The wife's car was making some rubbing noise from a rear wheel. I pulled of the wheel and found significant (structural) rust on the brake drum. I didn't have time to do this myself, so I took it to a local garage where they've done good work for me in the past.

I checked the price of drums & shoes on Autozone's web site (there's actually an Autozone store directly across the street from this garage), and figured an hour & a half for labor. It turns out that I was spot on with the labor, but he charged me almost exactly DOUBLE Autozone's price for the parts..

I gotta figure that he get's maybe a 15 or 20 percent discount on the parts, and I would have been OK with a 20 or 25% markup over list, but this seems kind of excessive. He's entitled to earn a living and all, but a hundred bucks to walk across the street?

It's been a long time since I was in the mechanic business, and I'm wondering whether this is the new normal?

On Wed, 18 Jun 2014 09:15:38 -0700, rangerssuck wrote:

The wife's car was making some rubbing noise from a rear wheel. I pulled
of the wheel and found significant (structural) rust on the brake drum.
I didn't have time to do this myself, so I took it to a local garage
where they've done good work for me in the past.

I checked the price of drums & shoes on Autozone's web site (there's
actually an Autozone store directly across the street from this garage),
and figured an hour & a half for labor. It turns out that I was spot on
with the labor, but he charged me almost exactly DOUBLE Autozone's price
for the parts.

I gotta figure that he get's maybe a 15 or 20 percent discount on the
parts, and I would have been OK with a 20 or 25% markup over list, but
this seems kind of excessive. He's entitled to earn a living and all,
but a hundred bucks to walk across the street?

It's been a long time since I was in the mechanic business, and I'm
wondering whether this is the new normal?

Did he buy from Autozone? There's a huge variation in price and quality
depending on who you buy parts from, and I'm under the impression that
Autozone isn't the best place to go for high quality.

(Back in the 1980's I maintained my own car. If I wanted a part to last
forever, I got it from the Toyota dealer. If I didn't mind a part
breaking after a year or two, I paid half as much at NAPA. If I wanted
to waste my time installing a piece of s**t, I bought it for 2/3 the NAPA
price at a discount auto parts store.)

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

On Wednesday, June 18, 2014 9:15:38 AM UTC-7, rangerssuck wrote:
The wife's car was making some rubbing noise from a rear wheel. I pulled of the wheel and found significant (structural) rust on the brake drum. I didn't have time to do this myself, so I took it to a local garage where they've done good work for me in the past.



I checked the price of drums & shoes on Autozone's web site (there's actually an Autozone store directly across the street from this garage), and figured an hour & a half for labor. It turns out that I was spot on with the labor, but he charged me almost exactly DOUBLE Autozone's price for the parts.



I gotta figure that he get's maybe a 15 or 20 percent discount on the parts, and I would have been OK with a 20 or 25% markup over list, but this seems kind of excessive. He's entitled to earn a living and all, but a hundred bucks to walk across the street?



It's been a long time since I was in the mechanic business, and I'm wondering whether this is the new normal?


Two suggestions:

Call NAPA and get a price on their best brake parts for your car. I buy almost nothing from Autozone because their parts are inferior to NAPA's parts.

Ask your mechanic where they purchased the break parts for your wife's car.

On Wednesday, June 18, 2014 10:07:18 AM UTC-7, jon_banquer wrote:
On Wednesday, June 18, 2014 9:15:38 AM UTC-7, rangerssuck wrote:

The wife's car was making some rubbing noise from a rear wheel. I pulled of the wheel and found significant (structural) rust on the brake drum. I didn't have time to do this myself, so I took it to a local garage where they've done good work for me in the past.







I checked the price of drums & shoes on Autozone's web site (there's actually an Autozone store directly across the street from this garage), and figured an hour & a half for labor. It turns out that I was spot on with the labor, but he charged me almost exactly DOUBLE Autozone's price for the parts.







I gotta figure that he get's maybe a 15 or 20 percent discount on the parts, and I would have been OK with a 20 or 25% markup over list, but this seems kind of excessive. He's entitled to earn a living and all, but a hundred bucks to walk across the street?







It's been a long time since I was in the mechanic business, and I'm wondering whether this is the new normal?





Two suggestions:



Call NAPA and get a price on their best brake parts for your car. I buy almost nothing from Autozone because their parts are inferior to NAPA's parts.



Ask your mechanic where they purchased the break parts for your wife's car.

On Wednesday, June 18, 2014 12:37:05 PM UTC-4, Tim Wescott wrote:
On Wed, 18 Jun 2014 09:15:38 -0700, rangerssuck wrote:



The wife's car was making some rubbing noise from a rear wheel. I pulled

of the wheel and found significant (structural) rust on the brake drum.

I didn't have time to do this myself, so I took it to a local garage

where they've done good work for me in the past.



I checked the price of drums & shoes on Autozone's web site (there's

actually an Autozone store directly across the street from this garage),

and figured an hour & a half for labor. It turns out that I was spot on

with the labor, but he charged me almost exactly DOUBLE Autozone's price

for the parts.



I gotta figure that he get's maybe a 15 or 20 percent discount on the

parts, and I would have been OK with a 20 or 25% markup over list, but

this seems kind of excessive. He's entitled to earn a living and all,

but a hundred bucks to walk across the street?



It's been a long time since I was in the mechanic business, and I'm

wondering whether this is the new normal?



Did he buy from Autozone? There's a huge variation in price and quality

depending on who you buy parts from, and I'm under the impression that

Autozone isn't the best place to go for high quality.



(Back in the 1980's I maintained my own car. If I wanted a part to last

forever, I got it from the Toyota dealer. If I didn't mind a part

breaking after a year or two, I paid half as much at NAPA. If I wanted

to waste my time installing a piece of s**t, I bought it for 2/3 the NAPA

price at a discount auto parts store.)



--



Tim Wescott

Wescott Design Services

http://www.wescottdesign.com

Just checked the NAPA prices: The drums are $42.49 each vs $35 at Autozone, and the better of two choices of shoes are $29.99 vs $26 (for both wheels). So there's $19 accounted for out of about $95. Still seems excessive.

On Wednesday, June 18, 2014 1:07:18 PM UTC-4, jon_banquer wrote:
On Wednesday, June 18, 2014 9:15:38 AM UTC-7, rangerssuck wrote:

The wife's car was making some rubbing noise from a rear wheel. I pulled of the wheel and found significant (structural) rust on the brake drum. I didn't have time to do this myself, so I took it to a local garage where they've done good work for me in the past.







I checked the price of drums & shoes on Autozone's web site (there's actually an Autozone store directly across the street from this garage), and figured an hour & a half for labor. It turns out that I was spot on with the labor, but he charged me almost exactly DOUBLE Autozone's price for the parts.







I gotta figure that he get's maybe a 15 or 20 percent discount on the parts, and I would have been OK with a 20 or 25% markup over list, but this seems kind of excessive. He's entitled to earn a living and all, but a hundred bucks to walk across the street?







It's been a long time since I was in the mechanic business, and I'm wondering whether this is the new normal?





Two suggestions:



Call NAPA and get a price on their best brake parts for your car. I buy almost nothing from Autozone because their parts are inferior to NAPA's parts.



Ask your mechanic where they purchased the break parts for your wife's car.

On Wednesday, June 18, 2014 1:13:00 PM UTC-4, jon_banquer wrote:
On Wednesday, June 18, 2014 10:07:18 AM UTC-7, jon_banquer wrote:

On Wednesday, June 18, 2014 9:15:38 AM UTC-7, rangerssuck wrote:



The wife's car was making some rubbing noise from a rear wheel. I pulled of the wheel and found significant (structural) rust on the brake drum. I didn't have time to do this myself, so I took it to a local garage where they've done good work for me in the past.















I checked the price of drums & shoes on Autozone's web site (there's actually an Autozone store directly across the street from this garage), and figured an hour & a half for labor. It turns out that I was spot on with the labor, but he charged me almost exactly DOUBLE Autozone's price for the parts.















I gotta figure that he get's maybe a 15 or 20 percent discount on the parts, and I would have been OK with a 20 or 25% markup over list, but this seems kind of excessive. He's entitled to earn a living and all, but a hundred bucks to walk across the street?















It's been a long time since I was in the mechanic business, and I'm wondering whether this is the new normal?











Two suggestions:







Call NAPA and get a price on their best brake parts for your car. I buy almost nothing from Autozone because their parts are inferior to NAPA's parts.







Ask your mechanic where they purchased the break parts for your wife's car.







Here is a specific example:



NAPA Gold air and oil filters are made by WIX. I don't use anything else on my vehicles but WIX for air and oil filters. Autozone doesn't even sell anything that's comparable to WIX.



Idiots buy plumbing supplies from Home Depot.



Idiots buy car parts from Autozone, PEP Boys, etc.

Jon, you could have stopped with your first post, suggesting checking prices at napa, but then you just felt compelled to attempt to make it personal. Why?

On Wed, 18 Jun 2014 10:46:01 -0700, rangerssuck wrote:

On Wednesday, June 18, 2014 12:37:05 PM UTC-4, Tim Wescott wrote:
On Wed, 18 Jun 2014 09:15:38 -0700, rangerssuck wrote:



The wife's car was making some rubbing noise from a rear wheel. I
pulled

of the wheel and found significant (structural) rust on the brake
drum.

I didn't have time to do this myself, so I took it to a local garage

where they've done good work for me in the past.



I checked the price of drums & shoes on Autozone's web site (there's

actually an Autozone store directly across the street from this
garage),

and figured an hour & a half for labor. It turns out that I was spot
on

with the labor, but he charged me almost exactly DOUBLE Autozone's
price

for the parts.



I gotta figure that he get's maybe a 15 or 20 percent discount on the

parts, and I would have been OK with a 20 or 25% markup over list,
but

this seems kind of excessive. He's entitled to earn a living and all,

but a hundred bucks to walk across the street?



It's been a long time since I was in the mechanic business, and I'm

wondering whether this is the new normal?



Did he buy from Autozone? There's a huge variation in price and
quality

depending on who you buy parts from, and I'm under the impression that

Autozone isn't the best place to go for high quality.



(Back in the 1980's I maintained my own car. If I wanted a part to
last

forever, I got it from the Toyota dealer. If I didn't mind a part

breaking after a year or two, I paid half as much at NAPA. If I wanted

to waste my time installing a piece of s**t, I bought it for 2/3 the
NAPA

price at a discount auto parts store.)



--



Tim Wescott

Wescott Design Services

http://www.wescottdesign.com

Just checked the NAPA prices: The drums are $42.49 each vs $35 at
Autozone, and the better of two choices of shoes are $29.99 vs $26 (for
both wheels). So there's $19 accounted for out of about $95. Still seems
excessive.

That does seem excessive. Unless they got genny-u-wine OEM parts.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

On Wednesday, June 18, 2014 1:48:25 PM UTC-4, Tim Wescott wrote:
On Wed, 18 Jun 2014 10:46:01 -0700, rangerssuck wrote:



On Wednesday, June 18, 2014 12:37:05 PM UTC-4, Tim Wescott wrote:

On Wed, 18 Jun 2014 09:15:38 -0700, rangerssuck wrote:







The wife's car was making some rubbing noise from a rear wheel. I

pulled



of the wheel and found significant (structural) rust on the brake

drum.



I didn't have time to do this myself, so I took it to a local garage



where they've done good work for me in the past.







I checked the price of drums & shoes on Autozone's web site (there's



actually an Autozone store directly across the street from this

garage),



and figured an hour & a half for labor. It turns out that I was spot

on



with the labor, but he charged me almost exactly DOUBLE Autozone's

price



for the parts.







I gotta figure that he get's maybe a 15 or 20 percent discount on the



parts, and I would have been OK with a 20 or 25% markup over list,

but



this seems kind of excessive. He's entitled to earn a living and all,



but a hundred bucks to walk across the street?







It's been a long time since I was in the mechanic business, and I'm



wondering whether this is the new normal?







Did he buy from Autozone? There's a huge variation in price and

quality



depending on who you buy parts from, and I'm under the impression that



Autozone isn't the best place to go for high quality.







(Back in the 1980's I maintained my own car. If I wanted a part to

last



forever, I got it from the Toyota dealer. If I didn't mind a part



breaking after a year or two, I paid half as much at NAPA. If I wanted



to waste my time installing a piece of s**t, I bought it for 2/3 the

NAPA



price at a discount auto parts store.)







--







Tim Wescott



Wescott Design Services



http://www.wescottdesign.com



Just checked the NAPA prices: The drums are $42.49 each vs $35 at

Autozone, and the better of two choices of shoes are $29.99 vs $26 (for

both wheels). So there's $19 accounted for out of about $95. Still seems

excessive.



That does seem excessive. Unless they got genny-u-wine OEM parts.



--



Tim Wescott

Wescott Design Services

http://www.wescottdesign.com

I doubt they're OEM parts. Nearest dealer is over 10 miles away. Autozone is across the street, Napa is about a mile down the road (actually, there are two of them, each about a mile (in opposite directions).

What would yo expect the typical markup to be?

On Wednesday, June 18, 2014 10:07:18 AM UTC-7, jon_banquer wrote:

"Ask your mechanic where they purchased the break parts for your wife's car."

The anonymous posting pussy is probably too scared to ask the shop that did the work and has ignored my suggestion.

My guess is that the shop got OEM brake parts from the dealer which may very well be worth the extra cost... especially if the mechanic has had problems with cheap after market brake parts.

On Wed, 18 Jun 2014 10:55:20 -0700, rangerssuck wrote:

On Wednesday, June 18, 2014 1:48:25 PM UTC-4, Tim Wescott wrote:
On Wed, 18 Jun 2014 10:46:01 -0700, rangerssuck wrote:



On Wednesday, June 18, 2014 12:37:05 PM UTC-4, Tim Wescott wrote:

On Wed, 18 Jun 2014 09:15:38 -0700, rangerssuck wrote:







The wife's car was making some rubbing noise from a rear wheel. I

pulled



of the wheel and found significant (structural) rust on the brake

drum.



I didn't have time to do this myself, so I took it to a local
garage



where they've done good work for me in the past.







I checked the price of drums & shoes on Autozone's web site
(there's



actually an Autozone store directly across the street from this

garage),



and figured an hour & a half for labor. It turns out that I was
spot

on



with the labor, but he charged me almost exactly DOUBLE Autozone's

price



for the parts.







I gotta figure that he get's maybe a 15 or 20 percent discount on
the



parts, and I would have been OK with a 20 or 25% markup over list,

but



this seems kind of excessive. He's entitled to earn a living and
all,



but a hundred bucks to walk across the street?







It's been a long time since I was in the mechanic business, and
I'm



wondering whether this is the new normal?







Did he buy from Autozone? There's a huge variation in price and

quality



depending on who you buy parts from, and I'm under the impression
that



Autozone isn't the best place to go for high quality.







(Back in the 1980's I maintained my own car. If I wanted a part to

last



forever, I got it from the Toyota dealer. If I didn't mind a part



breaking after a year or two, I paid half as much at NAPA. If I
wanted



to waste my time installing a piece of s**t, I bought it for 2/3 the

NAPA



price at a discount auto parts store.)







--







Tim Wescott



Wescott Design Services



http://www.wescottdesign.com



Just checked the NAPA prices: The drums are $42.49 each vs $35 at

Autozone, and the better of two choices of shoes are $29.99 vs $26
(for

both wheels). So there's $19 accounted for out of about $95. Still
seems

excessive.



That does seem excessive. Unless they got genny-u-wine OEM parts.



--



Tim Wescott

Wescott Design Services

http://www.wescottdesign.com

I doubt they're OEM parts. Nearest dealer is over 10 miles away.
Autozone is across the street, Napa is about a mile down the road
(actually, there are two of them, each about a mile (in opposite
directions).

What would yo expect the typical markup to be?

Less than 100%!!!

Didn't the various parts stores deliver when you were in the mechanics
business? I know that around here the repair guys call in their orders,
and if they don't get it that day they get it the next -- the local NAPA
store has a kid who does nothing but drive around all day in a delivery
truck taking orders to shops.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

On Wednesday, June 18, 2014 2:37:22 PM UTC-4, Tim Wescott wrote:
On Wed, 18 Jun 2014 10:55:20 -0700, rangerssuck wrote:



On Wednesday, June 18, 2014 1:48:25 PM UTC-4, Tim Wescott wrote:

On Wed, 18 Jun 2014 10:46:01 -0700, rangerssuck wrote:







On Wednesday, June 18, 2014 12:37:05 PM UTC-4, Tim Wescott wrote:



On Wed, 18 Jun 2014 09:15:38 -0700, rangerssuck wrote:















The wife's car was making some rubbing noise from a rear wheel. I



pulled







of the wheel and found significant (structural) rust on the brake



drum.







I didn't have time to do this myself, so I took it to a local

garage







where they've done good work for me in the past.















I checked the price of drums & shoes on Autozone's web site

(there's







actually an Autozone store directly across the street from this



garage),







and figured an hour & a half for labor. It turns out that I was

spot



on







with the labor, but he charged me almost exactly DOUBLE Autozone's



price







for the parts.















I gotta figure that he get's maybe a 15 or 20 percent discount on

the







parts, and I would have been OK with a 20 or 25% markup over list,



but







this seems kind of excessive. He's entitled to earn a living and

all,







but a hundred bucks to walk across the street?















It's been a long time since I was in the mechanic business, and

I'm







wondering whether this is the new normal?















Did he buy from Autozone? There's a huge variation in price and



quality







depending on who you buy parts from, and I'm under the impression

that







Autozone isn't the best place to go for high quality.















(Back in the 1980's I maintained my own car. If I wanted a part to



last







forever, I got it from the Toyota dealer. If I didn't mind a part







breaking after a year or two, I paid half as much at NAPA. If I

wanted







to waste my time installing a piece of s**t, I bought it for 2/3 the



NAPA







price at a discount auto parts store.)















--















Tim Wescott







Wescott Design Services







http://www.wescottdesign.com







Just checked the NAPA prices: The drums are $42.49 each vs $35 at



Autozone, and the better of two choices of shoes are $29.99 vs $26

(for



both wheels). So there's $19 accounted for out of about $95. Still

seems



excessive.







That does seem excessive. Unless they got genny-u-wine OEM parts.







--







Tim Wescott



Wescott Design Services



http://www.wescottdesign.com



I doubt they're OEM parts. Nearest dealer is over 10 miles away.

Autozone is across the street, Napa is about a mile down the road

(actually, there are two of them, each about a mile (in opposite

directions).



What would yo expect the typical markup to be?



Less than 100%!!!



Didn't the various parts stores deliver when you were in the mechanics

business? I know that around here the repair guys call in their orders,

and if they don't get it that day they get it the next -- the local NAPA

store has a kid who does nothing but drive around all day in a delivery

truck taking orders to shops.



--



Tim Wescott

Wescott Design Services

http://www.wescottdesign.com

Not sure about the OEM guys, but for sure the other parts places have drivers. One of them has a fleet of the oldest beatest cars you ever wanted to see. It's comical when they have them all jammed into their parking lot - they put them so close together that the drivers literally have to crawl through the windows to get out. Then they just throw a tarp over the whole mess to keep the rain out.

"rangerssuck" wrote in message
...
The wife's car was making some rubbing noise from a rear wheel. I pulled
of the wheel and found significant (structural) rust on the brake drum. I
didn't have time to do this myself, so I took it to a local garage where
they've done good work for me in the past.

I checked the price of drums & shoes on Autozone's web site (there's
actually an Autozone store directly across the street from this garage),
and figured an hour & a half for labor. It turns out that I was spot on
with the labor, but he charged me almost exactly DOUBLE Autozone's price
for the parts.

I gotta figure that he get's maybe a 15 or 20 percent discount on the
parts, and I would have been OK with a 20 or 25% markup over list, but
this seems kind of excessive. He's entitled to earn a living and all, but
a hundred bucks to walk across the street?

It's been a long time since I was in the mechanic business, and I'm
wondering whether this is the new normal?


What is new, is that 30 years ago you didn't have half a dozen discount
chains buying at such volume as to be able to drive retail pricing down.
Instead you had varying levels of distribution each adding their markup to
the price so the corner autoparts store own by Bill or George who lived on
the next block over from you was selling at a higher relative price than
Autozone, Pep Boys, or O'Reilly of today.

"Tim Wescott" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 18 Jun 2014 09:15:38 -0700, rangerssuck wrote:

The wife's car was making some rubbing noise from a rear wheel. I pulled
of the wheel and found significant (structural) rust on the brake drum.
I didn't have time to do this myself, so I took it to a local garage
where they've done good work for me in the past.

I checked the price of drums & shoes on Autozone's web site (there's
actually an Autozone store directly across the street from this garage),
and figured an hour & a half for labor. It turns out that I was spot on
with the labor, but he charged me almost exactly DOUBLE Autozone's price
for the parts.

I gotta figure that he get's maybe a 15 or 20 percent discount on the
parts, and I would have been OK with a 20 or 25% markup over list, but
this seems kind of excessive. He's entitled to earn a living and all,
but a hundred bucks to walk across the street?

It's been a long time since I was in the mechanic business, and I'm
wondering whether this is the new normal?

Did he buy from Autozone? There's a huge variation in price and quality
depending on who you buy parts from, and I'm under the impression that
Autozone isn't the best place to go for high quality.

(Back in the 1980's I maintained my own car. If I wanted a part to last
forever, I got it from the Toyota dealer. If I didn't mind a part
breaking after a year or two, I paid half as much at NAPA. If I wanted
to waste my time installing a piece of s**t, I bought it for 2/3 the NAPA
price at a discount auto parts store.)

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com


Back in the 70's I worked for an auto parts warehouse. We'd buy parts
from the various manufacturers, both OEM & others, for $X. We sold
them to the retailers for $2X. They used a list of price of $4X, but often
gave a discount of 15% so the end customer felt they were getting a good
deal even though they were paying 340% of the manufacturers price.
Art

rangerssuck wrote:
On Wednesday, June 18, 2014 12:37:05 PM UTC-4, Tim Wescott wrote:
On Wed, 18 Jun 2014 09:15:38 -0700, rangerssuck wrote:



The wife's car was making some rubbing noise from a rear wheel. I pulled
of the wheel and found significant (structural) rust on the brake drum.
I didn't have time to do this myself, so I took it to a local garage
where they've done good work for me in the past.
I checked the price of drums & shoes on Autozone's web site (there's
actually an Autozone store directly across the street from this garage),
and figured an hour & a half for labor. It turns out that I was spot on
with the labor, but he charged me almost exactly DOUBLE Autozone's price
for the parts.
I gotta figure that he get's maybe a 15 or 20 percent discount on the
parts, and I would have been OK with a 20 or 25% markup over list, but
this seems kind of excessive. He's entitled to earn a living and all,
but a hundred bucks to walk across the street?
It's been a long time since I was in the mechanic business, and I'm
wondering whether this is the new normal?



Bet you were charged list price. Not uncommon these days.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6pyR6YfKP4

I usually charge @ cost + 50% of cost vs. list pricing.

So if my cost on a part is $20.00 and it shows a $45.00 list the part
cost will be $32.50


--
Steve W.

On Wednesday, June 18, 2014 1:49:33 PM UTC-7, Steve W. wrote:
rangerssuck wrote:

On Wednesday, June 18, 2014 12:37:05 PM UTC-4, Tim Wescott wrote:

On Wed, 18 Jun 2014 09:15:38 -0700, rangerssuck wrote:







The wife's car was making some rubbing noise from a rear wheel. I pulled

of the wheel and found significant (structural) rust on the brake drum.

I didn't have time to do this myself, so I took it to a local garage

where they've done good work for me in the past.

I checked the price of drums & shoes on Autozone's web site (there's

actually an Autozone store directly across the street from this garage),

and figured an hour & a half for labor. It turns out that I was spot on

with the labor, but he charged me almost exactly DOUBLE Autozone's price

for the parts.

I gotta figure that he get's maybe a 15 or 20 percent discount on the

parts, and I would have been OK with a 20 or 25% markup over list, but

this seems kind of excessive. He's entitled to earn a living and all,

but a hundred bucks to walk across the street?

It's been a long time since I was in the mechanic business, and I'm

wondering whether this is the new normal?







Bet you were charged list price. Not uncommon these days.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6pyR6YfKP4



I usually charge @ cost + 50% of cost vs. list pricing.



So if my cost on a part is $20.00 and it shows a $45.00 list the part

cost will be $32.50





--

Steve W.


Good video.

Your part pricing is fair.

On Wed, 18 Jun 2014 11:37:05 -0500, Tim Wescott
wrote:

On Wed, 18 Jun 2014 09:15:38 -0700, rangerssuck wrote:

The wife's car was making some rubbing noise from a rear wheel. I pulled
of the wheel and found significant (structural) rust on the brake drum.
I didn't have time to do this myself, so I took it to a local garage
where they've done good work for me in the past.

I checked the price of drums & shoes on Autozone's web site (there's
actually an Autozone store directly across the street from this garage),
and figured an hour & a half for labor. It turns out that I was spot on
with the labor, but he charged me almost exactly DOUBLE Autozone's price
for the parts.

I gotta figure that he get's maybe a 15 or 20 percent discount on the
parts, and I would have been OK with a 20 or 25% markup over list, but
this seems kind of excessive. He's entitled to earn a living and all,
but a hundred bucks to walk across the street?

It's been a long time since I was in the mechanic business, and I'm
wondering whether this is the new normal?

Did he buy from Autozone? There's a huge variation in price and quality
depending on who you buy parts from, and I'm under the impression that
Autozone isn't the best place to go for high quality.

(Back in the 1980's I maintained my own car. If I wanted a part to last
forever, I got it from the Toyota dealer. If I didn't mind a part
breaking after a year or two, I paid half as much at NAPA. If I wanted
to waste my time installing a piece of s**t, I bought it for 2/3 the NAPA
price at a discount auto parts store.)

I went through the oem thing with my old Jeep CJ-5 with the 304 V8. I
bought it new in 1974, youngest sister was driving when we endo'd down
the embankment on 90A in Sanderson, Texas. Endo'd about three times,
then ended up sideways and rolled to the bottom, about 100 yds or so.
They didn't total it, got it back a couple months later. Six months
later, the water pump went out. Changed it, went out again six months
later. Then I went to the Jeep dealer up in Houston and got an oem
water pump. Shaft was bigger, bearings were way bigger, cast housing
had all sorts of buttresses, etc. Same bolt pattern. Jeep had beefed
that thing up to deal with the ox-cart ride and abuse. Never changed
it again.

Pete Keillor

40-60% is what my mechanic friend who used to have his own business marked
parts up, and I've seen higher. Remember, part of that goes to pay his time
to source the part and get it to the shop, but some of it goes into the
"bank" to cover unpaid labor time if he has to replace the part under
warranty. Yes, the auto parts store will give him a new part if it fails
under warranty, but they won't pay for his time to R&R it.

-----
Regards,
Carl Ijames
"rangerssuck" wrote in message
...

On Wednesday, June 18, 2014 1:48:25 PM UTC-4, Tim Wescott wrote:
On Wed, 18 Jun 2014 10:46:01 -0700, rangerssuck wrote:



On Wednesday, June 18, 2014 12:37:05 PM UTC-4, Tim Wescott wrote:

On Wed, 18 Jun 2014 09:15:38 -0700, rangerssuck wrote:







The wife's car was making some rubbing noise from a rear wheel. I

pulled



of the wheel and found significant (structural) rust on the brake

drum.



I didn't have time to do this myself, so I took it to a local garage



where they've done good work for me in the past.







I checked the price of drums & shoes on Autozone's web site (there's



actually an Autozone store directly across the street from this

garage),



and figured an hour & a half for labor. It turns out that I was spot

on



with the labor, but he charged me almost exactly DOUBLE Autozone's

price



for the parts.







I gotta figure that he get's maybe a 15 or 20 percent discount on the



parts, and I would have been OK with a 20 or 25% markup over list,

but



this seems kind of excessive. He's entitled to earn a living and all,



but a hundred bucks to walk across the street?







It's been a long time since I was in the mechanic business, and I'm



wondering whether this is the new normal?







Did he buy from Autozone? There's a huge variation in price and

quality



depending on who you buy parts from, and I'm under the impression that



Autozone isn't the best place to go for high quality.







(Back in the 1980's I maintained my own car. If I wanted a part to

last



forever, I got it from the Toyota dealer. If I didn't mind a part



breaking after a year or two, I paid half as much at NAPA. If I wanted



to waste my time installing a piece of s**t, I bought it for 2/3 the

NAPA



price at a discount auto parts store.)







--







Tim Wescott



Wescott Design Services



http://www.wescottdesign.com



Just checked the NAPA prices: The drums are $42.49 each vs $35 at

Autozone, and the better of two choices of shoes are $29.99 vs $26 (for

both wheels). So there's $19 accounted for out of about $95. Still seems

excessive.



That does seem excessive. Unless they got genny-u-wine OEM parts.



--



Tim Wescott

Wescott Design Services

http://www.wescottdesign.com

I doubt they're OEM parts. Nearest dealer is over 10 miles away. Autozone is
across the street, Napa is about a mile down the road (actually, there are
two of them, each about a mile (in opposite directions).

What would yo expect the typical markup to be?

On Wed, 18 Jun 2014 09:15:38 -0700 (PDT), rangerssuck
wrote:

The wife's car was making some rubbing noise from a rear wheel. I pulled of the wheel and found significant (structural) rust on the brake drum. I didn't have time to do this myself, so I took it to a local garage where they've done good work for me in the past.

I checked the price of drums & shoes on Autozone's web site (there's actually an Autozone store directly across the street from this garage), and figured an hour & a half for labor. It turns out that I was spot on with the labor, but he charged me almost exactly DOUBLE Autozone's price for the parts.

I gotta figure that he get's maybe a 15 or 20 percent discount on the parts, and I would have been OK with a 20 or 25% markup over list, but this seems kind of excessive. He's entitled to earn a living and all, but a hundred bucks to walk across the street?

It's been a long time since I was in the mechanic business, and I'm wondering whether this is the new normal?
Mabee he didn't buy from Autozone? Mabee it was better quality? 30%
is pretty standard in many areas, but on the high side in others.

On Wed, 18 Jun 2014 13:37:22 -0500, Tim Wescott
wrote:

On Wed, 18 Jun 2014 10:55:20 -0700, rangerssuck wrote:

On Wednesday, June 18, 2014 1:48:25 PM UTC-4, Tim Wescott wrote:
On Wed, 18 Jun 2014 10:46:01 -0700, rangerssuck wrote:



On Wednesday, June 18, 2014 12:37:05 PM UTC-4, Tim Wescott wrote:

On Wed, 18 Jun 2014 09:15:38 -0700, rangerssuck wrote:







The wife's car was making some rubbing noise from a rear wheel. I

pulled



of the wheel and found significant (structural) rust on the brake

drum.



I didn't have time to do this myself, so I took it to a local
garage



where they've done good work for me in the past.







I checked the price of drums & shoes on Autozone's web site
(there's



actually an Autozone store directly across the street from this

garage),



and figured an hour & a half for labor. It turns out that I was
spot

on



with the labor, but he charged me almost exactly DOUBLE Autozone's

price



for the parts.







I gotta figure that he get's maybe a 15 or 20 percent discount on
the



parts, and I would have been OK with a 20 or 25% markup over list,

but



this seems kind of excessive. He's entitled to earn a living and
all,



but a hundred bucks to walk across the street?







It's been a long time since I was in the mechanic business, and
I'm



wondering whether this is the new normal?







Did he buy from Autozone? There's a huge variation in price and

quality



depending on who you buy parts from, and I'm under the impression
that



Autozone isn't the best place to go for high quality.







(Back in the 1980's I maintained my own car. If I wanted a part to

last



forever, I got it from the Toyota dealer. If I didn't mind a part



breaking after a year or two, I paid half as much at NAPA. If I
wanted



to waste my time installing a piece of s**t, I bought it for 2/3 the

NAPA



price at a discount auto parts store.)







--







Tim Wescott



Wescott Design Services



http://www.wescottdesign.com



Just checked the NAPA prices: The drums are $42.49 each vs $35 at

Autozone, and the better of two choices of shoes are $29.99 vs $26
(for

both wheels). So there's $19 accounted for out of about $95. Still
seems

excessive.



That does seem excessive. Unless they got genny-u-wine OEM parts.



--



Tim Wescott

Wescott Design Services

http://www.wescottdesign.com

I doubt they're OEM parts. Nearest dealer is over 10 miles away.
Autozone is across the street, Napa is about a mile down the road
(actually, there are two of them, each about a mile (in opposite
directions).

What would yo expect the typical markup to be?

Less than 100%!!!

Didn't the various parts stores deliver when you were in the mechanics
business? I know that around here the repair guys call in their orders,
and if they don't get it that day they get it the next -- the local NAPA
store has a kid who does nothing but drive around all day in a delivery
truck taking orders to shops.
When I was at the dealership we delivered a lot of parts to other
garages. Not on as regular basis as the jobbers - but we did have a
"parts truck"

On Wed, 18 Jun 2014 10:48:18 -0700 (PDT), rangerssuck
wrote:

On Wednesday, June 18, 2014 1:13:00 PM UTC-4, jon_banquer wrote:
On Wednesday, June 18, 2014 10:07:18 AM UTC-7, jon_banquer wrote:

On Wednesday, June 18, 2014 9:15:38 AM UTC-7, rangerssuck wrote:



The wife's car was making some rubbing noise from a rear wheel. I pulled of the wheel and found significant (structural) rust on the brake drum. I didn't have time to do this myself, so I took it to a local garage where they've done good work for me in the past.















I checked the price of drums & shoes on Autozone's web site (there's actually an Autozone store directly across the street from this garage), and figured an hour & a half for labor. It turns out that I was spot on with the labor, but he charged me almost exactly DOUBLE Autozone's price for the parts.















I gotta figure that he get's maybe a 15 or 20 percent discount on the parts, and I would have been OK with a 20 or 25% markup over list, but this seems kind of excessive. He's entitled to earn a living and all, but a hundred bucks to walk across the street?















It's been a long time since I was in the mechanic business, and I'm wondering whether this is the new normal?











Two suggestions:







Call NAPA and get a price on their best brake parts for your car. I buy almost nothing from Autozone because their parts are inferior to NAPA's parts.







Ask your mechanic where they purchased the break parts for your wife's car.







Here is a specific example:



NAPA Gold air and oil filters are made by WIX. I don't use anything else on my vehicles but WIX for air and oil filters. Autozone doesn't even sell anything that's comparable to WIX.



Idiots buy plumbing supplies from Home Depot.



Idiots buy car parts from Autozone, PEP Boys, etc.

Jon, you could have stopped with your first post, suggesting checking prices at napa, but then you just felt compelled to attempt to make it personal. Why?
Plonk the fool. Then I don't have to read his crap when you reply to
him.

On Wednesday, June 18, 2014 7:03:37 PM UTC-7, Clare wrote:
On Wed, 18 Jun 2014 10:48:18 -0700 (PDT), rangerssuck

wrote:



On Wednesday, June 18, 2014 1:13:00 PM UTC-4, jon_banquer wrote:

On Wednesday, June 18, 2014 10:07:18 AM UTC-7, jon_banquer wrote:



On Wednesday, June 18, 2014 9:15:38 AM UTC-7, rangerssuck wrote:







The wife's car was making some rubbing noise from a rear wheel. I pulled of the wheel and found significant (structural) rust on the brake drum. I didn't have time to do this myself, so I took it to a local garage where they've done good work for me in the past.































I checked the price of drums & shoes on Autozone's web site (there's actually an Autozone store directly across the street from this garage), and figured an hour & a half for labor. It turns out that I was spot on with the labor, but he charged me almost exactly DOUBLE Autozone's price for the parts.































I gotta figure that he get's maybe a 15 or 20 percent discount on the parts, and I would have been OK with a 20 or 25% markup over list, but this seems kind of excessive. He's entitled to earn a living and all, but a hundred bucks to walk across the street?































It's been a long time since I was in the mechanic business, and I'm wondering whether this is the new normal?























Two suggestions:















Call NAPA and get a price on their best brake parts for your car. I buy almost nothing from Autozone because their parts are inferior to NAPA's parts.















Ask your mechanic where they purchased the break parts for your wife's car.















Here is a specific example:







NAPA Gold air and oil filters are made by WIX. I don't use anything else on my vehicles but WIX for air and oil filters. Autozone doesn't even sell anything that's comparable to WIX.







Idiots buy plumbing supplies from Home Depot.







Idiots buy car parts from Autozone, PEP Boys, etc.



Jon, you could have stopped with your first post, suggesting checking prices at napa, but then you just felt compelled to attempt to make it personal. Why?

Plonk the fool. Then I don't have to read his crap when you reply to

him.


Why don't you plonk yourself instead.

Problem solved.

On Wednesday, June 18, 2014 6:57:47 PM UTC-7, Clare wrote:
On Wed, 18 Jun 2014 09:15:38 -0700 (PDT), rangerssuck

wrote:



The wife's car was making some rubbing noise from a rear wheel. I pulled of the wheel and found significant (structural) rust on the brake drum. I didn't have time to do this myself, so I took it to a local garage where they've done good work for me in the past.



I checked the price of drums & shoes on Autozone's web site (there's actually an Autozone store directly across the street from this garage), and figured an hour & a half for labor. It turns out that I was spot on with the labor, but he charged me almost exactly DOUBLE Autozone's price for the parts.



I gotta figure that he get's maybe a 15 or 20 percent discount on the parts, and I would have been OK with a 20 or 25% markup over list, but this seems kind of excessive. He's entitled to earn a living and all, but a hundred bucks to walk across the street?



It's been a long time since I was in the mechanic business, and I'm wondering whether this is the new normal?

Mabee he didn't buy from Autozone? Mabee it was better quality? 30%

is pretty standard in many areas, but on the high side in others.


We won't know unless he asks. Your speculation serves no purpose other than to show you're a wheezy blowhard.

I doubt they're OEM parts. Nearest dealer is over 10 miles away. Autozone is

across the street, Napa is about a mile down the road (actually, there
are two of them,


each about a mile (in opposite directions).

What would yo expect the typical markup to be?

Aimed at OP rather than Tim...


Are you NOT in a state that has estimate laws? That if an estimated
repair is going to go over x % of a quoted estimate, that the owner has
to sign off? Or something to keep them from taking you hostage by
fixing the car, and then making you pay the bill? Or don't you talk
about how much the repairs will be in advance? And whether the parts
will be high quality, or cheap Chinese crap?

Steve

On 6/18/2014 12:15 PM, rangerssuck wrote:
The wife's car was making some rubbing noise from a rear wheel. I pulled of the wheel and found significant (structural) rust on the brake drum. I didn't have time to do this myself, so I took it to a local garage where they've done good work for me in the past.

I checked the price of drums & shoes on Autozone's web site (there's actually an Autozone store directly across the street from this garage), and figured an hour & a half for labor. It turns out that I was spot on with the labor, but he charged me almost exactly DOUBLE Autozone's price for the parts.

I gotta figure that he get's maybe a 15 or 20 percent discount on the parts, and I would have been OK with a 20 or 25% markup over list, but this seems kind of excessive. He's entitled to earn a living and all, but a hundred bucks to walk across the street?

It's been a long time since I was in the mechanic business, and I'm wondering whether this is the new normal?



I have a friend who has had his own auto repair business for 34 years
now. He will not install anything but factory parts on his repairs,
other than iol filters, batteries and the like. Brake parts, engine
parts, suspension parts, dealer only. Markup for him is 15 percent above
his cost. Maybe that's why he is still in business after so long.

On 6/18/2014 12:15 PM, rangerssuck wrote:
The wife's car was making some rubbing noise from a rear wheel. I pulled of the wheel and found significant (structural) rust on the brake drum. I didn't have time to do this myself, so I took it to a local garage where they've done good work for me in the past.

I checked the price of drums & shoes on Autozone's web site (there's actually an Autozone store directly across the street from this garage), and figured an hour & a half for labor. It turns out that I was spot on with the labor, but he charged me almost exactly DOUBLE Autozone's price for the parts.

I gotta figure that he get's maybe a 15 or 20 percent discount on the parts, and I would have been OK with a 20 or 25% markup over list, but this seems kind of excessive. He's entitled to earn a living and all, but a hundred bucks to walk across the street?

It's been a long time since I was in the mechanic business, and I'm wondering whether this is the new normal?



Small shops get a greater mark-up, their overhead is higher and they
usually justify it by doing extremely good work for their loyal clients.
You might try saying: "Oh, the new parts are in the back seat." But
you'll pay a bit more somewhere else on the bill.

If you like their work, pay the piper.

On Wed, 18 Jun 2014 22:03:37 -0400, wrote:

On Wed, 18 Jun 2014 10:48:18 -0700 (PDT), rangerssuck
wrote:

Jon, you could have stopped with your first post, suggesting checking prices at napa, but then you just felt compelled to attempt to make it personal. Why?
Plonk the fool. Then I don't have to read his crap when you reply to
him.

That's a +1 here.

--
There is nothing more frightening than ignorance in action.

--Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

On Thursday, June 19, 2014 4:49:32 PM UTC-7, Steve Walker wrote:
On 6/18/2014 12:15 PM, rangerssuck wrote:

The wife's car was making some rubbing noise from a rear wheel. I pulled of the wheel and found significant (structural) rust on the brake drum. I didn't have time to do this myself, so I took it to a local garage where they've done good work for me in the past.



I checked the price of drums & shoes on Autozone's web site (there's actually an Autozone store directly across the street from this garage), and figured an hour & a half for labor. It turns out that I was spot on with the labor, but he charged me almost exactly DOUBLE Autozone's price for the parts.



I gotta figure that he get's maybe a 15 or 20 percent discount on the parts, and I would have been OK with a 20 or 25% markup over list, but this seems kind of excessive. He's entitled to earn a living and all, but a hundred bucks to walk across the street?



It's been a long time since I was in the mechanic business, and I'm wondering whether this is the new normal?







I have a friend who has had his own auto repair business for 34 years

now. He will not install anything but factory parts on his repairs,

other than iol filters, batteries and the like. Brake parts, engine

parts, suspension parts, dealer only. Markup for him is 15 percent above

his cost. Maybe that's why he is still in business after so long.


The quality of aftermarket brake parts has deteriorated dramatically over the last decade. On the other hand, you can get a quality brand new NAPA alternator (not rebuilt) that is made in Mexico and carries a lifetime warranty.

When it comes to brake rotors or brake drums I'd pay extra for OEM parts and buy them from the dealer.

Notice how the OP still hasn't posted what kind of brake parts were used. He probably doesn't have the guts to ask the shop that did the work.

On Thursday, June 19, 2014 7:16:42 PM UTC-5, jon_banquer wrote:

The quality of aftermarket brake parts has deteriorated dramatically over the last decade. On the other hand, you can get a quality brand new NAPA alternator (not rebuilt) that is made in Mexico and carries a lifetime warranty.

That may have been true 20 years ago when the aftermarket thought the public wanted generic imported parts at the cheapest price. That thinking is almost non-existent these days, but Zone skirts the edges of that philosophy. In fact, generic rotors have all but disappeared because Raybestos and Wagner were able to offer OE quality for the same money.
These days it's truly a global market. Most parts - OEM and aftermarket - buy from a small handful of manufacturers. If you specify "best quality" at any independent, you will likely get the same part the dealer sells, which may or may not be the same as the car was delivered with.
Almost all rotating electrical is sourced from BBB Industries. They build an excellent starter or alternator that is as good or better than the OE new unit. They sell to NAPA, Zone, Parts Plus, and everyone else I can think of. They are a multinational that has bought up virtually all the competition. I would bet money they supply AC-Delco, which BTW manufacturers nothing anymore.
You can buy a Timken bearing at any store, but you can also buy a Chinese bearing for a fraction of the price. The crooks are the guys that quote and charge Timken price and install Chinese bearings. Ask for the old parts back in the boxes the new parts came in.

When it comes to brake rotors or brake drums I'd pay extra for OEM parts and buy them from the dealer.

Buy Raybestos or Wagner. Same parts, depends on which one got the bid for the batch.

As to the original question, List Price is non-existent these days. All the manufacturers quote only net cost to the wholesaler, and let them publisher their own dealer, retail, and list prices. Everyone uses a different markup.
Every dealer has their own pricing philosphy. Some I have known of:
My cost doubled
My cost + 50%
Local dealer list (and sell aftermarket)
Local dealer list less X%
My cost (no markup) rare

Quite a few use #3 - Call the dealer for a price, then every supplier to buy the cheapest aftermarket which is what they install.

The best shops seem to use a 50% markup on quality parts, and deal with one trusted supplier rather than shopping every part. That's the guy I'd take my car to.