Flat rates? Where to find for a '50??
- Thread starter Tom400CFI
- Start date
51 MERC-CT
Well-known member
Having installed a new harness (dash to engine) in my 51' Merc.(essentially the same as a 50' Ford), I wouldn't do it for less than $1,200. including the harness. That's assuming a shop rate of $80 per hour.
Now if you are looking for 1950 rates it might only cost a couple hundred.
34PKUP
Well-known member
Out of curiosity, are you trying to find out how much to charge someone or how much you should be charged to do the job?
rotorwrench
Well-known member
I only have experience with the 49/51 Mercury cars and a complete harness replacement would take a good bit of work for it. Maybe the Ford would be easier but I don't think by much. I removed the entire dash to make the job easier. Wire up the dash then put the harness through the firewall and reinstall. It's helpful if the steering is out of the way but that is affected too if the car has turn signals. The wiring goes over the driver side door or doors to get back to the trunk so the headliner is involved if stock. That can take a good bit of time too. All of the door dome light switch wiring for the rear doos of a four door has headliner involvement since it goes over the top. I don't know if The ford cars are this way or not. Getting the pin and socket connectors cleaned up and working well again is also a job but may not be affected if the wiring in more modern and routed differently.
It just depends on if you go the original route or create new ones with modern fuse block, wiring, and the like.
It just depends on if you go the original route or create new ones with modern fuse block, wiring, and the like.
jerry grayson
Well-known member
There is not one (1) wiring harness for a 50 Ford. There is 15-18 plus the small ones for clock, etc.
Yep. I have figured ^that^ out. 
Thanks for all the replies!
He brought me a basically original '50 Custom 'vert. He had "the wiring harness" in it, very little actually worked, and he wanted me to install the new harness and make it pass a safety. BTW, it has what appears to be the optional(?) front and rear turn signals, fog lights, back up lights, etc.
I quickly realized that there are multiple harnesses, and what came with the car was the engine/dash harness. I pulled the original harness and installed the new one, and...nothing worked except what worked before. No surprise there....virtually every wire in the car was completely dry rotted and there where shorts to ground everywhere. Virtually every switch was 10-7 and most connections were corroded. To make the car "pass safety", I proceeded to diagnose the entire car, replace wires, replace connectors, rebuild switch gear and undo what "bubba" had done before me. By the time I was finish, I had build new harnesses for;
*Front parking lights
*Front turn signals
*Horns (only 1 wire there)
*Head lights
*Rear of car
*Gas tank/gauge
*Heater
*Fog lights
*New horn wire down the column and fixed horn button/switch
...I think that's about it.
I'm sure that I have well over 40 hours into it, but I don't want to charge the owner more than $1000.00
In addition to the wiring, I also built a new fuel delivery system, and rebuilt the master cylinder/bled brakes, and fixed some other miscellaneous stuff that was just "not right" and was bugging me.
It sounds (from the above posts) that if I charge $1k, I'm in no danger of over charging...Yes? No?
THANKS!
Thanks for all the replies!
I'm looking for today's $$, for.....
....yes, this is to figure how much to charge some one. Ultimately, I think the person is going to get a SMOKIN' deal, here's why.Out of curiosity, are you trying to find out how much to charge someone or how much you should be charged to do the job?
He brought me a basically original '50 Custom 'vert. He had "the wiring harness" in it, very little actually worked, and he wanted me to install the new harness and make it pass a safety. BTW, it has what appears to be the optional(?) front and rear turn signals, fog lights, back up lights, etc.
I quickly realized that there are multiple harnesses, and what came with the car was the engine/dash harness. I pulled the original harness and installed the new one, and...nothing worked except what worked before. No surprise there....virtually every wire in the car was completely dry rotted and there where shorts to ground everywhere. Virtually every switch was 10-7 and most connections were corroded. To make the car "pass safety", I proceeded to diagnose the entire car, replace wires, replace connectors, rebuild switch gear and undo what "bubba" had done before me. By the time I was finish, I had build new harnesses for;
*Front parking lights
*Front turn signals
*Horns (only 1 wire there)
*Head lights
*Rear of car
*Gas tank/gauge
*Heater
*Fog lights
*New horn wire down the column and fixed horn button/switch
...I think that's about it.
I'm sure that I have well over 40 hours into it, but I don't want to charge the owner more than $1000.00
In addition to the wiring, I also built a new fuel delivery system, and rebuilt the master cylinder/bled brakes, and fixed some other miscellaneous stuff that was just "not right" and was bugging me.
It sounds (from the above posts) that if I charge $1k, I'm in no danger of over charging...Yes? No?
THANKS!
Last edited:
rotorwrench
Well-known member
In the resto/repair market $1K gets eaten up pretty quick. I sometimes give the customer a deal on a machine that I know will be back or at least a customer that will be back. It generally gets made up for in the end.
That's why most folks do their own work in this "hobby". For those that aren't mechanical or don't have the time, it gets more expensive.
That's why most folks do their own work in this "hobby". For those that aren't mechanical or don't have the time, it gets more expensive.
V12Bill
Well-known member
Sounds like you are being fair, but if your friend knew anything about cars, he would have done jit himself. Unfortunately, people who have no mechanical knowledge think that repair work is easy (he couldn't do it) for those with mechanical abilities and therefore shouldn't have to pay a lot of money. I have a friend who does work on old cars full time and is always getting into trouble with customers who have no knowledge of the work entailed. Your friend may accept your fee, but be prepared to have an unhappy camper on your hands. I would advise a detailed list of what you did, what bubba did wrong and had to be corrected and why, and the total time that you put in.
VeryTangled
Well-known member
Tom, From what I've read, I think you're being unfair... To yourself.
You have over 40 hours in the project (I'll be light and choose 45), sounds like materials (wire, solder, tips), and that number of hours likely doesn't include the research. I also bet you've done as good a job as you could. You probably told the customer about some of the trials you have been having, so he shouldn't be surprised the job was nastier than anticipated ("very little actually worked..").
An extremely generous rate for your expertise would be $35 per hour, I'd say. My calculation on that is $1575. If you met in the middle. around 1250, you'd be charging under $28/hr on 45 (plus a bunch) hours.
Just the way I'm reading it.
-VT/JeffH
You have over 40 hours in the project (I'll be light and choose 45), sounds like materials (wire, solder, tips), and that number of hours likely doesn't include the research. I also bet you've done as good a job as you could. You probably told the customer about some of the trials you have been having, so he shouldn't be surprised the job was nastier than anticipated ("very little actually worked..").
An extremely generous rate for your expertise would be $35 per hour, I'd say. My calculation on that is $1575. If you met in the middle. around 1250, you'd be charging under $28/hr on 45 (plus a bunch) hours.
Just the way I'm reading it.
-VT/JeffH
THanks for the excellent replies!
Very Tangled, you pretty much hit the nail, dead on the head. I spent a good bit of time showing the owner what I had fixed, replaced, and made from scratch. He was impressed, and understood the cost. He got a smokin' deal, but I enjoyed the work and it was good for my brain to do another big(ger) electrical project, as I haven't done any that extensive for a long time. I feel that we're both happy. I agree that financially he came out better, but I'm O.K. with that since I enjoyed the work, and I know he'll be coming back from more, both w/the Ford, and w/some other cars he has. I just wanted to be SURE, I was looking at the situation correctly and wanted to bounce it off you guys. Thanks! This thread was a big help!
Very Tangled, you pretty much hit the nail, dead on the head.
I spent a good bit of time showing the owner what I had fixed, replaced, and made from scratch. He was impressed, and understood the cost. He got a smokin' deal, but I enjoyed the work and it was good for my brain to do another big(ger) electrical project, as I haven't done any that extensive for a long time. I feel that we're both happy. I agree that financially he came out better, but I'm O.K. with that since I enjoyed the work, and I know he'll be coming back from more, both w/the Ford, and w/some other cars he has. I just wanted to be SURE, I was looking at the situation correctly and wanted to bounce it off you guys. Thanks! This thread was a big help!