How to find cheap parts
(→Know your quality brands, know your junk) |
(→The password is "Undercar") |
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One of the best ways to find out which ones work best is to ask the parts dealer. This means a wholesaler, not a retail parts-store employee trying to get a bonus for upselling a premium part. Which parts have fewer returns for defects? Chances are they've handled every brand that comes through the door and they can attest to their quality first-hand. Asking on forums will get you widely varying results. On one forum, perhaps someone made a compelling argument for one brand because it worked for him/her, but the truth is somewhat obscured by the opinions of forum members and an inaccurate grasp of their experience. Does this poster have 10 years experience in a shop that specializes in your vehicle, or is it a shade-tree mechanic who just changed their own brakes last week and wants to chime in? | One of the best ways to find out which ones work best is to ask the parts dealer. This means a wholesaler, not a retail parts-store employee trying to get a bonus for upselling a premium part. Which parts have fewer returns for defects? Chances are they've handled every brand that comes through the door and they can attest to their quality first-hand. Asking on forums will get you widely varying results. On one forum, perhaps someone made a compelling argument for one brand because it worked for him/her, but the truth is somewhat obscured by the opinions of forum members and an inaccurate grasp of their experience. Does this poster have 10 years experience in a shop that specializes in your vehicle, or is it a shade-tree mechanic who just changed their own brakes last week and wants to chime in? | ||
| − | == The password is " | + | == The password is "undercar" == |
| − | Most towns and cities have a wholesaler that goes by the name "something Undercar." When you go to a shop to have your brakes done, they call up their undercar wholesaler who then delivers parts in a few minutes to an hour. They of course tack on a huge upcharge and pass that on to you. | + | Most towns and cities have a wholesaler that goes by the name "something Undercar." When you go to a shop to have your brakes done, they call up their undercar wholesaler who then delivers parts in a few minutes to an hour. They of course tack on a huge upcharge and pass that on to you. Oftentimes these undercar wholesalers also supply your local chain parts stores. The bigger ones like Auto Zone or Pep Boys typically have their own supply hierarchy, but if the customer bats their eyelashes, often times Manny, Moe, and Jack will call up the undercar wholesaler and see if they can make a buck. |
| − | The beauty of it is | + | The beauty of it is that the wholesaler will sell directly to you without even so much as a blink of an eye. If you don't have a retailer's license, they probably won't deliver to you, and of course you have to pay tax, but who cares? Since most of these wholesale houses supply multiple retailers with parts, they also typically carry more brands in one location. They also keep a lot of stock. Did you ever go to a retail auto parts store and they tell you they can order the part and it will be in tomorrow? Chances are that the part is sitting on the wholesaler's shelf and can be delivered later. Skip the middle man and go straight to the wholesaler. You get your parts faster and cheaper. |
| − | + | These wholesalers become especially appreciated when it comes to expensive foreign makes. Mercedes and BMW are well-known for their high parts prices, but you can purchase $300 Mercedes parts for $75, and $60 BMW parts for $7, often in boxes that say "Mercedes" and "BMW", not off-brand replacements - factory original parts. There is no need to pay retail prices at chain parts stores, and certainly no reason to pay parts counter prices. | |
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| + | The added benefit for you is not only saving money, but the people who work at these wholesalers are in constant contact with hundreds of shops that do everything from exhaust, brakes, custom fabrication, restorations, paint and body. They spend 10 hours a day doing nothing but gaining experience with almost every facet of automotive repair and customization. As a rule they know their parts. | ||
== Head for the junkyard == | == Head for the junkyard == | ||
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