Looking for advice on fair compensation for work..

[1 Wild R/T]

So I got myself involved with helping a friend on his old car, deal was gonna be I do the repairs & he gives me a virgin 1968 340 that was supposed to have been pulled from a car in 1970, supposed to be oil pan to air cleaner including exhaust manifolds... It was stored at his families property 400 miles from here.... Turns out it has some problems... Missing allot of parts, it's actually a shortblock with J heads no manifolds...not a 68, it's a 70 & it has a spun #3 main bearing.... block & crank are junk...  His initial thought on value prior to finding it's true condition was $2500 which I'd made it clear it wasn't worth that much  My thought on it's value was in the $1200-$1400 range...

So I want to be fair butttt...   It was a big job.... 

Car I'm working on, a 68 Sport Fury Convertible
Disc Brake conversion using 73 Chrysler parts, spindle assys,  booster, proportioning valve... (Which BTW took years of searching to find a good donor)
I rebuilt the calipers, new hoses, pads, turned rotors, bearings & seals etc... Swapped in the booster reworked the brake lines & added  the proportioning valve & master cylinder.. Replaced the rear wheel cylinders & flex hose, flushed the entire system filled & bled...
Rebuilt complete front suspension new upper & lower bushings, used problem solvers bushings to maximize caster, new upper & lower ball joints, had to track down lower ball joints as they are obsolete...
Replaced bad U joints  & all four shocks... 

I'm sure there was more basically that covers it.... 

[Cuda Cody]

Dang, that sucks man.  I guess it really comes down to how good of a friend is it.  Often times I will help friends and don't ask for anything, but then when I need help they are right there to lend a hand.  So I guess it works out.  Not sure in your situation what's best to do.    But if you had a deal, he should make it right with you.     Good luck and I hope it turns out okay.

[1 Wild R/T]

When I help guys who are hands on I never take anything more that a thank you & maybe a steak dinner.... In this case the man doesn't work on cars, he dropped it off  & after it's aligned he'll stop by to pick it up...

[Cudalbs]

ARRGGHHH, kind of sounds like we may have identified what kind of friend we are talking about. This is a tough one but I'm afraid I'd have to ask for some compensation. Good luck.

[RUNCHARGER]

Ack: Maybe $30-$40/hour? And you have to include chasing parts time too, otherwise you could be in the back yard playing with your dog, is the way I look at it.
Around here the shop rate is $100/hr and up so I charge 1/3 of that. I don't do it anymore though.

[1 Wild R/T]

ARRGGHHH, kind of sounds like we may have identified what kind of friend we are talking about. This is a tough one but I'm afraid I'd have to ask for some compensation. Good luck.

He's a good guy, I'm confident he didn't mean to cheat me but his brother who passed away & his brothers buddies may have stripped some parts without him knowing & since he's not a hands on guy & the engine was stored 400 miles away.... The engine was originally acquired by his dad back in 1970 it's hard to understand how it was already beaten to the point the block & crank were junk...


Sheldon
Yeah I prefer to help guys, not work on their cars for money... On the other hand I hate seeing guys taking their cool car to a shop & have it come back hacked up, half the stuff not properly done & while I didn't need it getting a "virgin 68 340" seemed kinda tempting...

[6bblgt]

don't know on the compensation, but was there a VIN on the '70 block?  T/A?

[71GranCoupe]

Yep. that is a tough one for sure. One thought comes to mind, refresh him on the deal, let him know what the broken engine is worth, and then let him decide how much he thinks would make this a "Fair" deal for both of you. You might be surprised as how good of a friend he is. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

[Cuda Cody]

   A 70 340 block is getting hard to find.  Was it savable?

[RUNCHARGER]

Randy: Yup, for sure. I hate seeing cars get screwed up by others and the guys overcharged. One guy I like working for because he trusts me to do whatever I figure the car needs without calling him and explaining everything. It drives him nuts that I refuse to hurry but he also appreciates it.
I also have looked over lots of guys shoulders telling them how to do stuff but some guys just don't have time or the inclination to do their own work. For me it isn't my car unless I did everything on it.

[1 Wild R/T]

don't know on the compensation, but was there a VIN on the '70 block?  T/A?

[1 Wild R/T]

  A 70 340 block is getting hard to find.  Was it savable?

It might be with a line bore but since it's #3 which is the thrust bearing it's doubtful... Never seen a thrust spin before, kinda hard to imagine a bearing thats captured on three sides spinning... But it did... And took out the rod on either side of it....

[6bblgt]

FWIW: 340 engine would've been from a Challenger & a 4-speed - if the distributor is original to it

[1 Wild R/T]

FWIW: 340 engine would've been from a Challenger & a 4-speed - if the distributor is original to it

Thanks Dan, at this point I suspect the distributor is the best piece left.... Once I get it torn down I'll know more, but it doesn't look promising... 

You got allot out of those stampings,  I suspected it was a Challenger, knew it was 4 speed but Y07, totally missed that... Is that from the distributor tag? Or the front stamping?

[6bblgt]

I removed the Y07 comment, but it was a semi-educated guess based on the VIN - JH2?H0B376158

a friend owns JS27N0B376169 - a "loaded" public relations R/T (you'd have to delete an OPTION to add something not already on it.