He hasn't seen the light. Just another part of his bit.

oh **** you! your such an idiot.. nothing you post will be fact and if it is, youve quoted someone else's fact and claimed it as your own. so nothing you post will shut us up. no one likes you, sign off forever and play with your Lincoln logs.. wait, no! cause then you'll pay an architect 3000 bucks to build you a little cabin.. but oh well, cause thats what you were quoted at...

12 hours
$120/hr
$450 core
9% tax
Total: $2100

Bull ****. No shop will charge 12 hours for a heater core

A Mopar heater core costs $450!?

one mopar and some non-mopar...
http://www.ebay.com/sch/Car-Truck-Pa...%2520Aspirated

That wouldn't really surprise me for the dealership here. Factory exhaust manifold is worth about $650 according to them.

Yeah, I don't buy parts from the dealership unless I have to.

For what it's worth, I had a local shop that I deal with (only for state inspections--damn you PA) quote me for both fuel pump and heater core replacement. They quoted me $1200 for the heater core, and $600 for the fuel pump. My core isn't leaking bad enough to make it a show stopper right now, but I'm opting to do it myself because I have the mechanical inclination to do so, and the tools. My Jeep has turned me from computer geek into full-blown mechanic in the short 9 months I've owned it. I even have a welder now.

I want to do it myself for the following reasons:

1. Experience
2. I don't trust ANY mechanic in my area.
3. I certainly wouldn't trust any stranger to take apart my entire dash and just throw it back together when they are done.
4. I am also replacing my evaporator core which would be a few hundred extra at said shop
5. I know that I will carefully reassemble the dash, and reinforce areas of contact with rubber tape to quiet down and prevent any dash creaking in the future
6. I'll know that I've insulated the HVAC box well and will do the job RIGHT, and not rush through it like a shop would.
7. I can do the fuel pump for $150 and an afternoon. NBD. If you've done one before, you've done most.
8. My money is very tight and valuable, and I will not throw it away at a shop.
9. Pride. When I am done and it's all fixed, I'll be very proud of myself knowing that I've fixed it myself.
10. Bimmer, you're an idiot.

THIS is why I keep my XJ, so simple, even I can fix it.

Wow, $50 aftermarket vs. $450 OEM
What is the consensus here on the aftermarket?
Works fine, or avoid?

They work petfectly fine. The only thing worth going to the dealer for is usually sensors...

something hit me yesterday. I paid over 1k less to have my transmission rebuilt among other small things while they were in there. Your buddy got hosed.

This thread made me laugh so hard I nearly died from choking on the water I was drinking.

@ Bimmer.. Wow. Just.. Wow.

Wow? What exactly is wow?

We've established that:
a) heater cores are said to be pain in the azz jobs.
b) SOME dealers charge over $2000 for heater core jobs. (My friend paid $3000, but there might have been other work done also)

I know, that's some funny **** right there.
Try renting a Chris Rock video or something if you want to learn what funny actually means.
In the real world, people pay these rates to dealers all day long.
They make millions of dollars. You do not. Maybe you can learn something from this.