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Transmission repair cost

HerkyJim on Tue October 23, 2012 3:19 AM User is offline

Year: '57
Make: Plymouth
Model: PLaza
Engine Size: 277
Country of Origin: United States

Found a repair order from 1963...I remember, I was a kid and driving, and Mom and we two boys were going from Fresno to Montana for Vacation. Somewhere between Elko and Twin Falls, the Powerfilte began to slip. Not much out there, at least back then, so kept going and made it as far as Rupert, Idaho. Next day was 4th of July. Stayed upstairs in a hotel across from the city park and there was brass band in the park on the Fourth. Got it in the Chrysler Plymouth place next day the 5th. I watched the mechanic do the job. Also saw another mechanic get a cut on his face from a sliver of steel off the face of a ballpein hammer...lucky it wasn't his eye!

"Check powerflite trans. Remove, steamclean, disassemble,inspect, (unreadable), assemble & install, adj 8.4 (hours?) $41.00
Labor $41.00; Parts $ 28.50 gasket, (rings?), seals; 10 (quarts?) transmission $7.00
Total $76.50

That mechanic had stack of used gaskets from each auto trans he had done, hanging on a nail. I think I remember it was 81 gaskets. Said for recreation sometimes he'd drive down to Las Vegas in His Chrysler 300. Don't imagine speed limits and cops were much of a problem in those parts of Nevada back then.

Would they even answer the phone for $41.00 nowadays? Inflation...that's eventually going to be our governments answer to reducing the debt.

NickD on Tue October 23, 2012 6:45 AM User is offline

Bad enough when our current rate of inflation exceeds the interest rate on a CD, then they charge you income taxes on that interest.

Recalling seeing completely rebuilt TH-400 transmissions for $125.00 and a simple job to replace those yourself. It never went bad in my new 65 Buick Electra, loaded with stainless steel moldings that I purchased new for one month's pay check. And manage to put over 310K miles on it and was still running good when I sold it.

Today a new vehicle made of plastic cost approximately a years paycheck made with all throwaway parts. Price of gas has increased by over a factor of 20. We also paid for WW II and shortly after the Korean War, than Viet Nam. My property taxes have gone up by a factor of 47 times as much, but back then we had good schools. Schools today positively suck. We also got a entirely new interstate system for a nickel a gallon tax. Today, can't even plow the roads for 55 cents a gallon tax.

A brand new blower motor at the dealer was five bucks, but why pay that when you could buy new brushes and bearings for 35 cents. With a screwdriver, only took seconds to replace them.

Could even afford to buy a brand new Cessna Skyhawk, but purchased a completely restored metalized Stinson 108-3 if a full IFR panel and brand new Franklin engine for $5,000.00. Loved that plane, full controls. Today, looking at over $40,000 for a used engine. I cannot even afford to rent a plane using an hourly meter at 200 bucks per hour.

In my estimation, the big difference is that the buck stayed here so the IRS could tax it.

Even though I was screwed out of my VA benefits due to some fire in St. Louis, a credit hour was only four bucks, 20 credit hours was 80 bucks, but my employer at the time paid 60 of it. Even at a state college with crack smoking professors, costing about $11,000 per semester., they claim all the money is going to Iraq.

We are sure getting screwed.

mk378 on Sat October 27, 2012 8:19 PM User is offline

The CPI has increased about 600% between 1963 and now, so the $75 total in today's dollars would be about $450. Still a pretty good price for major repairs.

bohica2xo on Mon October 29, 2012 1:45 PM User is offline

Jim:

Most of the people driving today barely remember the national 55 mph speed limit was imposed in 1974.

Prior to that, Nevada had NO speed limits on the highways. Speed limits were imposed only in urban areas prior to the feds forcing NV to comply mid-1974.

It was a common thing for southern calif. residents to cross the border on the way to Las Vegas & try out that loud pedal. I got passed twice in 5 miles once while driving 100mph - first a 911 Porsche, then a CB750 Honda. Both were going at least 25 mph faster than me. We used to be a very fun place to live...

B.

-------------------------
"Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the act of depriving a whole nation of arms, as the blackest."
~ Mahatma Gandhi, Gandhi, An Autobiography, M. K. Gandhi, page 446.

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