PERFORMANCE PARTS

[reagan]

How many of you sell performance parts through your dealership? Is it really profitable? And what troubles have you had? We are thinking about it, but we are concerned that it will draw the wrong crowd, or create an uprising in the Service and Sales Departments.

[jdpetey]

Contact the manager at Pace Pontiac in Niles, Ohio and ask him if he has any suggestions. They specialize in GM Performance Parts, but I also saw books Honda, Ford, etc. at their dealership. As far as I've heard, they are the largest GM Performance Parts Dealer in at least the nation, if not the world. Just helped do an inventory and they had just about everything, including complete 350 GM Performance engines and more. Look for them on the web, they have a site with contact info. They may be able to give you some advice.

[This message has been edited by jdpetey (edited 10-09-2002).]

[partsguy]

We are a medium sized Chevy dealer, and we carry and stock Performance Parts. We do 3 car shows a year, but what we always hear when we quote a price is: "I saw this in xx magazine for only xx, will you match their price"? What we usually find is that they are advertising at dealer net... So NO, there isn't any money in this, thanks to the #$%@&'s of the market.

Bruce

[jdaniel]

We used to really push Mopar Performance, but, like the previous post, we were often beaten up on price. I think the support from the manufacturer and the dealer's commitment level both have to be strong to actually make performance parts work for you. We have sponsored a variety of cars through the years, everything from vintage stock cars to an NHRA T/A FC- generated a little parts business, and showroom traffic when we displayed them- but not much of a return on investment.

[mcompton]

IF YOU DECIDE TO GET INTO PERFORMANCE
PARTS MY ADVICE WOULD BE TO NOT GET INTO THE
AHRD CORE PART BLOCKS HEADS ETC. BECAUSE THERES NO MONEY IN IT A LOT OF THE TIME IT MAY TAKE WEEKS TO GET THE SPECIAL PARTS BUT YOU ALSO NEED TO LOOK AT THE MAIL ORDER COMPANYS AND DECIDE IF YOU CAN BE COMPETITIVE
WITH THESE COMPANYS. I'VE ALWAYS WONDERED IF
GM SOLD TO THEM DIRECT BECAUSE OF THEIR
PRICING.

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[kenm]

it is not that gm give them better pricing, they are based on volume and ordering on max discount. I agree, the only real money to be made in perf parts is Crate Engines & aftermarket bolt on items