Parts in general, yes.  Old parts?  Unlikely.  That's why they don't stock
them locally unless they're used in some other application.  They often are
"we'll have to order that" parts.  Nowadays every part of a business has to
carry its own weight and what is profitable or not is decided by the views
of Board Room Managers and not the views of parts room managers.  And its
in the Board Room where decisions are made about what's made and sold
where.   The wishes of aging Vanagon owners (aging Vanagons, not aging
owners! Well, maybe aging owners, too) don't play much of a role in their
decision making, I'm afraid.

Charles
'85 Westy

At 02:40 PM 6/15/01 -0500, Terry Kay wrote:
>Sure the manufactures make plenty of money selling new models.
>
>But don't think for one minute that they don't make bouque denaro's
>selling parts for the obsolete as well as the current model stuff also
>!!
>
>A vehicle sales franchise, depends on the parts sales to show a profit
>also.
>
>Go buy some VW, Mercedes,BMW,or Audi,  parts at any dealer-----You be
>the judge, if their not making any money.
>
>The parts manager at the local VW dealer, and I talk quite a bit, and he
>tells me that his parts department nets more revenue, than the service
>department.
>
>And I have no trouble believing that, as I can't ever remember any
>service department of any dealer, regardless what they are selling,
>showing a large profit margin.
>
>So why not offer another possible profit generating item, that just may
>draw traffic, that wasn't there before, that just may spend some more
>money on other items, other than the intial sale of the conversion kit,
>that the dealer's parts deptatment has generated some good will, and
>made another person happy?
>
>Can you see the statagy here?
>
>It's called the snowball routine, and the idea of offering something
>that wasn't ever available anywhere else, and generates traffic, that
>wasn't there before.
>
>It wold be a smart move.
>
>   ______________
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>
>Terry
>74 Campmobile (Clementine)
>85 GL
>86 BMW 325 ES