Car Talk

[ChrisB]

My assessment is based on their price. Some beauties about for £2 to 3K. For a German ( Osnabrück ) car built by Karmann powered by a Mercedes M112 V6. Even the Supercharged AMG versions are no money. A hell of a lot of Grand Tiurisomo bang for your buck.

[BroadAmbition]

Sigh - It always happens, well it does to me.

One gets a new 'Toy' and the open wallet surgery commences.

I've had to make a list:-

 

Aero wiper blades – ABD

All weather waterproof cover - Ebay                                              Ordered

Alloy wheels - Refurbishment - Metal Magic

Brake callipers clean and paint (Blue)

BMW Toolkit – Screwdriver missing – Ebay                                    Ordered

Induction kit – Deamon Tweeks

Key – Spare required – BMW 

Keyring Z3 – Ebay                                                                             Ordered

LED Lamps interior and exterior – ABD

Magnetic sump plug - Ebay                                                             Ordered

Mudflaps - ??

Oil – Change in G/box & Diff

Owners handbook – BMW Stratstone                                             Ordered

Polyurethane bush kit front & rear suspension  - Ebay

Rimblades – On completion of alloy refurbishment - Ebay

Workshop manual - ??

ZX1 treatment to Engine / G-box / Diff – Ebay / Amazon

 

Griff

 

[FlyingFortress]

But just think of the fun you are going to have when the 🌞 comes out 😁

[ChrisB]

Yes, but it will be "right". Spare Keys on certain marques can prove a tad expensive though. Not to mention the fag of ordering in person, with proof of identity, and presenting the reg docs.

[BroadAmbition]

Owners Handbook  - I visited the Bmw dealership in Donny earlier today.  Having researched on Fleabay (Other on line retailers are available) I could get a Z3 owners handbook but was somewhat suspect if it was a cheap photocopy version or even in English as it was stocked in Latvia.

Bmw stated they could get me a brand new original one within a week to ten days cheaper than the fleabay offerings - Bargain and ordered

Spare key, Bmw have quoted me £133 supplied and coded. I have to take the car - obviously - along with just about every type of document we hold in our hovel, including next doors cat - Issue there is, they haven't got a cat so Purdey dog will have to do.

Considering this will be a genuine Bmw key I think £133:00 is acceptable so will get that ordered pronto

Griff

[grendel]

I once had occasion to call in at my local volvo dealership to get the code for the radio, they also provided a full sheet of the original vehicle specifications along with the radio code- all free of charge.

[ChrisB]

£133 is a very good price, I have paid twice that on an Audi, and that was a long time ago.

[oldgregg]

Yeah £133 is really good. Even Honda charge more than that.

[Bikertov]

It is outrageous that £133 is considered a good price  

We do really get fleeced for spare parts where we are charged up to 100 times the true cost of an item

At the extreme, think of things like screws, bits of plastic trim etc 

I know they have to make a profit, and spares cost more as an individual item than when part of an original automated build, but i still think prices are extortionate ...  

[Mouldy]

9 hours ago, Bikertov said:

It is outrageous that £133 is considered a good price  

We do really get fleeced for spare parts where we are charged up to 100 times the true cost of an item

At the extreme, think of things like screws, bits of plastic trim etc 

I know they have to make a profit, and spares cost more as an individual item than when part of an original automated build, but i still think prices are extortionate ...  

Agree with that!!  When I had my Z3, I refurbished the brake callipers.  Just to finish the job off, I bought a new set of retaining clips.  Bearing in mind this was about 13 years ago, I was aghast when charged £28 (but that did include VAT)!

[Meantime]

10 hours ago, Bikertov said:

We do really get fleeced for spare parts where we are charged up to 100 times the true cost of an item

The true cost of a spare part is it being easily and conveniently available when or if you should need it. The cost is in keeping inventory for maybe years on end, the cost of the shelf space and warehousing, the stock control system, the person who stock takes it once or twice per year, etc, etc.

Can you imagine going into your local main dealer and asking for a rear light cluster for your five year old car and being told sorry we're out of stock. The next production run will be in 7 weeks, plus shipping, come back in 9 weeks!!!

One of my first cars was a Capri mk2, which usually got driven quite hard.  Each year it would go in for it's MOT and would normally fail on a bent or worn track control arm, or front anti roll bar bushes or rear suspension spring bushes etc. Every year I would make a list of 4 or 5 items I needed and go down to the Ford main dealer Perrys at Rayleigh Weir and head up to the parts counter and hand over my list. The guy would disappear out the back and then return with all the items. I would part with some cash, go and fit the parts and then it would pass the MOT. That parts department probably had a couple of million pounds worth of stock waiting for me to turn up with my list of a few items and spend £30 or £40 and they always had the parts I needed in stock. Then there was the parts microfiche machines and the expertise behind the counter where I could turn up and describe a part I needed and they would sort through the right manual and pull it up on the microfiche machine and I would point to the part I wanted and armed with the correct part number off they would trot and return with the part. These days it's a lot more computerised but there is still a huge behind the scenes cost in making sure that spare part is there if you should need it. As you rightly point out the cost of the part itself is peanuts compared to the logistics of making sure it is available.

[MargeandParge]

19 hours ago, BroadAmbition said:

Sigh - It always happens, well it does to me.

One gets a new 'Toy' and the open wallet surgery commences.

I've had to make a list:-

 

Aero wiper blades – ABD

All weather waterproof cover - Ebay                                              Ordered

Alloy wheels - Refurbishment - Metal Magic

Brake callipers clean and paint (Blue)

BMW Toolkit – Screwdriver missing – Ebay                                    Ordered

Induction kit – Deamon Tweeks

Key – Spare required – BMW 

Keyring Z3 – Ebay                                                                             Ordered

LED Lamps interior and exterior – ABD

Magnetic sump plug - Ebay                                                             Ordered

Mudflaps - ??

Oil – Change in G/box & Diff

Owners handbook – BMW Stratstone                                             Ordered

Polyurethane bush kit front & rear suspension  - Ebay

Rimblades – On completion of alloy refurbishment - Ebay

Workshop manual - ??

ZX1 treatment to Engine / G-box / Diff – Ebay / Amazon

 

Griff

 

I hope you've got Mrs G her Christmas box before you start on that or you will be sleeping in it..

It's a very nice looking job take care Kindest Regards Marge and Parge 

[floydraser]

1 hour ago, Meantime said:

The true cost of a spare part is it being easily and conveniently available when or if you should need it. The cost is in keeping inventory for maybe years on end, the cost of the shelf space and warehousing, the stock control system, the person who stock takes it once or twice per year, etc, etc.

Can you imagine going into your local main dealer and asking for a rear light cluster for your five year old car and being told sorry we're out of stock. The next production run will be in 7 weeks, plus shipping, come back in 9 weeks!!!

One of my first cars was a Capri mk2, which usually got driven quite hard.  Each year it would go in for it's MOT and would normally fail on a bent or worn track control arm, or front anti roll bar bushes or rear suspension spring bushes etc. Every year I would make a list of 4 or 5 items I needed and go down to the Ford main dealer Perrys at Rayleigh Weir and head up to the parts counter and hand over my list. The guy would disappear out the back and then return with all the items. I would part with some cash, go and fit the parts and then it would pass the MOT. That parts department probably had a couple of million pounds worth of stock waiting for me to turn up with my list of a few items and spend £30 or £40 and they always had the parts I needed in stock. Then there was the parts microfiche machines and the expertise behind the counter where I could turn up and describe a part I needed and they would sort through the right manual and pull it up on the microfiche machine and I would point to the part I wanted and armed with the correct part number off they would trot and return with the part. These days it's a lot more computerised but there is still a huge behind the scenes cost in making sure that spare part is there if you should need it. As you rightly point out the cost of the part itself is peanuts compared to the logistics of making sure it is available.

I remember those days too but I think we would all be amazed at how efficient modern computerised logistics are. No need to hold stock locally as you can get it from anywhere in a very short time. Ok, the days are gone when you could strip the car then get the bits off the shelf but that's progress. From an enviromental point of view it also means parts aren't moved around the planet until they need to be. A lot of things are going "backwards" in the same way; a few years ago retailers used to compete by having large items like fridges in stock but now next day delivery/collection is becoming the norm.

[annv]

Hi Griff Be aware that there are four different gearbox oils you tell the difference by the colour patch adjacent to the level plug on side of gear box, Green, Red ,Yellow and Blue if memory is correct.one of them you can only get in a twenty five Lt can, was £385=00 plus vat back in 90's BUT! never came across that colour so you should be ok. Nice cars had a couple of customers that had them. John

[Bikertov]

It really doesn't help the environment to charge so much for spares, as the end result is stuff being scrapped and ending up in landfill for the sake of what ought to be cheap parts.

Away from cars, we have a Liebherr fridge and freezer at home. They we certainly not cheap when we bought them, but we thought we were buying quality that would last ...

Oh no - the compressor on the freezer when after about 4 years. And the plastic hinges from the door handles have broken multiple times - £20 a pop to replace, and they don't last. All the door shelves have broken as the supports that hooks onto the door have broken - £40 odd each to replace. 

How can this be justified on what is meant to be a premium product, that the parts don't last and you are charged a fortune to replace bits of plastic ?

It is almost cheaper to buy new fridge and throw the old one away. Great for the environment ... NOT !

[annv]

Hi Mouldy if you had purchased propriety pads the clips come in the box as you should change them when new pads are fitted.  The cost of the key is not just the key it has to be swiped by the main agent with a hand held devise in the car to prevent cloning by undesirables. John

[ChrisB]

And many manufacturers have a 30 year parts availability policy after the last one rolls off the line.

[Meantime]

56 minutes ago, floydraser said:

I remember those days too but I think we would all be amazed at how efficient modern computerised logistics are. No need to hold stock locally as you can get it from anywhere in a very short time.

I think that Covid has taught us all a lot about just in time distribution and long supply lines relying on manufacture in the far East. However when it comes to bespoke car parts they are very expensive to tool up for and manufacture in small quantities. Therefore they will be produced in a production run of thousands and then may end up being stored on a shelf for years. Even if centrally stored they need to ensure they have enough supply to meet demand for many years. I believe it is Honda policy that they will support their vehicles with spares for 15 years after they stop production for a model. Usually around the 10 year mark they do a very big final production run of parts and then sell them off to various auto parts companies and main dealers. I wouldn't begin to imagine how they reach a figure for how many of each part they may need for the final five years. One thing for sure there will still be a huge pile of new leftover spares after 15 years that may well end up in land fill eventually.

[floydraser]

1 hour ago, Bikertov said:

It really doesn't help the environment to charge so much for spares, as the end result is stuff being scrapped and ending up in landfill for the sake of what ought to be cheap parts.

Away from cars, we have a Liebherr fridge and freezer at home. They we certainly not cheap when we bought them, but we thought we were buying quality that would last ...

Oh no - the compressor on the freezer when after about 4 years. And the plastic hinges from the door handles have broken multiple times - £20 a pop to replace, and they don't last. All the door shelves have broken as the supports that hooks onto the door have broken - £40 odd each to replace. 

How can this be justified on what is meant to be a premium product, that the parts don't last and you are charged a fortune to replace bits of plastic ?

It is almost cheaper to buy new fridge and throw the old one away. Great for the environment ... NOT !

Oops, thread drift alert. It was me who mentioned fridges but in the name of balance I have to say we've had Liebherr fridge/freezer for a few years now with no trouble at all. Affectionately known as Herman, just a few odd noises now and then.

To get back towards the thread a bit: I also have a massive Liebherr crane in Lego Technic. For the kids y'know...

[grendel]

having recently replaced the cheap Beko washing machine with another cheap(ish) beko model, I figured if the original made it to 13 years old, then i should be good enough with the same again, fortunately they did have this in stock so it went in the back of the car and came home with me.

[Meantime]

[Mouldy]

3 hours ago, annv said:

Hi Mouldy if you had purchased propriety pads the clips come in the box as you should change them when new pads are fitted. . . . . .

Pads were good, but the callipers were scabby.  They were cleaned up using a variety of air tools, removed from the carriers, degreased, painted with calliper paint and reinstalled with new clips.  Looked much better after.

[oldgregg]

1 hour ago, Meantime said:

So true! But then which would you rather be driving?

[Meantime]

2 minutes ago, oldgregg said:

So true! But then which would you rather be driving?

Been there and done it with rear wheel drive. Mk2 Capri Ghia 1600cc engine replaced for a 2.0L OHC Sierra engine, whilst keeping the original rear diff 

These days it's an Audi S3 with a not too shabby 4.7 secs 0-60, not that it's ever used 

[Meantime]

Not mine, but not too dis-similar.