Wanted - Labor Operation times - manual

[lcdcl]

Does anyone have a pdf or hardcopy of a Land Rover Labor Operation Time manual for series trucks? I've been able to find manuals for other older vehicles and defenders but so far I've had no luck finding any for Series trucks. A number of the operations are similar but many are different.

[leafsprung]

I have one but don’t have it in a digital format. If there is a job you’d like times for I can look it up. Keep in mind these times assume the cars are new, the parts are genuine and fit perfectly and there are no previous owners that have done anything unspeakable

[lcdcl]

I appreciate the offer. I'm doing more work on other peoples trucks and I'd like to price the jobs fairly, for both of our sakes. Point taken on the condition of the vehicles, parts and past repairs. Could you tell me the name of the manual so I can look out for one in the future? Or if you have an extra copy you would consider selling, I'd be interested.

Right now the only job I need to bill for is replacing both sides of the windscreen glass on a series 3.

[series guy]

I always charged for my actual time working on the truck. Occasionally I would knock a bit off if the struggle was partly my fault but my customers were happy to find someone knowledgeable to work on their trucks and never complained about the price. I did the same with my work on BMW motorcycles. The very few that complained never seemed to get another appointment. Being an old guy something that I had a hard time coming to grips with is the fact that these trucks ( or bikes ) were no longer late model and you were not or could not look at things like you were doing a standard service. Wiring becomes old and brittle. Connections turn green. And on the trucks bolts rust. While every job is not a restoration it is specialty work that not everyone wants to or can do. As a result the price reflects this. Anyone who is not most appreciative of your work is not worth working for. Feel free to PM me if you have any more detailed questions.

[lcdcl]

Thank you very much for your response. This is important for me to understand and accept. I have a bit of guilt charging enough to make it worth it to me but what you've said helps to justify it.
I'm not a full time mechanic and don't want to be but I really enjoy the work. There's still a lot for me to learn with these trucks but I'm becoming "the guy" to go to in my area because the pro mechanics don't want to work on them or they do bodge jobs when they do. I take your point that the rated labor hour is often not applicable to an older vehicle. I do spend a good portion of my time heating up bolts, retapping or at least cleaning and hitting with penetrating oil.

-Luc

[Halfton]

Actual time spent at a fair rate to you and the customer, if you know how to do the job in the first place, is fair. You will never be able to factor for corrosion / frozen fasteners, worn out parts, or additional work needed that is realized after getting into a project — these trucks are over 50 years old after all. I recently turned down a job because the owner wanted a hard estimate where there were too many variables. I just did a bunch of work to a rust free truck and could not believe how easy everything came apart and went back together again. A bit of corrosion in the “right spot” can easily double, or even triple time on a project.

[Ollies truck]

A bit of corrosion in the “right spot” can easily double, or even triple time on a project.

This is very true! I was trying to replace shocks and the top bolt would not move with oil, heat, impact, or any combination thereof. Ended up cutting it off and drilling/tapping the stuck bolt then using a smaller bolt and big washer. A five minute shock swap turned into an hour and a half and it still wasn't done "right".