Really, truly lucked out: RA score

[14Accent]

For those that don't know: the last manufacturer of replacement rear struts for my Reatta (Monroe) discontinued production ~3 years ago, leaving us owners desperate for a solution...

Fast forward to 2023: a member of the Reatta club/main source of parts for these cars revealed that he had closed a deal with Monroe to produce an extremely limited "extra" run of struts, available EXCLUSIVELY through his store for $499.99/pr. Obviously, people were both elated and let down. Many of the owners of these cars don't have $500 (plus labor) for a pair of bone stock replacement struts, myself included.

Now for the juicy part: earlier this week, out of the clear blue, a comment was posted to the Buick Reatta FB page claiming that Rockauto appeared to have these very struts back in stock for the low low price of.... $62/ea! I couldn't get my credit card out fast enough. Thank goodness, as the strut listing was gone the very next morning. My set is scheduled to arrive tomorrow afternoon, and several other members received theirs today.

The best part? They came DIRECTLY from Monroe, not a RA warehouse. Not only that, but the $500 sets aren't even scheduled to ship until the end of the month! Needless to say, the member that set up the group buy is LIVID!

 

[Kira]

Seriously, someone should write a book about reviving parts' runs.
AC Delco was said to require a 50,000 unit run for the Corvair's fully threaded sparky poos.

That Reatta club member's not only livid, there'll be members who'll conclude he's a lying rip-off artist.

 

[atikovi]

Many of the owners of these cars don't have $500 (plus labor) for a pair of bone stock replacement struts, myself included.

If you think that's high, just hope you never need to replace a windshield.

 

[eljefino]

There's some non-resistor spark plug that's popular with old BMWs and Mercedes, that ran ignition points. The web forums were looking like crazy for them but RA had them for 99 cents, LOL.

 

[CKN]

There are risks associated with driving discontinued beaters.....

 

[racer12306]

Congrats. I’ll bet he’s pissed.


We had a situation on a Neon forum I’m on a while back where the radio delete panel was discontinued but there was still some nationwide inventory at Chrysler dealers.

A member that worked at a dealer thought he’d be slick and buy up and resell the leftover panels since they were a little rare.

Apparently it wasn’t fully discontinued because him buying the inventory trigged a new buy of panels and the rarity was gone overnight.

 

[SC Maintenance]

There are risks associated with driving discontinued beaters.....

Hmmm, I would be happy to have a late 80's 2 seater convertible. You can always adapt stuff from elsewhere.

 

[nwjones18]

Congrats. I’ll bet he’s ******.


We had a situation on a Neon forum I’m on a while back where the radio delete panel was discontinued but there was still some nationwide inventory at Chrysler dealers.

A member that worked at a dealer thought he’d be slick and buy up and resell the leftover panels since they were a little rare.

Apparently it wasn’t fully discontinued because him buying the inventory trigged a new buy of panels and the rarity was gone overnight.

I know someone who is/was into Cadillac Allante's.. The headlights for them are discontinued and expensive. They were at the GM dealer one day and asked how many headlights were available nationwide and bought them all. As far as I know they are just sitting in the garage (was 40-50 lights), but he may have sold a few on ebay.

 

[CKN]

Hmmm, I would be happy to have a late 80's 2 seater convertible. You can always adapt stuff from elsewhere.

Yes-I guess you could as much as a pain that would be.

 

[Chris142]

There are risks associated with driving discontinued beaters.....

Didn't used to be. Up until the Rona thing I could get just about any part for any older car.

 

[GMBoy]

Seriously, someone should write a book about reviving parts' runs.
AC Delco was said to require a 50,000 unit run for the Corvair's fully threaded sparky poos.

That Reatta club member's not only livid, there'll be members who'll conclude he's a lying rip-off artist.

He could have been aware of rockauto having them and was gonna buy them all and resell at a hefty profit....

 

[GMBoy]

I know someone who is/was into Cadillac Allante's.. The headlights for them are discontinued and expensive. They were at the GM dealer one day and asked how many headlights were available nationwide and bought them all. As far as I know they are just sitting in the garage (was 40-50 lights), but he may have sold a few on ebay.

Sweet but I hope he doesn't sit on them so nobody else can have them that needs them. I have an 89 that I might need a light one day.

 

[PF52]

Monroe must've found a few more of them.... They're back on the RA website, although it says "2 day delay" whatever that means.

 

[14Accent]

Monroe must've found a few more of them.... They're back on the RA website, although it says "2 day delay" whatever that means.

Thanks for this, I shared with both forum's I'm a member of.

 

[VWRand]

If you think that's high, just hope you never need to replace a windshield.

I worked at the manufacturing plant that made them for General Motors

 

[14Accent]

I worked at the manufacturing plant that made them for General Motors

No kidding? You worked for PPG at the time?

 

[sloinker]

I'm surprised that nobody has hazed you for using RA. How many different warehouses did they ship out of. lol

 

[14Accent]

I'm surprised that nobody has hazed you for using RA. How many different warehouses did they ship out of. lol

I use RA almost exclusively for my auto parts needs. I've actually got a part on the way as we speak.

The struts didn't come from any of RA's "warehouses", they were shipped directly from Tenneco (Monroe's parent company).

 

[Ranger83]

I'm surprised that nobody has hazed you for using RA. How many different warehouses did they ship out of. lol

He owns a Reatta. Thus impervious to hazing.

 

[VWRand]

No kidding? You worked for PPG at the time?

Libbey-Owens-Ford Glass. PPG was a competitor. LOF had 100% of GM glass business from the 30's up until the early 60's. After that we had only 50%

Made them for both the Coupe and Convertible Reatta for the GM Craft Center Assembly Plant in Lansing.