Main stealer prices

[Glen_I]

16 minutes ago, Steve (sdh2903) said:

Sad now that most main dealers are all huge chains now operating on such tight margins that they have to fleece you on parts and servicing and a million insurance products

 This is one problem, the manufacturers call the shots and as a dealer you will have to abide by what they say, some dealers will be told what cars/models you have to stock regardless if they are a good seller or not, the tool boards in the workshop will have to be complete which is kind of fair enough but sometimes 50% of these tools are never used, and there is the amount of staff in a dealership which need paying.

 

On a happier note, when I done my work experience in my 1st year at college doing my City and Guilds I ended up at a Ford dealership which was licensed to do RS models, the bloke in charge off me took me out in Sapphire Cosworth, which now isn't that mind blowing but back in 1991(ish) was amazing, so yes I know where your coming from with the Escort. They reached about 12k some yrs ago and my wife I thought about one but couldn't justify it when the Sapphires were about 7k, now look at the prices of them....another bad decision of mine!🤔

[Glen_I]

I can remember coming home to tell my Dad how quick the Sapphire accelerated on to the dual carriage-way near us, at the time my Dad had a 205 GTi which was fairly quick at the time but he just looked at me in disbelief as if to say I was talking out of my backside to how quick this Sapphire was.

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Ah the days when 200 ish bhp in a (production) car seemed awesome!

[jeff oakley]

Times have certainly changed with the advent of chains, which get the support from the manufacturers so long as they do as they are told.

 

In the 80's I worked as a mechanic for Diggles, a small Ford Dealership but we punched above our weight as we had a good reputation with the Fast Ford buyers. When they came in with cars with faults, especially at speed, it was always me who was sent to test them.

 

We had once done a turbo conversion on a guy's 3ltr Capri and I had to take it out with the owner who kept shouting faster and we were going at some speed then. That sort of thing would never happen now as corporate rules mean you cannot do things like that.

 

One thing about Mr Diggles, he was a real gentleman, he would never want to generate work by "upselling" he knew if you treated people right they would keep coming back.

 

These days dealers are short term, sell as much as you can to who ever comes through the door. I have walked away from dealers, where I have told them I want to buy a car, no add on etc and then out trots the "manager" to show his staff how it is done, after I have agreed a price. If I wanted, gap insurance, paint protection or any of the myriad financial addon's I would ask and I certainly do not have time to spend hours waiting for the finance manager, I pay cash, the insurance manager, we are sorted etc, to see me.

 

A good independent will have 99% of what the dealer offers at a fraction of the price and as for parts, many aftermarket parts are exactly the same as the OE in a different box. 

  

[BigSkyBrad]

When I first got my 4x4 truck, the vacuum-actuated transfer case wasn't engaging. As is was still under the 3-mth dealer warranty, I took it to my local Mercedes-Fuso workshop. where they billed the dealer. They basically squirted some WD40 about and charged him £640 for the priviledge! The problem had recently reared again and the fault was, and suspect also previously, perished rubber vacuum hoses. Also the vacuum solenoid pack looked very crusty. The price for a new solenoid pack from Fuso was moon-beams. I found a generic solenoid pack on ebay for £13 that I could adapt, £10 of silicon vacuum hose and a couple of strips of galvanised steel I had 'collected' (wife says hoarded) to make a bracket - sorted and works a treat, for 3.5% of the expert franchise garage!

[Bandageman]

I ran big Harley Davidson motorcycles before transferring to current Westie, and initially was sold a service plan by the dealer at £28 pm to cover servicing when it was due, which would lock future costs against inflation. When I checked the service manual however for my next “big” service which would normally cost c£380 under the plan, the list of service items didn’t even include changing the gearbox oil, but included  “inspect linkage, inspect wheels, inspect side stand etc. Workshop labour costs excluding parts worked out at £95 per hour. Whereby I’m prepared to accept as a businessman that premises and staff costs need to be accounted for, I took the decision to cancel the contract and do the servicing myself. Dealer tried to argue that this would affect the warranty until I pointed out that the bike was 6 years old and well outside the warranty period. Oh, and the price of the OEM parts for the next home service I carried out was the same as the initial contract.

[Jim RS]

I had a fleet of VW Transporters early 2000 and loved them but the cost of servicing through main dealer was horrendous culminating in a bill of £1500 for brake wearing parts after less than 1000 miles. I know the driver was very heavy footed but subsequently other makes(Ford, Vauxhall, Peugeot) even though bigger vans have never come anywhere close.