ZZ42Fast

Worth a sticky just so we can collate all the do's and don't of getting parts over to Europe. Be good to have one post with shared experiences for all to see.

Personally I have had great results with www.summitracing.com but beware that there is a surcharge of $24.99 (IIRC) for all overseas orders. I have used them for my subframe connectors, HOT cam and steel braided brake hoses. Usual delivery to UK is within a week.

In old Blighty I can recommend Peter Cooper American Car Spares for things like brake pads and other consumables. His number is 01751 472197. Leave him a message as he never answers his phone.

I used ebay to buy a cam from the US and got stiched big time, so beware!! Worth spending a bit more and getting the real deal.

If you need a good garage to some work for you I can recommend Robin Gray at Autopontiac- he is a master engineer. He did my whole ZZ4 engine conversion, rear axle and gearbox. He is pricey but safe, and a true enthusiast- currently racing a Trans Am in the Historic series in England. He is based in Twickenham, Middx on 0208 8945930

RMK

I agree, Summit Racing are good and it's a place i've spend thousands of dollars and never had any problems. The surcharge is annoying, but $25 is a negligable amount really.

As for Peter Cooper, he was giving me bull**** about an order I placed 3 years ago when I got the car. Keps saying it had just gone out it should be there any day. Well after 8 weeks it hadn't arrived. I'm unimpressed.

I phoned Auto Pontiac a couple of days ago from work. Spoke to 2 people there. The first one could hardly speak English and as well as not having a clue about what I was talking about, didn't seem to have a clue what he was talking about. The other guy I spoke to spoke English, but gave the impression he didn't want to be speaking to me, a potential customer, over the phone. That could be because he didn't have much of a clue either.

Now there's a contrast of opinions for you.

I prefer to deal with the American companies for parts. They reply to their e-mails for a start, always seem to be more helpful, cut out the middle man, and the way the dollar is at the moment they are much cheaper.

Only company I've dealt with recently in the UK was Sussex Autos, who impressed even myself, the hardest person to impress out there. They knew their stuff and the 1 day turnaround was very good. I wouldn't send my $1100 converter to just anyone.

erictheviking

Hey ZZ42 don't write off Ebay just yet,There are loads of things to be had for a steal.I understand your concerns but there are also a lot of shops who sell there which are a lot cheaper than the big sellers like Summit.As for Peter Cooper,I'm convinced his parts are made of gold the prices he's charging.Try these.


www.cnc-motorsports.com
www.dirttrackthunder.com
www.tenperf.com

__________________
82 z28 camaro
home fabricated:8 point cage,subframe connectors,panhard bar(spherical bearings),strut brace.
Boxed contol arms.
Polygraphite bushes everywhere.
DART 400CI BLOCK,EAGLE CRANK AND RODS,Custom JE pistons,WITH A BBS DESIGNS SINGLE TURBO SET-UP)AFR 195cc heads,Holley stealthram,msd 6al,moroso leads,hedman/flowmaster exhaust,TH350 trans,TCI rebuild and shift kit,4L80E coming soon!Moser 9" rearend,B&M megashifter,corbeau seats and harnesses,new dodge viper blue 2pak paint,KONI yellow struts,kyb shocks,Eibach pro-kit springs,Porsche 996 turbo calipers.Absolutely everything renewed or rebuilt.Still not finished!!!

erictheviking

Hi folks,
I've just been given a catalogue by my good friend the "Toecutter" from a company called http://www.bigbauto.com .They sell loads of good stuff at prices so low they're practically giving it away.I can now afford to finish my engine with everything in aluminium.The Toecutter had a big shipment a few weeks ago and the goods look very impressive.They also sell loads on Ebay,that's where he bought his.

__________________
82 z28 camaro
home fabricated:8 point cage,subframe connectors,panhard bar(spherical bearings),strut brace.
Boxed contol arms.
Polygraphite bushes everywhere.
DART 400CI BLOCK,EAGLE CRANK AND RODS,Custom JE pistons,WITH A BBS DESIGNS SINGLE TURBO SET-UP)AFR 195cc heads,Holley stealthram,msd 6al,moroso leads,hedman/flowmaster exhaust,TH350 trans,TCI rebuild and shift kit,4L80E coming soon!Moser 9" rearend,B&M megashifter,corbeau seats and harnesses,new dodge viper blue 2pak paint,KONI yellow struts,kyb shocks,Eibach pro-kit springs,Porsche 996 turbo calipers.Absolutely everything renewed or rebuilt.Still not finished!!!

iroc-si

Has anyone tried www.rockauto.com ? I just ordered my new master cylinder through them. Nobody else seemed to be that interested in either stocking such a mundane item or if they did they wouldn't consider shipping out of the USA. usauto was £129+shipping+vat, jwr was £153+shipping+vat, where rockauto was $102+shipping+duty+vat.

Also just ordered some flexible brake lines from think automotive www.thinkauto.co.uk They will make up custom hoses and pressure test them for you. Any fittings you could ever want, and while the prices aren't great they compete with summit of aeroquip hoses etc when you consider the costs of shipping plus duty etc.

Correction.... Think automotive couldn't do the swaged fittings that you really need.... So I ordered from hose equip (see below)

Si :lala:

ZZ42Fast

si, that's really helpful. I recently cancelled my flexi brake pipe order from Summit as the ETA kept slipping.

Glad you got a reasonable deal with rockauto. Did you try Peter Cooper over here?

Cheers

iroc-si

Nope, I'd forgotton about Peter Cooper.... D'oh!

erictheviking

Ummm,
Brand new master cylinder from Rodley autos about 3 years ago was £75.

__________________
82 z28 camaro
home fabricated:8 point cage,subframe connectors,panhard bar(spherical bearings),strut brace.
Boxed contol arms.
Polygraphite bushes everywhere.
DART 400CI BLOCK,EAGLE CRANK AND RODS,Custom JE pistons,WITH A BBS DESIGNS SINGLE TURBO SET-UP)AFR 195cc heads,Holley stealthram,msd 6al,moroso leads,hedman/flowmaster exhaust,TH350 trans,TCI rebuild and shift kit,4L80E coming soon!Moser 9" rearend,B&M megashifter,corbeau seats and harnesses,new dodge viper blue 2pak paint,KONI yellow struts,kyb shocks,Eibach pro-kit springs,Porsche 996 turbo calipers.Absolutely everything renewed or rebuilt.Still not finished!!!

Mark1963

I bought my sfc's and torque arm from spohn, the postage was a bit pricey but the delivery was quick. I've also used summit.

iroc-si

Well I have had fun recently with getting hose fittings. Think automotive bounced me to a bunch called hose equip http://www.h-e-l.co.uk/

For 40 quid I got 3 hoses made up in -3AN stainless steel with a PVC outer coating. They have stainless fittings and swaged fittings. What I got was the 3 hoses for the rear axle, but I made them long enough to replace the hardline sections on the axle too. This is because my existing lines had been messed with.

Problem is I have had a few issues with them in getting these pipes and all the bits I wanted. What I can say though is that when they realised the problems they did act quickly. They do seem a bit expensive for some pieces of aeroquip hose/fittings so shop around between them and think automotive, and demon-tweeks. I had to go to demon for some 3/8unf hardline fittings as some of the american bits need short versions that had thread to the end.

Another option I have discovered for stainless steel braided hose is a bunch called Pirtek http://www.pirtek.co.uk/
They seem to make up goodridge branded hoses. Not sure if they do swaged fittings (ask for swaged fitting for all brake lines!) I think they have branches all over the country....even in Edinburgh!!!! If anyone does try these guys then I'd like to know how it went.

Cheers,

Si.

iroc-si

Reconditioning wheels..... I just got my iroc wheels reconditioned because they were leaking about 5psi a week! Anyhew, I ended up going to a bunch called Sandblast UK. Not sure if this bunch are a uk wide company but they were in Dalkeith at New battle Abbey College business park 0131 660 4444.

Anyway for 155quid I got my 4 16" iroc wheels bead blasted, and powder coated. Included in this was taking the wheels & centre caps off and then putting them back on and balancing the wheel. I stuck with the original silvery grey and they look brilliant!

Si.

ps. One warning though.... I had to take them there and collect when they got them done a day or so later and they have the worst speed bumps I have ever met. My little escort had to creep over them extremely slowly and I even hit the ground on a couple of them.... in the camaro it would have been a definite no-no.

blackknight2010

When are UK suppliers going to sit up & take note. Without us those guys wouldn't be in business. My wife called a well known vendor for a quote on 5 parts yesterday. They said they'd call back with prices. Guess what, they didn't. So they lost that order.

Went to an alternative vendor AUTOPONTIAC. Robin Grey was very helpful & friendly. He got the order.

UK SUPPLIERS LISTEN UP HERE! Without us you wouldn't be in business. Good service with reasonable prices is what we want.

And how about a free catalogue of all your goodies you stock without charging us a tenner for the privilige of seeing what you carry. When you make an error, fix it & if necessary give us a better discount on re-order that way you keep customer happy & more likely to return. E-mails. Please take the time to reply when we email. The folks in the US do, why can't UK suppliers.

And when you say you'll call back...PLEASE CALL BACK, not us have to call you back for a second or third time.

ZZ42Fast

Hear, Hear!!!

erictheviking

That well known vendor wasn't Ultimate spares America by any chance was it?

__________________
82 z28 camaro
home fabricated:8 point cage,subframe connectors,panhard bar(spherical bearings),strut brace.
Boxed contol arms.
Polygraphite bushes everywhere.
DART 400CI BLOCK,EAGLE CRANK AND RODS,Custom JE pistons,WITH A BBS DESIGNS SINGLE TURBO SET-UP)AFR 195cc heads,Holley stealthram,msd 6al,moroso leads,hedman/flowmaster exhaust,TH350 trans,TCI rebuild and shift kit,4L80E coming soon!Moser 9" rearend,B&M megashifter,corbeau seats and harnesses,new dodge viper blue 2pak paint,KONI yellow struts,kyb shocks,Eibach pro-kit springs,Porsche 996 turbo calipers.Absolutely everything renewed or rebuilt.Still not finished!!!

tilstad

What's the largest UK auction for motor parts these days? Anyone know?

ZZ42Fast

Hi tilstad,

I hope your girlfriend doesn't look at the site and see your avatar LOL

Do you mean a single auction or auction company? Generally ebay is the best by far.

Cheers,
Felix

tilstad

Okey, I knew about the ebay UK branch, but I just wondered if there was other big ones too, less connected to the US.

She is getting slimmer as we speak. She was very understanding when I explained that she had to do this to make us able to go 15's stock.

tilstad

She is not that bad, she's improving:

91rsowner4life

blackknight2010

Actually it wasn't them.
I really don't want to say the company name, but what I can tell you is that one of the managers from the company in question called me at work after I emailed them with my complaint. They apologised & as a gesture of goodwill offered me a special discount on a part I am about to order. So if they are reading this I must say "thank you".

RMK

Chances are high they are not reading this. So come on, spill the dirt. What company was it so the rest of us can stay clear?

blackknight2010

Sorry RMK, but the fact that they are going out of their way to rectify the problem, I just can't be that unfair to them. Hope you understand.

Dr G

Well another vendor review for you, tyre supplier who call themselves 'Black Circes':-

http://www.blackcircles.com/ Telephone:- 0845 200 0022

Great service, very quick delivery and competitive pricing. Only a few brands available though.

I'd highly recommend them to you guys for when you're needing new tyres.

iroc-si

Yeah, black circles are the way to go for tyres, or so my bro says.... Also if you want a discount of something like 8% then go via :
http://www.pistonheads.com/tyres.asp

Si.

Difflock

Living oop north as I do, I've used Amercian and Speciality Auto Spares at Farnworth. I've only bought a couple of things from them so far, but Fred and Gladys are a great couple, they've always tried to phone me back at work (damn busy phone) with prices etc. too.
Propshaft Rear U/J £11
Bottom ball joint for front suspension strut £23
Edelbrock 14" chrome air filter pan incl.filter (replaced the rusty item atop the Holley 4-barrel which was on the car) £36

No doubt there will be cheaper prices elsewhere, but they're only 30 to 50 mins away from me.

I've also used Castleford American too
Bottom radiator hose £11.74, promptly delivered (forgot about carriage and VAT! D'OH!)

Cheers,
Mark.

__________________
It doesn't matter how fast you drive. It matters how you drive fast!
"I've the only Trans Am in the village!"

HisDivineShadow

Good place for tyres, good prices.

http://www.reifendirekt.de/

This is their main page but from there just click on your flag to get to the local site, prices include shipping.

tici

Hi guys,
I always had problems finding North American vendors able (or willing) to send stuff over here (Switzerland).
For small parts it's OK, but if it has to go on a pallet it becomes a problem somehow.
Best solution I found it's to have a shipping company pick up the parts. I work with DHL and they take care about everything.
For the shop it's not a problem because it's just like a local costumer and he won't have to do the paperwork for the shipping.

Just an idea...

It worked fine for me to buy wheels, tires, headers, cat back, hood, Vortech supercharger... soon a transmission.

Stefano

__________________
MODS: A4 > M6 conversion, SC raptor hood, 35th decals, Vortech V9 G-Trim SQ, homemade water-alcohol injection, Corsa catback
DYNO: 410 RWHP, 417 TORQUE @ 5 PSI

iroc-si

I've been upgrading some of the wiring for my alternator etc and have found a useful bunch :

http://www.vehicle-wiring-products.co.uk/

Also been looking into replacing some of the lights both interior and exterior with LEDs. Haven't ordered anything yet, but this bunch do a lot of bulb replacement parts :

http://www.ultraleds.co.uk/

Si.

banker

If you are looking for interior parts i highly recommend www.perrypam.com , i've ordered loads from these chaps and have always had great service and quick delivery.

If it's a heavier item you'll probably find ordering from a UK supplier cheaper as they can get cheaper shipping rates than us due to higher volume imports. www.usautomotive.com are pretty good and mega quick to deliver, however if it's a body panel you might have to pick it up yourself as they don't trust the British mail system to deliver it in one piece.

I have to echo a previous comment about Autopontiac in Hounslow, Robin is a top chap and knows his stuff, once you get past his unique style he's actually a nice fella which has kept me going back for over 4 years.