For comparison purposes, since I haven't seen any
actual Clark's numbers posted here...

http://www.corvair.com/user-cgi/catalog ... w_page=27B
Part number C47C: CLARK OIL FILTER - GENERATION 2 *COMES WITH C3017 GSKT **ZDDP SUGGESTED C379X
Weight: 1 lbs 0 oz
Catalog Pages(s): 12,27A,SUP,23
Price:
1 - 2 $ 6.95
3 - 5 $ 6.70
6 - 11 $ 6.25
12+ $ 6.15
When ordering parts from Clark's, it is always best to combine multiple items into a single order to save on shipping costs. For example, if I were to order a single oil filter from Clark's, the estimated UPS Ground shipping to my home in North Carolina would be $10.07 for a single $6.95 filter!
OIL FILTER
[1] CLARK OIL FILTER — GENERATION 2 Price: $6.95 ea. UPS Shipping: $10.07 TOTAL: $17.02
($17.02 EACH)
[6] CLARK OIL FILTER — GENERATION 2 Price: $6.25 ea. UPS Shipping: $12.56 TOTAL: $50.06
($8.34 EACH)
[12] CLARK OIL FILTER — GENERATION 2 Price: $6.15 ea. UPS Shipping: $13.75 TOTAL: $87.55
($7.30 EACH)
The per unit cost comes down with larger quantities, and the combined shipping via UPS GROUND (more economical than USPS) saves a lot of money. Of course, if you need other Corvair parts and order everything at the same time, even more shipping cost savings can be realized. And, of course, Clark's does not collect state sales tax outside of Massachusetts.
So the original argument highlighted $6.00 per filter plus approximately $1.00 per filter for shipping for a dozen filters. $7.00 each! Clark's charges $7.30 per filter under the same scenario.
No flame on Clark's as they have been good to me.
But NAPA generally is right around the corner.
The local auto parts store may be convenient, but a little advance planning for recurring consumables for your Corvair — like oil filters — can provide a fair cost per unit and the convenience of having an inventory stored right in your garage! And if you use 1 gallon of gas to run down to the local auto parts store for an oil filter, you can add the cost of that gasoline and the local sales tax to the cost of that "convenient" oil filter!
As Corvair owners, we rely heavily on the success and business health of Clark's Corvair Parts and other Corvair specialty suppliers. Keeping them healthy by supporting them as regular customers is critically important to our ability to keep our Corvairs running. NAPA and other local auto parts stores enjoy a wide range of customers, but Clark's has a much-narrower customer base... US! They work hard to cater only to Corvair owners, and if they were gone, where would we turn??? I believe we have an obligation to support vendors like Clark's and other Corvair specialty vendors whenever possible.
By the way, if the order quantity increases to 20, the price per unit, including UPS Ground shipping, dips to $6.99 each. And the total per unit price continues to decline as quantities climb above 20. So club purchases in bulk can realize even more savings!