Best price on a new ZZ4 and zz383?

[sfpaintball]

Who has the best price on new zz4's and zz383's?

[MuscleRodz]

Whn a buddy of mine bought a ZZ4 for his '57 Nomad late last year, Jeg's had the best price. It was cheaper to ship than to pay the local taxes.

Mike

[sfpaintball]

Locally, the prices suck.
All these guys are putting them in 32 ford kits, and you also can't get a decent 12 bolt to save your life.
I'm stuck with ordering, no one want sto work with me, it's MSRP unless I have them drop it.

This ain't an LSx motor, I've dropped enough 350's with turbo 350's I'm good to do this on my own.

[toofun]

Just a thought.But why not duplicate the gm goodwrench quest article? They used a goodwrench 4 bolt main short block and used bolt on parts with no other mods but bolt ons. It used an xe 268 cam, aluminum trick flow 23 degree heads and other bolt on goodies and made over 400 hp and 400 lbs of torque. I recently did this myself and was VERY HAPPY with the results. The car really screws with this combo and all and all it cost me well under 3000 total. Less if you have the carb, and other parts lying around. Just a thought!!

[sfpaintball]

That's not a bad idea, but I live in the SF bay Area. There are tons of "lightly used" or "only been on the dyno" failed projects taken verbatim from whatever stack of ads (chevy magazines) you care to browse monthly. Checkbook racers are the norm here, and whatever sounds hot in a stack of ads one month, 2 months later is on craigslist.

Right now the rage is vortec truck blocks rammed full of gmpp parts. There's a lot of them on craig's in the past few weeks, they dyno and run like crap. I've seen a lot of guys dumping fastburn heads, gm 1.6 roller kits, and hot cam kits. All lightly used, as a shortblock, or the most insane 383 you've ever heard of.

I'm over it. I'm buying a cheap-ish warrantied crate motor , air gap/weiand, and swap out the th350 for a tko600.

When it costs less to get a LSx motor in my car, I'll do it. Right now, it's too expensive and way too popular.

[Swifster]

Just an idea, but I've used this on a regular basis without a problem. Check with your local dealer. I've been able to get anywhere from a 10% discount to dealer cost plus 10%. Some dealers will match others on pricing (check out GM Parts Direct and use their price to negotiate at your dealer). This can also work effectively with GMPP stuff.

I would also suggest that when you find a good dealer, give him as much of your business as you can; they like repeat business. Direct others to him as well. The more business the better the discount.

One other thing. This may just be a Midwest thing, but I've never seen a dealer sell an engine at retail. They'll usually start at 15% to 20% off retail.

[MuscleRodz]

You won't get a good price out of a dealer unless they are a GMPP dealer. The parts dept at the local Pontiac dealer know me by name, and still couldn't touch Jeg's. They give me anywhere from 10%-40% off depending on the part.

Mike

[Swifster]

Again, it depends on the dealer. I get my stuff from three different dealers at cost plus ten. And I don't have to pay shipping.

[sfpaintball]

It HIGHLY depends on the dealer b/c the parts dept's I've spoken to arent' price matching. After 8.5% sales tax, freight, and cost I'm better off ordering from scoggin dickey or jegs

[sfpaintball]

Swifster - Ok, then throw your guys some more business by giving me some phone #'s and guys to ask for @ each place. Lowest I've found is $3750 on a zz4. I bet that there are other guys looking for gmpp crate motors here too that like the info.

[USAZR1]

I'm looking for the best price on a pair of the GMPP race valve covers for my SBC. Seems like everywhere I look,the price is always the same at $230/pair. Anyone know where a much better deal is for these covers?

[chicane67]

Are you talking about GM part number- 24502466 ??

[Swifster]

Swifster - Ok, then throw your guys some more business by giving me some phone #'s and guys to ask for @ each place. Lowest I've found is $3750 on a zz4. I bet that there are other guys looking for gmpp crate motors here too that like the info.

I'll ask next time I'm there. I don't know about the west coast, but the dealer shouldn't be charging for shipping. These are sent along with other parts to the local warehouses. A dealer orders, the warehouse gets it there. There should be no difference between a ZZ4 or any other long or short block.

As for Jeg's or S/D, these well could be a loss-leader sold at cost (unsure of what cost is), but I'd think shipping would still be charged. I'll check on it as soon as I can.

[sfpaintball]

Shipping can be charged @ the discretion of the dealer.
I do it as well to make up for lower profit on (non-car, don't pm me for parts) items.

[USAZR1]

Are you talking about GM part number- 24502466 ??

No,those are blank topped. The part number I need is 10185064. These have "Chevrolet" cast into the top of the cover,along with a Bowtie.

[Swifster]

Shipping can be charged @ the discretion of the dealer.
I do it as well to make up for lower profit on (non-car, don't pm me for parts) items.

No offense, but these are the dealers I stay away from. As a parts guy once told me, "See the words at the bottom of the page? It says 'Suggested Retail Price'. I can charge whatever I want!"

I don't think a dealer should sell stuff for free, but a reasonable markup is just that, a reasonable markup. 40% on a $3000 assembly, in my opinion, isn't reasonable. Even on insurance losses, I've never had a dealer charge me retail. I've never paid shipping either. Competition is good. If one dealer charges shipping and one doesn't, why would I buy from the one that does?

Now, I also believe that you take care of those who take care of you. My local Chevy dealer gives me cost plus 10% on everything. I get the same deal with a local Chrysler dealer. So far on my Ford stuff I 'only' get 10%. This can would for foreign cars as well. I get cost plus 10% of my Suzuki parts.

You will not get what you do not ask for. You may not get cost+10 on your first trip, but you might get 10% off. The more you buy, the better the discount.

[sfpaintball]

fantastic, socially engineering a good guy deal isn't going to make any dealer in my area eat the shipping fees to them. i wouldn't do it either, b/c once I swipe a credit card the danger is losing money on the overall margin on the item once I total cost of the item, shipping to me, and merchant fees. maybe you've got some volume dealers in your area that don't feel the same way. all I want is a phone # and a contact name if you can pull a crate motor for under Sd/Jegs/GMpartsdepot, etc, especially when it needs to be freighted to me in san francisco.

[Fluid Power]

"As for Jeg's or S/D, these well could be a loss-leader sold at cost (unsure of what cost is),"

This isn't the grocery business,where they sell milk below cost so you also buy bread, chips, meat. I guaratee that Jegs is making money on the motors. I do business with Jegs and I am in the warehouse a couple times a month. They ship on average 6500 packages A DAY. The place is HUGE. Summit and Jegs are the biggest performance parts sellers in the world. The name of the game (for Jeg's) is inventory turn. Inventory turn = cash flow. They have good pricing because they are buying every thing by the semi-load. I agree with Swifster, if you can, work with the local guys on anything, do repeat business and refer other people. I try this with everything, business or personal and the while I may have paid a little more in the beginning, it is amazing how well someone will take care of you when you have a relationship. Just my .02

Darren

[Swifster]

I don't think the volume at these dealers is any more than any other local dealer. Try finding a Suzuki dealer in the Midwest that sells parts on 'volume'. Dealers sell to body shops and other businesses at wholesale. Why can't I, as a loyal customer to whoever gives me the best deal, shop my business?

I make no bones about what I'm looking for. Either I get a deal or wait until I do. Shipping charges are an example of that. I'd bet a steak dinner that not every GM dealer in No-Cal charges shipping. Would you drive to Sacramento to save $400? I've found that most dealers look at a $250-$300 profit as not bad, especially when I could give that money could go to the Cadillac dealer down the street who typically doesn't see that business. $250-$300 profit on 10 minutes work (unloading from the GM parts truck and into my pick-up truck) isn't bad for most.

And before you say that this may be only a Michigan deal, the year I spent in St. Louis, I got discounts from the local Pontiac and Suzuki dealer. And they saw me more than once. I got to know them by name and they knew me by name. I won't say they'll give a discount your first time in, but if the parts guys see you on a regular basis, they are definitely more inclined to do so.

As mentioned, I'll swing by the local Chevy dealer and price the engine out. But I don't the the dealer will ship from Detroit to SF without shipping charges. The suggestion was to work your own best deal. But I'll price this like what it will cost me.

[Fluid Power]

Swifster, I re-read my post and see how it could be confusing. What I was referring to was Jeg's. I agree that for a local dealer who may never sell a motor (like my chevy dealer) logic would dictate that he would be happy making whatever a 'good' price is and move a unit thru. Mine would do it, but only because he knows me and my 2 vehicles that I get serviced there....

Darren