Is it just me, or have parts for our cars gone up? I was working on my brakes a few days ago and had to replace my driver's side brake cylinder (was leaking). Well, I remember replacing them a while back and paying roughly $12 or so each (Pep Boys). I called up the usual auto parts places (Pep Boys, Kragen, and Auto Zone), and the cheapest was $28 (Auto Zone). What's up with that???? I called around checking prices for my brakes (drum up front) because somehow MYSTERIOUSLY Pep Boys AND Kragen don't have any record of me buying brakes thru them in their computer systems. And it doesn't help that I have no idea where the freakin' receipts are, DOH!!! Anyway, I remember paying roughly $18-$20 or so for the front pair of brake with life time warrenty. I call around, and the cheapest I find them are $35!!!! Again, WHAT'S UP WITH THAT???? Inflation sure got me good! Any of you guys notice parts going up in price?

yes ! matter affact I went to O Reily`s the other day bought a GM diistributer for a LT1 T bucket project I am doing in the shop . I make the statement to the manager behind the counter boy these things sure went up ! First thing out of his mouth it`s that dang war acroos seas it`s `affecting all points & places in the economy. I assumed he was a Clinton fan , he let me know it would not be this way few years ago. He progressed on to tell me since 9-11 the corp. office sends down newsletters each month stating their parts store chain across the U.S that sales are extreamly irrate , instead of maintaining a level sales feild ,iI don`t know the reason for it that is just what he told me

yes ! matter affact I went to O Reily`s the other day bought a GM diistributer for a LT1 T bucket project I am doing in the shop . I make the statement to the manager behind the counter boy these things sure went up ! First thing out of his mouth it`s that dang war acroos seas it`s `affecting all points & places in the economy. I assumed he was a Clinton fan , he let me know it would not be this way few years ago. He progressed on to tell me since 9-11 the corp. office sends down newsletters each month stating their parts store chain across the U.S that sales are extreamly irrate , instead of maintaining a level sales feild ,iI don`t know the reason for it that is just what he told me

For sure the 60 plus dollar a barrel oil is affecting the price of just about everything. The cost of transporting stuff alone would account for a sizeable part of the increase.

anyone realize the Chinese more or less control the steel maket as well?

Not to mention, less demand usually means higher costs per piece in manufacturing. Our hobby has taken a down turn as people lose thier jobs and do not have "spare" money for hobbies and entertainment.

Actually many if not most parts have gone down in price a lot in the last 20 years just like everything else not made in America.

Remember when a good watch used to cost 75.00-100.00 dollars, now you can get a good "throw away" watch that keeps perfect time and last for several years for 6.00 bucks.

I know I haven't been in the hobby for a lot of years, but, in the few that I've been doing this, I've noticed my car parts go up in price. Sure, parts aren't exaggeratedly expensive, but, they have gone up quite noticeably.

I work with pricing matrices, and pricing sheets pretty much all day long for a CarQuest store, and yes the prices are going up. Even for the imported chinese products And what makes it worse is everyone is competeing for lower prices on "moving" inventory so the price will fall there, but when the matrix shifts that money to make a fuel pump cheaper it goes somewhere else, say to your wheel cylinders.

No matter how much I want to believe that wheel cylinders and brake shoes are still flying off the shelves, their not. Non moving parts will get the increases to a point, and then the moving parts get price increases and then its back to the non-movers again. See how it works??

I know it has some to do with the war and all that jazz, but I don't think that's where the blame belongs. There is just simply more money floating around in the economy than there was 20-30 years ago so of course the prices will rise, look at the prices of new cars!!