You know how it is. Anything more substantial than an oil filter and it`s got to be ordered in. An exaggeration perhaps? Yes, but not much.
Contrast that situation, with our local BMC parts dept in the 60`s.
I was in regular contact with the affable bloke at the parts desk - in the massive dealership, in town. There was nothing at all that was not in the parts bins - however obscure.
The dealership was massive because the parts dept was massive. I bet 10 times bigger than current practice.
You could go into the old Ironmongers in the City too - and buy items like a brass oil tap (used on a Mini`s sump) not only that - but the assistant produced an ASSORTMENT of said taps.
You had the sense that these taps (late 60`s) had been there for years, perhaps decades - in a drawer - waiting. Also that it was the end of an era for such instant availability. You just felt it.
Something lost - and something gained then, if only financially in `last minute` parts deliveries.
Things were once there as you needed them.
It`s almost forgotten, that you could once go out and purchase everything you wanted - there and then. At least for a BMC Mini.
Edited by oilrag on 31/01/2010 at 07:35
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I was surprised to find that an obscure plastic 'manifold' for the cooling system on my Pug 205 was still 'on the shelf' a couple of months ago. Not everything has vanished it seems.
Maybe today's parts departments are the same size, but the 'parts' are a lot larger than they used to be? It's easier to replace large complicated things and charge more?
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Now parts are sent over night from a warehouse no need to stock loads of parts that just end up sitting on the shelf it makes no sense and a waste of money.
With the internet parts can be sourced much easier than even 20 years ago never mind the 60's.
Service items, hoses & brake, steering, suspension small parts are in stock at most but the rest you order and pay a deposit which is fair.
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Only problem with the internet is that you can't "compare" parts like you could face to face, so if the part you are after has a few, very small but vital, variations you could end up with the wrong one!
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Yup, I still remember wandering into my local BMC garage and getting a second gear cog and starter ring gear for an MGB off the shelf.
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cog is found in a clock made from wood. a gear is what you mean.
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cog....tooth like part of a gear wheel.....noun
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I said cog because 'second gear gear wheel' looked and sounded wrong.
(I don't even know why bothered replying)
Edited by martint123 on 31/01/2010 at 15:57
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You could end up with the wrong one!
According to the local indie I go to (who orders needed parts from the nearest franchise) one is as likely to be sent the wrong part as the right one - despite years of experience of this and care in asking by full part number etc. When more parts are kept in a central warehouse (which makes sense for the franchises) there is a better chance of this happening.
A few years ago my 306 cabrio needed its (special) rear dampers replaced. Allegedly only one was available in the UK warehouse - because it was July and France was on holiday. So much for next-day availability.
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With some manufacturers, the price a dealer pays for parts ordered from central supplies can depend on how quickly he wants it. So, while it's always the same retail price to the customer, if the dealer obtains it overnight he only makes a small percentage. But if he's happy to wait a week he makes a much bigger percentage.
HJ
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Nissan used to call it a V O R order vehicle off road and was sent overnight & yes this did cost more.
As for you with the cog i just find it so funny when folk refer to cogs in a gear box, if you was offended then im sorry.
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It can come over as being pedantic correcting peoples terms (as with spelling) and deter them from posting - even if not intended in that way.
`Cog` is a term we grew up with in West Yorkshire. As in `missed a cog` or `he has a cog missing`
;-)
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The price a dealer pays for parts ordered from central supplies can depend on how quickly he wants it.
At least one Cheshire Pug dealership used to pass on some of this discount to the customer. Unfortunately the one I have in mind was recently defrauded of a shipment of cars, and is now only able to trade on servicing (as I understand it - I may have been misinformed).
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In this day and age of JIT, keeping lots of spares isn't economic. Also, since the average lifespan of a car in the UK is 14 years, it's not economic to stock anything much older that that. BMC folded because of their outdated business practices.
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Problem is as well that beyond a certain age, most people won't put money into an old car when it needs a part. This is in contrast to the older approach of "make do and mend".
My mechanic has given me a funny look before when I clear the fitting of a £150 part on a car worth £200 -- I'm in a vanishingly small minority who will keep an old car going. Most will keep the car, without fixing it, until it stops moving.
So the parts aren't commonly sold, and as a result aren't stocked.
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My first company car (a Ford) had several minor faults on delivery and was returned to the supplying dealer (the biggest Ford franchise in Nottinghamshire, with numerous branches) a few weeks later with a snagging list. It was returned at the end of the day with nothing fixed. Instead, there was a Parts Department 'With Compliments' slip on the passenger seat on which was written (in capital letters) "NO PARTS IN STOCK. ALL PARTS ON ORDER." I assumed this was a universal truth.
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