relay and one is a vent tube. Well... Bubba thought it would be a good idea to drive a screw into the end of the vent tube. Prolly thought it was a hose going nowhere that needed to be plugged. Hard to say how Bubba thinks (that's because sometimes I'm Bubba too).
I wonder if this has anything to do with why my wipers don't work? Maybe... 
|UPDATED|4/14/2014 10:26:04 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|
in Forum: C3 General Discussion
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