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My 1979 Honda Civic needed a new exhaust system (muffler and pipe ) which had to be made since parts were outdated. A Warrant of Fitness check was done on the same day. Labour time was 4.75 hours @ $76.50 per hour.

(The WoF was charged at $42.67 excl GST and was included in the total bill)

I would appreciate your comments on the time and rate please.

Eileen

From the "Ask Jack" archives - 24 August 2009

have checked with Honda New Zealand who have confirmed the genuine exhaust muffler and pipe for this model is no longer available either from Japan or via a local exhaust supplier.

I do not want to comment too much on price although the labour time seems very excessive. Jobs like this are best done by exhaust specialists who stock a range of aftermarket mufflers and pipes to do the job at a reasonable cost and to meet a WoF standard. I would be very surprised if an exhaust specialist took this much time to carry out this particular job.

They also have the equipment to manufacture exhaust pipes to ensure they fit without fouling the body or suspension. General repair garages can struggle with this sort of work and be less efficient than the 'experts'.

The price for the WoF sounds about right.