Stupid prices (& who pays them?)

[dapinky]

This isn't exactly a cross reference thread, although I can add a few things which do come from elsewhere!

However, it is a general 'observation' that we have all probably been aware of in the last few years, but has heightened itself for me over the past week whilst making up a 'shopping list' for the new project.

Okay, so we all know that Lotus have really slowed down their support for the M100 parts supply, but we are fortunate to have a few independents to go to.....

SJs have the best inventory (but not always actually stocked)
SWL seem to have dropped a fair few items from stock which they used to list
PNM have really impressed me with their list of M100 items, and seem to be engineering items to fill holes in the market - bloody good show!

I am aware that Lotusbits have made mention of re-engineering some parts, but I am not aware of an actual list - their website shows PAS pipes but nowt else (at the moment, but watch the space).

Rockauto.com in USA still stock many of the items we need for the engine & rear brakes - but they don't have anything like the selection that they used to keep.

BUT *(and the title of the post)

Looking through all the listings on fleabay, just to get some ideas of anything which my be about which I didn't have on my list, I was amazed at some of the stuff I found.

Now, I don't want to get into the whole argument of "why are people breaking good cars to sell parts for silly money", and if it wern't for these blokes, then many of our cars wouldn't be on the road..... and everyone has to make a living.

It has always been known (well, for as long as I've had an Elan) that Douglas Valley Breakers would sell the easily-sold bits, store the rest, and mark it at a price 70% of new - they could get away with that because (back then) many of the parts we wanted were still available new, so it gave owners a bit of a choice. Also, their stock was (generally) newish cars written off by insurers, so the parts were in reasonably good condition. They are a business, so good luck to them (this company trades as "stevestrange" on ebay). This "business model" no longer applies as most of their stock has been lying around for years, and is no longer available new anyway - but they don't care, because they've already made their investment back, and they have loads of storage space....

There are those that I would class as "independent" breakers, and trade on LEC, Facebook and Ebay - the two 'best known' are probably Apollo996 (Davey Spencer) and Margaret_65 (Margaret Terry). I have no beef with either, and although they seem to price their stock higher these days than they used to, they are (usually, but not always) the only guys to have stuff for sale when you need it, so they are keeping us all going...... it is always worth checking if they have what you need, even if not advertised, but also check the prices to make sure you are happy.

Then we come onto those who I despise (but perhaps that is the wrong word) - maybe I am seeing it all wrong, and they are merely filling a niche in the market.....

I have noticed a few people trading on Ebay who I don't know - or, at least. I don't know that I know them, if that makes sense....

I have seen usernames of "hiroko123", "madclownkiller ", "higgins2893", "williamson4774"

None of these sellers were about (in the M100 market) a few years ago, and they all seem to offer NOS items (or reconditioned / re-made) which are still available elsewhere for a far lower price.

I mean, who would pay £100 for a front calliper??? (When Terry is listing one the same for half that price, but without the white box!) - okay, so not everyone has the confidence to do their own brake recon work, and a garage may charge an hourly rate for doing the work, so buying one ready to go DOES have a valid market...... but 100% more than the "going price"?

Rear callipers...... FFS!..... a pair of reconned ones for £485, or a single for £195..... what are these guys smoking??? - I really hope that no-one on here would even think about it. Okay, I fully accept that getting new cylinders for the rear callipers is not as simple as it was 5 years ago, but they are still listed on SJs website (on an exchange basis) - and specialist companies like BiggRed can rebuild an old cylinder.
Probably the main reason I feel these are a big rip-off are because I have just put an order in to Rock Auto, and included in that list was a pair of rear calipers which I have had to shell out £40 each for (plus postage, VAT, import duty etc) - Off the shelf - reconned by the factory - ready to fit......

Also, when you can go to PNM and buy a complete rear brake upgrade, with new pads, all hardware and ready to fit (including VAT and delivery) for less than the price of this pair! - £460 all-in, for anyone who is wondering!

Anyone fancy a pair of clear front indicator lenses? - yours for a bargain price of only £239.00 ..... but if you fancy some, I'll do you a deal for £100 a pair. delivered (UK/Europe)...... why can I offer them at that price? I hear you ask! - well, because PNM list them at £40+VAT & Postage, so I'll still be having a beer or two on you.

Well, that's all I have to say on that (in my best Forrest Gump voice).

I was pleasantly surprised to see that all the "common" service parts are fairly equally priced between the UK suppliers, and things like top ball-joints are within a couple of quid from all of them etc etc

If you have the time to shop around, then you may or may not save a few quid, but you must remember to include P&P fees, which, whether you feel they are fair or not, are well publicised and never hidden.

Notably, if I get everything on my list from one supplier, it will be within a few quid the same as if I use another as it balances out - but by splitting the list and using 3 suppliers I can save a tenner or more! - is it worth it? - well, you need to work out what your time is worth to you, how quick you want something, and whether you can be arsed! Suffice to say, I am expecting my order from Rock Auto to arrive before my boxes from either SJs or PNM...... my bolts are coming from Spalding Fasteners as their prices can't be beaten for small quantities of stainless fixings - and they are one of the few who offer a great selection of A4-80 (high tensile) stainless from stock (as well as all the A2 fixings for cosmetic stuff, 12.9 grade steel for the bolts that need them etc etc)......

Shocks, springs and exhaust still to be sorted, but I *think* I have found the lowest priced suppliers for what i want (AVO shocks, Piper exhaust) - just need to see if the factory will match the prices I have found.

Bottom line - Caveat Emptor .... this shopping is fun!

[TrevorB]

Excellent post Dave, as always.
Good Luck with your project.

[Tuga2112]

you made me take the laptop out.

turns out writing a long message on the phone is PITA.

i want to point out to somethings i noticed over the years in the forum and piecing together bits to this whole picture.

now. im not anywhere near as an active member as a lot of the folk in here, so i dont get the "priviledge" of following the forum on a daily basis. BUT
we have a "spotted" thread. and i have read in that thread more than onse that whoever did the spotting actually engaged with the other M100 owner and the other owner had no idea this forum existed.
i can speak from experience that none of my m100s previous owners was a member of this forum. and i have spoken with 2 other owners outside of this forum events (classic car shows) and only one of them was aware of the existence of the forum but wasnt registered.
my experience leads me to think that the majority of m100 owners are not aware of this forum, or may be aware, but believe the membership they have in a different lotus comunity will give them the same perks as this community has.

Lotus as a brand is seen as a sports brand. which brings attached the stigma of being expensive to maintain.

many people will have an elan as a weekend run about in the summer car, and they are not mechanically minded neither have any interest to come across the comunity of geeks. these owners just want a car to have fun with and hand over to the garage at MOT time to get the car ready for next summer.
owning the m100 is a luxury and they expect maintenance on the "rare" "exotic" "convertible" "lotus" to be pricey. they probably wont know any better and dont even consider that the garage that keeps their car on the road may be pretty clueless about this car. (which funny enough, we do see sometimes new members joining the forum asking for help because their garages got stuck)

so, let me tell you a tale about a certain naturally aspirated vehicle that is NOT colored empire green
that car seemed to be 100% when i saw it running... in fact it drove more than 100 miles without missing a beat.
then next day it wont start. it just cranks forever and nothing.
the next day it starts. after cranking for 3 minutes solid (what an amazing battery) i hear the splutter of an explosiion, and after another 20 seconds of cranking the explosions become regular enough that the car started and was running perfectly fine again.

im going to keep the whole story short, but the bottom line is that the dizzy cap contacts are/were corroded.

now, lets assume that a garage diagnosis of this issue took an hour.
now they will tell the owner that the car needs a new dizzy cap. and they may advice to also get the rotor replaced while your at it.
the garage came across PMN website to source both cap and rotor. at 21 the cap, 15 the rotor. im estimating 4 for postage and adding VAT that a parts bill of 48 quid
garage order the parts and replaces costing another hour.
final bill 2 hours labor at £70 plus £48 parts = £188 quid and the car is returned to the owner starting as soon as you turn the key.

for the type of owner i am proposing this is a pretty good deal, they had a car that struggled to start, and after less than 200 quid it starts as soon as the key turns. and it all be done by a trusted garage that onse again saved the day.

now

the tuga quick and cheap solution -> i used some sandpaper on the contacts and at the cost of virtually nothing the car now starts after 2 seconds of cranking.
after the car started, i then remembered that the engine is isuzu, and the inpulse was sold in both turbo and NA variations.
so. this forum post appeared magically, where Dave Pink shed some light and confirmed my suspision.
SO... i decided to refresh the whole ignition system of the NA (even tho i already had the car running fine)
euro car parts supplied the new plugs = 4x4 =£16
RA dizzy cap and rotor => $8.33 cap and $3.85 plus postage from 2 locations $4.99 + $11.99 rounding all these figures up we are talking about 24 GBP at my doorstep (lets ignore the fact my brake repair kits added cost to the postage)
I then contacted mrRetro leads who is a fella in telford that makes leads for many different cars including the Elan (you can find him on ebay) and has made replacements for my blue car before. and i got a set of NA leads for £35 in matching BRG color.

right now, i am down £75 on my bank account. i have spent 50% more than the garage would have charged in parts, but i have £51 of new parts that the garage would not have fitted. and since i do everything myself, i am saving the £140 in labour.

isn't it funny how for someone who doesnt know anything about cars that £188 quid (plus car in the garage for at least 3 days) for a repair seemed reasonable ?
while a software developer without any mechanical background has made the car start after 2 hours and a little sandpaper. then upgrade the whole ignition system for nearly the same cost of the garage identifying the issue.


to answer your initial question Dave.
"Who pays them"
no one that we would know in person, because most members of this comunity are educating other owners about how to keep the cars on the road without costing a kidney.
but for that hipotetical garage that charged £188 if they called euro car parts to buy one of the things you list part and ECP said they dont have it, a quick ebay search brings that result. and within their limited knowledge of the elan, they would simply accept that "its an old lotus, your lucky someone has the part"

Thank you for coming to my ted talk.

[dapinky]

Joao,

Fully agree with your post..... I was mainly having a whinge at the "Bobbing Rastards" out there who think they are doing us a favour..... I suppose a "good" independent garage *may* spend a bit of time researching parts, whilst a "good" Lotus specialist may already have a clue where to look, but anyone else will (as you say) find the part, and get it (hopefully after telling the owner how much it will cost, and getting approval). For a garage who only deals with their local factors, or has an account at EuroCarParts, they are unlikely to find much on the stock list....

..... anyway, whilst you were buying from RA, why didn't you get your spark plugs from them???? (I got a set of 4 Denso Iridium ones for under £20).

RA always costs me more than it should as I can't resist going through the whole inventory and throwing stuff in the basket! (I got some ceramic pads for the Hi-Spec fronts for £17, and ceramic standard rears for £7.... even though I think I've still got 3 sets on the shelf, but you never know when you may need them

Oh, and I added a set of HT leads from the Ebay seller you mention to my "Maybe" list - I may have a set of unused Kingsbornes in the loft, but I can't remember.

[Tuga2112]

..... anyway, whilst you were buying from RA, why didn't you get your spark plugs from them???? (I got a set of 4 Denso Iridium ones for under £20).

RA always costs me more than it should as I can't resist going through the whole inventory and throwing stuff in the basket! (I got some ceramic pads for the Hi-Spec fronts for £17, and ceramic standard rears for £7.... even though I think I've still got 3 sets on the shelf, but you never know when you may need them

Oh, and I added a set of HT leads from the Ebay seller you mention to my "Maybe" list - I may have a set of unused Kingsbornes in the loft, but I can't remember.

Ignorance. I tought spark plugs were the kind of thing that is so widespread available that sourcing from RA to save some money didnt occur to me.

and yes RA is expensive, its always those extra things that we buy under the thinking pattern "i will eventually need it and this way i can save on the postage"

i am very curious to learn what shocks and springs you are going to buy. im aware of how little i know about that topic. im tempted to just copy your purchase given the fact i know your mindset when it comes to buying parts for the elan is nearly in perfect alignment with mine.

[chrism]

There was a post I read and printed (but can't re-find atm) which explained how to visit RockAuto/Izuzu/1991/Impulse RS/Engine/timing belt - possibly a dapinky-ism?

Recently realising that the dreaded cambelt will soon need attention, but not specifically pushed for the expected 'months of delivery', I priced up a UK-sourced belt, tensioner and idler - ~£210 inc vat + del so I turned my attention to the RA site.

Incredibly, the same quality of stuff (Gates etc) was ~£80 inc taxes + del. (del was ~£20 alone...) and it could've been better v-f-m but for the fact that the 'complete-in-box' kits were sold out - I wonder why?)

Outcome? Ordered on 12/1/23 and delivered by FedEx on 16/1/23!

Yep I'll be going there again!!
ps I should've bought a water pump, aux belt and p/steering belt too... (*Yep 'Stupid prices' in UK ...and thanks for nudging me over there...*)

[Hector2021]

There was a post I read and printed (but can't re-find atm) which explained how to visit RockAuto/Izuzu/1991/Impulse RS/Engine/timing belt - possibly a dapinky-ism?

Recently realising that the dreaded cambelt will soon need attention, but not specifically pushed for the expected 'months of delivery', I priced up a UK-sourced belt, tensioner and idler - ~£210 inc vat + del so I turned my attention to the RA site.

Interestingly reading this thread as i too noticed how expensive used parts seem to be. I like to browse through ebay listings and other such places to get an idea of what parts are available and what to expect to pay, and some of these prices seem to be pure capitalistic gain.
I wouldnt have thought of looking to an overseas source but for the numerous references ive seen for RockAuto. I had a look on their site but couldnt really establish which version of Isuzu Impulse matched our cars. Im not specifically in need of anything yet, but in terms of calendar times my timing belt will be nagging at me in August this year.
My intention all along with this car was to enjoy fettling it as much as driving it (not done a lot of the latter of late though) and i am quite comfortable tackling nearly all jobs including the timing belt myself. This will help keep unfamiliar garages from charging high prices for possibly not really knowing what they are doing. I have already had to point out the jacking points to one garage when changing the tyres.
I wonder if the high cost of used parts will make buying a 'cheap' project car that bit less attractive, since the need for possibly many new parts in its restoration could make the final cost more than buying one in better condition. It may well add to the increase in value of better conditions cars, although my worry is that the apparent increasing scarcity of many parts now might make them even less value.

[Saltire]

Hector: Pinky has a very helpful schedule of exactly what parts you need to buy from RockAuto for a timing belt change

Dave: as a matter of interest, which rear calipers did you get? I’ll need an RHS one come MoT time

[chrism]

Hector, I couldn't agree more. Look at 15" OZ wheels + m100 ecus on eBay - stupendous prices! Mention Lotus and people seem to want to unload you - possibly since current models now seem to be supercars with consequently super-financed owners rather than normally-financed, enthusiastic muckers...

It disappoints me that even Lotus enthusiasts seem to be partial to wringing every 'buck' out of the rarity of spares. I'm a still member of the MGCC and spares are passed amongst muckers with more 'love + devotion' than 'capitalistic gain'...

With this in mind (and an impending cam-belt) I looked abroad to RA Izuzu engine spares in the US and, like you, it was an out-of-the-box consideration. I would now urge others to do so wherever possible - esp since the US delivery times, in my very recent experience, are even better than UK. (the 4-cyl 1588 Impulse is 'ours'...)

I agree that 'capitalistic gain' to an unacceptable level will be counter-productive to ownership and consequent enjoyment of our special cars.

And Saltire, I too would like to know about rear calipers at RA prices. I think I read somewhere that one US type fitted okay but something like handbrake connector was 'upside down' making me think 'be careful'...

Yep I've mentioned before about feeling 'Lotus shafted' at times and unreasonable 'capitalistic gain' seems to sum it up perfectly imo. A sign of the times, perhaps?

[Tuga2112]

Hector, I couldn't agree more. Look at 15" OZ wheels + m100 ecus on eBay - stupendous prices! Mention Lotus and people seem to want to unload you - possibly since current models now seem to be supercars with consequently super-financed owners rather than normally-financed, enthusiastic muckers...

It disappoints me that even Lotus enthusiasts seem to be partial to wringing every 'buck' out of the rarity of spares. I'm a still member of the MGCC and spares are passed amongst muckers with more 'love + devotion' than 'capitalistic gain'...

With this in mind (and an impending cam-belt) I looked abroad to RA Izuzu engine spares in the US and, like you, it was an out-of-the-box consideration. I would now urge others to do so wherever possible - esp since the US delivery times, in my very recent experience, are even better than UK. (the 4-cyl 1588 Impulse is 'ours'...)

I agree that 'capitalistic gain' to an unacceptable level will be counter-productive to ownership and consequent enjoyment of our special cars.

And Saltire, I too would like to know about rear calipers at RA prices. I think I read somewhere that one US type fitted okay but something like handbrake connector was 'upside down' making me think 'be careful'...

Yep I've mentioned before about feeling 'Lotus shafted' at times and unreasonable 'capitalistic gain' seems to sum it up perfectly imo. A sign of the times, perhaps?

If you buy the pair of calipers you should be ok.
I know the left on the elan is the right on the other car, but if you buy the pair you can always swap the handbrake levers if need be.
But if your buying the unit, you can always reuse your existing handbrake levers anyway.
I'm now tempted to buy a pair to be honest.
Thinking under the position that the job becomes a 2 part. Swap brakes and your back on the road, and you can refurbish the spare pair leisurely any other day

[dapinky]

Joao, you are coming round to my way of thinking on the rear brakes...... I have a 'spare' pair on the shelf and will fit them to my car before it goes on the road this Spring, and then assess the current ones to see if they need a rebuild (unlikely), but will definitely clean/grease the sliders and keep them 'ready to go'. I was intending to fit them to the project car, and then rebuild the ones which are on it - but when i saw the price of a caliper compared to a rebuild kit it was a 'no brainer' to buy a pair whilst they are still available.

Hector (and others) - generally, engine parts are "Isuzu Impulse, 1991, turbo" -BUT not all parts are the same (plug leads are different lengths, etc) - mainly the "odd" stuff like the alternator belt - if you use an Impulse one, the alternator swings too far away from the engine block and hits the bulkhead on the Elan - so Lotus used a slightly shorter one!.... the clutch is NOT the one listed for the Impulse Turbo, as Lotus used that one in the NA, but specc'd a larger one for the SE...... it sometimes finds it's way into the listings, but you need to check - you are looking for 8 7/8" diameter...... which can be found under the listings for the Isuzu 1.8 engine, as it was 'standard' in that car.....

....certainly, the 'service' items are usually listed, but getting fewer every year.

As for brakes, as Joao says, one is a 'straight fit' and the other needs some minor fettling with the handbrake lever (or use your current one) to work correctly.... the left hand one on the Oldsmobile fits the right side of the Elan and vice versa - only relevant if getting one side, but not a worry if you get both.

Front callipers are also available, but it has been many years since I got a pair (and they're still in the loft unfitted) as I have a set of rebuilt ones on the shelf and swap them about as required - never needing the new ones (yet).... and the project car has Hi-Specs fitted.

Rockauto Jan 2023.png

RA 2020.png

The parts on the recent order are listed in the catalogue under the same vehicles (for the 2 callipers = Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme), but I entered the part number in the search box as it was easier at the time..... the Centric pads are for a Volvo 242, and are for the Hi-Spec calipers, and the Denso sparkplugs are the Iridium ones for the Elan engine (again, under the Impulse catalogue).

The older order just shows alternate parts for the same job - with the addition of the "correct" alternator and PAS belts (non-aircon car).

[chrism]

Hi dapinky. That's info's incredibly useful; I've screenshotted it to save for further use

I read about there being a discount code:- 107403719101734199 and I couldn't see how to access it this time around; please tell me how I missed it?

I'm gonna get water pump, rear calipers, plugs, rear pads (but not alternator belt), p/steering belt(?) on my next foray and ask for discount(?)

Best wishes + I hope others on the site choose to follow your inspiration...

[Tuga2112]

Hi dapinky. That's info's incredibly useful; I've screenshotted it to save for further use

I read about there being a discount code:- 107403719101734199 and I couldn't see how to access it this time around; please tell me how I missed it?

I'm gonna get water pump, rear calipers, plugs, rear pads (but not alternator belt), p/steering belt(?) on my next foray and ask for discount(?)

Best wishes + I hope others on the site choose to follow your inspiration...

There's a box near the end of the payment and postage details that says something like "how did you hear about us"
If you put the code there you get the discount applied to the value of the parts, last time i did it wasn't much, but that's because most of my costs were in postage

the wiki has a page on many of the parts cross references. It's a bit difficult to read and could be restructured. But i think it's worth a read just to get an overall idea.

I only found it today and this will be handy for next time I'm ordering from America.

[dapinky]

Hi Chris,

The discount code I used was 129147699120248879......

...... simply paste it into the box labeled "Where did you hear about us" and it will knock 5% off the basket price.

One thing I always do (which is why you'll see some discrepancy between the particular parts in my two orders) is to not always go for the cheapest waterpump and/or timing belt on the site, but sometimes it is better to pay an extra couple of quid for a particular part which ships from the same location as another item and save on the postage/import duties.

It takes a bit of fiddling about, but this time I got it down to shipping from 2 different warehouses, and not the 4 or 5 it could have been - you will nearly always find that the brake hardware will ship from a different site than the engine bits, so expect a couple of separate shipping costs - but if you see that something like a set of pads gets shipped completely separately, try a different set which comes from the same warehouse - the site is quite user-friendly for that, and once you add something to your basket, anything else you look at will have a picture of a delivery van next to the items which can share shipping. I start with the stuff i definitely need (in this case the callipers and waterpump) then see what else comes from the same places - often adding 3 different waterpumps to the basket to start with, and 3 or 4 timing belts, and then when I look at the basket, simply remove the ones which ship from somewhere else.

Also, the cheapest shipping option isn't always the best - I always select the one which includes the VAT, Shipping, duty, and handling fees (usually FedEx), as it can save both time and money - the very cheapest shipping quotes may not include the duties and VAT, and the package will get held up at East Midlands airport while the Post Office send you a bill for a "handling charge" as well as the VAT and any duty (only on parcels above £100).

It can be a bit odd when you add things to the basket as well - the VAT figures rarely equal the expected 20%, but it is always similar.

Another thing, when I went to pay I initially went to PayPal (as it's the simplest) but they added about £8 to the bill because their exchange rate was worse than Mastercard..... so I payed by that and saved the difference.

Whatever though, even if everything came in a separate box, it would still be cheaper than UK prices (for the specialist stuff) and probably far quicker. You may see that I didn't get any drive belts this time, because I still have some new ones in the garage, and there weren't any which would ship from the same warehouses - and as they can be got easily enough in the UK it seems counter productive to save £4 on a single part which then cost a tenner to post!

[Saltire]

Thanks, Dave, much appreciated

[esprit888]

Thanks, Dave, much appreciated

Jonathan
The discount numbers expire after 30 days so its easier to just google 'Rock Auto latest discount codes' as people are always updating them on the site.

[esprit888]

I happen to have the full kit in the one box (one of the last sold by Rock auto) what's it worth to someone ? I'll include shipping (from Canada) and a receipt for below 100 squid in the total to save on taxes (can i retire now )

[Saltire]

Thanks, Dave, much appreciated

Jonathan
The discount numbers expire after 30 days so its easier to just google 'Rock Auto latest discount codes' as people are always updating them on the site.

Thanks, Colin, understood. I really must get around to ordering, although the car is off-road (SORN) for the winter at the moment, so I won’t actually fit the caliper until March time.

[dapinky]

Good point, Colin - I really should have said about doing a search for the most current discount code (there are always a few on Google).... but the one I used was sent to me a week before I made my order, so it should be good for a while yet.

[dapinky]

i am very curious to learn what shocks and springs you are going to buy. im aware of how little i know about that topic. im tempted to just copy your purchase given the fact i know your mindset when it comes to buying parts for the elan is nearly in perfect alignment with mine.

Well, I have yet to make a final decision, as shocks/springs are not vital at this stage (but they are on my list anyway!)....

.... you may remember that I have been a vocal supporter of AVO shocks, and have them fitted to my car (PH747 front, PH748 rear)....... the best price I can find them advertised at the moment is Venom motorsport at £127.85 a corner.

.... BUT......

I have heard good things about GAZ shocks (on here, and elsewhere) and would say that they are in the same category as the AVOS (for both price and quality) - however, I have never had to use their rebuild service, so can't say if they are as good as AVO or not in that respect - realistically, it wouldn't matter if they took a month to do I suppose. (GP8-2132 front, GP5-2133 rear). Best price (as of today!) is £423 for all 4 - https://balancemotorsport.co.uk/checkout/cart/

Having had a poor experience with Protech shocks on our first Elan I won't even consider them now (even though the design has been changed, and others have had good customer service since then) - They may well be the best on the market at the moment (probably not, though!), but I wouldn't trust them for my own car (or any other car either).

Sooooo, as it is not for my own car, I am tempted to try the GAZ ones and save £80 to spend elsewhere.

As for springs, well, I shall be going for some new ones, to OE specs (300lbs/in front, 145lbs/in rear) - SJ's seem to be best price for "off the shelf" units, but I have sent an email to a company I have used in the past (Surprisingly, they are based in Sheffield!) giving them the OE dimensions and specs to get a price for having some made....... 25 years ago I used them a lot to try different length and rate springs for my Triumphs, so I thought it was worth sending them a message. It may well be cost-prohibitive for a small quantity, but until I ask, I won't know!