Apart from the Silicone ones that somebody is advertising on eBay, is there anyone who has these available in the UK?
Please don't say 'Dave Howarth' he's always the first port of call anyway... :wink:
If it's the funny shaped on of the top of the water pump going off to the left of the engine bay and leading on to the pipe section with the otterstat, I looked (I wouild even say exhaustively searched) for a cheaper source, as well as for the two other funny shaped pipe sections off to the right of the water pump, and the "L" shaped section coming off the expansion bottle. I couldn't find another source, never mind a cheaper source than the Ebay seller you mention, and the usual sources.
I went for the Silicone ones from Ed just at the tail end of last year. I paid the price, but have been very happy with the results. If it's the same section we're discussing, mine was still the old 30yr old rubber one before I replaced it, and it was VERY tired. It had two splits in it, just being held together with the canvas within the rubber, and was leaking when warmed up. I seriously reckon it was on the verge of bursting wide open. Claire will tell you that she's had that happened, and at speed on the motorway too! THAT, would cripple a day out in the car.
You may have more success than I did, and find another source, but I was coming to the conclusion that one would have to get an order to a company to have them specially made to try and save on the cost (overall, over many numbers due to the economies of scale only - not as a one off, of course)
Perhaps you should just take from my experience, and cut your losses, and pay the money. I could be wrong though, someone here, who I didn't talk to, might know something I don't...