Do Not Buy Auto Parts Locally -
That is my advice. (Much as I like to shop locally, and support local businesses.)
Came home from the Jeep dealership, last Saturday, with the unpleasant information that I needed new rear Rotors, Pads and Calipers. Oh, and your rear shocks are leaking. They asked me, "would you like us to do it?" Uuhhhh.......................No. ($$$$)
Stopped at O'Reilly's on the way home. Bought all the brake parts I needed, and added two rear shocks. ($598.) Total.
Got home, started looking at my Quadratec catalog. Could buy four higher end shocks for $48ea. (Vs. 2 for $80 each.) Returned those same day. Yesterday, ordered the 4 for all the way around, and a 2" lift kit for $349 total.
Today, got home called Quadratec, to inquire about brake parts. (Not in their catalog.) "Our Catalogs only encompass about 5% of what we sell." Priced out the same brake parts for $184 total, $581 total (vs) $598 total for all the brake parts and two shocks.
So, I purchased 4 higher end shocks, a 2" lift kit, and all the brake parts needed for a total of $581 vs $598.
All the parts I purchased were higher quality. Drilled discs, ceramic pads, higher end aftermarket shocks, 2" lift kit, etc.
I returned all the parts back to O'Reilly's and placed/modified my existing order to Quadratec. Better/more stuff for less $$. Oh,...........................lifetime warranty on all parts, but the pads.
Explore Quadratec.com (if you are a Jeep aficionado.) Excellent company to do business with. Or RockAuto.com,. My advice is to avoid the local parts stores.
My experience.
Came home from the Jeep dealership, last Saturday, with the unpleasant information that I needed new rear Rotors, Pads and Calipers. Oh, and your rear shocks are leaking. They asked me, "would you like us to do it?" Uuhhhh.......................No. ($$$$)
Stopped at O'Reilly's on the way home. Bought all the brake parts I needed, and added two rear shocks. ($598.) Total.
Got home, started looking at my Quadratec catalog. Could buy four higher end shocks for $48ea. (Vs. 2 for $80 each.) Returned those same day. Yesterday, ordered the 4 for all the way around, and a 2" lift kit for $349 total.
Today, got home called Quadratec, to inquire about brake parts. (Not in their catalog.) "Our Catalogs only encompass about 5% of what we sell." Priced out the same brake parts for $184 total, $581 total (vs) $598 total for all the brake parts and two shocks.
So, I purchased 4 higher end shocks, a 2" lift kit, and all the brake parts needed for a total of $581 vs $598.
All the parts I purchased were higher quality. Drilled discs, ceramic pads, higher end aftermarket shocks, 2" lift kit, etc.
I returned all the parts back to O'Reilly's and placed/modified my existing order to Quadratec. Better/more stuff for less $$. Oh,...........................lifetime warranty on all parts, but the pads.
Explore Quadratec.com (if you are a Jeep aficionado.) Excellent company to do business with. Or RockAuto.com,. My advice is to avoid the local parts stores.
My experience.
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Rock auto is a good start for auto parts... 0 -
I started buying off rockauto several+ years ago I only use the local places if its a asap repair or basic like oil filters and such items . for me waiting a few days and the money saved is worth the effort .
I just ordered brakes rotors form a Honda and set of headlights for a chevy pick up list night
I try to group the shipping if possible but sometimes it does not work out ,
I do try and support local businesses but as posted many times a brick and mortor store and over head can not compete with a internet drop at your door service .
I have always done all my own repairs from the cars ( well anything I own ) + a lot of family and friends cars . I am still amazed at the cost some friends tell me they have paid for parts or having work done
it does pay to shop around0 -
wpageabc wrote:Rock auto is a good start for auto parts...
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Quadratec, usually ships free. These last two oders, were exactly that in shipping charges. Free. 0 -
Rock Auto is definitely a lot cheaper than local auto parts stores. If you can wait just a few days on the shipping you can save quite a bit. They also have a great selection on parts to choose from. 0 -
And people wonder why the local business places are closing up all across the nation.
Not just Mom&Pop stores but even some large chain stores.
The INTERNET has been the downfall of many businesses.
Sad for the stores that close and their employees lose their jobs but with time, changes take place.
Some good, some bad.
But the consumer is always looking to get the biggest bang for the buck....always has.0 -
KenK/84Bravo wrote:Why don?t you just buy a new car?? You were at the dealership and you could have saved a lot of time if you had just picked up a new Jeep while you were there. Any time a car needs major work like tires or shoes or windshield wipers it only makes sense to replace the whole car. Glad I could help.
That is my advice. (Much as I like to shop locally, and support local businesses.)
Came home from the Jeep dealership, last Saturday, with the unpleasant information that I needed new rear Rotors, Pads and Calipers. Oh, and your rear shocks are leaking. They asked me, "would you like us to do it?" Uuhhhh.......................No. ($$$$)
Stopped at O'Reilly's on the way home. Bought all the brake parts I needed, and added two rear shocks. ($598.) Total.
Got home, started looking at my Quadratec catalog. Could buy four higher end shocks for $48ea. (Vs. 2 for $80 each.) Returned those same day. Yesterday, ordered the 4 for all the way around, and a 2" lift kit for $349 total.
Today, got home called Quadratec, to inquire about brake parts. (Not in their catalog.) "Our Catalogs only encompass about 5% of what we sell." Priced out the same brake parts for $184 total, $581 total (vs) $598 total for all the brake parts and two shocks.
So, I purchased 4 higher end shocks, a 2" lift kit, and all the brake parts needed for a total of $581 vs $598.
All the parts I purchased were higher quality. Drilled discs, ceramic pads, higher end aftermarket shocks, 2" lift kit, etc.
I returned all the parts back to O'Reilly's and placed/modified my existing order to Quadratec. Better/more stuff for less $$. Oh,...........................lifetime warranty on all parts, but the pads.
Explore Quadratec.com (if you are a Jeep aficionado.) Excellent company to do business with. Or RockAuto.com,. My advice is to avoid the local parts stores.
My experience.0 -
And that right there is the reason China has nothing at all to worry about,.....ever.Quick&Dead wrote:And people wonder why the local business places are closing up all across the nation.
Not just Mom&Pop stores but even some large chain stores.
The INTERNET has been the downfall of many businesses.
Sad for the stores that close and their employees lose their jobs but with time, changes take place.
Some good, some bad.
But the consumer is always looking to get the biggest bang for the buck....always has.0 -
I have always tried to support local businesses but my pocket and stretching my money still come first
its been a few years but I wanted a XDM and my son wanted a Danial defense AR went to several local GS not even close to GB auction prices
I even told the fellow on the AR get with in a 100.00 nope . same with the XDM and later a XDS . the AR I bought for 350.00 + less that the local fellow best price and that was including shipping and paying my receiving dealer . the pistols easy a 100.00 each less than the local dealers ,
anything with in 10.00 to 20.00 no matter gun or car part I will go local .
bottom line I can use the 500.00 ( ball park number on the three guns ) savings to buy more or spend on my family as well as the local GS .
I still look for USA products even if a bit more but now even if USA it may have been made some where then assembled here to claim USA
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The big chain parts stores have a massive markup on most of their parts. Local manager that I know got busted marking stuff down for his personal use. He was knocking off 80% on some and the store was still making money on that part. :shock: 0 -
redneckandy wrote:The big chain parts stores have a massive markup on most of their parts. Local manager that I know got busted marking stuff down for his personal use. He was knocking off 80% on some and the store was still making money on that part. :shock:
Not when you consider the cost of the building and the land that it sits on, and all the personalized help they have to hire for for the people that need it.
It's a lot cheaper for a company to operate on the internet0 -
Quick&Dead wrote:
The INTERNET has been the downfall of many businesses.
Internet businesses employ a lot of people. It also takes a lot more people to deliver items individually to customers than it does to take a tractor trailer load to one location like a parts store. So over all Internet businesses employee as many or more people than the ma and pa stores.0 -
Reminds me of when I rebuilt the front end of my Nissan D21. Ball joints and tie rod ends at the local shop? Anywhere from $30-$40 each. Rock Auto? $5 each, and didn't have "Made in China" anywhere on them. Oh, sure, they were on wholesaler discount, in private label (Carquest) packaging, but given the options, I bought what ended up being Moog, Made in USA parts, online. 0 -
I always check 3 places for parts, Rock Auto, Parts Geek and Amazon. For more technical or electronic parts I check E-Bay too. Sometimes there's Factory Original parts. It all depends on what it is. I got a crappy P/S pump fron Rock Auto a while back. I didn"t buy the cheaper one either. So I'm a bit wary of them. 0 -
These days chain parts shops are more of get you going down the road. Also they don't stock "specialized parts" that my car uses. That's why places like Summit and Jegs exist. 0 -
"Rock auto is a good start for auto parts..."
Let me relate my experience with Rock Auto.
I've bought quite a few parts from them over the previous 4-5 years but things have not gone well over the last year.
Mid 2018 I ordered a full set of shocks for the new to me 04 Silverado. Upon installation, I found that none of the four was any good---all were rejects. I was using the pickup so had to go to Oreilly's and buy whatever they had on the shelf, get a return label from RA, make another trip (79 miles round trip) to town for return, and then it was 10 days before my card was refunded.
January 2019, I ordered a temp sender for the Kodiak 7500. Exact part I took out mind you. The sender was defective--no workie. I tried to get a return and was told that part was NOT a match for my vehicle. No refund. I went round and round with customer service trying to explain that the two parts were IDENTICAL to no avail. That cost approx $40 for a cute little paperweight.
Three years ago, I rebuilt the rear suspension on Grouch Attack's 99 Cherokee. Several of the parts that I ordered did not fit(even though they were listed as "direct replacement") and I had to pay big bucks to return the parts.0 -
hour meter on my z turn mower died after many years ...1"x1.5" two wire plug....local parts store price was $60 + tax....AMAZON had same thing price was $22 no tax and PRIME had it here in TWO days..... 0 -
"SOME" chain stores may be different. Take for example this recent scenario.
In January 2018, I installed a new life time warranty fuel pump in my old 2000 K2500. Last winter Son(who drives it more than I do) noticed gas spilling from the top of the tank when it was full. Last month he took it apart to see what was wrong and found the big O-ring seal had shifted and was damaged. He went to Oreilly's and found that the O-ring cost $40. During his discussion of the problem the counter guy looked up the original purchase and found that the pump had a lifetime warranty. Parts guy also noticed how much stuff I buy from Oreilly's so he just went to the back, got a brand new complete pump, and handed it over with the comment "O-ring is part of the pump, pump has lifetime warranty, sorry for the inconvenience of having to do it a second time".0 -
Just like buying guns, online is good if you know exactly what you want or need. Sometimes the knowledge behind the counter is well worth the extra cost of buying local. The local CarQuest in town has some of the most knowledgable staff I?ve met. You walk in there with any description of what you need and they will figure it out, even heavy truck parts they know what they are doing. Knowledge is worth $$ and buying online cannot help when you need serious tech help. 0 -
AutoZone gives a general automotive repair test prior to employment. Several pages. I have worked on my own vehicles and farm equipment for 45 years and I barely passed the test. 0 -
Big Sky Redneck wrote:Just like buying guns, online is good if you know exactly what you want or need. Sometimes the knowledge behind the counter is well worth the extra cost of buying local. The local CarQuest in town has some of the most knowledgable staff I?ve met. You walk in there with any description of what you need and they will figure it out, even heavy truck parts they know what they are doing. Knowledge is worth $$ and buying online cannot help when you need serious tech help.
Sorry.
The Quadratec staff, is on the high of Excellent. Extremely knowledgable. (Their Customer Service is beyond reproach.)
The on the phone guy, (instead of telling me to go online,) patiently walked me through all of my brake needs, exploring different price points. (etc.) Ordered it right then. Got in the car with the dog, and returned all my purchases from O'Reilly's. Explained why I was doing so, to the Manager. He had no issue in doing so, and even said "I would do the same thing, in your shoes."
As stated previously, I prefer to buy locally if at all possible. (But) There is no way, I am going to pay apprx. $200 more, for lesser quality parts, (with no "lifetime warranty.) Why should I?
Quick answer, I am not.0 -
Only chain store I buy anything besides oil, filters and such from is our local NAPA. I walk in there and they know my name and they also know I want the best parts and won't settle for cheap budget priced parts.
Years back I sent the power steering pump for my '62 Thunderbird in for R&R (rebuild and return) and waited what I thought was a reasonable time (4 months) for return. A-1 Auto tried claiming they hadn't received it. Didn't take the owner at NAPA five minutes to locate the UPS delivery confirmation and was on the phone jumpin' down someones throat. Within two weeks I had my pump. That's not where it ends though. Less than four months later, with less than 100' (yes 100 feet) on the car the pump started to howl. My call to A-1 was a waste of breath. They claimed I hadn't followed instructions to flush the system and wouldn't warranty the pump. Owner at NAPA offered to refund my $180. Told Rick Bleen That! This isn't your bleen-up, A-1 Auto owns this.0 -
asphalt cowboy wrote:Only chain store I buy anything besides oil, filters and such from is our local NAPA. I walk in there and they know my name and they also know I want the best parts and won't settle for cheap budget priced parts.
Years back I sent the power steering pump for my '62 Thunderbird in for R&R (rebuild and return) and waited what I thought was a reasonable time (4 months) for return. A-1 Auto tried claiming they hadn't received it. Didn't take the owner at NAPA five minutes to locate the UPS delivery confirmation and was on the phone jumpin' down someones throat. Within two weeks I had my pump. That's not where it ends though. Less than four months later, with less than 100' (yes 100 feet) on the car the pump started to howl. My call to A-1 was a waste of breath. They claimed I hadn't followed instructions to flush the system and wouldn't warranty the pump. Owner at NAPA offered to refund my $180. Told Rick Bleen That! This isn't your bleen-up, A-1 Auto owns this.
Not defending A-1 at all, but I don't know if I've ever had an older-style Ford steering pump that didn't groan like an old bobcat, even when brand new.
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+1 for Rock Auto. 0
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