Is this a reasonable price - Young Crown owner needing advice

[thor]

I have a 1976 MS85 Super Saloon. It's my first car and I love it!

I recently got it up on the hoist at my local brake and suspension centre and they quoted me nearly 3 thousand to fix various things (see .pdf).
I'm aware these items need attention but is this a reasonable price and is it actually impossible to get new aftermarket parts e.g. harder suspension etc?


quote "you have to do this as a restoration as there are no modern parts that will fit".

Thor.

[SilverRA23]

Welcome to Toymods Thor, you will learn plenty here!

Looking at the time and parts prices he has quoted to do the job, I think he is being pretty reasonable. Unfortunately when you are paying someone to do the job, they do need to make a $$, and when its a long list it does add up.

If you were looking to learn how to work on the car, quite a few of those jobs are a great place to start and you would save yourself quite a few $$.

For instance, you can do online shopping at supercheap for lots of your bits via this link - Supercheap Auto Car Parts Guide. Search over 200,000 car parts online.

You could buy the shocks and have a crack at that yourself if you have a decent socket set. Your springs might be soft, but a Crown is always going to be soft since its meant to be a lounge chair on wheels! I would leave them alone for the moment. Though if you are looking for it to be lower, then no doubt you can buy lowered springs for it from someone like King Springs.

Brake lines are not difficult either, though you clearly need to have some clue what you are doing so that everything is tight and well bled so you have brakes. Mum & Dad might get scared about you playing with your own brakes too!

Another thought - go see someone else and get a second opinion if you aren't sure. Go and see Suspension City in Melbourne - they have a good rep for understanding old cars.

Last thought - our Toyota club down here in Melbourne is pretty strong right now, with plenty of young guys like yourself learning and experimenting with their cars. Come along to a meet and pick their brains, you will probably find a few blokes willing to give you a hand.

[ian]

as adam said
welcome to the forums
i would get a second opinion , that seems a bit excessive
but dont tell the second guy what the first guy quoted
ian

[crownv8]

Some of the stuff is reasonable but other stuff is a bit silly.

The shocks are not really a problem to replace and you could probably do them your self with a bit of searching on google for some instructions

The front end parts are a bit harder to replace so get a second quote. There is a dealer on EBay now selling a lot of urethane bushes to suit the Crowns. Plus ball joints and steering arms turn up from time to time.

The springs I wouldn't worry about. It is an old Crown they are not meant to ride like a go kart.

I'd ring up Enzed or your local brake shop for the brake hoses. Most can make ADR approved hoses now and they are not that expensive.

So don't be afraid to ask and search. Most of that stuff could be spread over a period of time to make it easier on the pocket.

Cheers,
Shane

BTW post some pics of the car.

[thor]

Thanks Guys,

Heaps of good advice I got a couple of extra quotes and they were both much lower than the original
I also sourced some parts from ebay and my local wrecker at a fraction of the price and fitted the shocks all round myself saving money.

Cheers guys great forum!

[SilverRA23]

Awesome result - good to see you have a crack and save yourself some $$