During your course, you may come to a point where you will need to buy car parts for a personal project, or even if you are starting to help family and friends with maintenance and repairs.
If you haven’t already, do a Google search for car parts suppliers – and have a good look at the results. Euro Car Parts, GSF Car Parts, Halfords and many more will appear. But, before you go and buy a part, sign up to their websites using your email address – why? Because they will send you offers and discounts on parts, which you can’t get by walking into the store. Some of the best deals can be found online, so take a look at their sites and compare the prices to find the best part, for the best price.
Make sure you do your research on the car AND the part. Doing the right research will save you time (time = money). You can use the car registration finder tools on the part suppliers’ websites to make sure that they have the part in stock before you go to pick it up (or have it delivered), and that it’s made to fit the car you’re working on. There’s nothing worse, than going all the way to the depot, and finding out that they don’t have the part in stock.
Avoid going for the cheapest part, unless you’re really stuck. Often, buying a cheap part means that the quality won’t be great! It might end up costing you more when a cheap part goes wrong. Sometimes, cheap parts don’t fit in the same way as manufacturer spec parts. If you’re not sure if the part is right, or if it’s going to fit, call the supplier – they will be able to help you! They have dedicated teams to support.
Did you know that you can return a part that hasn’t been fitted? As long as you have the original packaging and the receipt (or invoice), the supplier will be able to give you your money back. Even if you have accidently bought the wrong part, or if it’s doesn't’t fit correctly! We recommend that you keep that receipt somewhere safe, in a folder or plastic wallet – this will help you get any money back on parts that you don’t need.
