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Thread: Amazing what you can save shopping around...

  1. #1
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    Default Amazing what you can save shopping around...

    It's amazing what you can save shopping around, especially if you stay clear of car stealerships.

    30,000km plug replacement:

    Dealership: $1200, plugs & labor to change.
    Champion Australia: $96 plugs only (and none in Australia).
    US shopping, USD 1.60 per plug!

    Total with shipping, my own labour (1.5 hrs), $40. That's a huge saving!

    They are only basic copper plugs. Had they been iridium or platinum like the larger 370 cube SRT Hemi I would understand, but alas they are common muck copper plugs.

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  2. #2
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    what sort of monster uses 16 spark plugs?????

    but i do agree about the shopping around. for what the dealers over here were asking for a motorcycle helmet i got the same helmet, a leather suit and boots

    i even rebuilt a crashed motorcycle using parts from ebay and personnal labour, with something like 1/3 of the cost


    the market is global, and if they don't get it, they will run out of customers soon
    "its called character briggs..."

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by LaNeK779 View Post
    what sort of monster uses 16 spark plugs?????
    It's a 345cube Chrysler Hemi in an LX chassis. 2 plugs & 1 coil pack per cylinder. In fact the 6.1 and 6.4 litre Hemi's all have 16 plugs. A pretty nice donk, vith variable valve timing, MDS etc. My model drops to 4 cyl at cruise and returns 9.9L/100km. Not bad in a 4000lb vehicle! In stock form they churn 345HP and 375nm torque. Mine is now performance tuned for 94 octane with a Diablo Preditor, cold air intake and custom exhaust and returns approximately 400HP (300kW).
    Quote Originally Posted by LaNeK779 View Post
    but i do agree about the shopping around. for what the dealers over here were asking for a motorcycle helmet i got the same helmet, a leather suit and boots

    i even rebuilt a crashed motorcycle using parts from ebay and personnal labour, with something like 1/3 of the cost


    the market is global, and if they don't get it, they will run out of customers soon
    I doubt it, there is no shortage of customers that don't know what a ring spanner is.

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  4. #4
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    For sure, the last Audi 5 cyl turbo I had: Plugs (Bosch WR5 platinum) £55 + VAT each with my staff discount; £9 each direct from Bosch.

    They were 10,000 plugs, that starts to become expensive really quickly.
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  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Doc View Post
    For sure, the last Audi 5 cyl turbo I had: Plugs (Bosch WR5 platinum) £55 + VAT each with my staff discount; £9 each direct from Bosch.

    They were 10,000 plugs, that starts to become expensive really quickly.
    Why did you need to change platinum plugs every 10K? Normally they are good for 100K, just make sure they are fitted with anti-seize!

    Mine are not platinum, just plain old corodium plugs, yet the dealer priced them like unobtainium plugs!
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  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by dnar View Post
    Why did you need to change platinum plugs every 10K? Normally they are good for 100K, just make sure they are fitted with anti-seize!

    Mine are not platinum, just plain old corodium plugs, yet the dealer priced them like unobtainium plugs!
    Engine management was a new thing when Audi Qattros were concieved, 5,000 mile oil changes, 10,000 mile major services. I've seen a set plugs destroyed in 5k if a customer didn't use 100 octane. The old Hitachi management only used one knock sensor, the engine used 6.8:1 CR and massive boost, the extremely high power ignition system had one output - full power; very agricultural low tech stuff. Great fun though waiting for the hell to unleash not so good fun feeding the low teens (driving carefully) mile per gallon
    http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/3985/laser.gif

    Doc's website

    The Health and Safety Act 1971

    Recklessly interfering with Darwin’s natural selection process, thereby extending the life cycle of dim-witted ignorami; thus perpetuating and magnifying the danger to us all, by enabling them to breed and walk amongst us, our children and loved ones.





  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Doc View Post
    Engine management was a new thing when Audi Qattros were concieved, 5,000 mile oil changes, 10,000 mile major services. I've seen a set plugs destroyed in 5k if a customer didn't use 100 octane. The old Hitachi management only used one knock sensor, the engine used 6.8:1 CR and massive boost, the extremely high power ignition system had one output - full power; very agricultural low tech stuff. Great fun though waiting for the hell to unleash not so good fun feeding the low teens (driving carefully) mile per gallon
    Shit mate, time for a new car?
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  8. #8
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    Haha, it's well gone, though I wish I still had it in a garage as a play thing. No I'm still in an Audi, but this one pulls from 1200rpm to the redline, has 370Nm torque has almost zero detectable turbo lag and does 30+mpg without trying; it's much more civilised but just doesn't give the same excitement.
    http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/3985/laser.gif

    Doc's website

    The Health and Safety Act 1971

    Recklessly interfering with Darwin’s natural selection process, thereby extending the life cycle of dim-witted ignorami; thus perpetuating and magnifying the danger to us all, by enabling them to breed and walk amongst us, our children and loved ones.





  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by dnar View Post
    I doubt it, there is no shortage of customers that don't know what a ring spanner is.
    i had no idea whatsoever myself, but i did my research and was succesfull (as i am here to tell the tale)

    you should see my face when i was on the racetrack for the first time, coming out of the big straight and hard on the brakes for K1 (a 120kmh right hander), then i remembered that i had fit new tubes and pads to the brakes and bleeded them myself, suddenly i was not too sure, but the corner was approaching fast and i had to trust myself... all smiles etc after this, but my underware must have got a few shades darker in the process

    "its called character briggs..."

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