quote:
Originally posted by norton
...for Olson to stand in the middle and pocket $500+ dollars on a set of springs is not profit it's a ripoff. When we all got together on the other 113 site about this, The price from Olson came down to $650, and I bought from Olson at this price knowing I could get the same springs eleswhere for less, because I do think that if Olson put some time into development he should make a buck for his time. But making $500+ bucks is just being greedy.
And you should not compare Olson to Gernold and Tim from K&K They work for a living, and don't charge for info and advice.
Mike Halleck
Mike and everyone,
Thanks first to Bill Griffen and Mike Salemi for their kind words in this "thread." For the record, Pete Lesler and I have discussed MBCA periodically and we are of similar minds about MBCA's problems and future. Times are a changin' and I hope to work with Pete there.
Irrespective of MBCA I certainly want to clear up any misconceptions Mike Halleck's comments (above) have suggested to Greg anyone else.
.
With due respect to you Mike, I do not "pocket $500+ dollars" per spring set sold to ANYONE. My springs obviously cost more that you think. The $650($130 per custom tailored, powder-coated spring) for a five spring set that I charged this club's members, was devoid of ANY net profit. Ironically it is only because I charge a higher price normally that I was even around to give you and other members a considerable amount of my time AND a 33% discount.
Let's look at this so-called "profit". If I had prepared a "one solution fits all" Pagoda SL set (five springs), yes, I could get the price down lower than $650 for 5 springs, but I'd learned from dozens of previous sales that one solution never does fit all. Driving differences and car appearance and ground clearance objectives all differ. Enter: phone calls, a detailed questionnaire and four substancially different solutions emerged among 14 orders from members. How much time do you think I spent for each of these orders, times 14? Some more than others to be sure. The final choices ranged from full sport springs for one Canadian member, some with all-progerssive rates springs, and a couple orders delivered with sport spring in front and progressive rate springs at the rear. Several installed height preferences were also requested.
Alternative: Jim Villers reported at Blacklick and in this bulletin board (and perhaps a CD?) that you could use a 300 lb. per inch (compression rate) Eibach spring (front only) he found for $50 each. But he adds you must cut both the top and bottom of each spring for a fit. Springs are hardened metal (cutting heat treated metal voids whatever warranty existed). Do you have the tools or torch(!) or time to cut them? What will someone else charge after you've spent more time locating, delivering to and from a place for the job without a minimum shop fee? And when you're done it's only one spring rate that "might" be better and isn't progressive, and only addresses one end of the car.
I could go on but don't wish to be argumentative beyond defending my good name. All things considered I provided a generous discount to this Group two years ago with no reduction in individualized service at that time.
Background: I'm not intentionally in the parts business. I carry almost no inventory or peripheral components a normal business would do. Jim Viller's discovery of spacer pads to tune the height of springs is a great find (
http://www.mcmaster.com/ Item 9774K48; SBR Rubber Flange Gasket 3" Nominal Pipe, 3-1/2" ID, 5-3/8" OD, 1/8" Thick. $2.76 per Pack of 6). I applaud this and the various recommendations for shock absorbers. I only pursued custom springs because DBAG(Stuttgart) didn't remain in this minicule market. I attempting to order a full set of sport springs shown in the W113 Service manual from MBNA in 1988. They superseded that order back to standard springs without even telling me [
!]! I searched and tested trial springs from four manufacturers before finding one with the patience to recreate the unique pig tails on some M-B springs (300SL) and my other "one-off" requests. Since the 1990s I've specify a special quality steel (better than M-B used originally) and powder paint all sets to deter rust hopefully indefinitely. That was hundreds of spring sets ago. Today I run display advertisements in Hemmings, the STAR, Pagoda World, and elsewhere (many thousands of dollars a year) and I'm here to tell you, Stuttgart's cost accountants were right... the market remains minicule.
In fact, the time involved in servicing Mercedes-Benz spring inquiries is so much higher than for American car inquiries that my spring supplier invited me to handle all their inquiries for Mercedes-Benz because their staff simply doesn't have the knowledge or time for the low results. If you submit an inquiry to
www.coilsprings.com technical questions will come to me as I essentially "broke in" that company to the excenticites and possiblities of Mercedes-Benz springs over the past decade.
I've help found two car clubs and largely dedicated my life to bringing more people into the wonderful hobby of car collecting. That my avocation has become a vocation is done with the best of intentions. If anyone sees it differently, I really don't know what else I can say.
// John //
John R. Olson
2020 Girard Avenue So. Minneapolis, MN 55405 USA
Phone: (612)-377-0155 - FAX (612)-377-0157
Website:
www.SLmarket.com1988 RENNtech 3.6 E-Class Wagon (124) - [my latest toy
]
1977 S-Class 6.9 Wagon (116)
1985 300 TD Wagon (123)
1961 190SL RHD (121)
1959 300SL Ro (198)
PS: Jim Villers, you stated on this Bulletin Board (July 7, 2005) that "John Olson's progressive springs are even stiffer [than your $50 Eibachs], about 350 lb/in progressing to 400 lb/in." That doesn't sound like my springs; I tailor all rates to suit individual orders though ALL my progressive rates start at 12% to 15% firmer than standard (under 300 lbs/in) and progress upward from there after talking with the purchaser.
