Date:         Thu, 19 Oct 1995 15:35:25 -0400
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         drew@interport.net (Derek Drew)
Subject:      Re: Best Dealer To Buy Parts From (Don't Skip This Post)

>Drew,
>
>This is very interesting and I'm sure will help a lot of us.
>
>Questions:  Can I get parts fiches from the dealer? 

A. Ask innocently at every dealer you drive past. This should produce
results in about 1 out of 15 requests. Keep asking. Buddie up to the parts guy.
B. Beg one of our most helpful list members (who surely doesn't have 500
fiches).

>            How much do they cost?
>            Is there multiple fiches per model and year?
>
>BTW there is one dealer here that will give a 15% discount if I say I'm 
>buying for an auto repair shop.  I haven't tried this myself, but my 
>father has used them for his '86 GL. 

>How does that compare to 20% over cost?

Well, since many parts are sold by the dealer for double what he pays for
it, a discount of 15% is similar to the dealer selling these parts for 35%
over his cost. As such, 20% over cost is an additional savings of 15%. 

I get the impression, though I have not verified this, that dealers in the
Southwest pay a little less for their parts in the first place than dealers
in other parts of the country.
___________________________________
Derek Drew
drew@interport.net (main address for e-mail)
derekdrew@aol.com (alternate/backup address, checked infrequently)