I can't be the first person to see that 75 parts prices are overinflated!

[MSS]

Originally Posted by Shawn

So I wanted some plastic roof blanks and they are £12 for four new. We're talking the tops off a smarty tube nearly.
Got an advisory for a rear damper on my MOT today.They are on ebay for as much as £265 a pair for a 75. Yet under them on related items are the shocks for a Defender at £60 a pair.
We're been had over.

I'll be going to the scrapyard with a tape measure at this rate

The difference is that smarty tubes are sold by the millions and require very little application support infrastructure at the dealers etc.

The question to always ask one self is "how much would I be willing to do for £12". In most cases, the answer would be next to nothing or a bit less.

Dampers for the CDT do not cost £265. The OEM Delphi ones cost £68.75 each from Best of British including all the other bits as a complete assembly shown here.

http://www.rimmerbros.co.uk/Item--i-GRID001548

2*£68.75 for 100k miles isn't at all bad.

The 75 is a sophisticated lower-mid executive car with complexity to match. With that in mind, it is actually very cost effective in terms of pence/mile.

[Seafrost]

I agree OP, some parts are simply overinflated...... and some are merely Milking the owners.....

Especially when you compare equal parts of cars the same age...... NOT modern day, still in production cars...

I mean, how can BMW parts be cheaper? for "some" parts?....

Bit like days past, when you walked into the insurance brokers... mention BMW or Executive or Ghia and their eyes lit up, but go in and say Fiesta 1.1 L and you walked away smiling and cash still left in your pocket.

We do appear to be ripped off for choosing to drive a large executive class ( IN ITS DAY ) car....

Its now in the realms of budget banger money, yet the parts are not?...... they are not RARE enough yet to warrant the high prices... so like I said above, someone is milking it.... yes some parts are hard to come by... New... but not impossible and certainly NOT the only source... I am happy with pattern parts.. or even good quality second hand parts, after all my car was second hand when I bought it...

As long as I can afford to keep it going I will.... on a shoestring

[The_irish_rover]

Can't say I agree with this. Try finding bits for a Volvo for instance. Retro fitting 2nd hand parts isn't an option on a lot of parts as most of the items are coded to the original cars ecu, even something as simple as an auto dimming rear view mirror.

[Seafrost]

Originally Posted by The_irish_rover

Can't say I agree with this. Try finding bits for a Volvo for instance. Retro fitting 2nd hand parts isn't an option on a lot of parts as most of the items are coded to the original cars ecu, even something as simple as an auto dimming rear view mirror.

There is a difference between retro fitting items... and parts off the shelf like brake parts, etc I think the OP was thinking more basic run of the mill items...

And we had no trouble getting parts for our old Volvo 240?..... infact for my stepbrothers we bought a spare Volvo 340 with the annoying belt driven auto... and I stripped into to a shell so they had plenty of spares for years

I agree retrofitting items, that require mating will come at a cost..... but thats purely for "pose" rather than "need" to keep running.

[The_irish_rover]

Originally Posted by T4FBA

There is a difference between retro fitting items... and parts off the shelf like brake parts, etc I think the OP was thinking more basic run of the mill items...

And we had no trouble getting parts for our old Volvo 240?..... infact for my stepbrothers we bought a spare Volvo 340 with the annoying belt driven auto... and I stripped into to a shell so they had plenty of spares for years

I agree retrofitting items, that require mating will come at a cost..... but thats purely for "pose" rather than "need" to keep running.

Point taken, but he began his post referring to roof blanks which are not necessarily required to keep the car on the road.

When it comes to Volvos, I was referring to ones of a comparable age to our 75s, not the ancient 240s or 340s. I don't think a rear view mirror can be classed as "pose" factor can it if the original one has broken?

[MSS]

If cost is the primary consideration......

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rover-75-R...item46152c5acf

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/REAR-BRAKE...item5aebfcd998

A person just has to look and make decisions about what he/she is willing to fit to their car.

[Shawn]

In light of Tidus72's post here is a 75 damper and a BMW 3 series damper.
They look identical.
You can get the BMW ones for £20 each.
I'm going to lean on a parts counter and ask for a BMW one with the 75 one in my hand

[tidus72]

This may be the way to go on some parts for our 75`s then, BMW 3 series all the way if they are that much cheaper

The thing is I do not understand how a car parts supplier sells a Multi fit part at one price for one make of vehicle, and then almost half the price for a different make of vehicle ? i.e Rover......BMW

I think it may be a good idea to compile a list to see which common parts the Rover 75 shared with the 1999 on BMW 3 series, could save us all a bundle

[Jordan Apex]

Originally Posted by tidus72

This may be the way to go on some parts for our 75`s then, BMW 3 series all the way if they are that much cheaper

The thing is I do not understand how a car parts supplier sells a Multi fit part at one price for one make of vehicle, and then almost half the price for a different make of vehicle ? i.e Rover......BMW

I think it may be a good idea to compile a list to see which common parts the Rover 75 shared with the 1999 on BMW 3 series, could save us all a bundle

There is already a list of parts that fit these cars from various other cars, it is a sticky in the technical help forum. People are mentioning being ripped off for driving a classy or executive car, if you drive something that is either of those things parts are always going to cost more...

The parts aren't that expensive, bmw parts can still be cheaper because they are still produced in large quantities as they still run and have a lot of cars on the road to maintain/make money from repairs.