You could advertise commissions giving the clear rider that they'll take a good long time? XD

Also, in my experience, there's always a cheaper way of fixin' your car than the garages suggest. Though of course I couldn't advise without knowing much about the area, and the issues, and the car, and all the other junk.. so, yeah. xD

I would totally ask for a full commission or two, possibly (and tip well so you could get as much help from me as possible) but I don't wanna add too much more to your current queue. That being said, if you feel you could tack on a commission(s), I would be okay with that. I wouldn't really expect them very soon, either. :P

I feel your pain Tartii... My car needs a complete system flush and transmission change which is about $500 all its own.. plus a good number of other minor issues fixed ( such as resealing the windshield ) which would equal me to about an extra 400 all its own..... So trust me.. I feel your pain... I feel your pain..

I had the same problems when I bought my used '99 Honda Accord. I've replaced damn near everything in it so far. :( I like the idea of the recoloured cats - something easy and quick to draw and do edits for and whatnot. Maybe icons? Also agree you could take slots with the disclaimer that these will take a bit. I never mind waiting, and I know others don't either.

Good luck!

You could do 'your character here' images. But instead of doing it as an auction have it at a set price, maybe $40.

Aww, too bad you're so far away! I've done work on plenty of Hondas and could've totally helped out. :( In any case, little Christmas kitties sounds like a cute idea!

$500 to replace a timing belt? WTF... That's a two hour job at most. For $500 I'd be hope they'd be doing a lot more than replacing the timing belt alone, maybe the tensioner pulley, and that belt better be a good one, like a kevlar reinforced sport one or something.

I used to work at a shop, and all I hear about is these excessive prices. I mean, I can get a whole engine for around $700... not much more then they are asking for that timing belt swap.

A dealership might charge you $500+ because they can I'm a mechanic for Ford so I know how much dealerships can rip you off at times. But I drive a 1992 Honda Accord with 200k Miles original motor and factory timing belt. Timing belts in Hondas will almost never go bad. If I were you I'd not worry about it until your car starts to act funny showing signs of timing belt wear. Plus that recommendation is Hondas recommendation, and techs will use those to get easy hours for their pay. Don't waste your time with it yet

Next time I would take your car to different shops next time to see what they tell you and prices they offer, honestly for a lot of repiars I would suggest trying to find a mobile mechanic. They usually charge you 1/4 of the price shops and dealers charge you.

That is a good idea, but mobile mechanics for 1/4 means 1/4 of the workman ship. If he fucks up you have no recipt from him to prove he did. Dealerships charge more because the techs are trained in that brand. At the dealership I work for the parts are most expensive. It sucks because at dealerships the parts are priced by what the parts manager wants, and service is determined by service manager. So both departs can fuck each other

I've had a timing belt failure on an '89 Accord, and it was a costly repair. Avoidable if I hadn't neglected the maintenance. That said, my '94 has 302,000+ miles and is still going strong. Recommended change interval varies based on age, but I've heard 75-80K is a decent average.

I've never had a timing belt job cost more than 200 0o

Ahaaah, yeah I forgot to mention that there is some sort of...water pump...thingy? that he also wanted to switch out or whatever while he was down there, since you have to get past the timing belt to do it, so he figured why not do it while he was there.

XD;; oh man. Where to begin.

-Actually first first of all I'm prayin' for ya. :> And forgive me if you know all this stuff yet or not, I'm saying it all 'cuz I'm not sure, and covering all bases.
•First of all, stop. Well, that is if you haven't changed this thing already. If you have, well all the rest will be learning experience for the next time. Still!
•This mechanic guy seems fishy. If your ride has gone 120,000 miles, it should have been changed once, not twice. Why this guy would say twice is beyond me but if he's going to toss half-truths or fibs around... why bother right? Timing belts are strange things, and their purpose and expected functions were mysterious to me also, till I learned about mine.
•Timing belts: they are made to last a very very very long time, in a very specific environment. They must not stretch, they must not crack or snap, they must not contract, get loose, get hard, get soft, get wet or oily, and even if they do they still have to do their job. They usually have to keep the valves timed to the cylinders perfectly, over several presidential administrations. XD And they must not ever slip, not even a bit.
•with the help of a friend, I changed mine. OH MY GOSH THOSE THINGS ARE SOOOO HARD TO GET TO AND ANNOYING TO CHANGE. $500 is a bit too much, but in the world of repair, you'll likely not get a better price, unless you get a friend maybe? Prices can be around $700, an average possibly. Yours seems like a steal... which is why I wonder:
•Are you getting the timing belt tensioner and water pump replaced too? If the mechanic is questionable, then maybe he really is giving you the price to honestly change the timing belt ONLY. @_x; Which is dumb. The thinking goes that, if you're uncovering a part that's going to see the light of day only once every 8 or 10 years, you might as well change it, even if it's in great shape. This applies to water pump and belt tensioner. It's peace of mind as well as worth labor costs, if you're going to get this far down into a car, and only once a decade.
•Timing belts work great and perfectly until they fail. There is no stretching or slipping that can happen, belts are ribbed to prevent that. Perfect synchronization and timing are essential, otherwise well, pistons can hit valves, and that's irreparable destruction of an engine. :/ So really, if your car is working, enjoy it. You will not see a belt failure coming till it's failed. It's sorta like working bomb disposal: if ever you mess up, you'll never know the difference XD

I dunno what Alanator112 is saying-- you should make an effort to change your belt, tensioner (if your ride uses one and it likely does), and water pump reasonably soon. And not wild out over it, just change it reasonably soon. Also, demand from your shop that they keep *ALL* the old parts for you! They're YOUR pieces of car anyway, and (as  snapai made a joke once), gearheads like me or you, can read your car's wear (and fortune) like tea leaves, from the old parts. XD And anyway you'll learn a lot from your old parts, likely the timing belt will look new and clean. Except it's worn. It's weird that way. I post all this because I just hate that worry when you don't know about things going on with a car, and if I know I'm going to share to beat back that worry. I can teach ya more if you like, I learned so much fascinating stuff on various levels on this! Hope it goes well :>