Carpart.com (and why I hate it)

While my brain was distracted with more important things, my fingers typed "Alfa Romeo 164 Engine" into carpart.com. The result was a list of engines that produce nearly 100hp more than my current power plant, and are easily swappable into my vehicle.

The problem is they're all on the other side of the country. Has anyone bought such an item from carpart.com? I have questions about the shipping:

• how much did it cost (always an issue, might as well ask first)

• how willing were the sellers to get it sent it your way?

• do most/all sellers on carpart list their items with the expectation that it will be shipped?

This isn't going to end well, I can tell already...

do you mean car-part.com ? not carpart.com

I've ordered several things from them, usually replacement wheels and mirrors for my sister's Focus because she was constantly breaking them, all of them shipped. Most of them gladly shipped them (but I only ordered things that were easily shippable via UPS). Also, most of them weren't used to getting calls from individuals, usually used to dealing with shops.

I don't have a ton of experience, but if you work at a place that even kinda-sorta seems like it could be an automotive repair facility and has a loading dock, it will be easy to get the yards to ship you something.

My buddy needed a new head for his saab. No one would talk to him about shipping to his house, pick up only, yada yada yada. Since he worked at a dealership at the time, he called back and mentioned he wanted it shipped to the dealership. Suddenly, everyone could ship to him quite reasonably. Worked out well for him, since that's where his broken car was anyway.

iiiiinteresting. I think I can get access to a loading dock easily enough.

Thanks for the heads up

(and yes car-part.com sorry.)

and then this pops up on CL for $100

Do it! !

On it. But he didn't pick up. Also sent e-mail.

I told you this wasn't going to end well

Hungary Bill wrote: and then this pops up on CL for $100

I'm dying here. Why is time going so SLOW!!!!!

Please tell me the V-6 is for something that didnt originally have a V-6

I wish. No it'll be replacing my 2.5l V6 in my GTV6.

Although that would mean I would have a running spare V6 just laying around....

Hungary Bill wrote: and then this pops up on CL for $100

Where's the "it's beautiful" LOL cat?

Man I wish my local classifieds had awesome Alfa Romeo stuff just hanging around.

My problem with car-part.com is the people who haven't updated their inventory since 2007, and you end up calling 15 places that list some obscure part and none of them have it.

bgkast wrote: Where's the "it's beautiful" LOL cat?

Right there!

Those alfa engines are pretty, i wish more companies made internal parts like that so nice looking!

yeah, instead of covering them with plastic.

Got a reply to my e-mail. "Ed" is 70 and is a bit behind the times. Just left a message on his phone.

I'm seriously chomping at the bit here.

Does this mean the resurrection of the Alfa thread?

Dusterbd13 wrote: Does this mean the resurrection of the Alfa thread?

My problem with car-part isn't car-part at all. Every junkyard big enough to use that kind of website has three people in the office and 7500 cars with an equal number of daily phone calls. There is no way for them to know what is out there, what color it is, how many miles are on it... its a zoo. Its like asking Mark Zuckerberg if he knows John Smith. "well, he has a facebook profile on your website, you must know him."

But in all of my years running shops and restoring my own cars, car-part is really one of the last places I look.

I have had great luck with them for parts. Found a couple yards local to me I did not know existed.

Huh. I had my first experience with car-part.com, a few weeks ago. It was pleasant. I searched for an engine ('05 5.7 Mopar Hemi), found one at a yard near me - wonder of all wonders! - called to verify they actually had it, confirmed, and picked it up the next day.

I've experienced the listed but sold months ago part too. So often that I just expect stuff listed on the website to not actually exist when I call.

However I have bought several parts found on there, and a couple engines. I got a great deal on a dropout F-body LT1 with Edelbrock headers, and some other bolt ons several years ago. I got a lowish mileage Volvo B5244S long block, shipped from a yard in St. Louis to a dock in NW Arkansas cheaper than I could find a remaned head/or fix my warped head for.

I've got a lot of smaller stuff found via the site too, A/C compressor, seat belt tensioner, leaf spring, etc.

Used them to find the drive shaft for my truck. Which apparently is a fairly hard to come by part. But I started at the bottom of the price range and worked my way up till I got a satisfactory answer. I requested about 8 quotes from the bottom of the barrel priced yards, of which 2 answered me. When I called back to confirm the information 1 of them had accurately listed what they had, and was willing to ship 80+inches of drive shaft from AR to FL for less than 60$, and I should have it by Thursday. Not complaining. The only one I found in FL was 300 plus they wanted 100 to ship it. Berk that! If I'm paying for shipping, I'm going to shop around.

I thought you were going to swap an Alfa V6 into the Toyota pickup, this thread is less interesting now.

I found my "new" challenge Ranger engine through car-part for only $400 at the local JY.... Best part is some of the stuff I've purchased in the past I never knew certain places had in stock.