Ding Ding Ding, we have a winner.
MMEEEEE.
And the prize is ?
WHAT, you say?
10 gallons of air glider fuel.
HOW NICE.
Bummer. @Pyrolord314 You are the happy winner. Respect.
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Is that next to the blinker fluid? I think Iām out 
next lucky spot is 500, you missed 400 train it seems
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I wonder if I can trade up my air glider fuel for some blinker fluid, thoughā¦
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Years ago I found a good independent shop for all work on my then aging Olds. When I replaced it with a Chevy Impala I became very familiar with the dealerās shop, due to excessive need for major warranty work, and was impressed with how very well I was treated and the quality of their work, so much so I seriously considered another Chevy when dumping the hanger queen. But in the end I traded for my current Camry. Well, the service at the Toyota dealer is so incredibly abysmal and the next closest dealer so far away that I went back to the independent shop for everything except warranty work even before the Camryās warranty expired.
Yes, I am very price aware but I also factor in honesty, consistently reliable quality work, and how I am treated.
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I guess because this thread is about pricing? I wish you would use examples from my vehicle because then your $20 dollar mark up would be over $100, and you would not be doing extra work. And frankly, with the magic of the internet, it takes me a grand total of 2 minutes to find Cardone Ford window motors for $71 including delivery for 2007 Ford Escape. Which kind of goes to my initial question about how the internet and online part places are changing awareness of auto part prices, and make consumers wonder as to the fairness of prices being charged at some places
With regard to your warranty, yes some people like that and some even pay extra. I have noticed how some auto parts now use the electronics formula of trying to get you to buy an extended warranty. I guess you will not be surprised that I decline those types of offers. Mainly because they are by and large unnecessary, they are a profit center for the business, and in most cases itās more hassle to make a claim than it is to repair or replace.
Lastly, you might consider that in pretty much every comment you defend your desired profit rate, from my perspective that indicates you take dollars and cents very seriously. Well you should, just please respect the fact that I do as well.
And lucky strike means fine tobbacoe.
I dunno why I need to chime in but maybe itās with that goal of 500 posts or something. It just struck me that in business, carrying costs are a huge cost that needs to be covered in stocking parts. That is the cost of the money tied up in inventory. The cost of the space to store the inventory. The cost of the personnel to maintain that inventory, and not the least of which is the cost of parts becoming old or obsolete making them worthless. Often times you get better pricing on the internet because these folks donāt stock parts but wait for the order and then have it drop shipped from a warehouse. Rock is good for that. I have a favorite internet site that I buy small engine parts from because itās easy, I can select the odd ball parts, etc. But I have noticed more and more shipping is delayed while they order the part from the manufacturer. Reduced inventory. So if you want to run down to NAPA and get a brake rotor or two, they have it in stock, usually but guess what? They have to add the carrying costs plus profit in order to stay in business. Thatās the price for having the part next door. If a mechanic is using them, they also have to pay the carrying costs plus profit, even though their item cost may be less. So the mechanic adds some to the part price also? Regardless you cannot expect to pay the same price for a part from the internet as you would from a local supplier.
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LSMFT! ( And if you really want to go back in time, Lucky Strike Green has gone to war)
I no longer smoke . . .
But I fondly remember Lucky Strikes 
I changed the picture because I recall the ones I enjoyed werenāt filtered . . .
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@old_mopar_guy. When I was a kid, LSMFT stood for two things:
- Lucky Strike Means Fine Tobacco
- Lord, Save Me From Truman
Iām glad I wasnāt drinking coffee when I read that, it would have gone all over the screen!
@old_mopar_guy. I was in 5th grade in 1951-52 when the kids from conservative farm families were going around saying that LSMFT stood for āLord,Save Me From Trumanā. Truman really made himself unpopular by firing General Douglas MacArthur.
Chrysler in those days was right behind GM in the number of vehicles sold. Truman liked and drove Chryslers. I wonder if that fact caused Chrysler to slip into third place behind Ford Motor Corporation in sales. People didnāt like Truman so they didnāt like Chrysler.
(Actually, I think the real reason was that Chrysler products werenāt considered stylish back in the early 1950s. Also, Chrysler didnāt get a fully automatic transmission until 1954. Chrysler just offered the ālift and clunkā semi-automatic transmission where you had to let up on the accelerator in order for the transmission to shift. When I got my driverās license back in 1957, my parents had a 1952 6 cylinder Dodge with that transmission which was slow as molasses in January and also had a 1954 Buick with a V-8 engine and a manual transmission. The Buick had much better performance than the Dodge and was more fun to drive. However, when I would go on a date with Little Iodine, I much preferred the Dodge where I didnāt have to shift gears. Nothing beats the bench seats and the a.m. radio tuned to Randyās Record Shop out of Nashville, TN driving with my left hand and Little Iodine snuggled up next to me).
Heh heh, Weāre going to get a note again to stay on track but I donāt remember Truman. My first recollection was the āI like Ikeā buttons. I do remember though all the construction guys wearing T shirts with the Lucky Strikes rolled up in their sleeve. I still donāt know how they did that.
Still I think the 57 and 58 Plymouths were great looking cars and Iād add DeSoto to that list. I think beat out the 57 Chevy but not the Fords, and better than the 58 Fords or Chevy. But by 59 it was Chevy. Of course just in my humble opinion, but I would take a 58 DeSoto any day now if they werenāt all rusted and returned to nature.
Ah, I grew up in Brooklyn, ny in a solidly Democratic family that thought Truman was just dandy, and his opponent, Dewey, sent a few of my dadās friends to the electric chair.
If I remember my history correctly . . .
MacArthur pretty much disobeyed orders and made some very bad strategic decisions
And hereās an opinion, also based on things I read . . . he was literally drunk with power
I may make myself unpopular by saying this . . .
But I believe there have been times when it was correct to relieve certain generals, admirals, etc. of their command(s)
And Iām not just talking about the USA, by the way
@old_mopar_guy @db4690
I grew up in a liberal family that thought Truman was o.k. Most of the rural area where we lived was conservative.
I think Truman did the right thing in firing MacArthur. The President is Commander in Chief.
I donāt hold it against Truman for driving Chryslers, even though the styling was conservative. Chrysler products were ahead of GM and Ford for quality back in the early 1950s.
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How times have changed . . .
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This is a real magazine ad from 1946 that I have hanging on my wall at home. Not really car related, but if weāre sharing cigarette picturesā¦
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Thankfully, I never had to work on a car THIS gross, but Iāve worked on some that were pretty close
A pet peeve of mine is unknown hair(s), discarded fast food wrappers and stale french fries under the seat(s)
When I do work on a filthy vehicle, I get the shop vac and try to do a halfway decent job cleaning it. Iām not trying to shame anybody. But the next guy to work on the vehicle might be me . . .
Myself, I was never into Camels