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Where do you buy your parts?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Hot Rod Bob, Nov 27, 2009.

  1. 4 pedals
    Joined: Oct 8, 2009
    Posts: 958

    4 pedals
    Member
    from Nor Cal

    If at all possible, i rebuild things myself. New brushes and bearings in an alternator cost about $10. A new alternator costs $100. Easy math. Just did the generator on my truck a few months back. Did a starter for a buddy a month before that.Any moving part can be rebuilt.

    I bought the only local mom and pop parts store in 2005. Couldn't make a living at it. I was buying parts for what the competitors (Napa, Kragen) were selling for. Volume makes the difference. Kragena and Napa can buy directly from a manufacturer, millions of dollars at a time, then warehouse and distribute it themselves. I had to pay an extra layer of markup, buying it from a seperate warehouse distributor. I closed up in Feb of 07.

    Now I do my buisness with Napa. We were friendly competitors, would buy from each other frequently, the guys were knowledgeable, and I more or less had free run of the store. There staff has changed a little in the last few years, but they still know me, know my cars and projects, as well as others I frequently work on, and I still have run of the store. The local Kragen is full of bozos.

    Devin
     
  2. Captain Freedom
    Joined: May 6, 2009
    Posts: 262

    Captain Freedom
    Member
    from Upstate SC

    The nearest store gets my money, but I rarely everr buy parts. I I keep alot of old junkers around and just steal parts off of 'em when needed. When there's not much left of em, crusher time! I've went so far as to swap engines (weird stuff like Ford FE engines & trans into a GM G-body) just becuase a timing-chain went out.
     
  3. Swifster
    Joined: Dec 16, 2006
    Posts: 1,455

    Swifster
    Member

    My friendly Studebaker vendor or NAPA.
     
  4. Parts- Norwood Auto Parts in Iselin NJ. They're one of the last REAL parts stores in my area that deals mostly with repair shops so they know their shit. When you ask for valve cover gaskets for a small block they don't need to know if the car has bucket seats or an electric antenna to find what ya need.

    Starter/Altenators/Generators- Middlesex Armature in Colonia NJ. They have a staff of longtime employees that do all the rebuilding on site, they stand by their work, and the owner actually works there. (imagine that in this day & age) Good folks.
     
  5. low-n-slo54
    Joined: Jul 25, 2009
    Posts: 1,920

    low-n-slo54
    Member

    oriellys or for the more specific trim stuff and other [parts chevs of the 40's. their stuf comes packaged usually in stuff that is military surplus or deal surplus packaging.
     
  6. Gator
    Joined: Dec 29, 2005
    Posts: 4,016

    Gator
    Member

    I live in a small town, we only have Advance and O'Reilly's. All the guys at O'reillys know me by name, the guys that work in the daytime (when I usally drop in) are all old-timers that know their shit, and I usually just go straight in the back and get my parts myself anyway. The parts are always good quality as long as you stay away from the cheap stuff.

    I managed a store for a small indepenent chain many years ago - nothing irritates me quite as much as inept, incompotent, indifferent counter people.
     
  7. HotRod33
    Joined: Oct 5, 2008
    Posts: 2,570

    HotRod33
    Member

    I go to a local NAPA store... I have been dealing with the same guys for 22 years... They know me and I have no complaints about them...
     
  8. KJSR
    Joined: Mar 7, 2008
    Posts: 2,494

    KJSR
    Member
    from Utah
    1. Utah HAMBers

    I used to buy my stuff from Napa but if they have to order it they require a deposit and wont take a card over the phone. I have found it easier to order from places like Rock Auto and have it at my front door. 7 cars- I can wait a couple of days....
     
  9. needed headlights for the daily, somehow blew one hi-beam and one lo-beam in the quads. So I went to the junkyard. A buck each, I bought four, found one that was basically brand new, ended up replacing both lows since the other was kinda dim. Hard to go wrong there. I dunno what they go for at the parts store but I bet it's more than $5 for just one.

    Unless it's like brake shoes/hoses/lines or something - and I did salvage some new brake line when I pulled a rearend a while back - I pretty much go see what I can find used out there. The old cars? I have a couple parts cars to pick from for the '50 Chevy.
     
  10. poboyross
    Joined: Apr 29, 2009
    Posts: 2,142

    poboyross
    Member
    from West TN

    The Advance Auto Parts over here in Hackettstown, NJ is the nicest group of folks that I've dealt with....Autozone is closer, but no one knows how to find anything, Napa has experienced classic car guys, but they always have to order everything.
     
  11. 50Delux
    Joined: Oct 19, 2009
    Posts: 153

    50Delux
    Member
    from Michigan

    Im a service writer for a repair/hi-performace shop so I deal with them all.The best I find are the ol'timers at parts plus.Next in line would be Napa.I've found I can get some performace stuff from Auto Zone cheaper than our Vendor! It makes it nice getting my stuff 10% over cost!!!!
     
  12. PIRATEKUSTOM
    Joined: Nov 9, 2004
    Posts: 24

    PIRATEKUSTOM
    Member

    Wow! that was no help to me. only one EAS.
     
  13. krimsonghost
    Joined: Sep 9, 2008
    Posts: 83

    krimsonghost
    Member

    i tend to go through napa, first name basis with a few guys. they usually hook me up with a discount. I usually stay away from autozones do to their idiocy. I needed a thermostat, the dude that helped me out kept on bringing radiator houses. I kept pointing out the right part on the screen, but it took awhile. The really funny thing was the fact that the manager was standing behind him. I applied for that job a week prior, he was walking out as I walked in.
     
  14. BEAR
    Joined: Sep 10, 2007
    Posts: 1,309

    BEAR
    Member


    same here ....
     
  15. Mr48chev
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 33,861

    Mr48chev
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Special order stuff comes from Mr T's auto parts a local mom and pop setup that belongs to a long time friend of mine. Filters I get at NAPA and I get the good ones.
    A lot of the Day to day maintenance stuff comes from the O'Reilly store and I buy online. Note that they and others have several grades of parts and if you always go for the cheap one that is what you get.

    I usually rebuild my own starters and alternators most of the time except when the newer ones are too complicated. It takes me about a half hour to put new bushings and brushes in a Delco starter at under ten bucks.
     

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