[jcommin]

I live in Chicago and I see 2 types of shops

High end - German, Italian, new aand classic cars. Mostly speciality shops I don't see going away. The key is not only eqwuipment but having people skilled at repairing those types of cars.

Low end - Americans keep cars a very long time - Major car repairs start to occur when a vehicle is over 10 years old. Beside any engine/transmission work, repairs will be electronic and parts made of plastic - they don't stand up well over time and temperature environment.

What will reduce the number of repair shops is labor cost and the amount of time it takes to R/R a part. At over $200 a book hour in the city, the simplest repair to a 10 -12 year old car might be more than the car is worth. There was a previous post here: " why does it cost over $1000 to replace a valve cover gasket on a BMW?"


I work for an automotive company that suppliies OE and aftermarket parts. Over the years, the volume of aftermarket parts manufactured shrinks about 3%- 5% / year. The aftermarket business is very profitable but the business is shrinking. Just how many engine gaskets or spark plugs do any of you change?