dbf73

I know that in the case of PSS9's, one local shop encouraged customers to acquire them on their own. I sometimes will bring some parts to the shop but this is usually because I bought them intending to do the job myself and didn't because of weather, other work needed to be done on the car that I couldn't do, etc. I don't buy the parts with the intent of depriving the shop of the revenue. This has seemed to work for me.

johnneurauter

I would think that if you told your mechanic what parts you want and what you can get them delivered to his place for that would be most fair. My guess would be that my tuner makes most of his good margin coin on labor and not on parts. So if he has to spend an extra 2 hours going back and forth with a parts supplier he normally doesn't deal with because, let's say, your PSS9s arrive with a broken brake line bracket or something like that, he's not getting his nut for that. Just a fixed markup.

Of course this would not pertain to a shop that bills itself as a parts broker as well.

I guess it depends on the sort of shop. But I bet if you ask straight out you'll get a pretty good idea of where they stand on it.

ca993twin

I think that most shops count on the extra profit made on parts as part of their buisiness. There will always be a few cases of defective parts, no matter who supplies them... if the shop provided them, they will have to do a "do over" for free. Some of that extra profit goes for this service. I always talk to the shop owner about parts... I let him know that I understand that the extra profit is part of his buisiness model, and let him know what the parts can be purchased for, so that he sets an appropriate profit margin. Or sometimes... he'll just tell me to go and get them. Its best to have an up-front relationship.

graeme36s

I agree with ca993twin. It is best to have an upfront relationship with your shop. I've always tried to be this way. I think you (jimhsu) have made the right decision. Let the shop make their margin on their bread and butter stuff. Discuss the specialist stuff with them and more often then not their happy to let you source your own as it saves them the hassle. Everyone wins.

jimhsu

Update:

I am not questioning them about parts, after hearing what folks here have to say about it all (thanks), but they did list a wrong (or not the most up-to-date) clutch kit.

I asked them about it, and they will be getting the clutch kit and LW flywheel from Kevin (Rennlist/UMW Kevin). For about the same price as their DM flywheel and the obsolete clutch kit.

When I asked them to get the parts from Kevin instead they made no objection.

MarkD

One small note, usually supplying your own parts also impacts any warranty the shop may provide on their work.
You could end up paying for the labor twice if there was a problem with a part.