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I was wanting to get new shocks for GMC truck and when I saw RockAuto had them on Closeout I decided to give them a shot. They had Gabriel shocks (good brand) for $13.85 each. That is a big savings even over Amazon's price of $29.50 with free shipping. I bought 4 shocks for a total of $71.55 including shipping and tax. That's not a bad price. I ordered on Thursday and they shipped the same day via FedEx. They were scheduled to arrive on Tuesday but FedEx delivered them today. I'm very impressed with the speed they were shipped and how quick they arrived from Sugar Land, TX. When I opened the package I noticed that the side of it was mashed in a little so I opened up all the individual boxes the shocks were in to make sure none of the shocks were damaged. One of the boxes looked like it had been mashed on the side and although the shock didn't look damaged at first, upon closer inspection it had been bent and wouldn't compress at all. I knew it wasn't going to work and would need to be returned... which I was dreading because I didn't know what to expect out of RockAuto. I went straight to the computer and looked for my receipt RockAuto had emailed to me when I purchased the shocks. Right there in the email was a link to RockAuto's Returns webpage. I went through about a 5 minute process of filling out the return form explaining that the shock had been damaged in shipping. I had a choice of getting a refund or a replacement part. I selected replacement. At the end of filling out the form I was told that I would be shipped a replacement shock and I was also told there was NO NEED to send back the damaged shock absorber but I did need to keep the damaged box in case FedEx asked to see it. Because of the Coronavirus I had flattened the shipping box and put it in the trash can but I will keep it in case FedEx wants to see it. ? Twenty minutes after I filled out the return form I got an email saying the replacement shock had been shipped and would arrive on Wednesday. So far I'm extremely happy with RockAuto's service. If they offered free shipping they would be my go-to auto parts store but I've found Amazon beats their regular price on most items I buy if you include the price of shipping in the cost.

I signed up for an account and now I'm all set to get the closeout emails. Thanks for the tip!

Create a RockAuto account. Then go to the drop down box entitled "Profile". Within "Profile" there will be an box entitled "Account Settings" where you can change a password, or email address, plus click on the "Yes" button to receive RockAuto News Letter and Discount Emails. Then hit "Save".

I agree that hotter temps probably translate into better gas mileage but that's not a major consideration for me since my Reatta is mainly driven on the weekends. I realize a pressurized coolant system raises the boiling point of the coolant well above 212* and the engine is happy operating that way, but the trade-off is increased pressure that puts additional stress on the hoses and engine gaskets. On older cars I like to keep the engine coolant temperature low. My Reatta seems to perform better when it's running cool. Years ago I added a relay controlled by a temperature probe that turns the radiator fans on at ~190* and off at ~175*. That keeps the engine below the boiling point even when sitting still in traffic.

That's performance "halfoolery"

I have heard the same and generally agree. Long term, I have found mileage is usually better with a hot engine, but, as with everything there are side effects. High temps. under hood tend to deteriorate rubber and plastic items more rapidly and from my own experience on my performance foolery indicates it likes a cooler engine, too cool for normal long term operation.