Date:         Thu, 29 Apr 1999 08:07:27 -0700
Reply-To:     "Tom L. Neal" <jneal@NETCOM.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "Tom L. Neal" <jneal@NETCOM.COM>
Subject:      Tires: MXT wholesale price
In-Reply-To:  <v02130400b34c0879f78e@DialupEudora>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

"Tired" of the "t" word, please delete.
Found some  interesting data about the MXT situation while following up
the recent messages.

1.MXT's are indeed on "consumer hold", which means allocation
2.The Michelin web site has preferred dealers who can eak the tires out of
  Michelin while other Michelin dealers can't
3.The local American Tire was able to acquire 5 tires from Michelin,
  but only by calling in one order for 4, and a separate order for 1.
4.While at another tire place, the parts fellow called into Michelin and
  wrote down HIS  wholesale price, $87.50, and the recommended retail price,
  $110.
5.American Tire charges
  tire $93 ($5.50 profit?, but wait, there is more)
  balance and stems: $10.25
  refuse fee: $2 (save by keeping current MXL's as obsolete souvenirs)
  state environmental fee: $.25  OK
  Road hazard fee:  $12.25  "strongly recommended". Provides a free
  replacement for road hazard, presumably unfixable problems.
    No doubt a big profit  item.  Will decline because have some redundancy
    with 5 tires and will keep the old MXL's for
    short-term-no-driveshaft-mounted deep backup.

  With tax, out the door price of about $110 each for presumably exactly the
  "right" tire.

Cheers, Tom Neal '87 syncro with some of the last of the great MXL breed