Bay Area CLutch Replacement! Who? How Much?

[xpimpindistressx]

Hey guys,

Its time to replace the original clutch! Ran a good 90k+ miles on my 92.

I need some info on who and where has the best reasonable pricing on Labor cost? (Best quote i got so far is $650 Labor only)

Is there aftermarket brands like Exedy or Spec that work just as well as OEM? (im running stock, dont need race clutch)

Contact information would be greatly appreciated.



Thanks,

 

[xpimpindistressx]

nobody can help with this?

 

[nsxtasy]

I'd take it to Don at Hilltop Auto Service in Daly City. He's THE SHOP when it comes to NSX work.

And, although Don's prices are fair and reasonable, I wouldn't be shopping by price when it comes to a mechanic to work on my NSX. Giving it to a guy who doesn't work on them all the time (like Don and his staff do) is just asking for trouble.

EDIT: As noted below, Don's mechanics have plenty of NSX experience as well. I would trust my car with his shop, and whoever they assign to work on it. I did not intend to imply that Don was the only one there who has NSX experience. I have slightly reworded this post to reflect that.

 

[NRG]

It depends on the job. The wife said Don only works on the complicated job and let his employees do the rest with his supervision.

Ask Don first to see who's doing the work...

I'd take it to Don at Hilltop Auto Service in Daly City. He's THE GUY when it comes to NSX work.

And, although Don's prices are fair and reasonable, I wouldn't be shopping by price when it comes to a mechanic to work on my NSX. Giving it to a guy who doesn't work on them all the time (like Don does) is just asking for trouble.

 

[SFNSXguy]

Where are you actually located? If it's the Northern Peninsula the answer is Don Lam at Hill Top...
http://www.hilltopautoservice.com/
They've done a zillion clutches, they'll do it right -- don't worry about who is actually doing ALL the work. It's insane to expect one guy to do ALL the work.
Hill Top has done work for me for over a decade. No complaints.

 

[nsxtasy]

It depends on the job. The wife said Don only works on the complicated job and let his employees do the rest with his supervision.

Ask Don first to see who's doing the work...

Where are you actually located? If it's the Northern Peninsula the answer is Don Lam at Hill Top...
http://www.hilltopautoservice.com/
They've done a zillion clutches, they'll do it right -- don't worry about who is actually doing ALL the work. It's insane to expect one guy to do ALL the work.
Hill Top has done work for me for over a decade. No complaints.

That's correct. Don is not the only one there with plenty of NSX experience; so do others under his supervision. I did not mean to imply that he had to do the work in my previous post, which I have lightly reworded to reflect my original intent.

My point remains, I would not choose a shop to work on my NSX based solely on price. Sure, there are minor services that any competent mechanic can do adequately, such as tire replacements, brake work, and oil changes. But when it comes to the major, complicated services, like timing belt and clutch replacements, as well as problem troubleshooting, I want the shop who works on NSX's all the time, so they know the common causes and short cuts and the gotchas of the job. If the most NSX-experienced shop charges a fair price, so much the better. But I wouldn't take it to a place that charges less but doesn't have much NSX experience.

 

[xpimpindistressx]

any pricing?

 

[LJSB]

I have noticed, with some amusement, that the original question from the OP is about price, specifically the labor. Not about quality of service ie., experience, reputation or warranty or for that matter the cost of the parts and if such an installer allows the customer to provided any parts but the best price.

The thrust of the responses regard the skill and experience of the installer and, in particular, take great pains to define their recommendations of a specific business and the capability of not just the owner but his staff of techs.

After all this the OP asks the same question, the only one ever asked. Not quality, skill. knowledge, policy or reputation just price. What is the price? :biggrin:

 

[SFNSXguy]

What's the expression? Oh yeah, "if you absolutely have to ask the price -- you probably can't afford it"
It depends on what needs to be done. Often little things crop up that need attention.
Let's just say "It might not be the most expensive quote you get, but it won't be the cheapest either." ; - )

 

[xpimpindistressx]

Stop and think about this real quick! Im asking this specific question on a "NSX FORUM" My educated guess is that all the answers my peeps are providing to me will be mechanics with NSX experience. So yes, I am very interested about how much is coming out of my pocket for this fix. I am strong believer in fair market value in any service or commodity. The more you pay DOESN'T always mean better service you get. THAT'S WHY WE DRIVE HONDAS

If you ain't got nothing good to say, best thing is keep your unnecessary opinions to yourself. Thank you very much

I have noticed, with some amusement, that the original question from the OP is about price, specifically the labor. Not about quality of service ie., experience, reputation or warranty or for that matter the cost of the parts and if such an installer allows the customer to provided any parts but the best price.

The thrust of the responses regard the skill and experience of the installer and, in particular, take great pains to define their recommendations of a specific business and the capability of not just the owner but his staff of techs.

After all this the OP asks the same question, the only one ever asked. Not quality, skill. knowledge, policy or reputation just price. What is the price? :biggrin:

 

[Tangoman]

Stop and think about this real quick! Im asking this specific question on a "NSX FORUM" My educated guess is that all the answers my peeps are providing to me will be mechanics with NSX experience. So yes, I am very interested about how much is coming out of my pocket for this fix. I am strong believer in fair market value in any service or commodity. The more you pay DOESN'T always mean better service you get. THAT'S WHY WE DRIVE HONDAS

If you ain't got nothing good to say, best thing is keep your unnecessary opinions to yourself. Thank you very much

I like this guy . He understands that he will have to shop around a bit to get a good price for good quality work whereas some of the other forum members with deeper wallets have the luxury of quickly picking the highest quality mechanic without thinking too much about cost.

He wants the job done right but he is willing to put the leg work in up front to get it done in his budget. Nothing wrong with that guys!

 

[nsxtasy]

WRONG. What's good about Don at Hilltop is that, not only are he and his staff the most experienced NSX mechanics in the SFB area, but their prices are also reasonable. You're not going to find anyone who has done a lot of them for a significantly lower price. So he offers good quality AND good value. Nothing wrong with that guys! :tongue:

 

[Tangoman]

WRONG. What's good about Don at Hilltop is that, not only are he and his staff the most experienced NSX mechanics in the SFB area, but their prices are also reasonable. You're not going to find anyone who has done a lot of them for a significantly lower price. So he offers good quality AND good value. Nothing wrong with that guys! :tongue:

This is exactly the answer the OP is looking for! Thanks for clearing it up as always Ken! Also, this is exactly why I went with Acura of Brookfield - their extensive NSX experience and their significantly cheaper prices than Muller's - your formula exactly. I'm glad we're finally on the same page!

 

[nsxtasy]

This is exactly the answer the OP is looking for! Thanks for clearing it up as always Ken! Also, this is exactly why I went with Acura of Brookfield - their extensive NSX experience and their significantly cheaper prices than Muller's - your formula exactly. I'm glad we're finally on the same page!

No, that's an entirely different comparison. The fact is, the experience profile at Acura of Brookfield is quite different from that at Muller's Woodfield Acura. There are some services that AoB has more experience with and does a better (and cheaper) job, whereas there are others that Muller's will do a better (and cheaper) job with. Plus, depending on where you live, one of them involves one or two 200-mile round trips for service (depending on whether you wait for your car or go home) while the other one doesn't. That's NOT the same situation - quite the opposite.

 

[mochanges]

Which sub forum are we in again? I thought this was Norcal.

To the OP, I don't know the price but Driving Ambition is another great place to take your car. For larger jobs Shad can occasionally trailer up your car (they are just east of Sacramento). There are a few other choices in the South Bay as well if you look through this sub-forum.

 

[PATCHEZ]

If you would like give me a call at Sunnyvale Acura. I would be more than happy to change your clutch for you and give you a car to drive while I have yours. I would recommend to go with the stock clutch though. I run a SOS clutch and think you would be happier with a stock clutch for your stock nsx. O and do a search before you take your car to hill top. What once was good may not always be. Just saying. Some people know what I speak of.

 

[dansplan]

I had great experience (and people were amazed at how good the price was) at Driving Ambition. It's easily worth the drive.

 

[rwdforlife]

what we need is a poll. can someone start one? (i too would need a new clutch for my 05 NSX) :biggrin: