A look at the EPC shows the same screw fits 123. 126, 201, 124 and 129 the newist of any of those being 8 years old, so the fact they still sell fixtures for such an old car surely makes £3 a small price to pay?
I take your point, Nick, and MB are one of the best manufacturers for supporting their older cars. We all know its heritage, they are rightly proud of it and have a vested interest in preserving their marque. However, it will take more than an overpriced, universal screw to keep my car on the road, and a lot of specific parts are no longer available. As for ordering/buying the part, it's not rocket science in this case, and no member of dealership staff will always be generating revenue profitably or continuously.
I made my post partly for a bit of fun, but was largely prompted by a recent thread about the cost of replacement keys, which have gone up almost fourfold in the last five or six years. The reason (as given at the dealership)? Because MB thought thought they were too cheap, compared to others (not because they weren't making money). Which means they will overcharge what they think people will pay (when they have no choice), so hopefully, we're all happy with that then?
Whoops - now it's turned into a rant! Rant over!
Aviation and boats are different realms altogether, Alastair! How much is a comparable Cessna screw, btw? It will make me feel better!
