Overpriced OEM Underbrace?
 

hey everybody......
so, my dad decides to take my 8 fer a spin, & for some reason, he had to go on a gravel road.....anyway, he went over a raised manhole, & he heard a "solid clunk" noise :banghead: (still ran fine though, but car sounds louder, due to resonance from a bent underbrace in contact with the exhaust)....so i took the car to the dealer this mornin, & surely enough one of the LITTLE stock braces was crunched.....(it was approx. 15-16 inches or so in length, just a bent steel strip!). anyway, my dealer said that it will be $180 to replace. I know dealers have to make their money somehow, but isn't this a little much?

I am not sure what piece you are referring to, but I would make my dad pay for it. Then slap him for going on a gravel road. I will bet most of the money they are charging you is in labor.

hey thanx man....although the service department manager hadn't specified whether or not $180 included labor, I was kinda assuming that, since it was so high....needless to say, pops will most definitely be payin for that one, & he sure isnt drivin the car after I get my coilovers for christmas!!! thanks again tigster, & happy holidays.

check out the vendor here that has salvaged parts. might be lucky and get it cheap.

Here's the link. They are a site sponsor. www.mazmart.com
Give dad a wrench and get to work with him. Then :balls: for driving on a gravel road.

If the raised manhole cover was on a Public road then call the city and bitch they will have to pay for it.

If it's anything like california where you pay a shitload of Tax for everything from gas to buying/selling your car then that tax is to pay for Driveable roads.

Take a look at this photo
https://www.rx8club.com/attachment.p...chmentid=49634
The red parts are the OEM braces, which one is damaged? You can install it yourself if you can get a used one. I might be able to help.

Probably one of the 2 front braces shown in red on the attached image. My guess is that the $180 is for the part and does not include installation labor. OEM parts for this car can be expensive. It's and expensive car, BTW.

thanks fer the suggestions, everyone....it is one of the two smaller ones (i cant identify it exactly, as the mechanic only showed it to me briefly, & it appeared to be pretty crunched). gonnahanvan8, I will definitely look into mazmart. i don't own any jackstands, but they are already on my christmas wish list, for sure, as i want to be able to install sways, midpipe, etc. by myself when the cash becomes available. QBallz, i have bitched before about that kinda stuff, & our local government is so incredibly stagnant that its not even funny.....nothing gets done (savannah's crime rate is higher than almost every other city in the country, i believe), especially when it comes to road work n such, but good suggestion nonetheless. Thanks again guys.

Take a look at mt DIY for a aftermarket brace
https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-do-yourself-forum-73/diy-autoexe-member-brace-61120/ It will give you an idea on what is involved with the install (not much). You also need to make sure there is no damage to where it bolts up or the new one will not fit. You can have my old ones for $50 shipped.

hmmmmmm good deal.......i actually just got a call from the dealership sayin that they were on the way, but do you think that means I will have to pay for them, should I find another source (ie YOU)? Or will they just keep them in stock without chargin me.....sure hope so. I'll definitely talk to my dad tonight about it. thanks expo.

If you have to pay for it then cancel the order, did you sign anything?? Look for any mention of a re-stocking / cancel fee. If not you can also dispute the charge with your credit card company if you used one for the deposit. Once you get the car jacked up it will take less than 10 minutes to replace provided there isn't anything else wrong. PM if you want mine, I am not listing it for sale so I will hold on to it if you don't buy it.

You can buy some jack stands for not too much $$. The other option is AutoZone wiil rent you some for the cost of the item. You get your money back when you return it (many parts supply stores will do this too, also good for tools you only need once in your life). Do it youself. Save the cash and spend some quality time with your dad. There's plenty of help on this site from knolwegeable people willing to help get you thru the sticky stuff. :slap:

the whole ordeal ended up being out of my hands. my dad took the car to the dealer & had it done....how evil.....but im getting RB sways, RP supercat & REVi intake for x-mas, along with some jackstands, i hope. thanks for the help guys.

Good for you, good for you pop. Go out and buy him a beer. Cheers and happy motorin'

thanks a lot, man. happy holidays, motorin', etc.....