( Sorry for the long winded post, but I'm pissed and need to explain :-)

Hey guys, anyone have a GM hour/rate book for c4 (1994 LT1, ragtop, 6 speed)

I feel like I got reamed by local corvette shop (Leo's Automotive,
Pensacola Florida)

I just picked up my Vette from having Ripper Shifter & Plugs installed.

Leo told me the last time I took in my Vette for u-joints that he would
install a Ripper for 1 hr labor. I immediately questioned him, "You can get
to the inner boot and shift rod pin from the cockpit, without dropping the
x-member and exhaust?!?" He said in his smarmy way, Ric I need to teach you a
few things, bud.... I sure can!

Well I went to pay my bill and he charged me 4 HR!!! I got home and
called him to complain, "Leo what happened to the hour?!?" He tried to give
me a bullshitish fast talking story that, "Well Ric that shifter you brought
(B&M Ripper)in didn't come with the complete rocker box assembly that attaches
to the rear of the tranny." "If it did, I wouldn't of had to drop the exhaust and
x-member, Cause I could of just pulled the shift rod out with the complete
rocker box shifter assembly."  ??!!??

Hell I even showed him the assembled shifter when I brought it in. I wanted to make
sure he didn't have to mess with the pre-load I put on the pivot point shaft and
nuts. I wet sanded down the nylon washers some to make the shifter pivot forward and
back easily. The new nylon washers were too tight when installed and it would hardly
pivot.

I've never seen a shifter sold, (Hurst or B&M) with the complete outer rocker
box assembly. I'd bet my little finger that rocker box assembly that attaches
to the rear of the tranny is a ZF serviced item ONLY. If by chance ZF even sells
them separately at all.

I went over and over my service manual after getting off the phone with him
a few minutes ago. And it damn sure looks to me that to get any part of the shift
assembly out you have to remove the pin at the shifter base. The shift rod going
into the tranny is two piece with a pin, but it looks to me like you have to get the
shifter out of the way first anyway...... What's got me pissed about this part of the
visit is he didn't even call me to let me know......

And I HATE the way it shifts!! You darn near have to use both hands to pull it back!!
I've had many SuperShifters & SuperShifter II's in my day and the short throw is
slightly stiffer to shift due to the lost leverage, but this thing is TERRIBLE!!
And a loud clunk with every shift. I realize an internal rail tranny might be
different than say a Muncie, but dang this is unbearable. I'm afraid that might
be the Ripper design -vs- anything Leo actually did wrong... dunno.

NEXT, he charged me $253.00 to put a set of plugs in (AC Platinum)!!!!
$150.00 labor and $13.00 per freaking plug!!

Couple questions for my backup come Monday bitch session with Leo :-)

1) Can someone look up what GM pays to R&R plugs on a LT1 C4?

2) Can someone possibly look up what it pays to R&R a shifter for the ZF tranny?
(although 4 hr might be on par, but the Bastage didn't call me)

3) Anyone with experience, is it possible to remove the complete rocker box/shifter
assembly at the rear of the tranny without having to remove the pin from the base of
the shifter.(inside the rocker box) i.e. remove the rocker box/shifter assembly
without dropping the x-member & exhaust like he's trying to say.

I'd really, really appreciate it.

Thanks, Guys

Ric Seyler
94 C4 6 speed ragtop.

....$756.32 for a set of plugs and installing the Ripper I purchased
myself and changing the tranny fluid with Royal Purple Syncromax that
I purchased myself. ARRGGHH   :-)