Anyone Thinking of Buying a TKO Trans?
02-15-2012, 01:12 PM
#61
Drifting
well.... here is a quote from a tremic distributor "Well, I guess you have seen that about everyone has the same price for the trans... its because Tremic has a minimum price that we can quote, sale or advertise the unit for" he did not carry the needed "kit" just the transmissions.... that is what,,, 2 maybe 3 vendors that make the "kit" Hurst, Tremic, and???? That is why I ask for separate pricing, thus if we can find a distributor that will sale us the trans cheaper, than find the best buy on the "kit" we may be able to secure a better price..... it seems the "kit" people are holding our 8a!!s to the fire..
Seems that going the 'quote' route like most of these vendors are doing would allow them to get around that alleged demand from Tremec.
If they 'qoute' you a price off-line, no one, not even Tremec would know what it actually sold for. Just sounds like more smoke to keep the vendor pricing all in line and to keep them competitive with each other.
I still have serious doubts that Tremec has any stake in the final selling price of their product to the public.
Elm
02-15-2012, 01:22 PM
#62
Drifting
Thread Starter
You guys do realize that being an "authorized dealer" of almost any item (e.g. computers, car parts) comes with terms that you have to agree to and the distributor, often including minimum price requirements and limitations on being able to advertise price. I am going to try my best to get the best price I can for the group. I have to say that all this bitching about not advertising price and wanting an explanation is a waste of time. If you really care that much, feel free to call them all as well as Tremec and see what they tell you. While you are at it, try calling Walmart and asking them if they have any restrictions on how low they can sell a Dell laptop. This is the way it works. Not advertising the price on a website is smart since it would allow anyone to just call the competition and say beat that price.
02-15-2012, 01:27 PM
#63
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I don't think you can buy just the C3 kit parts from any of the vendors without buying the transmission through them as well.
Not all vendors sell the same parts in their kit and some are quite different such as a dry or wet shifter.
Shipping costs are not an insignificant part of the equation and shipping costs differ between vendors.
Not all vendors have the same delivery times.
I just ordered my American Powertrain TKO 600 kit from Mike Dyer, tracdogg on here, and was VERY satisfied with his price compared to other quotes I received. Because I upgraded my IRS to 12 bolt and am using 1350 universal joints, I didn't need the slip yoke or driveshaft from the standard TKO kits so he didn't order them for me. Having worked with Mike for my 12 bolt IRS, I am extremely comfortable with his level of knowledge on these cars and his customer support after the sale.
Not all vendors sell the same parts in their kit and some are quite different such as a dry or wet shifter.
Shipping costs are not an insignificant part of the equation and shipping costs differ between vendors.
Not all vendors have the same delivery times.
I just ordered my American Powertrain TKO 600 kit from Mike Dyer, tracdogg on here, and was VERY satisfied with his price compared to other quotes I received. Because I upgraded my IRS to 12 bolt and am using 1350 universal joints, I didn't need the slip yoke or driveshaft from the standard TKO kits so he didn't order them for me. Having worked with Mike for my 12 bolt IRS, I am extremely comfortable with his level of knowledge on these cars and his customer support after the sale.
02-15-2012, 01:35 PM
#64
Drifting
If Mike is providing more attractive pricing than the other sales folks at AP then he would be the man to talk to-
Elm
02-15-2012, 01:51 PM
#66
Race Director
Interesting... Again, I am dying to know why Tremec cares what the trans sells for as long as they get their cut?
Seems that going the 'quote' route like most of these vendors are doing would allow them to get around that alleged demand from Tremec.
If they 'qoute' you a price off-line, no one, not even Tremec would know what it actually sold for. Just sounds like more smoke to keep the vendor pricing all in line and to keep them competitive with each other.
I still have serious doubts that Tremec has any stake in the final selling price of their product to the public.
Elm
Seems that going the 'quote' route like most of these vendors are doing would allow them to get around that alleged demand from Tremec.
If they 'qoute' you a price off-line, no one, not even Tremec would know what it actually sold for. Just sounds like more smoke to keep the vendor pricing all in line and to keep them competitive with each other.
I still have serious doubts that Tremec has any stake in the final selling price of their product to the public.
Elm
Thus, my idea of seperat quote discounts on the kit and trams, we may find someone who will do a heavy discount on the transmission, and then maybe we can get an "acceptable" price for the kit...
02-15-2012, 01:57 PM
#67
Drifting
You guys do realize that being an "authorized dealer" of almost any item (e.g. computers, car parts) comes with terms that you have to agree to and the distributor, often including minimum price requirements and limitations on being able to advertise price. I am going to try my best to get the best price I can for the group. I have to say that all this bitching about not advertising price and wanting an explanation is a waste of time. If you really care that much, feel free to call them all as well as Tremec and see what they tell you. While you are at it, try calling Walmart and asking them if they have any restrictions on how low they can sell a Dell laptop. This is the way it works. Not advertising the price on a website is smart since it would allow anyone to just call the competition and say beat that price.
I have to respectfully disagree-
You can walk into virtually any retailer (Wal-Mart is probably not a good example) and haggle on price on anything from toasters to wide screen TVs to major appliances and most will negotiate if they are willing to make a sale.
I do it all the time and rarely pay the posted price for big ticket items.
I agree that arguing amongst ourselves is non-productive so I am going to the source.
I have a note out to Tremec regarding their pricing policy and am waiting for a response. I am also reaching out to several other distributors to see if they can do something for us.
I'll keep everyone posted.
Elm
02-15-2012, 02:02 PM
#68
Drifting
Am I wrong?
Elm
02-15-2012, 02:16 PM
#69
Drifting
Thread Starter
Ezobens, I am officially handing the keys off to you to negotiate the best deal for everyone. Start by asking everyone exactly what they are looking to buy, Trans, kits, manual/automatic, etc, then try to optimize each persons order with each vendor and let us know how it goes. I am pretty confident that the vendors are not going to waste their time with that idea. Clubby came up with the right idea which is to negotiate a % discount. I am buying a TKO 600 .64 full kit. Good luck.
02-15-2012, 02:23 PM
#70
Drifting
Thread Starter
Who said anything about not being able to haggle on price? Read my post again. I said that most "authorized dealers" for products have a "minimum price" they are allowed to sell items for. Let me know the deals you cut and I will let you know if I am in.
02-15-2012, 02:25 PM
#71
Drifting
Thread Starter
02-15-2012, 02:27 PM
#72
Drifting
Thread Starter
02-15-2012, 03:19 PM
#73
Drifting
Ezobens, I am officially handing the keys off to you to negotiate the best deal for everyone. Start by asking everyone exactly what they are looking to buy, Trans, kits, manual/automatic, etc, then try to optimize each persons order with each vendor and let us know how it goes. I am pretty confident that the vendors are not going to waste their time with that idea. Clubby came up with the right idea which is to negotiate a % discount. I am buying a TKO 600 .64 full kit. Good luck.
I am sorry you are taking this so hard. This is a business transaction and we should treat it as such. We lose sight of the goal if we get too emotionally involved. My intent was not to step on anyone's toes and if I did, I apologize.
I appreciate the links you provided but it still doesn't answer the burning question: What IS the MRP for these transmissions??
Until we can get a truthful answer to this, we are just speculating- Hence my query to Tremec direct.
If MRP is $2800, fine, I can accept that and move on from there.
It also means I don't need to rush into buying anything because this price isn't going to change from one week to the next (barring any price hikes from Tremec).
So where is this discount REALLY coming from? The fact that they are offering a higher percentage based on how much other 'stuff' you buy leads me to believe they are not budging on the trans price but are trying to play with the numbers on the accessories-
That approach is fantastic for the folks needing the full blown kit but no so much for those of us that just need the bare essentials.
It also seems that this is the reason why we can't get anyone to answer the simple question of "how many" we would need to buy to get a break.
From what I've seen and heard so far, they are quoting prices on an individual basis anyway so I does it really matter that we have 6 or 12 people wanting to buy?
So far, I haven't seen any evidence to support numbers of buyers equals savings.
I'm only searching for the truth before I shell out my hard earned dollars. I apologize if that offends anyone. I also don't see the need for folks to run out and buy something all at once if there is no cost benefit in doing so.
I can take over from here if you prefer since based on your comment above, it sounds like you've already made your own deal?
Or we can leave it up to the forum to decide-
If everyone prefers to follow Josh's existing path, I will step back, shut-up and not say or do anything further (even though I would still like to be included in the purchase group), I Promise!!
I'm not the enemy here folks. I want what everyone else does, I just like to know all the details up front.
Elm
02-15-2012, 03:41 PM
#74
Race Director
I have seen the tko600 trans itself sold new for as low as sub $2100 from a canadian supplier..... There is a lot of room here for these suppliers to cOme down... They just are not doing it... And yes, it feels lIke price fixing
02-15-2012, 04:00 PM
#76
Drifting
02-15-2012, 04:02 PM
#77
Drifting
Thread Starter
You guys can take this over. I was pretty happy with a starting point of 7% off plus free shipping from Hurst and was hoping to get them to do better like 8 or 9%. AP was going to be competitive too. Most of the people who indicated they were interested are looking for a TKO Trans and Kit. I am not looking to get a TKO trans from one shop and get the kit from another to save $50-$100 and have to deal with 2 different dealers if I have a problem. I was willing to do the legwork here and have spent quite a bit of time corresponding with folks and calling the dealers but it isn't worth it to me given where this is heading. $s are important to me but the aggravation that you are suggesting here isn't worth it to me to be involved. If anyone wants me to help them get a discount for a TKO kit please IM me - if you would prefer to go the route mentioned in the previous posts of possibly getting the trans from one seller and the kit from another there are no hard feelings. I don't know where people are getting this info that they should be able to get the TKO w/kit for $2800 or so but good luck.
02-15-2012, 04:08 PM
#78
Drifting
Thread Starter
Custom Hurst Corvette Sidewinder Shifter
Transmission Mount And Crossmember Bracket
Custom Speedometer Cable/Adapter Or Electronic Connector
Custom-built Driveshaft
Needle Pilot Bearing
Classic Corvette Style Shifter Handle with **** (**** Available In Chrome or Black Chrome)
5-Speed Shift Emblem
Reverse Light Switch Connector
Hardware Kit
02-15-2012, 04:31 PM
#79
Drifting
You guys can take this over. I was pretty happy with a starting point of 7% off plus free shipping from Hurst and was hoping to get them to do better like 8 or 9%. AP was going to be competitive too. Most of the people who indicated they were interested are looking for a TKO Trans and Kit. I am not looking to get a TKO trans from one shop and get the kit from another to save $50-$100 and have to deal with 2 different dealers if I have a problem. I was willing to do the legwork here and have spent quite a bit of time corresponding with folks and calling the dealers but it isn't worth it to me given where this is heading. $s are important to me but the aggravation that you are suggesting here isn't worth it to me to be involved. If anyone wants me to help them get a discount for a TKO kit please IM me - if you would prefer to go the route mentioned in the previous posts of possibly getting the trans from one seller and the kit from another there are no hard feelings. I don't know where people are getting this info that they should be able to get the TKO w/kit for $2800 or so but good luck.
You probably won't gain much by mixing and matching vendors, even if you could. Anything under say a $300 difference wouldn't be worth the aggravation. That's why I figured a discount on the trans vs the kit would be a bigger bang since the trans is the single most expensive item and my guess, has the largest margin.
What about this approach:
We compile a comprehensive spread sheet listing everyone that is SERIOUS about this and then fire it off to the top 3-4 vendors and see what they come back with?
We would need to compile a detailed and itemized list vs 'Kit' or 'No Kit' as not all vendor's kits contain the same parts.
Perhaps if they saw actual numbers (IE how many transmissions, yokes, drive shafts, clutches etc) of how many of each we were looking to buy, they may be more inclined to providing more substantial savings?
If you look at the raw numbers, 10-12 Transmissions alone would be worth 25-30K in sales alone if they could sell them for $2500 vs $2800 each. Would they really just walk away from a potential sale like that?
All the additional accessories required could potentially offer some discount on top of that and would be icing on the cake for them.
Just a thought.
Elm
02-15-2012, 04:43 PM
#80
Drifting
Thread Starter
I have already spent more than 2 hours on the phone with vendors and was planning on spending that much time tomorrow negotiating. I initially told them somewhere around 5 or so full transmission kits and was going to tell them tomorrow 10 which is over $30k. They don't want to know specifics on how many are TKO 500s or 600s or how many are manual to manual or auto to manual - they all specifically told me not to bother with this. They said that if we work out a discount % that there will be a subject line in an email that people who need to use to get the discount and that it would be a blanket. I can assure you that you will be wasting your time and not get a positive response from the vendors if you start talking to them about specific order amounts for each item from 10 different buyers who just said "yeah I want to buy this or that". I think you have your heart set on making this a mission and I don't want to wait months to get my kit. Depending on vendor it can take up to 2-3 weeks to get your order and based on what is going on with the Keisler RS situation, the TKO dealers are expecting more orders very soon which can cause more delay if you don't place an order in the next week or two. If you are in no rush and want to try and save an extra $50-$100 on a $3,000-$4,000+ purchase then have at it.