crown14 said:My "argument" is only that shops charge what they do for a reason. I am a firm believer in DIY repairs but some people are better off leaving certain things to skilled tradesmen. I didn't put the roof on my house, even though by the time I did it twice I could have saved a few bucks.
This is my perspective as well. I enjoy electrical work and I have no problem crawling around the attic wiring up lights, ceiling fans, etc. But plumbing? I freakin hate plumbing, which is why I just paid a guy $140 to completely re-plumb my leaking kitchen sink plumbing with a new faucet and garbage disposal that I supplied.
I have done suspension and brakes several times on my two Rovers (the old '96 and now my '04) but I actually enjoy that kind of work. Spending a nice cool spring Saturday morning with my coffee and all my tools and new parts spread out in the garage is very enjoyable to me.
When it comes to dismantling the engine I'm perfectly comfortable admitting that this level of work is beyond my current skills. I also find absolutely no enjoyment in trying to cram my big hands into incredibly tight spaces so that I can dismantle part A so that I can access part B, which must be dismantled to access part C, then part D, then part E...etc. I know that I could do the proper level of research and eventually do it myself but it would take so much time that I don't see the benefit in investing my time in something that I wouldn't enjoy.
If I enjoy it then it is not work. If I don't enjoy it then it is work and I have to assign a per-dollar value to my time. My own personal time value is higher than their shop time charge, and it would take me at least twice the amount of time it would take the shop so therefore it makes sense to pay the shop.
Thanks for all the input. It sounds like $1700 isn't a bad price. I'm headed out of town for a week but when I get back I'm taking the D2 to another local Rover shop for a 2nd opinion and price on HG if that is indeed the culprit. I'll let you know how it works out.