Whare Do You Buy Your Car Parts?

Passport1

Passport1

Joined
Sep 17, 2012
Messages
3,570
Location
A Barrier Island
Not oil or auto chemicals, waxes etc.

I get mine from,

Rock Auto. Discount + Best prices, great selection
FCP, for euro cars
EEuro, ok but I've scolded them before for switching different manufacturers from advertised sources
AZ/Advance, only for time critical issues when online orders are not realistic.
Walmart, bulbs, fuses, batteries
Amazon, filters, wipers
NAPA, almost never
EBAY, only for very vehicle specific parts or tools
For motorcycle g;uys, J&P Cycles or Partszilla
Dealer, only for new proprietary parts.

Where do your parts come from?
 
Rock Auto (swaybar end link, oil filters), a local parts place called Piston Ring (gaskets), local Napa Canada (gear oil), and Amazon.ca (dorman chrome lug nuts, Interior trim parts), Canadian Tire (wheel studs) That's so far this year. Those are my usual places for parts.

I did order some Mustang performance parts from americanmuscle.com years ago.
 
Nowadays usually through work because I can get everything for net price instead of list price so it’s a heck of a savings. We can get anything from any parts store or the dealership itself too. I do go to the parts store sometimes when my friends are working and they can usually get me a small discount. Sometimes I forget to get something thru work and have to get it at the parts store. I do order things from time to time on RockAuto especially close out parts that are cheap. My preferred parts stores are Auto Zone and Napa and Advance and O’Reilly, Auto Plus and Federated are last.

All my oil or fluids and sometimes air filters or cabin filters if available at Walmart I get it at Walmart. I will occasionally get them through work if I remember I need them ahead of time. I refuse to buy fluids at a parts store for their ridiculous markups. I will buy something like anti seize or loctite there because it’s not available at Walmart but that’s it.

I haven’t bought any car parts off eBay, I would never order any off Amazon either no matter what it is. Just because of the worry of getting something knock off.

Batteries I only buy Interstate, either at work or from the Interstate dealer.
 
Passport1 said:
Not oil or auto chemicals, waxes etc.

I get mine from,

Rock Auto. Discount + Best prices, great selection
FCP, for euro cars
EEuro, ok but I've scolded them before for switching different manufacturers from advertised sources
AZ/Advance, only for time critical issues when online orders are not realistic.
Walmart, bulbs, fuses, batteries
Amazon, filters, wipers
NAPA, almost never
EBAY, only for very vehicle specific parts or tools
For motorcycle g;uys, J&P Cycles or Partszilla
Dealer, only for new proprietary parts.

Where do your parts come from?
Click to expand...
Basically the same but being a shop owner the bulk of my parts come from my commercial accts I have ...but RA and FCP are my main mail order when needed and ebay is where I get a lot of key fobs cheap.
 
Oil 5 quart jugs, oil filters + air filters at Walmart.
OEM parts from the cheapest brick and morter dealership's parts departments online websites, and let them ship to me using economy shipping. Then I give the parts to my local independent mechanic to install at his $80 an hour labor rate.
I try to avoid any aftermarket parts. In my experience, OEM parts last decades, while after market parts last a few years.
 
Last edited:
-- Online Dealers - I am buying more and more OEM - I usually buy from 1 of 3 places, none local
-- RA
-- ebay for NOS or stuff no longer available from dealer. Little risk for counterfeit parts for 15 year old Nissan's. Ha!
 
Passport1 said:
FCP, for euro cars
Click to expand...
I just discovered FCP Euro, great website and huge selection.

Local dealers for OEM which have some of the best online prices on the internet so I am lucky for that.

Amazon for odds and ends and everything else.

Retail is basically for oil and detailing supplies.
 
Being in Canada, RA has been fantastic for availability, price and delivery times.
Usually the exchange rate/brokerage fees takes away any savings, but not with RA.

Only way I could do better would be a job in a repair shop/parts distributor (staff discount).
 
Rock Auto for most parts

Sometimes I use Partsgeek for certain parts/lines Rock Auto doesn't carry (CTR and Sankei 555 suspension parts, for example). Partsgeek is a drop shipper like Rock Auto, but they use Worldpac.

Napa/Autozone/AAP for things I need immediately, or if there is a good sale

Sometimes the dealer for things that have to come from the dealer, or where there is no aftermarket available, or if that aftermarket costs more than OE

Tools, usually Amazon or Harbor Freight, sometimes eBay
 
Snagglefoot said:
Rock Auto because they can get parts into Canada without hassles.
Click to expand...
I am a big fan of RA and this is a major reason why. The price in the cart is all in (duty / taxes etc.) no surprises, no customs forms and right to my door. I am also astonished at the speed of their delivery. I have only had one return in the 10+ years buying from them and that was seamless and fully funded by RA. The one thing I do not like or do not understand is the warehouse A, B, C etc. business. It changes as I order. I will have everything from A and B and then I will add something and a previous A item then moves to another warehouse C or something like that. The behind the scenes software doesn't seem helpful in strategizing this. It is not a deal breaker but a minor irritation. The lookup system is also excellent and I like the brands (both in quality and quantity) that they carry.

I also buy from NAPA, Lordco and Canadian Tire but RA is my number 1 supplier in volume and dollars spent. Hazardous goods (eg. oils, batteries, chemicals etc.) are not bought from RA but at the aforementioned local stores.

When I travel to America, as I just did for the Portland Swapmeet, I shop at Autozone and O'Reilly.
 
AAP or Amazon.

I was buying from Rock Auto but they would ship me 3 different boxes and cost of shipping no longer made it a good deal.
 
Performance parts:
  • RockAuto
  • SummitRacing
  • Direct From The Manufacture
Cleaning supplies:
  • Autozone
  • Advance Auto
  • Napa
  • Walmart
Painting Supplies:
  • Walmart
  • Ace Hardware
  • Tractor Supply
 
I have used Partsgeek for some recent orders. One of the rotor sets ordered from Partsgeek was shipped from Rock Auto. Used Amazon once for a sensor. AAP for most stuff using a coupon.
 
RA for parts as I've got backup vehicles so things can wait a few days. WM or Costco for oil depending on type needed.
If I need ASAP parts for a family members vehicle it's NAPA unless I'm forced to get afterhours parts from AA or AZ as they are a last resort.
 
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