dealer trying to rip me off?

[ggenovez]

Hi all,

I went to the dealer to order a set of manifold studs and thermostat housing studs.

They quoted me $5.50 each. Yeah I know these are .50 studs but I don't know the correct lenght or thread.

I had emailed MB classic center and their suggested rate is 2.20.

Am I getting ripped or is this standard MB markup?

Thanks

[MattBelliveau]

I would be suprised if a dealer DIDN'T drop some ungodly markup.

[deanyel]

Some dealers go a little overboard on margins on smaller items. Go somewhere else and tell them you went somewhere else.

[t walgamuth]

my dealer is reasonable imho on small parts. and they don't charge for shipping i dont think.

tom w

[ctaylor738]

So buy one of each and then go to a good auto parts store.

[cth350]

You stand a decent chance of getting the manifold studs at a good hardware store that stocks lots of metric hardware. You won't find the thermostat housing studs anyplace unless they have every conceivable stud known to man. They're a long, wierd stud.

If the classic center quoted you a price, buy it from them. That's what they're there for. Having an MBCA membership or a few of the other vintage clubs (like http://www.m-100.cc) will get you a 10% discount at any dealership or the classic center.


5$ is not an unreasonable price to pay for a very odd piece of hardware. It's not about the price of making a stud, it's about the price of holding the inventory and making it available when you ask.

-CTH

[t walgamuth]

iirc my dealer gives me 20% with my mbca membership.

it is hard to beat them on small parts cause of the shipping.

also some odd things like manifold studs are unavailable any place else.

tom w

The difference in price is about 3 bucks each, lets say you order 10 from a catalogue. You saved 30 bucks...minus 7 bucks shipping, minus the 7 days you wasted in not having the parts, minus the time you spent writing about it and checking this thread, minus the time you spent worryig about the damn parts.

I'd just pony up the extra 30 bucks at the start and not worry about it.


cheers,
dan r.

[barry123400]

For some of us it's the principal of the thing. I guess thats an excuse for me just being cheap. Really though it's because I live in canada. Some of our stuff locally is so overpriced you have to shop hard or just not do things. You just try to get simular quality for less money. No sense paying less if it is just junk. Unfortunatley with doing it a lot over time it becomes almost a habit if not a compulsion. You know you have arrived when all your friends think you get things almost free in comparison to them. I guess it is an art form but a little embarrasing sometimes upon reflection. It involves swapping time for money as well. Thank goodness for ebay and american vendors or these older mercedes would be almost impossible to deal with here.

[POS]

Originally Posted by ctaylor738

So buy one of each and then go to a good auto parts store.

That's a good idea - most Napas have a lot of studs, but if they don't have them, they can usually get within 24 hours.

[Monomer]

Originally Posted by barry123400

For some of us it's the principal of the thing. I guess thats an excuse for me just being cheap. Really though it's because I live in canada. Some of our stuff locally is so overpriced you have to shop hard or just not do things. You just try to get simular quality for less money. No sense paying less if it is just junk. Unfortunatley with doing it a lot over time it becomes almost a habit if not a compulsion. You know you have arrived when all your friends think you get things almost free in comparison to them. I guess it is an art form but a little embarrasing sometimes upon reflection. It involves swapping time for money as well. Thank goodness for ebay and american vendors or these older mercedes would be almost impossible to deal with here.

Studs at a fastoner store UNDER TWENTY CENTS APIECE.


thats $30 you could have spent elsewhere on the car.

[BENZ-LGB]

Originally Posted by Monomer

Studs at a fastoner store UNDER TWENTY CENTS APIECE.


thats $30 you could have spent elsewhere on the car.

Or taking the kids out to lunch...

[Mark DiSilvestro]

Assuming that today's Mercedes dealers aren't cutting corners, my only gripe with buying aftermarket bolts & studs is will they be the same quality and strength as OE?
Around here, if I need metric bolts in higher grades than the usual 8.8, I have to go to Potomac Steel. My local Pep-Boys used to carry some grade 10.9 metric hardware, but stopped a few years ago.
They said "because of theft-control issues".

Sometimes, when I'm in a salvage yard pulling some part, I'll grab up any loose metric OE screws, nuts, bolts, etc that I see laying around just so I'll have some stock to replace that odd missing fastener when I'm repairing something.

I've also had quality problems with replacement rubber parts, such as valve-cover gaskets, for Asian cars. Some of the Taiwan stuff hardens and cracks after only a year, so in some cases if I can't get a Japanese-made aftermarket replacement, I have to go to the dealer.

Yesterday, I got a new 240D driveshaft center-support bearing from a local import parts store. It was a brand I recognised, made in Japan, so I bought it. I would have had second thoughts if it had said "Made in China"!

Happy Motoring, Mark

[t walgamuth]

i would be surprised if you can find engine studs in the correct quality and configuration any place but from benz.

tom w