I think you said the wrong thing at the outset of the phone conversation -- probably mentioned a flat and needing it now -- and he figured "ah, someone between a rock and a hard place". Add in that you were brand-specific instead of size-specific (more mark-up; he may have included the cost for his guy to run to another shop to buy it). Many dealers are hurting these days (insufficient work, etc) and are trying to make it up by over-charging on "necessities" and required "add-ons" (like the valve cover gasket story above).
I don't know how bad your puncture or need was that you needed an immediate replacement, but auto parts stores do carry tire plug kits and although I won't recommend using them as permanent fixes, they will usually happily hold a tire until the mail-order replacement can arrive (just keep the speed down to the double-digit range and follow all the instructions on the plug kit).
As for repairs that I do let a mechanic do, I pre-order all the parts.
I don't do forks for the same reason I don't do CV joints -- just a personal thing, based on past experiences and hassle vs price; living in a condo and usually doing the mech work alone, forks are off my list -- so I farm it out. And when I show up, I'll have every replaceable rubber part for the forks, fork oil, and specific instructions on what I want back.
Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet
I don't know how bad your puncture or need was that you needed an immediate replacement, but auto parts stores do carry tire plug kits and although I won't recommend using them as permanent fixes, they will usually happily hold a tire until the mail-order replacement can arrive (just keep the speed down to the double-digit range and follow all the instructions on the plug kit).
As for repairs that I do let a mechanic do, I pre-order all the parts.
I don't do forks for the same reason I don't do CV joints -- just a personal thing, based on past experiences and hassle vs price; living in a condo and usually doing the mech work alone, forks are off my list -- so I farm it out. And when I show up, I'll have every replaceable rubber part for the forks, fork oil, and specific instructions on what I want back.
Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet
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