Is £190 a fair price for a whole new exhaust, including a more expensive chrome bit on the end?

[Accy cyclist]

There was I driving along yesterday when I heard a loud kind of revving/boy racer car sound. I thought to myself "who the fark is this idiot"?! Then it dawned on me that it was my car making that sound! I immediately drove to my mechanic's garage, asking him to have a look. After jacking the car up for a look he told me that the whole exhaust was corroded. He said the end bit might be salvageable, but after taking it off he told me that was fecked as well. I dropped the car off this aft' for him to start work on it first thing

tomorrow morning. He said that if I wanted a chrome tail pipe it'd be £35 more than the one without 'blingy' chrome. I decided on the one with chrome, as to me that chrome oblong tailpipe on a Fiat 500 Lounge is one of the standout points on the car that distinguishes it from the entry level Fiat 500 City.and Pop! Anyway, my mechanic ordered the whole exhaust, with the chrome tailpipe, with the parts and labour costing me £190. I'm happy with that, as I bet big some firms like Kwik Fit would charge a lot more!🤔



A bit blurred, but as you can see it was way past its best and might've been on since the car came of that Polish production line 12 long years ago.

The new exhaust, before fitting...obviously.

The old tailpipe.

The new tailpipe.

 

[13 rider]

Seems a reasonable price to me

 

[Kingfisher101]

Sounds O.K., I don't drive or know much about cars but it appears to be a large item and it requires fitting with some skill so I would say its within the ballpark.

 

[Drago]

It's not unreasonable. Beat him with your swagger stick while calling him a shameless bounder and he may drop the price a bit more.

 

[Accy cyclist]

Apparently the chrome bit is called a muffer. There's one here for £130, though I think that's just for the chrome but, not the whole exhaust.🤔

https://www.fiat-accessories.com/fiat-500-exhaust-tailpipe

 

[screenman]

Was that including VAT, if not he likely charged you about £90 on what he paid for it.

 

[Accy cyclist]

It's not unreasonable. Beat him with your swagger stick while calling him a shameless bounder and he may drop the price a bit more.

He asked me why I wanted to take photos of the exhaust parts. When I told him I wanted them to post on a forum's motoring section he called me a f..k..g weirdo!!!!

 

[Accy cyclist]

Was that including VAT, if not he likely charged you about £90 on what he paid for it.

I presume he'll have paid VAT for the parts, but when I pay him it's always cash in hand, without a receipt and stuff.

 

[Kingfisher101]

I presume he'll have paid VAT for the parts, but when I pay him it's always cash in hand, without a receipt and stuff.

He'll be working on the side or not putting everything through the books.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

He asked me why I wanted to take photos of the exhaust parts. When I told him I wanted them to post on a forum's motoring section he called me a f..k..g weirdo!!!!

You should have said that HMRC wanted you to take them

 

[screenman]

I presume he'll have paid VAT for the parts, but when I pay him it's always cash in hand, without a receipt and stuff.

He has not robbed you, you can check the price of a full system on Fleabay, around £100 I guess.

 

[slowmotion]

Thirty years ago I visited a small "under the arches" motor mechanic in Holland Park. London. There was a far-from-new Ferrari in for an exhaust repair so I asked the mechanic what that might cost the owner.

" About two grand".

Accy, you have a bargain.

 

[tyred]

You should have got a big bore system and went cruising with the local boyracers.

 

[Accy cyclist]

He has not robbed you, you can check the price of a full system on Fleabay, around £100 I guess.

So that's 90 quid for labour. How long will it take to fit it? 🤔

 

[Accy cyclist]

You should have got a big bore system and went cruising with the local boyracers.

I'm glad you've mentioned this as I seriously liked that engine roar as I put the pedal to the floor! The mechanic said it'd be safe to drive a short distance, so before dropping my car off at his place I went to the local Tesco to buy some supplies, parked up then gave it some revvs. I took a video on my phone to record the sound. I wish I could post it on here as the car in the next bay put their window up as the boy racer's car sound must've got too much for them!