When I worked for Delco, we doubled the price for aftermarket replacement parts to AC-Delco, GM’s replacement parts division, because we added boxes and a small parts kit with bushings and nuts. AC-Delco, in turn doubled it again to the dealers as trade price for handling, storage and distribution. The dealers doubled it again for retail price. This is why a $10 shock sold to the assembly plant cost $80 retail at the dealer. When we sold to Western Auto as aftermarket, they sold them for $40 because we eliminated AC-Delco in the supply chain.
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It was the same story with my '71 Charger. I’m not sure if the total fade began at 40 mph, or 35 mph, or 30 mph, but the bottom line is that you couldn’t safely complete even one high-speed stop without losing almost all of its braking ability.
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Same with my ‘72 Duster. And then I’d push harder, they’d heat up more, work less, yeesh! Give me discs any day.
Here’s one more point of data - motorcycles, both street and racing, switched over wholesale to discs, tells me all I need to know about which brake work when you really need them!
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Seems Rick should buy an old BMW if he wants parts availability to last forever. It’s my understanding that if you need a part, they will provide it. They may have to send back to Bavaria where they will custom make one of what you need, and charge you $4000 and 6 months lead time, but they will do it.
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I’ve heard Mercedes is also good for supplying old parts. At a price, of course.
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Mercedes Benz classic supplies parts for every model but in reality even high dollar cars like a 540k they don’t stock everything. There are oem suppliers that have restarted production for a company but they had to buy enough to make it worth it. You’d be sitting on inventory for 5yrs or more.
Now you know why Old-Days-Rick and ChrisTheTireWhisperer are the way they are… Walmart can get “anything…” It may not be OEM, but what is anymore??? 
I’m not saying I would buy it, but they are advertising it…
You simply don’t get it do you? It’s a business. Not a welfare agency. If you want parts for an antique car you go to an antique parts store that specializes in your make and model. That’s how capitalism works.
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Very typical markup. 2x. When I worked in retail nearly everything was marked up 2x. Yet our net after our expenses of the store was only a few percent at best. Retail is a hard business. That’s why so many people now shop online. Less overhead than a bricks and mortar store.
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Too funny! So let’s flip it. It’s like going to Sears looking for a part for a Walmart washing machine!
And who’s fault is that… Amazons?
Nope.
“Please allow me to introduce myself….”
‘Stones
Most people don’t realize that the net take-home for the typical mom-and-pop local repair shop is somewhere around 5-7%. All that money they charge you for fixing your car has to go somewhere else before any goes in the owner’s pocket.
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+1
Even for dealerships, it can be a challenge… unless of course, they “upsell” you on unnecessary services. When I was having my car serviced a couple of weeks ago, I marveled at the number of salaries that they are paying at their service facility.
In addition to the mechanics, there are 4 service writers, plus 2-3 women working at the front desk to take care of the paperwork for loaners, to take care of stocking the refreshments for customers, and to process customer payments. There are also 3-4 “valets” to note odometer mileage upon entry, jockey cars around, and take pics of both the customer’s car and the loaner in order to determine if–and when–body damage might have taken place. And, they also have two guys to wash and vacuum the cars after servicing.
I’m pretty sure that those non-mechanic employees are only paid minimum wage, but–still–there are definitely a lot more salaries being paid at a dealer’s service facility, as compared with the Mom & Pop garage.
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Now that’s Too funny, since walmart or sears do not even make anything they sell!!
That’s true, but I think back about 7 years or so, when my Whirlpool dishwasher needed a part, and I found that Sears sold the part for less than Whirlpool did. Back then, Sears’ dishwashers were made by Whirlpool, so on a hunch, I checked their parts prices and was happy to see that I could save a few bucks with Sears.
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Im not saying they should carry the parts. If a dealership would have parts for an old Chevy it would probably be a Chevy Dealer
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Not just in your defense, OD, but in general:
A 1989 vintage anything is not as “ancient” as some might perceive.
Oh I don’t know about that… Considering that as of 2024, approximately 49% of the U.S. population was born after 1989.
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That doesn’t concern me much.
As an analogy to “dog years” that’s probably 110 years old in “car years” 