Guy quoted almost $400 to put Intakes on a G37 at Forged Performance.. thoughts?

Sharif@Forged

I find it interesting that the customer himself didn't post this. Instead it's a member of the forum has a long standing agenda to disparage Forged Performance, and promote his favorite local shop. We are always happy to discuss our prices, but I hope everyone recognizes the OP's motivation for this post.

That said, lets start with several points that need clarification.

1) HKS HiPower for the G37/370 is $2595 plus shipping MSRP NOT $1900 MSRP as the OP States. We quoted $2395 +$45 shipped to our shop, and it's a huge massive oversized box. TO ship this product from HKS in California costs us $110. Our gross profit margin on this sale product is 15% after shipping and CC fee. Everyone in this industry knows there is next to nothing in profit on the parts side of the business. If the customer can find the product cheaper elsewhere, they are welcome to have it shipped to our shop, or bring it in with them for install. We have no problem installing parts purchased elsewhere.

2) Installing a cat back on the 370Z is not a 1 hr job. On a Honda, Evo, or Subaru..yes it's a 1 or 1.5 hr job. Our time includes inspecting the vehicle, carefully putting it on the lift, and relocating/rerouting the Evap canister as needed. Then we bring the car up to operating check and double check for leaks or potential rubbing. Some exhausts take more time that others.

3) Installing a long tube intake requires bumper removal and replacement and lower belly tray. We tape up the fender and headlight to avoid potential scratching as the bumper is put back on. We think 2.5 to 3.5hrs is fair for this type of job. We charge 1.5 hrs for intakes that don't require bumper removal and replacement.

Please recognize, that our labor rate is not $80 or $90/hr like many shops located in more remote areas of the country which have lower overhead. If our labor rate was $80/hr that "$400 intake install" would have been $280. We are located in the heart of metro Atlanta, which is very convenient verses driving considerably further out of the area through traffic. Our labor rate is $109/hr, and we compensate our staff very well in hopes of finding and retaining the best people. I know we aren't the least expensive shop in the country, but we are among the best in the industry...and customers can decided for themselves if they'd like to do business with us. That said, I feel we have the best group of sales and technical guys here currently, and there are 11 of us working nearly 6 days a week getting things done. We are very easy to get a hold of, and respond quickly.

In the real world here, it's amazing how a 2hr job ends up taking 3 hours. Rusty seized bolts, stubborn fasteners, very low cars that are tricky to rack... you name it we've seen it all. Most people that do bolt-on jobs with us wait around for their vehicles, and they all know they are getting exactly what they paid for in terms of time.

Lastly, if you get a lower installed written price elsewhere, 90% of the time, we can match or beat it. Thanks for the feedback.

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Sharif@Forgedperformance.com
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