I had to get my waterpump replaced yesterday, after it blew it's gasket on it's backplate as I pulled into work. Damn thing, if it had crapped out at home (25 clicks away) I would've just fixed it myself. It's a '90 GTA, 305. Anyway, I asked them to replace the rad hoses while it's apart and mostly empty. Apparently the parts guy made a big deal about it and said the lower rad hose was some "special" and unusual hose for my particular car and wanted like $45 Canadian for it. Ahem, a special rad hose? For a bone stock V8 Trans Am? How exactly is this a rare setup? I told him to forget the hoses and just do the pump, since I didn't want to blow another unexpected $100 for the pair installed (ontop of the $300 installed for the pump, and whatever the hell I paid for the new rad about a week and a half ago). If it needs them I'll do it myself. What do you think, is there something special about this lower hose?

 

The part isnt that expensive, but shops make a lot of money off parts. Do it yourself. Its easy and a lot cheaper.

 

I bought a whole set of high temp hoses a few monts ago. They are the goodyear ones and they came in blue so they look awsome. I bought the whole veh set and it cost no more them about 80-90 that includes the heater upper lower ect. I dont see how one hose could cost you so much sounds like a scam to me. If you interested jc whitney sells them they come in a kit for tbi or tpi.

 

Just go to your local parts store and by one....bring it to them and be like i had one.....i do that all the time....i bring the parts to the mechainc....my IROC Convert was pushed off the road and into a curb...knocked the alignment out...it also bent a ball joint and elongated the hole in a spindal.....i just brougt over a spindel that i had...all i had to pay for was the labor and the ball joints and the alignment....

 

Yeah, the lower rad hose isn't anything special.
I think we even share hoses with Monte Carlo's, and maybe another GM smallblock car.
Definitely not worth $45 CDN for one hose.

 

Like I said, if it had crapped out closer to home I would've fixed it myself. Half an hour over lunch isn't enough time to find a new pump and install it.

The quote was for the UAP Napa replacement lower rad hose, nothing fancy. A V8 Firebird requiring a special hose. Hell my 4.3L Jimmy probably uses a similar hose.

Ah well, thanks for the confirmation guys. I'll probably pick up a set somewhere and just save the untill I need them.