good part finder/info site?

mwaugh

I've been to a couple part finder sites but none of them work very well!

First, you've gotta to fill out a form and wait for them to get back to you -- on their time. What happened to the internet's promise of automatic real-time shopping? Then on a few occassions, the price they list is more than I want to pay, I know that it's cheaper elsewhere. I don't have all the time in the world to try to find it on line, get off line and order, paying a higher price.

0patience

Who posted this? I don't understand what you are looking for.

mwaugh

Sorry, I'll be clearer:

My dad left me his old 1981 Ford Ranger. I need to get some shocks for it. I went online to look for them, but had trouble getting any good information.

I guess I'm expressing my frustration at using the part finder sites on the internet that I've found. What sites do you use, and where can I find them?

0patience

These are the 2 I use the most.

They have pretty reasonable prices.

http://www.northernautoparts.com/

http://www.expressautoparts.com/

bfreda

The site I use....

www.autowhiz.com

They let you comparison shop for parts, and help you find out who has the best deal among the major parts vendors. Check em out! I usually save 5-10 bucks by using their search software and getting the best deal...

98monte_ls

Then try this site:

http://www.trademotion.com/partlocator/index.cfm?siteid=809

0patience

OK, here is a comparison.

I checked on a water pump for a 99 Chevy Lumina

http://www.expressautoparts.com $33.20

http://www.autowhiz.com $46.00

http://www.gmpartsdirect.com $39.81

http://www.trademotion.com/partlocator/index.cfm?siteid=809 $51.75

So, you can draw your own conclusions from it.

bfreda

Here is another comparison. I looked for shocks for a 1981 Ford F150, which is the part that the person starting this string was looking for.

http://www.expressautoparts.com $14.45

http://www.autowhiz.com $12.71

http://www.gmpartsdirect.com didn't have

http://www.trademotion.com/partlocator/index.cfm?siteid=809 didn't have

Again, draw your own conclusions.

0patience

What is the saying about you get what you pay for?

bfreda,
No offense, but the water pumps were all the same brand. With shocks, you may be sacrificing quality for price. I am not endorsing any of them, but having more than one to choose from, will allow you to get a decent price for quality parts.

Remember, if you buy a cheap part, you may not save any money in the long run.

ryanbab

WWW.COPARTFINDER.COM

mwaugh

Quality is without question of grave importance when buying a part, be it shocks or headlamps. I definitely agree with Opatience on that. It's a good point too that by searching out, exposing yourself to a wider array of choices, you're more likely to find that quality part at the best price.

With all that in mind, I went to:

northernparts.com
expressautoparts.com
copartfinder.com
autowhiz.com

I found autowhiz to be the best because it searched about seven or so part sites.

I really didn't know there was such a range in part prices -- even of the same part or parts of the same brand -- from one seller site to the next.