Date: Tue, 6 Apr 2004 16:29:00 +1000 From: "Bill Rule" <billrulenospamonnect.com.au> Subject: Re: Rant - parts prices
The equivalent of the AA here in Australia went out of its way in the test reports it did on the (then) new crop of Mazdas, saying that the cost of repairs was significantly higher than one would otherwise expect. Panel beaters confirmed this in personal conversations shortly afterwards. "Fred W." <Fred.Willsnospampam myrealbox.com> wrote in message news:UeOdnVh9nMdqRPDd4p2dnAnospamphia.com... > > "LauraK" <lkrznospamcomnospam> wrote in message > news:20040401235108.16062.00000487nospam23.aol.com... > > >Really? I owned a 323 (actually a GLC, as it was called in the US), > where I > > >binked out a taillight lens. The dealer wanted less than $30 for the > entire > > >assembly and it came complete with bulbs installed. I thought it was a > > >deal -- but that was many years ago, before they tried to make that model > > >sound more exotic by renaming it "Protoge" > > > > Yep. The repairs were on a 1990 Protege version of the 323 -- the > hatchback. It > > was a great car, other than the expensve of the body parts. Mazda quit > making > > them in 1994 or so and there are still a lot on the road. > > Stuff like headlight bulbs and tires and such were very cheap to replace. > Just > > got expensive when you got into the body parts. > > Laura, > > Not to appear to be cynical, but what's the possibility that your auto body > "friend" made up a story about the high costs of Mazda body parts so that he > could do the work for you "at cost", you know... since you are friends and > all? Did you happen to get any other estimates that you could compare to? > Just wondering. ...yes, I know. I *am* cynical. > > -Fred W > >