Purchasing Consumables

[dvd8n]

Where do you guys get general spares from these days?

 

All the little places have closed, and the last motor factor in the area seems to be trade only.

 

Online, half the places seem to be a front for a German outfit with a terrible reputation for delivery times.  The rest have names like WeSuckButWe'reCheap.co.uk which don't inspire confidence. 

 

Which leaves Halfords, who seem to alternate between being really good and really bad, and eBay, which is a lottery of genuine goods and counterfeit tat.

 

Who'd have thought that buying an accessory belt would be so hard?

 

David

[LoneWolf]

If you know part numbers, AutoDoc is very good.

[Mark (smokey mow)]

For engine parts I always look to the marque specialists so mx5parts for Mazda bits and Burtonpower if it’s Ford.

[Matt_S]

@dvd8n I use Parts in motion on eBay, when eBay have their discount days they usually participate. You do have to research the part you want first then check their store for it 👍🏼

 

@LoneWolf I’ve always been tempted with Autodoc but never sure where the parts are coming from, do you use them a lot? I might give em a try 👍🏼

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

2 hours ago, dvd8n said:

Online, half the places seem to be a front for a German outfit with a terrible reputation for delivery times.

I suspect that’s Autodoc? I’ve used them a lot, and they’re very good, some things come through very quickly, that are high demand items, som things I’ve had from them take a bit longer, like the Denso COP units for the Honda I bought last year.

 

They have a slightly unusual ware housing software system due to their massive size, and the fact that they have warehouses all over Europe. I think it’s the system that gets them a few bad reviews from people that don’t understand it, (and it is confusing!)

 

Basically, it appear (that at least in the case of UK shipped stuff, it all has to come from their main European warehouse. And if that’s where your goods were already located, great, they come through very quickly.

 

what confuses people though, is that if you buy something that is shown in stock, but is in one of the satellite warehouses at a remote location, it is first shipped from there to the main warehouse. But, and this is the confusing bit, you the customer get a notice of this, that your goods have shipped. It doesn’t say they’re going to tThe hub, just shipped, and you don’t see any proper tracking info. So this shipment seems to be taking forever with no updates, and people panic and wonder where the shipment is. Then suddenly and it may be two or three days plus. You suddenly get a second product shipped update, this time from the hub to you, and this time you do see normal tracking info as it travels to the UK and then out to you. Which also adds a few more days.

 

I can’t remember just how long my COP took, but it was between one and two weeks. Once you know how they work, the prices are so good compared to many others, it’s worth the slightly odd distribution system.

 

Ive had plenty from them since. Oh and they have a phone app, that usually gives a small extra discount if you use it for ordering rather than from the web page.

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

7 minutes ago, Matt_S said:

I’ve always been tempted with Autodoc but never sure where the parts are coming from, do you use them a lot? I might give em a try 👍🏼

Autodoc sell a range of big and small name brands at very keen prices. I’ve had relatively unknown (to me) brand stuff and it’s been fine, equally I’ve had genuine Denso brand parts that were equally fine - exactly what was ordered and supplied in the correct hologrammed boxes.

 

You do see poor reviews on line, which as per my previous post, are by people confused by the weird internal shipping system, generating dispatch notes that go to the buyer, too. I saw great reviews too though, which is why I gave them a chance.

[LoneWolf]

I did use AutoDoc a lot. Bought all the new sensors for the engine, electronic throttle body, belts, and a lot more. I personally find the interface confusing, that's why I try and find the part numbers beforehand, then search using them. I usually got my orders in a week time.

[LoneWolf]

Just to add, I've also got all the Hella LED lights (as used in the FW rear) from them, competitive prices and never had a single problem.

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Alessandro makes a fair point on the app, especially, it’s much easier to be sure you’re ordering the correct thing if you have the makers part number first, when ordering electronics like sensors, COP etc that are used in multiple vehicle platforms.

 

Straight forward stuff like brake line components, as long as you know a specific car model and year to use as a guide aren’t so bad. (I have a specific model/year Golf MK 4 spec’d on my account for instance, so I can order rear brake parts.)

 

Whereas with the Denso COPs for the S2000 I got the correct part number needed from the S2Ki forum first, as the original Denso units Honda fitted were phased out a few years ago and replaced by a newer part number.

 

The correct Denso items from Autodoc, in Denso brand packaging, were less than a third of the price Honda quoted to supply, at a discount, the same COP but in red Honda brand boxes.

 

Theyre my go to now, for service parts, as long as I don’t need them next day.

[Stuart]

I've used Parts In Motion a few times too - with no issues and fast delivery 

[dvd8n]

I must admit, AutoDoc was one of the German sites with poor delivery times, from the reviews sometimes stretching to weeks or a month.  This, plus the fact that they seem to hide their German-ness behind a .co.uk address puts me off (I don't mind that they are German per-se, just that they seem to hide it).  And they seem to have a range of different portals and trading names.  It just all seems a bit off.

 

It all just seems a bit hard when all I want is a name brand 6PK1200 belt, maybe a Contitech, in a reasonable time frame, at a price that's not gouging me too bad.

 

D

[TableLeg]

7 hours ago, dvd8n said:

It all just seems a bit hard when all I want is a name brand 6PK1200 belt, maybe a Contitech, in a reasonable time frame, at a price that's not gouging me too bad.

 

D

I got all my belts from eBay

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/173877899296?epid=248763089&hash=item287bee3020:g:VSgAAOSwTyFhoMer&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4Pi%2FgckeHPhJiskszb79iP40dpTHhemH7gh7PrVG7Qppjrp8%2FYAwhEaAaXGOvk5F0x1qETPYalGfFB4Tu4AbKG5eT7akl%2BM4QrOF6%2BDAecn3phE1rIyin1ncDj8ax5y6bDgzjOUNI5AGhmlXbGy83QJ37000lba7NPsWH6wD%2F5bTEdXy8r9%2FI9zhXs2OPqG49ld6UxrRUvZhV6r6msCfnfrmDZ4EUFZ60vHRmUbM%2FXirM7p6CjaEA89lvXYNuAKnWgTgg40SqC8LutaEkxq8Dx%2FO9p6k8vAwZt3%2FAZd6YbjI|tkp%3ABk9SR8D7rpu3Yg

[SXRORY]

11 hours ago, LoneWolf said:

If you know part numbers, AutoDoc is very good.

I had a bad experience with a fuel pump that was faulty from the get go.

The jump through hoops to get a refund was mental. Fill in 20 forms send in videos etc more forms. Designed I feel to make you give up. They underestimated my desire to get my £80 back 😁

 

Had good experiences with car builder solutions 👍

[jeff oakley]

Where are you based? There are lots of motor factors around and I don’t know any who are trade only.

I will be shocked if you are not near one.

 

The biggest issue is they all use number plate parts systems and Westfields do not appear on them. You just need to come on here and we will guide you what the car it was fitted to.

 

I retired from the aftermarket parts supply last year but sure I can advise without going on line.

 

one company on line is good for oils Opie oils who have great stock of several makes and great service.

 

Car Builder Solutions is great for many items a factor will not have.

 

 

[evosteve]

Another vote for opie oils, a good selection of oils and parts. I've found them to have great service and fare prices.