Cheap good rep garage needed in Gloucester

izzybusy23

Hi there

As the title suggests! Head gasket has gone in my Rover 25 and my local garage have quoted £600 - £700 which I think is very expensive.

Does anybody know of a good garage in Glos that has a good reputation and not out to rip people off??

Many thanks!

somech

£600-£700 is the going rate

bear in mind also a lot of garages wont replace these headgaskets

tomstickland

Two garages that I've used whom I trust.
-Stonehouse tyre and exhaust centre (they are a standard back street garage that also sell tyres and exhausts).
-Garage down Bristol Road in Gloucester just behind the Partco motor factors.
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?source=s_q&gl=uk&hl=en&g=333+Bristol+Road,+Gloucester+GL2+5DN&ie=UTF8&msa=0&ll=51.839929,-2.267497&spn=0.000663,0.001448&t=h&z=19&msid=102649200503519711649.000484dbab80fc4172354

I've looked on Google Maps and I think it's
D K Automotive‎ 333 Bristol Road, Gloucester GL2 5DN
I'll check tomorrow.

izzybusy23

somech wrote: »

£600-£700 is the going rate

bear in mind also a lot of garages wont replace these headgaskets

Why won't garages replace these headgaskets? The few garages I have phoned haven't said there will be a problem. I have found one garage who will do it just short of £400.. so all booked in tomorrow and fingers crossed its ok.

I had a Rover before this one and the same thing happened and I was charged £400 back then so I knew £700 was steep.

blue_haddock

Thing is you can do a headgasket on one of these cheaply or you can do it properly.

If you do it cheaply and just change the headgasket itself it will almost certainly go again in the not too distant future, however if you do it properly by using the upgraded head gasket plus changing all the other relavent gaskets plus the stretch bolts it will see you well.

if the first quote is for a proper job and not just a throw it back together job then its not too bad a price.

DCFC79

Try perry and jordan, they are near the tesco and b and q in gloucester, ive used them before for various bits, not sure what the price would be mind for what you want, linky

or you could call trye and battery centre and ask them if they could recommend somewhere who can do head gaskets or 1 they have recommended to other customers

izzybusy23

DCFC79 wrote: »

Try perry and jordan, they are near the tesco and b and q in gloucester, ive used them before for various bits, no sure what the price would be mind for what you want, linky

or you could call trye and battery centre and ask them if they could recommend somewhere who can do head gaskets or 1 they have recommended to other customers

I was desperately trying to remember that garage when phoning around as a guy at work uses them and I couldn't remember the name. I have sent the car to Whitepost near Tuffley who say they have done loads of Rovers and will use the modified gasket so hoping that they do a fair job. The only other reason I decided not to go with the first quote in the end is due to having 3 reviews and 2 of them being bad.

Thanks Guys

somech

i worked in 2 garages that would'nt replace them even with the modified gasket as quite often they would blow again in less than a year, and due to the head design there is almost no tolerance for skimming.
£400 is cheap but have they found the reason why the gasket blew ie is the thermostat stuck/radiator blocked is the waterpump ok

and make sure they fit a cambelt kit not just a belt flush the cooling system and flush the oil.

izzybusy23

somech wrote: »

i worked in 2 garages that would'nt replace them even with the modified gasket as quite often they would blow again in less than a year, and due to the head design there is almost no tolerance for skimming.
£400 is cheap but have they found the reason why the gasket blew ie is the thermostat stuck/radiator blocked is the waterpump ok

and make sure they fit a cambelt kit not just a belt flush the cooling system and flush the oil.

Hi - not sure what caused it; looks like the cylinder head might be cracked though.. so another £100 for a 2nd hand replacement head if it loses pressure again. They are also fitting a new cambelt.

Fingers crossed that the costs don't start mounting up. Running this car into the ground and never having a Rover again!

somech

you/they can buy a recon head for around £250

izzybusy23

somech wrote: »

you/they can buy a recon head for around £250

Garage confirmed tonight that its definately a cracked head; they sourced a 2nd hand one for £125 which they are going to pressure test.. if thats sound then hopefully the engine can be put back together and I can pick it up before the weekend. He reckons about £550 now.. so still not bad a price huh? With the modified gasket on a head that hasn't been skimmed due to it not being warped; how likely is the gasket to blow again, do you know?