Kyb Or Not To Kyb, Is It The Real Lexus Deal?

[jw.design]

I have been looking into fixing up the car and the suspension needs work. Replacing the engine mounts, transmission mount and new struts & strut mounts, as per the recommendation of my new mechanic. I chose this guy because he is a Lexus certified mechanic, but I am still feeling him out (as we all know mechanics can be less than forthcoming at times). Anyway, he wants to go all Lexus with the parts and he wants me to buy them from him, at a 10% discount.

First, I beat the prices his gives me by going to lexusparts.com. Second I suggest we use KYB shocks because that is the brand that Lexus puts on it's car from the factory. He tells me that the KYB shock is not the same as the KYB shock made for Lexus because Lexus gives KYB the specifications to make the Lexus shock. Is this guy real or not - anyone out the care to share?

[LexSC400328]

yikes man i dont know about this guy...he seems either in it for himself with the prices there, or just not very lienient....you dont HAVE to put the best of every part into the car man..hell i have a used MAF from an old SC300 in my SC400 and it runs beautiful...i wouldnt be too sure of him

[BenLEXus]

You can never be too sure. Have you had any work done by him yet? I had the local toyota dealership work on mine and supposedly had the Lexus tech work on it and its got carquest parts and had to go back 5 times and i'm still fixing stuff. Motor mounts, transmission mounts are easy. Havn't replaced shocks but look straightforward. Have you thought about getting a case of beer and calling your friends to help you? note: fix car and then drink beer, i have an exhaust on my pickup that screams don't drink and weld.

Also have the kyb's on mine and while i'm not sure what it rides like stright from factory, but i like my kyb's for the price. doing 20mph in town or cruising 120 on freeway car is stable. I'm gonna get coilovers one of these days(or years).

[jw.design]

Naw, I am not too sure about this guy. He is trying to make more money off the parts, by hiking the cost up. I'd rather he be straight with me about what he wants to charge for labor than to insult my intelligence hiking up the cost of parts.

When I told him I found even the Lexus parts for less, he started back tracking by saying he only called one Lexus dealer but if he called around he might be able to find it for less. Now he wants me to bring in the prices I can get the parts for and see if he can beat it. This work is the tip of the iceburg, I've got a check engine light on I want off and I might get more work done on the suspension. The struts and mounts are a small test to see if he will try to rip me off.

As far as doing the work myself, I'd rather just drink the beer and forget about fixing the car. :P