> As for parts prices - welcome to the 21st century. European and Japanese
manufacturers have been charging those kind of prices for years. Four
years ago the previous owner of my 1983 Imperial bought an inside door
handle from the dealer - C$100.
>
Bill;
I am somewhat puzzled by what the twenty first century has to do with this.
As long as I can remember the car dealerships have always wanted a premium
price for factory parts, especially trim parts. The same goes with
accesories, just ask yourself why you never see a Chrysler with MoPar floor
mats? I saw a dealer sheet from a 1952 Chrysler Windsor and the prices for
options and accesories were outrageous then. If they didn't overcharge for
these things then the aftermarket parts industry wouldn't exist. Even on
well babied Imperials you rarely run into one with dealer supplied belts and
hoses.
More often then not though these parts weren't made by Chrysler but by an
outside supplier, if you can find out which one you can save yourself a
small fortune. One example of this is door locks on an 80's Chrysler
product, dealer price $65.00, locksmith price $22-$25.00. Either way you
still need a locksmith to re-pin it to take your key and the locksmith
supplied lock is usually of slightly better quality then the dealer's. The
point being is that the dealers pulling a hose job on parts and labor is
nothing new which is why you only go to them as a last resort.
Best Regards
Arran Foster
1954 Imperial Newport
(You should have seen what they charged for A.C as a factory option on this
model!)
Needing A Left Side Taillight Bezel and other trim parts
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