Pro tip: Have the store test the replacement alternator before you leave with it, because the harder it is to install, the more likely it is to be dead (even a fresh reman can have problems).
The one time I got a bad alternator from the parts store it mounted up, back, and behind in the most awkward to reach place possible in the engine compartment.
Of course! A friend of mine got a bad alternator on an older Mazda 6, I think, that required either dropping the exhaust or an axle to get the alternator out. I tended to drive stuff that had the alternator mounted top and center, with V-belts (not even serpentine), so they were super easy to swap out.
@robartsd Would you mind telling me where you got that info on the time labor hours? I (obviously) know next to nothing about cars/car repair.
Most cars have a service "book" that includes repair processes, and an estimate on hours it should take. Most shops bill by this, so you don't pay more if someone who's new is doing the job, and, conversely, an old timer who knows all the tricks can often do service in 60-70% of the "book time." Your 1000th alternator on this car, for instance, probably won't take 1.1 hours, but the FNG may take 2 hours.
@ everyone else, apologies for the unclear brief, I should have posted more history. I fucking hate this car. It has served me admirably and well for 14 years, but I hate it. I am not willing/able to do many repairs myself that are more complicated than 'replace a headlight' or 'clean battery terminals'. This is a weird one-off badly designed car and all repairs I've attempted have gone badly. I also don't own the tools for anything much more complicated. If it costs too much money to repair, I'm leaving it at the curb for the donation people to come pick it up; I am not dicking around with craigslist fuckos.
... this is
relevant information in the context of the thread, because otherwise it looks like the lunacy you've been getting as responses. A bad alternator is not a reason to scrap a car.
Also, leaving a perfectly good car for the donation people seems... kind of silly as well. If you don't like selling cars, do you have any friends who enjoy that sort of haggling? Give them 20% and you still come out ahead of $0 and a tax deduction.