Makes you feel good to own a GQ! ;-)

 

Yep, and people looked a me strangely when I said that I'd rung around and found out how much stuff like headlight assemblies cost before I bought my GU3. The cost of bits like that was a significant factor in my buying a Patrol over a Landcruiser.

 

Far out, $500 bucks and I got some from a scrap heap of bumper bars behind a local 4x4 shop before they went to the local tip. Saw some Prado ones there too while I was scavanging the Jeep fog lights that fit in the holes on my new ARB bar.

Sad that so much stuff gets thrown away while people pay rediculous prices for the same part. Supply and demand I suppose.

 

A lot of people with too much money, and blessed with ignorance, simply go to the stealers.

 

With the exception of replacing 12/24volt globes,i could buy a set of 4 spotties 2xspots/2xspreads for under $500.Fair enough they wouldn't be HID's but they would be adequate until proven otherwise.Guess thats what you get for sticking with OEM.Look at a cheaper alternative..take the other one out as well and put in some ally hoon mesh,looks like cold air intake/scoop.Seriously if you want to keep the fog-lights look for an aftermarket alternative,replace both and add protection if you are worried about further breakage.Cheers,Mark.

 

Blessed am i who shop at Super-cheap!

 

Parts prices

Yesterday I was yarning to a bloke down the road from me. He hit a roo a while back (which I had to despatch...) and he showed me the broken fog lamp in the factory roo bar of his 2002 Prado. Asked him how much for a new one from Toyota - he said guess - I jokingly said $300 - he said nope, $500!!

$500 for one foglight?

But to complete the story, the car was booked in for today to get it fitted...

Bloody norah!!!

The old saying "It's only the profit that makes it expensive!"

 

for $500 i could live with a broken foglight!!

 

I work in the boating industry, 4x4 parts prices are cheap compared to genuine factory-made parts.

 

for 500 bucks I'll sit on his bonnet with my spot light.

 

for 500 bucks I'll sit on his bonnet with my spot light.

PAHAHA! Just duc tap a maglite to the bonnet, NO kangaroo will ever kill it!

 

And to finish the story off, that night I had a quick look on Fleabay and found a pair of non genuine replacements for $139 and a genuine one for $89. Sent the ppl the links and they went to the dealer anyway 'because it was already booked in'

Spose they didn't want to hurt the poor dealer's feelings....:crazy: :crazy:

 

Back in the early '90's Toyota quoted me $200-00 for a Hiace headlight, just a normal "square" headlight - nothing fancy. Their other trick that though it was a Quartz-Halogen headlight, it was SEALED. That's right, the back of the 'light was one complete glass piece with the globe integral to it. So if the globe blew, you needed a whole new light. Needless to say, a set of aftermarket lights went into it in due course.

 

well try braking a front diff in a d40 nav one came into work today with broken gears suspect crown and pinion priced it up the diff is $3300 and drive shafts are $2000 each so $7000 for a diff and two drive shafts

 

Tell 'em they are dreamin'

 

I work in the boating industry, 4x4 parts prices are cheap compared to genuine factory-made parts.

But there is a reason for these margins though.

 

That broken one's going straight to the pool room.

 

But there is a reason for these margins though.

There is?

 

Parts prices

There is?

It's only the profit that makes it exspensive, and if you cant do without it, it's even more expensive! and if it's for a boat, well lookout!

 

There is?

Yeah,

Mostly due to cover the cost of maintaining such a large inventory (4 brands since 1957 (and some before), roughly 20 different engine blocks per range that are changed every 4 years) that is rarely needed due to the varied nature of engine problems compared to cars. Also less overall part sales too.

And getting someone who is technically qualified to service motors, car breaks have a cry is the worst thing possible - not applicable to boats, and paying them enough of a wage to keep them doing spare parts and not being out servicing motors.

Also paying for that expertise that gets it right first time and retains customer loyalty and faith in your company. Problem with fisherman even more than 4wd'ers is that word gets out quicker due to boat ramp talk. Piss 1 off - you lose 20......for life.

Profit margin is neccessary. :sorry:

 

Ben, top answer there mate (i assume your in the marine industry?) Its very true, piss one off and (especially with forums these days) everyone reads/hears about it somehow or another. Its funny how some people treat there boats, tryin to find the cheapest possible service/parts/etc, i see it everyday. Even if i didnt work in the marine industry, boat servicing is something i'll never do myself. Much rather get someone who does them daily to work on it, you cant just call the RACV or whatever if your engine craps itself in the middle of somewhere you really dont want to be stopping.

 

Oh, and just to add, there are parts (quite a few) which have bugger-all profit in them, but my original post was meant that the prices (say, genuine nuts/bolts/o-rings/starter motors/etc) are bloody expensive compared to car-related stuff (ie: we just did a starter motor recently that was $1200, and that was for a 80hp motor, brand-new genuine one)

 

I was in the marine industry. The people I did my time with still so I still get 90% of industry happenings.

Motor servicing; I do service my 3 little 2 stroke yamahas myself but I have my 2 175 Suzukis serviced by a dealership. The suzis are a magnificent piece of engineering that, but as you say, you need to be working on them everyday to be assured enough to take the family out deep. Couple of hundred in labour doent even rate. Doing the sums on a 5.2m plate centre console with twin 50 yamaha 2 strokes that I would probably service myself as the most complex thing on them is the carbies, direct electronic oil injection, VVT 4stks, supercharged 4 strokes are different beasts.

Best I remember is a 10cm earth strap that was two little o's crimped onto a piece of SS wire with a retail of $15.50. But you take that out of the packet and it fits as perfectly as the factory original. Its the little things like that that you may carry for 5 or 6 years between neccessary but you must have it when asked or "nah mate dont worry bout ordering it, Ill just knock one up". And the backing of factory genuine parts will always be a confidence booster. Hell Ive even payed triple to get factory parts compared to aftermarket just to be sure its sweet.

Then you get the people wholl argue the point of $5 difference between genuine and aftermarket on a $25k motor... :roll: