Labjunkies?
09-23-2008, 04:46 PM
#6
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ya i heard hmo is good but they dont do swaps. i could do the swap myself but since i'm a little closer to lab junkies and they quoted me a pretty good price for motor/install i was thinking about saving up the hassle for me swapping it and go through them. Its only a D series motor.
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09-23-2008, 08:06 PM
#8
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Re: (JasonHi)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JasonHi »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">ya i heard hmo is good but they dont do swaps. i could do the swap myself ... Its only a D series motor.</TD></TR></TABLE>
HMO is the only place I'll go for JDM motors. D series swaps shouldn't be looked at as a hassle. Rather they should be looked at as great excuses to have a few beers with your friends while knocking out an altogether simple automotive project.
HMO is the only place I'll go for JDM motors. D series swaps shouldn't be looked at as a hassle. Rather they should be looked at as great excuses to have a few beers with your friends while knocking out an altogether simple automotive project.
09-23-2008, 08:10 PM
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Kendall, that was such an elegant response it makes me wish I had at least one friend to drink with who could assist me through such a task.
how about I pay for the airfare and you come help me do a swap?
how about I pay for the airfare and you come help me do a swap?
09-23-2008, 11:05 PM
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word! Lol. One of my buddies said they steal stuff from your car
When you bring it in. Like one of my buddy said when he got his car back from them he noticed his intake was missing and they told him that the car didn't have an intake when the brought the car in. WTF
I guess I'll have to hit up a couple friends to help over the weekend.
When you bring it in. Like one of my buddy said when he got his car back from them he noticed his intake was missing and they told him that the car didn't have an intake when the brought the car in. WTF
I guess I'll have to hit up a couple friends to help over the weekend.
09-24-2008, 07:11 AM
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Re: Labjunkies? (JasonHi)
Another idea would be posting the question in your local regional forum and asking who does good work, or possibly trying to find a local good mechanic that would do the job on the side as long as he has a good reputation.
09-24-2008, 09:09 AM
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Re: (Kendall)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Kendall »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
HMO is the only place I'll go for JDM motors. D series swaps shouldn't be looked at as a hassle. Rather they should be looked at as great excuses to have a few beers with your friends while knocking out an altogether simple automotive project.</TD></TR></TABLE>
do what kendall says!
HMO is the only place I'll go for JDM motors. D series swaps shouldn't be looked at as a hassle. Rather they should be looked at as great excuses to have a few beers with your friends while knocking out an altogether simple automotive project.</TD></TR></TABLE>
do what kendall says!
09-24-2008, 09:41 AM
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ya i might just do it myself with a couple of buddies.
I could always go to my uncle and ask him to do the swap for me but dont really wanna bother.
only reason why i was thinking of having labjunkies do it for me is because i was gonna buy the motor from them and they gave me a price quote for the motor/tranny installed and they said it should be done in 2 days and me being lazy and going the easy route was just gonna fork up the extra cash and just let them do it.
I could always go to my uncle and ask him to do the swap for me but dont really wanna bother.
only reason why i was thinking of having labjunkies do it for me is because i was gonna buy the motor from them and they gave me a price quote for the motor/tranny installed and they said it should be done in 2 days and me being lazy and going the easy route was just gonna fork up the extra cash and just let them do it.
09-24-2008, 10:24 AM
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Re: (JasonHi)
I recently had a swap done by them and it was done right (b20)… I bought a 94 ex with a blown motor I thought about replacing it with a D15b it would of cost some me some where near 700-900: motor(500-600), clutch/fly wheel(100-300), fluids/ect (0-150)…On top of it I would be driving around town picking up the parts and waiting for them to come in. Then once all the parts are in I would have to set aside some time to get the swap in… may be a full day or two. I usually just take my time no need to stress over it.
I saw one of there adds on craigslist call them up about it…the price sounded good. I dealt with James he arranged for pickup at the time it was free towing with in 30 miles with the purchase of a swap… it was a done deal. They called me I picked it up it had a little issue with the idling nothing big I sent it back they fixed it. Now if I installed I would have to trouble shoot it and then take the defected sensor or what ever and more time and gas is wasted. All I can say is I was treated right I am happy with the customer service and the price…good people to deal with James, Chris, and the mechanic guy don’t know his name lol
I saw one of there adds on craigslist call them up about it…the price sounded good. I dealt with James he arranged for pickup at the time it was free towing with in 30 miles with the purchase of a swap… it was a done deal. They called me I picked it up it had a little issue with the idling nothing big I sent it back they fixed it. Now if I installed I would have to trouble shoot it and then take the defected sensor or what ever and more time and gas is wasted. All I can say is I was treated right I am happy with the customer service and the price…good people to deal with James, Chris, and the mechanic guy don’t know his name lol
09-24-2008, 12:17 PM
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09-24-2008, 02:29 PM
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Re: Labjunkies? (JasonHi)
09-24-2008, 03:15 PM
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Re: (EJ8_Enthusiast)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by EJ8_Enthusiast »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Kendall, that was such an elegant response it makes me wish I had at least one friend to drink with who could assist me through such a task.
how about I pay for the airfare and you come help me do a swap? </TD></TR></TABLE>
For real???
how about I pay for the airfare and you come help me do a swap? </TD></TR></TABLE>
For real???
09-25-2008, 09:12 AM
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Re: (Kendall)
labjunkies is lame. i went there and half the people there looked like they didnt know **** about cars.. they looked more like a chop shop to me. parts scattered everywhere.. it was a mess.. and no one was working on anything when i was there. (might have been bad timing?) i bought a d series head for 100 bucks and it didnt include a vtec solenoid, intake manifold, coolant housing, and no cam bolt to bolt on the cam gear. i drove from riverside to get there so i didnt wanna not buy nothing.. i wouldnt ever go back to them. waste of time and money. i cant even sell the head i bought.. i have had it priced for 60 bucks and it even has a vtec solenoid now too, and no one wants it still.. 
Last edited by whitericethinktwice; 01-10-2009 at 02:55 PM.
09-25-2008, 04:14 PM
#22
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Re: (unsungfate)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by unsungfate »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i don't trust shops that say they need more than 1 day to do a job that takes a few hourrs... why don't they just say, "bring it in this day at this time and we'll have it done at this time." not freaking 2 days...</TD></TR></TABLE>
Actually, I don't see this as unreasonable at all...not for an estimate on a swap. Although there are experienced Honda guys who can knock out a D series swap in a couple of hours, most technicians don't know all the tricks and shortcuts that the die hard Honda guys know. As a result you end up with something that's often more "complete" but at the expense of time.
Also there are always unforseen circumstances. It's rare to have a swap that goes perfectly smooth from start to finish. Free spinning tie rod ends, siezed bolts, broken electrical connectors, etc, are some of the more common issues, but don't think the list stops there. A shop is wise to overestimate by a day in order to allocate time to deal with these things as they come up.
Actually, I don't see this as unreasonable at all...not for an estimate on a swap. Although there are experienced Honda guys who can knock out a D series swap in a couple of hours, most technicians don't know all the tricks and shortcuts that the die hard Honda guys know. As a result you end up with something that's often more "complete" but at the expense of time.
Also there are always unforseen circumstances. It's rare to have a swap that goes perfectly smooth from start to finish. Free spinning tie rod ends, siezed bolts, broken electrical connectors, etc, are some of the more common issues, but don't think the list stops there. A shop is wise to overestimate by a day in order to allocate time to deal with these things as they come up.
09-25-2008, 07:20 PM
#23
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Re: (unsungfate)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by unsungfate »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
2 days!?? what the hell they gonna do... disassemble the whole motor and tranny and then put it back together withing the engine bay piece by piece??? ... TWICE??
i don't trust shops that say they need more than 1 day to do a job that takes a few hourrs... why don't they just say, "bring it in this day at this time and we'll have it done at this time." not freaking 2 days...</TD></TR></TABLE>
You've obviously never worked at a shop.
GOOD shops usually book appointments well in advance. My shop usually books appointments a few days ahead of time. It's not uncommon for my three man crew to knock out numerous major services, timing belt jobs, etc. in a day's work.
If you think a shop should drop the rest of their customers just to do your engine swap then you have no concept of how a shop runs. A sign of a slow as hell shop would be one who would tell you that the swap would be done in one day.
If you as a customer call me and ask me about an engine swap in a Civic I would tell you that in theory one of my techs can start on the car in the morning and if left uninterrupted and every single part is there and there are no hang-ups the car could be finished, test driven, and ready for pick-up before the close of business - BUT - I still like to allow 3 business days anyways.
Why?
As Kendall stated sometimes unforseen problems arise, ESPECIALLY if the customer is supplying "all the parts" needed for the swap.
You don't know how many times a customer supplies te wrong clutch, the wrong intake, header, and sometimes even the wrong OBD generation swap and/or ECU, etc.
I have seen a tech at my shop swap the entire front cross members, engine/trans. rear trailing arms, etc. from his t-boned 1990 Civic to a good 1990 Civic in FOUR HOURS after we had already worked an entire 9 hour shift at the shop.
Sure it's possible but in auto service you NEVER promise best-case scenario - you always under promise, over deliver - not the other way around.
2 days!?? what the hell they gonna do... disassemble the whole motor and tranny and then put it back together withing the engine bay piece by piece??? ... TWICE??
i don't trust shops that say they need more than 1 day to do a job that takes a few hourrs... why don't they just say, "bring it in this day at this time and we'll have it done at this time." not freaking 2 days...</TD></TR></TABLE>
You've obviously never worked at a shop.
GOOD shops usually book appointments well in advance. My shop usually books appointments a few days ahead of time. It's not uncommon for my three man crew to knock out numerous major services, timing belt jobs, etc. in a day's work.
If you think a shop should drop the rest of their customers just to do your engine swap then you have no concept of how a shop runs. A sign of a slow as hell shop would be one who would tell you that the swap would be done in one day.
If you as a customer call me and ask me about an engine swap in a Civic I would tell you that in theory one of my techs can start on the car in the morning and if left uninterrupted and every single part is there and there are no hang-ups the car could be finished, test driven, and ready for pick-up before the close of business - BUT - I still like to allow 3 business days anyways.
Why?
As Kendall stated sometimes unforseen problems arise, ESPECIALLY if the customer is supplying "all the parts" needed for the swap.
You don't know how many times a customer supplies te wrong clutch, the wrong intake, header, and sometimes even the wrong OBD generation swap and/or ECU, etc.
I have seen a tech at my shop swap the entire front cross members, engine/trans. rear trailing arms, etc. from his t-boned 1990 Civic to a good 1990 Civic in FOUR HOURS after we had already worked an entire 9 hour shift at the shop.
Sure it's possible but in auto service you NEVER promise best-case scenario - you always under promise, over deliver - not the other way around.
10-04-2008, 08:14 PM
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Re: (whitericethinktwice)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by whitericethinktwice »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">labjunkies is lame. i went there and half the people there looked like they didnt know **** about cars.. they looked more like a chop shop to me. parts scattered everywhere.. it was a mess.. im not racist but they were all black and mexicans, and no one was working on anything when i was there. (might have been bad timing?) i bought a d series head for 100 bucks and it didnt include a vtec solenoid, intake manifold, coolant housing, and no cam bolt to bolt on the cam gear. i drove from riverside to get there so i didnt wanna not buy nothing.. i wouldnt ever go back to them. waste of time and money. i cant even sell the head i bought.. i have had it priced for 60 bucks and it even has a vtec solenoid now too, and no one wants it still.. </TD></TR></TABLE>
you dont want to sound racist???? blacks and mexicans?? HAHAHAHAHA WOW talk about foot in mouth! come on man they have been in business for 4years now and still pushing, trust me.........anyone is this honda game knows, when you do bad work or do bad business and really have a bad rep of taking care of people, your business nor name will last in this HONDA GAME, and for having longivity with knowledge of honda builds and good customer service "labjunkies" any few to still stand in the 909 area having customers coming from 80miles away just because of service and OF COURSE WE ALL NO HARD TO BEAT PRICES. sounds like you just came on a bad day and with alot of other customers hanging around (because they are cool guys no one wants to hang with asses) the shop because most of the time its just 3 people there. but in all to every man their own and make your own choices when it comes to business, we all want to be taken care of and talk is talk, make a trip down there and go off own judgement if their not too far from you.......
there cool guys and always try best to help.
</TD></TR></TABLE>you dont want to sound racist???? blacks and mexicans?? HAHAHAHAHA WOW talk about foot in mouth! come on man they have been in business for 4years now and still pushing, trust me.........anyone is this honda game knows, when you do bad work or do bad business and really have a bad rep of taking care of people, your business nor name will last in this HONDA GAME, and for having longivity with knowledge of honda builds and good customer service "labjunkies" any few to still stand in the 909 area having customers coming from 80miles away just because of service and OF COURSE WE ALL NO HARD TO BEAT PRICES. sounds like you just came on a bad day and with alot of other customers hanging around (because they are cool guys no one wants to hang with asses) the shop because most of the time its just 3 people there. but in all to every man their own and make your own choices when it comes to business, we all want to be taken care of and talk is talk, make a trip down there and go off own judgement if their not too far from you.......
there cool guys and always try best to help.