Date: Wed, 4 Sep 2002 15:03:32 -0500
Reply-To: Chris Mills <scmills@TNTECH.EDU>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Chris Mills <scmills@TNTECH.EDU>
Subject: Re: Huh? was: VW obscene parts pricing
In-Reply-To: <004001c25443$0ab2b0a0$6701a8c0@gumby>
Content-type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=us-ascii
>Called VW dealer: "Got it" $99. Sweet. Arcane boot I was sure would be
>NLA was $20, and other rubber jeeber $2 both available "tomorrow".
>
>Maybe VW dealer costs a little more than some, but they have the stuff
>(or can get it) and form my experience, they really like to see the old
>VWs kept up in good shape. Mine usually slides me some sort of "old
>VW/VOA". Dealer will always be higher for stuff you ought to get at
>AutoZone (plugs, O2 sensor, filters, oil, Aunty Freeze, etc.) for VW
>specific parts, the dealer is one of several options in my book.
Depends on the dealership apparently. I needed the little "C" clip that
holds the timing gear on a Type I engine back in 1992-1993 and there was a
VW dealer right across from the military base I was stationed at in Naples,
Italy. The charged me $70 (!) roughly and it took a week to get it. Luckily
it was not for my car and not my money, but I got it per orders. $70!!! It
wasn't a question of currency exchange rates either.
Fast forward to 1996. Gave VW another chance. Needed a set of injector
seals for my '78 Westy 2.0. The price was about $20-$25 for the set. The
dealer ordered them and when they came in the price went to $50 more or
less. I refused to pay for them, told them to keep them, and questioned the
price gouge when they quoted me only days before the lower price. Parts
counter guy told me to never expect them to order ANYTHING else for me if I
didn't pay up front! I reminded him that if I had - maybe the price would
have remained constant. I never could get an explanation of why the price
went so high. I've never been back either. Chattanooga VW dealer.
I then got a set from Advance Auto - back when I wasn't afraid of their
parts' quality (I'm a former employee) for $16 overnight.
I prefer dealer parts b/c in many cases I do feel that the quality is much
better than some of the white boxed parts (made in China). I also recognize
that the dealer prices are much cheaper than a new car payment (doing that
now - first and last time). I am also saving myself alot of money regularly
b/c I am doing my own work ALWAYS. However that said I refuse to be price
gouged.
Shop around on the net - for Hondas at least - there are alot of
dealerships selling parts at near wholesale prices. I bought the factory
tape deck, cargo cover, and roof rack for my CR-V at about 50% of the cost
of the local dealership. Been 100% happy with it all. I even buy my oil
filters through them (www.hparts.com) at about $3.25 each and feel much
better about those filters than the FLAPS Fram filters, etc.
Chris M. <"Busbodger" of "TEAM SLOWPOKE">
Cookeville, Tennessee
ICQ# 5944649
scm9985@tntech.edu
'78 VW Westfalia (67 HP -> that is...67 Hamster Power)
'65 Beetle - Type IV powered
'99 CR-V AWD station wagon
'81 CB900 Custom moto-chickle
2.5 Corvair engines for my Trans-vair Conversion
