# Please read this and then answer if you know



## Mustangjoe88 (Mar 12, 2014)

I called harbor view marina where I've bought plenty of parts before and ask for a set of plug wires for my mercruiser v8 engine and they quote me 20.81 cent per each individual wire, means a set of wires would run just over 180.00 for a full set including the coil wire. So I went to west marine and got the same set with the same part number and same brand for 38.00----can anyone explain?


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## Chapman5011 (Mar 7, 2013)

Mustangjoe88 said:


> I called harbor view marina where I've bought plenty of parts before and ask for a set of plug wires for my mercruiser v8 engine and they quote me 20.81 cent per each individual wire, means a set of wires would run just over 180.00 for a full set including the coil wire. So I went to west marine and got the same set with the same part number and same brand for 38.00----can anyone explain?


That's kind of like going to the Toyota dealership to get something done, that Jimmy's auto repair could have done for a quarter of the price. 
Ignorance doesn't deserve a public complaint . Maybe you could take it as a lesson learned. 
Learn to work on your own stuff. Use youtube, it's a great tool to have. What you were wanting to buying is a very simple fix that youtube could have taught you for free. 
A marina is a dealership on the water. West marine is like autozone for boats.
Don't forget this advice. 
It will come in handy for you as a boat owner in the future


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## Chapman5011 (Mar 7, 2013)

Please dont take that as an insult, but more so as money In your pocket, next time you have to buy a part. 
Learn to try to do it yourself, and if not, there are several great and reasonable mechanics on this forum that would love to help out at a very reasonable rate. And they will even fix what you started, but you could not finish.


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## Realtor (Oct 1, 2007)

maybe the parts guy mis-read the price sheet? That sounds like a real price difference between the 2. Possible he didn't understand they come in a set of 4-6-8 whatever and he may have made a mistake.... I few bucks I can understand, but over a 100?


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## Mustangjoe88 (Mar 12, 2014)

...


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## Breeze (Mar 23, 2012)

Mustangjoe88 said:


> I called harbor view marina where I've bought plenty of parts before and ask for a set of plug wires for my mercruiser v8 engine and they quote me 20.81 cent per each individual wire, means a set of wires would run just over 180.00 for a full set including the coil wire. So I went to west marine and got the same set with the same part number and same brand for 38.00----can anyone explain?


Spark plug wires for my car were just over $200 bucks when I replaced them bout 3 years ago. Unfortunately I could not find any available at the local parts store. Dealer OEM prices are almost always a lot more.


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

I dont know if I would call West Marine the Autozone of the boat world. West Marine is generally fairly expensive on stuff. I buy all of my boat parts online, except basic stuff that I buy at Academy or such.

Cant explain the price difference stated above. I would have thought West would have been higher than $38.


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## Sea Monkey (Dec 26, 2008)

Wirelessly posted

The OLE Read Carefully.

Chapman 5011, I believe MUstangJoe88 can work on his own Mercruiser. Sounds to me like he has bought parts before. He is simply stating the huge price difference for the exact same plug wires from 2 different stores. I've heard other people talk about how expensive the plug wires are for Mercruiser V-8. West Marine may have been wrong on the price ?? 



"GET'EM OFF THE BOTTOM"


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## Mustangjoe88 (Mar 12, 2014)

Yes I was just asking why such a huge price difference, I can work on my own stuff, I would actually belive west marine is more of an oem store than harborview. Both places were selling the same brand of sierra spark plug wires. West marine had it right I called two different stores to make sure then bought a set in orange beach last night


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## Chapman5011 (Mar 7, 2013)

NoMoSurf said:


> I dont know if I would call West Marine the Autozone of the boat world. West Marine is generally fairly expensive on stuff. I buy all of my boat parts online, except basic stuff that I buy at Academy or such.
> 
> Cant explain the price difference stated above. I would have thought West would have been higher than $38.


It's the same thing. It's a place of convenience $$ that sells parts and assessories for boats. 
Autozone is a place of convienence to buy parts and assessories for autos. Both places can be avoided for a cheaper price online,but for cthe convienence of going down the street and buying a part, that's what they offer. 
No difference if you went to the yamaha or ford dealership. Their prices are gonna be expensive.


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## Chapman5011 (Mar 7, 2013)

Sea Monkey said:


> Wirelessly posted
> 
> The OLE Read Carefully.
> 
> ...


I never meant he could not work on his boat, i only recommended he try to learn. It will save a lot of money down the road. I was only offering a suggestion. 
That's what I learned to do. And it has saved me tons of money. Just trying to pass the advise on to another fellow boater. 
I never meant anything negative, although reading it back now It appears it could have been construed as rude. 
Sorry.


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## Mustangjoe88 (Mar 12, 2014)

I don't know how out of what I wrote you figured I don't know how to work on my boat, there's nothing I couldn't do with any engine, the only reason I pay someone else is because I don't have time, and I'm not one of these guys that will look for a shade tree mechanic if I need one


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## Chapman5011 (Mar 7, 2013)

It was probably more so you going to a marina to buy a part is probably where my whole opinion came from. I figured everyone would know not to go to a marina to find a part. I was wrong for accusing you of not knowing how to work on a engine. I don't really myself. But I can replace parts if I can figure out what part needs to be replaced. Only reason I refered to west marine is because last time my boat was running like crap, I took all the carbs off both motors and went to west marine to buy the carb rebuild kits, whichi thought was very reasonable . It was Like 6 bucks a carb. Which at a small town shade tree mechanic wanted 50 bucks plus part cost per carb.mi have 6 carbs. 
And the dealership wanted triple that. Sorry for the accusation. 
I should have know since you were buying the part, you were going to put it on your self. 
That was my bad.


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## MGuns (Dec 31, 2007)

Something doesn’t sound right. I’ve bought quite a few parts from Harbor View and EVERY one was cheaper than West Marine; everything from fuses to batteries to hoses to zincs. Usually everything can be found cheaper on line but if I need something and don’t want to wait its Harbor View over West.


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## Tobiwan (Apr 27, 2012)

I think there was a mistake made somewhere. That's a huge price difference.


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## oldflathead (Oct 3, 2007)

*Well Top, I disagree*



MGuns said:


> Something doesn’t sound right. I’ve bought quite a few parts from Harbor View and EVERY one was cheaper than West Marine; everything from fuses to batteries to hoses to zincs. Usually everything can be found cheaper on line but if I need something and don’t want to wait its Harbor View over West.


I invite you to do comparison shopping one day. I know and respect the crew at Harbor View, but there is no way they can compete price wise with the largest marine wholesale and retail dealer in the World.

Let's pick a list of items, A anchors to Z zincs and compare.

Sgt. Tom, USMC 1955 to 1965


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## MrFish (Aug 21, 2009)

oldflathead said:


> I invite you to do comparison shopping one day. I know and respect the crew at Harbor View, but there is no way they can compete price wise with the largest marine wholesale and retail dealer in the World.
> 
> Let's pick a list of items, A anchors to Z zincs and compare.
> 
> Sgt. Tom, USMC 1955 to 1965


I can't speak for Harbor View, but West is some of the highest prices around. I go in the one on Canal when I need something and have checked everywhere else.


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## Papajuju (Apr 18, 2014)

West Marine is the retail dept of wholesaler Port Supply. Harborview and others like the place I work can buy from Port Supply but there are better wholesaler out there. This does sound like a miscommunication some where. The difference between Sierra brand and Quicksilver (Mercruiser brand) maybe? $38 does sound very cheap for a whole set. Just my 2 cents.


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## Play'N Hooky Too (Sep 29, 2007)

Are you sure there wasn't some mis-communication? The most expensive OEM mecruiser wires that I could find online were around $80. I have shopped there quite a bit and their prices are what you would expect for marine parts but that sounds way *way* out of line for plug wires. Not saying it ain't possible.


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## MGuns (Dec 31, 2007)

oldflathead said:


> I invite you to do comparison shopping one day. I know and respect the crew at Harbor View, but there is no way they can compete price wise with the largest marine wholesale and retail dealer in the World.
> 
> Let's pick a list of items, A anchors to Z zincs and compare.
> 
> Sgt. Tom, USMC 1955 to 1965


 
I just replaced my zincs about 3 months ago and priced them at both and Harbor View was cheaper, I replaced my steering wheel 2 months ago and again Harbor View was cheaper, I installed two marine grade switches for deck flood lights and Harbor View was almost half price on those, replaced my livewell pump and again Harbor View, and just bought 2 Interstate deep cycle batteries and Harbor View was cheaper. I’m refurbishing a 1998 Nitro bass boat so I’ve been buying more than usual and this is what I’ve found on the items I’ve bought so far. I don’t have any connection with Harbor View or West Marine I just buy where I can get the best deal.


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## Chapman5011 (Mar 7, 2013)

MGuns said:


> I just replaced my zincs about 3 months ago and priced them at both and Harbor View was cheaper, I replaced my steering wheel 2 months ago and again Harbor View was cheaper, I installed two marine grade switches for deck flood lights and Harbor View was almost half price on those, replaced my livewell pump and again Harbor View, and just bought 2 Interstate deep cycle batteries and Harbor View was cheaper. I’m refurbishing a 1998 Nitro bass boat so I’ve been buying more than usual and this is what I’ve found on the items I’ve bought so far. I don’t have any connection with Harbor View or West Marine I just buy where I can get the best deal.


I just did a comparison.
Harbor view marina in pensacola has a web site where their parts department does not work. I tried west marine, and theirs works just fine. I guess I have to order my part from west marine. What a great comparison. 
Harbor view says, oops, we lost your page.


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## MGuns (Dec 31, 2007)

Chapman5011 said:


> I just did a comparison.
> Harbor view marina in pensacola has a web site where their parts department does not work. I tried west marine, and theirs works just fine. I guess I have to order my part from west marine. What a great comparison.
> Harbor view says, oops, we lost your page.


Maybe that’s where they’re saving the money. Harbor View’s website definitely leaves a lot to be desired. “Oops we lost your page”; that’s definitely not good business. I’ll go into the West Marine on Barrancas Ave and then go to Harbor View to compare to since their so close.


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## AndyS (Nov 22, 2011)

Just bought two thermostats and gaskets from Harborview. Called 'em up ... they knew exactly what I wanted. They were a little bit higher than online ... but not outrageously so and I wanted them that day. 

_(the woman/girl who answered the phone at WestMarine didn't even know what I was talking about .... she was attempting to look it up, but I finally told her "never mind"_)


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## CallMeQuig (May 30, 2011)

*Mistake....*

I have recently switched to HVM for the savings. They have saved me over $500 on several purchases in the last month. I've replaced my starter, plugs, FF, bunker mounts.... They have even offered to get the parts from another local business and sell them to me a a lower cost than the other business wanted to charge. It had to be a mistake.


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## Buckchaser (Jan 28, 2014)

West marine is a joke they don't there rear from a whole in the wall for one. They are way overpriced stopped in for a simple drain plug one day first time I had ever been in there, they wanted 12 bucks for it. Academy had the same one for 3. Called bout a trim motor 150 bucks more than harbor view. My guess is it was a mistake.


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## Mobdawg (Dec 11, 2011)

Sounds like you paid $18 too much at West Marine. The guy at Harbor View quoted you for 8 SETS, not one set of 8 plug wires...


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