01-10-2013, 11:04 AM
Robert, in the 70's I was the Parts manager at a local Ford Dealer but I went to some of the tech schools just to be a little more up on the cars.
I had a wholesale customer that had a shop in town. He was replacing a timing gear set on a Mustang II V6. He called me because he couldn't get the crank pulley off.
I told him he needed a special puller. (He had about 30 years as a mechanic.) I told him I would bring the tool over and let him use it. When I got there he looked at the puller, told me it wouldn't work, because he had been trying with one that looked just like it.
Well, he tried it and the pulley was off in less than a minute. He had all ready spent the better part of the day trying to get it off. Now had he bought the parts from me instead of the NAPA store I would have told him this at the time and loaned him the tool.
I had trouble with wholesale customers because we only gave a 30% discount from list where the local parts stores would go 40 and 50 percent off list, thought their suggested list price was always 20 to 30 percent higher than a dealer on most items. I found that if we needed parts for a GM or Chrysler it was usually cheaper to go to the local dealer if he had the part. That is why sometimes the dealer is below the price of the independents.
I just sold a 94 ford truck with 84,000 miles and a lot of new parts including a 1200 dollar clutch job, because it didn't have AC. I replaced it with a Ford F150 2001 with 158,000 miles. I am not afraid of high miles. If it needs a $3000 repair job like a motor or a transmission, or both for 6000 I am still $14000 ahead of what a new truck would have cost. If a vehicle has rust problems that is a tough fix, not impossible, but the main reason IMHO to get rid of a car.
I am lucky because I still have living friends in the business, and when I need a vehicle I can get a good one at a good price. Teejay probably has the same good fortune.
Having said this I need to elaborate farther. I worked for 3 different dealerships under 3 different owners over a 20 year period. 3 of those dealers would steal the customers and the employee's blind. The other 2 were true gentlemen and honest as they come, and the best thing was the honest ones were the successful ones.
I also worked for 2 dual dealerships, Ford-Dodge, and after that stint I would not buy a Chrysler product. I never saw such a disorganized company when it comes to parts.
Charlie
I had a wholesale customer that had a shop in town. He was replacing a timing gear set on a Mustang II V6. He called me because he couldn't get the crank pulley off.
I told him he needed a special puller. (He had about 30 years as a mechanic.) I told him I would bring the tool over and let him use it. When I got there he looked at the puller, told me it wouldn't work, because he had been trying with one that looked just like it.
Well, he tried it and the pulley was off in less than a minute. He had all ready spent the better part of the day trying to get it off. Now had he bought the parts from me instead of the NAPA store I would have told him this at the time and loaned him the tool.
I had trouble with wholesale customers because we only gave a 30% discount from list where the local parts stores would go 40 and 50 percent off list, thought their suggested list price was always 20 to 30 percent higher than a dealer on most items. I found that if we needed parts for a GM or Chrysler it was usually cheaper to go to the local dealer if he had the part. That is why sometimes the dealer is below the price of the independents.
I just sold a 94 ford truck with 84,000 miles and a lot of new parts including a 1200 dollar clutch job, because it didn't have AC. I replaced it with a Ford F150 2001 with 158,000 miles. I am not afraid of high miles. If it needs a $3000 repair job like a motor or a transmission, or both for 6000 I am still $14000 ahead of what a new truck would have cost. If a vehicle has rust problems that is a tough fix, not impossible, but the main reason IMHO to get rid of a car.
I am lucky because I still have living friends in the business, and when I need a vehicle I can get a good one at a good price. Teejay probably has the same good fortune.
Having said this I need to elaborate farther. I worked for 3 different dealerships under 3 different owners over a 20 year period. 3 of those dealers would steal the customers and the employee's blind. The other 2 were true gentlemen and honest as they come, and the best thing was the honest ones were the successful ones.
I also worked for 2 dual dealerships, Ford-Dodge, and after that stint I would not buy a Chrysler product. I never saw such a disorganized company when it comes to parts.
Charlie