Joe,
I agree with you. You guys should be able to charge that money for a good quality repair. I have been an auto mechanic for too many years to admit to.
The thing that screws it up for everyone in this type of business is the guy who charges top dollar and doesnt fix it right. We have all seen this too many times. That makes the good guys look bad. It takes the trust away. I am in the same situation you are but with the following exception. Unless you are talking about a hotrod , people dont want to pay to have their cars fixed. Cars are viewed as a necessary evil, and not a toy. If the car needs brakes, they usually cry the blues. Luckily for me, I am out of the business of fixing cars for customers on a regular basis. I work for the NYC Police Department. There is enough work there to last 100 lifetimes. I do work on cars at home and hear the complaints. I have been leaning towards working on boats rather than cars. In my opinion, boats are toys. Especially fast ones. Guys dont mind paying to have their boats fixed right.
I am sure you have had countless more experiences than I have , in the marine world. Maybe guys with the average cruiser or fishing boat are a bit tight. Not sure , havent work on enough of them to pass judgement. Performance guys just want it done right.
Also, I know my limitations. I dont take on jobs I cant do. No earn as you learn for me. I dont claim to be able to repair every aspect of a 555 PCM.
I too dont mean to sound like I am bashing anyone here. Not looking for an arguement, just a discussion.


Vinny

Vinney
kudos to you for putting up with auto customers, I did the auto thing got out in the early 80s

belive me the none performance boaters are very money consous even the the ones that say what ever it takes just fix it, and for the most part because a boat isnt a must have, some are worst then others...but luckily I have a great group of customers and for the most part the boaters in this area are a GREAT group of people ( there are a few exceptons )

Joe,

I have had enough of the auto business. I can retire from the NYPD in 7 years with a full pension. It is then that I am out of this business and will be exploring other options. One of which is getting out of New York. Cant take the winters anymore.

Vinny,
Sorry if you took it personally. I didnt want to or mean to insult you.. I was just talkin shop.. Like Joe said most cant or dont have the tools to do a lot of repairs the right way. Then they get frustrated or damage other things at times because of it.. Usually resulting in people showing up angry & wanting you to bail them out in more ways than one.. As a shop owner it sometimes gets frustrating hearing & dealing with certain things.. Just like working for some one else has its little things that get to you.. Again sorry if you felt attacked.. That was not my intention.. Jamie / Lakeside

Jamie,
No problem or bad feelings.

Vinny

I too had been working on cars and trucks since I was very young. I can't even place a number on how many transmissions I've had in and out of various cars over the years. I choose now to only work on Mercruiser I/O's with Chevy engines. There's enough running around to keep me very busy. I don't do outboard repairs anymore either !
I'm so sick and tired of working on rusty exhaust systems, Having to take the top half of the motor apart to change a bad injector, being under a car and having grease and rust get in my eyes, and dealing with other peoples bad craftsmanship, etc...
I'm actually getting sick of the boat stuff too, dealing with ignorant people that throw money around and expect a miracle to instantly occur.
I used to have 2 running speed boats of my own and a Hot rod on the road as well.
Now I'm on my third season without a boat, working on everybody else's stuff while a brand new 540 Tall deck with Dart head's sits in the shop shrink-wrapped , alongside my Imco drive and other stuff that I need to rig MY boat !
Tens of thousands in parts if not over $100,000 and no boat for me, only problems and aggrivation. Most guy's here that own or work in boatyards have no boat either, maybe because they are so sick of them ! BBB

BBB, Donz133,

WELL SAID

where did you get the rebuilt drive from ? $$ ?

Thanks Joe...

BBB... I definitly understand.. I kept a new 2006 Donzi for myself & put 2.5hrs on since January when I went to get it.....

Im taking a break for a few days.. If all goes ok & the weather doesn't get worse Im going to the northern end of the Chesapeake bay for the Holiday & come back mid to late in the week.. I need to recharge so that I keep my head on straight... A couple of days to play in the bay will definitly help.. If the water sux due to the storm I will keep the boat on its trailer and chill with some friends down there. Its a win win situation.. Jamie

DONZ133

If you do end up on the bay give me a shout, maybe hook up and Ill buy you a beer