GM price list

[Steve D.]

I have seen numerous references to current GM parts #'s and prices. Does GM publish a list (catalog?) with prices? Available where ? Local dealer ?

[Joe L.]

Re: GM price list

Steve-----

GM does publish a catalog with price information for every part currently in the GM Service Parts Operation inventory. This publication is only available to franchised dealers and is not authorized by GM for sale or distribution to the public. Also, this publication contains only pricing information by part number, car line usage and group number but absolutely no reference to specific application.

[james Kekeisen]

Re: GM price list

Joe your part and price info is incredibly helpful, but everytime I've purchased a part from my Dealer it's been 20-30% higher than the number you quoted (small things are even 50% higher). Is there a way to bypass the dealer? I guess shipping would probably eat up the benefit if there was?

[Patrick H.]

Re: GM price list

James,

Via the Internet there are now many ways to buy parts much cheaper than your local parts guy. One thing you may want to do, though, if you know anyone at a local dealer (of any GM division) is to try and arrange a discount for yourself. This may sound funny, but if you'll be buying lots of parts, some dealerships will do it just for your $.

On the 'net, I use The Last Detail as one source. Many use www.gmpartsdirect.com as well, but their shipping is 10-15% and can eat up the discount vs. other sources. I know that if you use a search engine to look for GM Parts as well as other relavent terms, you'll find sources.

By the way, your local dealer is adding a premium to your parts because a) they don't know you, and b) you're buying not-too-expensive parts in small volumes. Even with the alleged discount we were offered by our local dealer I'd sometimes catch one or two of the counter guys doing this to me, swearing that the price given was still with the "discount" - until I called them on it with the real list price and what it should have been with discount. Needless to say, for this and other reasons our Club dropped them as a sponsor.

Patrick

[Joe L.]

Re: GM price list

James and Patrick-----

Yes, the dealer is using his "price escalator program" on you. Usually, this applies for items less than $100 and operates on a "sliding scale". In other words, the less expensive the GM list price is for an item, the higher is the percentage mark-up from GM list. The prices that I provide in my information are TRUE GM list prices. But, no dealer is obligated to sell at these prices. They can sell for a lot more AND they can also sell for a lot less.

If you're purchasing a few low buck parts that you need right away, it's well worth it to just pay the premium and forget it. For big buck parts, though, or for things that you can wait for, there are many competitive dealers around that will sell at "trade" price (usually about 25% off list) or even deeper discounts. I have a dealer that sells to me for, on average, about 35% off TRUE GM list.

[Clem Z.]

Re: GM price list

most dealers will sell at discount if you have a state sales tax number and a business card. you are required then to pay use tax on the parts you by tax free. even with my engine building deal being a part time one i had no problems getting a good discount at the dealers.

[Ron De Vries]

Re: GM price list

Joe,

Well of course they do, you know there parts better than they do You are a dream customer, how often do they have to look up a part for you? never would be my guess.

Ron

[Grant M.]

Re: GM price list

Here in Canada, GM 'trade' prices on parts (the price normally charged to other automotive businesses, mechanics, etc) used to average about 30-33% off list. In the broader 'retail' marketplace, 100% mark-up from wholesale (dealer cost) to retail ('list' price) is common (except on some things like women's fashions where 300-400% mark-up is the norm--when you see 75% off sales at Sears and J.C. Penney's, they're STILL making money). Based on this, even at 'trade' prices, the dealer makes money--just less. When I bought my '65, it came with about $8,000 (Cdn) worth of new GM parts still in boxes, complete with the dealer invoices for the parts. A previous owner had worked for two GM dealerships (as a car-wash jockey) over the course of three or four years, and had been buying and accumulating the parts intending to restore the car. As an employee of the dealership he bought the parts at 'trade' or 'staff' prices, and these are reflected on the invoices, next to the retail or 'list' price that the general public would pay. On virtually every item, the difference was in the range of 30% or so.

[Jim T.]

Re: GM price list

I did buy parts from a Corvette parts place in GA that I started buying from about 1988. The parts were at a discounted price and for an order over $50 they had free shipping and never charged for handling. Bought a lot of parts over the years from them. I had not placed an order for over a year and tried a few months ago to contact them by phone and writing a letter. No reply by letter and I even inclosed a stamped envelope. Phone rang but no answer. The name was Speciality Parts Warehouse, they sure listed a lot of Corvette parts.

[Grant M.]

Re: GM price list

What about 'Wilcox' Parts Department (I'm not sure if I've got the name correct), but they advertise a lot in Chevy/Corvette Trader? I think they're somewhere in Indiana, perhaps. I've never dealt with them, but the quoted prices do seem competitive. Anyone have any experience with them?

grant

[Joe L.]

Re: GM price list

Ron-----

Yes, they don't have to look up parts for me. I order all parts by part number only. In fact, in the past 30 years I have not obtained even one single part which the dealer counterman had to look up for me.