Supporting Vendors

So I got harped on by the Corvair group on Facebook because I asked about if folks used places like the FLAPS or RockAuto for wear parts like brakes, spark plugs, spark plug wires, etc. These places still carry a lot of parts for the Corvair, especially AC Delco stuff and generally it's cheaper than the vendors.

Several people were all about "I don't support places that sell radiator caps for Corvairs" (I have yet to see that) and "You gotta support Clarks! If you don't, they'll go out of business!" You get the idea.

Now, I would end up using the vendors anyways, because there are still Corvair specific parts that aren't produced except by the vendors, but when I can find certain parts cheaper, why wouldn't I buy it from the cheaper place?

So what are your feelings toward non-vendor parts suppliers?

If it is a common part, get it where you get it. Niche part house are there for the rare stuff.

If you want to charge me more for a product, then you have to have a value add for me to justify the extra coin.

I will add a caveat. Even money or <10%, I usually just go with the niche house, because I usually like those guys as opposed to the idiots at AdvancedZone or mail order mega houses like Pigeon Auto Parts or MudBall Auto

Support those who support your car. They're not always the cheapest, but next time you need some valuable knowledge you'll be glad you invested in them. That value add might not be on the commodity Corvair radiator cap, but remember that all the parts they sell subsidize the knowledge and the rare stuff.

As seen from the other side.

It depends. Are they just advertising on a forum, or does their presence there mean the tip of the iceberg for being able to offer superior technical support and customer service?

Generally, we buy and work with the specialty guys. Why? Well, check out Tim's column in the July issue of Classic. The jist: buying cheap, crappy parts encourages vendors to make only cheap, crappy parts. Buying based only on price is great, until you need something that's high quality, and can't find it because nobody believes there's a market for it.

How about some balance.

I buy my food from a farm and a rancher, not only is the quality better but the businesses are more in line with my values, and it's important for me to support that.

But my glasses, computer, phone, DVD player, and countless other things came from China by some method because I am not made of money and can't buy boutique everything. Often there is a big cost difference between things like that. I could go to a cobbler, if I could find one, and have $500 spent on shoes, but I don't have $500 to spend on shoes, even if the cobbler is a swell guy who makes a great shoe. I need to own shoes, so I get what I can afford.

Takeaway: Spend wisely, but you have to be reasonable. If Corvair place is buying it on Rockauto and doubling the price, buy it on Rockauto. If they're propping up the one guy making the last quality valves, then buy those.

I don't see these arguments for Mercedes, but I think that is because the factory still supports just about every car they ever made.

Keith Tanner wrote: Support those who support your car. They're not always the cheapest, but next time you need some valuable knowledge you'll be glad you invested in them. That value add might not be on the commodity Corvair radiator cap, but remember that all the parts they sell subsidize the knowledge and the rare stuff. As seen from the other side.

I mostly agree. A also try to support the local owned and operated sellers too. They often have things in stock I can pick up without waiting days for FedeX or UPS. No they don't know about anything hardly but box stock stuff, but sometimes box stock is what you need today.

And God knows we have way too many big box stores already.

Keith Tanner wrote: Support those who support your car. They're not always the cheapest, but next time you need some valuable knowledge you'll be glad you invested in them. That value add might not be on the commodity Corvair radiator cap, but remember that all the parts they sell subsidize the knowledge and the rare stuff. As seen from the other side.

I agree, to a certain extent.

Sometimes, "niche" vendors offer a level of service that will make me happily pay and wait a couple days for something that I could source locally. FM falls into this category.

Other vendors, not so much. I just had a really E36 M3ty transaction with one of the "go-to" suppliers to the rotary community. At some point, I will need something from them again, and will have to order through them again. But I will exhaust ALL other options before I do so.

Sometimes, "niche" vendors become shiny happy people, because they KNOW that they have what people need.

Some are just shiny happy people regardless of if they're niche or selling stuff on eBay for 0.1% margin. Such is life.

I support the guys who aren't shiny happy people. End of story. I don't give a flying hootus covered in bedliner if they make the doohickey I need to make my E36 M3 run- if they're artards, they don't get my dime.

For my Opel GT, I use a specialty place. Parts aren't always easy to find and they have the correct part or can get it and if they can't they will tell you what part and where to buy it. And any issues they are more than willing to help. I've had the place (opelgtsource) call me at home to work out an issue with a part I bought from them and posted my issues (pertronix kit) on an Opel forum. They also called me when I ordered brake pads from them and they told me they are out of stock and not sure when more will come, then they told me 911 pads fit and gave me the part number to order from Amazon.

Yeah, I can sometimes get what I need cheaper from someplace else but I want them around when I need them so I buy from them. They have my credit card on file.

Don't get me wrong, the vendors are good people, but when AC Delco 44F Spark Plugs from the vendor are $3.50 each and it's $1.50 each down at the FLAPS, I'm gonna run down to the local place.

Same thing for brake shoes. I can get Raybestos shoes for $25 a set, when the vendor has the same material for $35, especially when there's going to be a shipping charge tacked onto that.

Those particular items I don't see a problem with getting elsewhere than the vendor, but when it comes to the Make specific parts, then yeah of course I'm going to support the vendor, which in my current situation will be a lot.

Just remember that those commodity parts do subsidize the specialty ones. Of course it's going to be more expensive from a small shop that doesn't have the volume or buying power of a stripped down warehouse, but has the overhead of a staff answering phones and keeping the make-specific stuff available. If you go somewhere else to save $10 on brake pads or spark plugs, you'll find that your make-specific parts go up in price.