Just a general comment.

I just got a catalog from a major supplier in the mail yesterday and it immediately went to the reading room.

I’m well aware that reproductions for real restoration cost money and are expensive and I’m glad there are suppliers in the first place. That said the hideous gouging on some things just makes me sick – and not all of it is on reproduction parts. They print “do not drink” on paint cans because somewhere, some idiot did. They charge these prices because there are always people willing to pay and pay and pay.

Sometimes you can’t help it and have to bite the bullet. Personally, I fix every last thing I possibly can even if it isn’t 100% and I use the same local parts store I always have. I was getting stuff there over the counter from pretty much the same guys when this thing was just an old Chevy.

 

 

You are right!
The prices are on the high side but if you want a new interior at least you can get a new one.
Interior parts cost a lot but they sure look pretty.

Not satisfied with 200 horsepower?
How much does it cost to go faster?

How about the cost of a Corvette?

Bottom line is if you enjoy the hobby and have the money just spent it and be happy that so many parts are available.

 

Here's a prime example; choke coil covers from a well known vendor. The one on the left costs $17 while the one on the right costs $6. The only difference between them is the location of the rectangular hole on the top. One is for 4BBL carbs and one is for 3 X 2 set ups (Can you guess which one is more?). My father, a retired Tool and Die maker, said these cost pennies to manufacture.

 

Yup... You're probably right until you look at the real cost.
Stamped raw sheet metal or maybe cleaned/anodized?
May have to order 500 to get cost break.
Shipping/Handling costs? in/out
Inventory cost?
Labor and burden?

But, it still may be a bit high.

 

An ORIGINAL (unrestored) 63 Z06 master cylinder recently sold (in an east Texas estate auction) for fifteen thousand five hundred dollars US ($15,500) +12.5% buyer's premium.

 

was that the one on ebay ? Never thought that would sell for so much

My first vette was a 73..fortunately the body and interior was mint everything underhood was there. What it did need was some suspension/brake refresh that was pre web. Once I saw prices of that stuff in catalogs I sold the car lol. Too bad it was in nice shape only drove it a handful of times.

True. Lots of C4s, C5s that become parts cars as you cant find the stuff or there arent any replacements period.

 

Agreed - and the interior stuff isn't really what bothered me. I saw an air cleaner lid - just the stupid lid - for over a hundred bucks that prompted this.

Corvette owners are not alone. Harley Davidson catalogs sometimes make me clutch my chest and wheeze. In a way we do this to ourselves; when it comes to our special interests we can be a fussy lot and are all too willing to pay to be satisfied.

Go to a car show and there will be a zillion different opinions & perspectives, which is part of the fun. I'm not drawn to the ones with the mirrors underneath them. I am drawn to the sort of dirty homegrown ones, especially if you can see someone being clever on a budget that is comparatively tight. As you said, it's not an inexpensive hobby to begin with - but necessity breeds ingenuity. Sometimes, anyway.

As for the catalogs - well, as an example, I buy Autovalue oil and Wix filters over the counter locally because they work. Haven't seen any appreciable difference between them and others at double the price. Fine by me if someone wants to use their own wallet on a different opinion but in general I think this is what makes fertile ground for gouging. And no matter how particular someone is there are always a few really odious examples that would probably even give Jay Leno pause

 

all materials like for building construction have gone up too. I am amazed at the cost of a 2x4 8ft long. all the box stores match each others price so there is getting them cheaper anywhere. JMO

 

you guys are forgetting how SMALL of a market most of these parts are for. most parts are one year only, some fit a few years, while others fit most GM cars and trucks. if you reproduce a part that only fits one year of car they only made 30K of how many of that one part can you sell. it takes a bunch of money to tool up and make a small run of

 

What gets me is the shipping on small parts. You can buy a small gasket for 1 or 2 bucks, but then they charge you 7 to 10 bucks to ship it, when they could just put it in an envelope with a 49 cent stamp on it.

 

yes UPS, Fed EX and USPS have gotten out of hand with shipping

 

This is why parts cars can be such a great option for some people. It's not as good an option for Corvettes because what used to be a parts car a few years ago may now be a project car. It is a crazy market for sure. I was more into the muscle car hobby market years ago and that circus is roller coaster ride. I went from being able to get embarrassing money for El Camino/Chevelle parts to not being worth the time to list them. Vette's tend to be somewhat more stable. Oh there are fluctuations for sure but still it seems to be a niche market that rides thru economy changes better than other expendable income items. The big opportunity has to be in existing inventory, be it used parts or new parts in stock. The money has already been spent to design, manufacture and transport. Their worth has little to do with their cost because that ship has sailed. Now their worth has only to do with their demand. There is the rub.

 

YOU ARE NOT KIDDING! That bugs me too!. If you take the time to really, really look at the shipping options you see there is a bit if a game being played there - and it's not by the shipping companies.

USPS if it fits it ships. I can have a heavy box of lead bullets shipped 2/3 of the way across country for $7 - so when I needed to buy a small lamp socket from half as far away why did it cost $14 to put it in my hands? At that was on top of whatever nonsense I had to pay for the thing in the first place.

My wife was a small business owner for many years and I understand we all have to make a living - it's just sometimes suppliers are feeding at the trough we are so willing to fill for them.

 

Maybe years from now whoever owns our cars will just whip up what they need on 3D printers

 

x2 on HD. Holy cow it cost a lot to build a bike. Did it once, never again.

 

Shipping, AAAARGH!
I got this delivery a week ago.
These pictures explain exactly what's wrong with the shipping industry today. The box measured 10" X 7" X 5" and contained nothing more than my new cell phone battery......really.

 

I normally buy parts for Motorcycles and European sports cars.

Corvette stuff is cheap.

 

In this vein - I needed some touch up paint for rock chips. Automotivetouchup gave me what I needed at a reasonable price and worked perfectly. I am NOT affiliated with them in any way. Have a look at the common Corvette supply websites and you'll see what I mean. About twice as expensive.

 

That's especially true if you are trying to do your purchase business online. For orders of small parts where the website charges outrageous shipping, I will always pick up the phone and call the vendor. Many are more than happy to work with you. Willcox leads by example on this.

Dave