Buying Parts (Small Rant)

To start with I will never invest the time and money Jack has in his "Black Beauty" in my Porsche. All I want is a basically stock 72 911E that is reliable and fun to drive. I will probably never race it. Like many others on this list I do all the maintenance and repairs that I have the tools and the know how to do. Right now I have the engine out. What really pisses me off is how much some of the parts companies want to gouge us on parts. I'm not talking the hi-tech, exotic racing stuff that I expect to be expensive due to the costs of research and production, but the normal stuff, like stock shocks, clutch, pressure plates, hell, even exhaust studs. I understand you have to have a mark up sufficient to pay for inventory, employees and turn a decent profit. But these parts are mass produced! For example take front shocks. I just wanted a pair of stock gas filled struts. Tweeks: $75 ea, Doc & CY's: $79.50 ea, Pelican: $65.90 ea. Local Car Quest: $34 ea. Clutch disc: Tweeks: $199, Doc & CY's: $169, Pelican: $164.70, Local Car Quest: $99.00. I guess the point of this rant is when buying parts, don't forget to check your local auto parts and hardware stores first!

Kurt V
72 911E

And God forbid; your local Porsche dealer. I have been surprised as of late.

My local Porsche dealer is about 150 miles from me.

Kurt: Yes but is the local delivering the real part to you? For example, rotors: From Porsche they are hundreds; from Rusty Cullen at Wholesale Parts, I paid $50.00 for Brembos. From the local, I am unsure what I am looking at...

I will often ask who REALLY makes a part if I query the local. For example, for my TR6 I found out that CarQuest had genuine WIX filters boxed in the CarQuest brand box. WIX is what I wanted, and didn't have to go to the local Brit shop to purchase at X3 the price.

Guess the lesson is where are you willing to compromise? Pelican, Automation/Performance; who carries GENUINE Porsche parts where realistic, and reasonable 2nd-party parts where the Porsche price is laughable?

Jw

Kurt i know the feeling,yesterday i stop on one of the honda camps,they are building a 480 HP car,the clutch from clutch master $89 dollars for my car $1200 what is that? what we need to do is post a parts place and with everyones out put find the most inexpensive place to purchase our parts.
just a idea..
regards juan

As someone said not long ag: "Seems like PORSCHE has confused aluminium and magnesium for gold and platinum."

Has me thinking: "Gee, I could have a V8."
at 1/5 the Porsche operating expense and twice the power. All wrapped up in that seductive, great handleing 911 turbo body... Ahhhhh

[This message has been edited by VIPRKLR (edited 02-21-2001).]

Kurt:
I've got a '72E also. Had it for 7 or 8 years. Currently, and for who knows how much longer, it's completely disassembled & I'm redoing it pretty much from the ground up. I think you're going through a learning curve a lot of the rest of us have had to go through. I remember I went to the Porsche dealer a long time ago to get some cap screw anchors for my seats. I was too dumb to check the hardware store first. I was blown away when they charged me 80 cents each! It was one of those motivating episodes that caused me to suspect better alternatives existed. Now I know I can get some things at parts stores, some at the Pomona Swap meet, some from Porsche parts suppliers, the for sale section in the Panorama, ebay, etc. I wait until a decent buy comes up, when I have time. I buy from Pelican when they are pretty close to the best price I've found, because I like to support them. Some times you just have to pay. Like when I needed a set of nikasil cylinders for my engine. I couldn't use the old cylinders because I was putting JE pistons in. I figured out by the time I looked for, found & bought a set of used cylinders, got them replated & honed, I'd have $1000 to $1300 in them - maybe more. I decided to spring the extra $500 or $600 for a new set & be done with it. The guys on this site are good at helping each other out also, so we're lucky to have it as another resource. Hang in there & don't let the turkeys get you down!!

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Marv Evans
'72 911E

Hold on!
Everytime you pay that extra money, remember, owning a Porsche is like living in a nice community: The cost, home owners group fees and all of that serves to allow only certain kind of people in those willing to make the sacrifices.

If Porsche had cheap parts, everyone would be clamoring to own one, and you know what, I bet a lot of us would be driving something else.
We like to be different, to be slightly elitest--you know it and I know it, and neither of us ought to deny it.
Now we just have to pay for it (once in a while hopefully)

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Kurt B
1984 911 Carrera Cabriolet
75 914 1.8

Sometimes you can substitute parts and save bucks. Warren correctly points out that the "mexican hat" spark plug air seals are much cheaper at the VW counter. Indeed, Porche is saying they don't even exist any more. they do though, at the VW counter.

On the other hand, many of the parts on our cars do not have substitutes and some parts simply should not be substituted. It's a judgment thing. Not a matter of opinion, a matter of judgment.

For example, hear this: ANY OEM German (not necessarily Porsche) shock absorber, regardless of age, will outperform almost any brand new aftermarket shock (certainly the cheap ones), as long as they still have their fluid. I'm telling you, it's possible to take the Bilsteins off my car and put someting better on (new Bilsteins, or perhaps Konis), but if you're not paying a BUNCH of money for the ones you're replacing then with, then you're downgrading.

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'83 SC

Considering the production numbers of these cars the parts availability is incredible.

Think of it this way. You are driving an exotic car that in my opinion is more race car than a normal sports car.

I think cost per mile is pretty low on average because there is little to break in these air-cooled engines... This excludes the 2.7L, that one is just a money pit. Anyway, it gets expensive when you split open the case, other than that it is reasonable.

I agree on saving money where you can, but make sure your FLAPS(Favorite Local Area Parts Store) has OEM quality parts or better. And support Pelican if the price is close.

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Adrian Pillow
1979 911 SC
1966 VW Microbus
PCA - Peachstate Region

As a relatively new Porsche owner, I'm astonished at what is available for our (dare I say it) obsolete cars. I find it very pleasing to be able to find 99.9% of anything I need, and being able to find it from several sources. I will continue to patronize outfits like Pelican (just to name one), as the local hardware store could care less if I own a Porsche or a Plymouth. Support the folks who help keep our community alive, regardless of a few bucks one way or the other.



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Regards,
Doug
'81 SC Coupe

Kurt,

I don't think you want to find out what your car will ride or handle like with $35 struts on it! If you think replacement Bilsteins or Konis are high, just call a Honda dealer and ask how much a pair of replacement factory Honda struts are for any model built in the past 15 years, installed, and you will be shocked to find out it is over $800, and has been for over 10 years!!!

On the other hand, one of the most outrageously priced automotive parts I have ever encountered continues to be the Bosch 'paintable' trim rings for the H1 or H4 'Euro' headlamp assemblies! So, I do appreciate the lamenting you are doing! Fruitlessly, I might add!

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Warren Hall
1973 911S Targa

Caveat Emptor.

Guys, think about it this way-the high inital price of Porsche ownership and the subsequent above average outlay for repairs and maintanence does serve a purpose-it's pretty effective at keeping the riff-raff out. (There ARE exceptions, of course-otherwise how the hell did I get in?) Remember back 10 or 15 years ago when having a cell phone (anybody remember those Motorola 8000 "bricks"? Geez, those things were heavy) meant you were IMPORTANT or really had some money? Now they're so freakin' cheap you honestly can't walk 10 feet in a mall without passing ANOTHER group of teenage girls with the majority of them clogging up the wireless frequencies with such critically important discussions as "Oh my god!", "She wore what?", and the ubiqitous "He's SOOO cute!" Mass availability is NOT always a good thing.