REwald9535@aol.com wrote:
>
> I used to run a parts house so let me take a stab here. Unfortunately in
> America, at least, the focus of most mechanics has gone from fixing cars to
> making money. I used to get call from shops asking how much a clutch was for
> an MGB. They would want all the prices separate. He would then hang up and
> about 30 minutes later call up and order the cover and T/O from me. What
> about the disk you ask? He got that from the "Other Guy" because it was $1.00
> less! Now don't tell me that he wasted far more than $1 in time making phone
> calls, I know that. However, the companies that make and import auto parts
> want more market share, so they want lower prices. There are only two ways to
> lower prices, one is to make more of a particular item and get economy of
> scale (ain't going to happen, the number of MG's on the road is going down not
> up), and two build a lower quality part that cost less to make. Face it, we,
> the people that really want quality, are in the minority.
As I was helping my brother tune his Weber carbed '78 B, this exact
thing came to mind. However lofty we place Moss and others, they are
still there to make a profit. While I realize they do support the
enthusiast and are often times enthusiasts themselves, profit margins
prevail. Believe me, this is not a flame of Moss as much as just an
observation. My manilla file folder probably has at least $2500 in
parts from Moss alone ('70 B), and I don't even want to count how much
my receipts from Moss add up to on my previously owned '78 B.
> As far as the Porsche parts having better quality, well, you know the old joke
> about the difference between Porsches and porcupines? Porsche owners and
> mechanics won't stand for anything less then factory quality. The people that
> make P parts know this and jack up their prices accordingly.
True; the Crane box I got from Summit Racing was only $150. From a
Porsche parts house, it was over $300. As far as the comment about
factory quality: I'd much rather pay $30 for an OEM quality window sill
scraper for the P-car, versus pay $10 for my piece of sh*t window sill
scraper for my MGB that is cracking after only two years. Many of the
parts on my P-car, particularly in the interior are original and in good
condition. The car was not even taken care of particularly well.
Being an engineer, of course, I am gaga over the fit/finish and quality
of the P-car. Doesn't mean I don't like the MGB. SOMETIMES I just like
something that accelerates faster than a '86 Dodge Caravan. :)
jay
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