Who do you use for parts?

Who do you use for parts?

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Discussion

N7GTX

Original Poster:

7,823 posts

142 months

Tuesday 11th July 2017
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I do all my own repairs, servicing etc and in the middle of sorting out some stuff underneath. I ordered a couple of parts from Powers Performance - used the 'wish list' email - and a couple of items from TVR Parts over the weekend.
On Monday morning (yesterday) received an email from Powers asking for payment and this morning the parts came as promised. Excellent helpful service.
Received a confirmation email from TVR Parts with the order details at the time of placing the order. Having heard nothing this morning made a quick call to find out when they would come. The parts were not in stock but their website did not mention this. They said they were chasing up their suppliers. This was very disappointing as I need the gearbox seal before refitting everything! The owner of this company then spoke to me. Very, very quickly this became an argument and I was amazed at the non-existent level of customer service. All I wanted to know was when my parts would arrive: hardly an unreasonable request? The previous order I made just over a fortnight ago with them never arrived either. They gave the courier the wrong address.
I have asked TVR Parts to cancel the order and to delete me from their database. I am in urgent need of the parts so phoned Powers and they will be here in the morning clap

So, I will use Powers when I can but who else does anyone recommend for an efficient, pleasant and helpful service?

chris watton

22,477 posts

259 months

Tuesday 11th July 2017
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I usually only use Powers for parts. I remember once ordering a pair of new exhaust hangers for my Tam to be fitted with my new exhaust system. The parts were so badly made/malformed, that the guys fitting the exhaust told me to stick with the ones already on the car, as they're in much better shape!

JWzed

185 posts

124 months

Tuesday 11th July 2017
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I have always found Racetech to be good. Ordered the bulk of my spares from them when I did my body off refurb. thumbup

PhilH42

690 posts

101 months

Tuesday 11th July 2017
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I did have a similar experience recently with tvr parts with a throttle pot....heard nothing for over a week,emailed and got no reply so rang them and they said it was due in that day and I asked them to ring me back.They did ring back to say it was not in the delivery for some reason and would chase their supplier. When I asked when it would likely be in (I think it was a Thursday) they said hopefully tomorrow and it will be straight out, worse case Monday. That was the last I heard so I emailed after another week ish to say I was dissapointed that nobody had at least contacted me and to cancel the order and refund. They did refund but no apology or confirmation to say they had.

To balance the argument I have used them quite a bit and its the only issue I've had apart from them being out of stock for one item which actually thinking about it was just left out of the delivery and refunded but again no confirmation. I don't know whether its volume of orders now or a supplier issue but lets say the customer service "system" might need a bit more attention.

I've used Racetech quite a bit and always since the above with no problems yet.

No business is perfect lets be honest and the list of available parts is impressive now, so they have clearly worked hard on that aspect....but lack of quality and service can undo that pretty quick.

MisterT

322 posts

225 months

Tuesday 11th July 2017
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Although it a while back now when did my chassis refurb Powers performance or TVR power as was, were unbeatable on price, and service. IIRC it was Andy in parts, priced up lists of parts, sent stuff I needed at short notice overnight to the garage where I was doing the work and all round provided an excellent service. Highly recommended.

N7GTX

Original Poster:

7,823 posts

142 months

Wednesday 12th July 2017
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JWzed said:
I have always found Racetech to be good. Ordered the bulk of my spares from them when I did my body off refurb. thumbup
Yes, I have used Racetech in the past when I got my Powerflex suspension bushes from them. Good service but their prices seemed a bit higher? They do have a big list of parts so will keep them in mind.

N7GTX

Original Poster:

7,823 posts

142 months

Wednesday 12th July 2017
quotequote all
PhilH42 said:
No business is perfect lets be honest and the list of available parts is impressive now, so they have clearly worked hard on that aspect....but lack of quality and service can undo that pretty quick.
Oh yes, definitely agree with you and the owner was quick to point out 'how hard they were working on obtaining parts to keep my car on the road'. Unfortunately the customer 'care' side is letting them down. Between Powers and Racetech I hope I can find the parts in the future.

bluezeeland

1,965 posts

158 months

Wednesday 12th July 2017
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Being a member of TVRCC entitles me to a rebate at Parts.............they have however made such a pig's ear of orders in the past that I stopped using them alltogether.....Racetech is good, excellent customer care and speedy delivery of good quality parts but, being abroad, their shipping costs are high.........so, usually I just pick up the phone, call Andy at Powers and order what I want, which arrives swiftly, is of good quality and shipping isn't too pricey...

TwinKam

2,937 posts

94 months

Wednesday 12th July 2017
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With 37 years in the trade, I do my best to avoid the 'main dealer' and his inflated prices where I can, and source the same quality part from alternative suppliers ('OE' parts made by Bosch, Hengst, SKF, Siemens etc etc) There are exceptions and it pays to check not only prices, but delivery times & costs.
So my answer is, whoever is offering best value at the time, like for like.
Before I started the recent work on my Cerbera, I made a spread sheet of the parts that I needed, comparing prices across all the 'usual suspects'. Firstly I was surprised to find that not all the parts available from the 'aftermarket' were available from the 'main dealer' ie TVR Parts Ltd (eg, head nuts, piston rings, pump lock tab...) And I was astonished to find the variation in prices, with TVR Parts Ltd being cheaper for nearly all of the parts that I needed (cf the price of the main pump shaft between TVR Parts Ltd and Powers...).
Consequently TVR Parts Ltd saw the vast majority of my spend. I latched onto Martin (who just happened to answer my initial call) and found him pleasant, efficient and helpful; he even located an 'unavailable' pump drive gear for me s/hand at a very reasonable price. There were a couple of minor slips but these were sorted immediately and without further cost to me. Delivery was next day although I have called to collect from them on a couple of occasions.
I have also dealt with Racetech, Powers and ACT and found them all equally helpful but due to my recent experience with them I have no problem in sticking up for TVR Parts Ltd.

Byker28i

58,831 posts

216 months

Wednesday 12th July 2017
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Just spoken to Martin to resolve my recent order, the part required wasn't registered on the web ordering...
Sorted quickly, parts in the post.

mk1fan

10,507 posts

224 months

Wednesday 12th July 2017
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I steel parts during meets biggrin

bluezeeland

1,965 posts

158 months

Wednesday 12th July 2017
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mk1fan said:
I steel parts during meets biggrin
Not brass ones..........or plastic ? wink

55palfers

5,893 posts

163 months

Wednesday 12th July 2017
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Burke and Hare

N7GTX

Original Poster:

7,823 posts

142 months

Wednesday 12th July 2017
quotequote all
TwinKam said:
With 37 years in the trade, I do my best to avoid the 'main dealer' and his inflated prices where I can, and source the same quality part from alternative suppliers ('OE' parts made by Bosch, Hengst, SKF, Siemens etc etc) There are exceptions and it pays to check not only prices, but delivery times & costs.
So my answer is, whoever is offering best value at the time, like for like.
Before I started the recent work on my Cerbera, I made a spread sheet of the parts that I needed, comparing prices across all the 'usual suspects'. Firstly I was surprised to find that not all the parts available from the 'aftermarket' were available from the 'main dealer' ie TVR Parts Ltd (eg, head nuts, piston rings, pump lock tab...) And I was astonished to find the variation in prices, with TVR Parts Ltd being cheaper for nearly all of the parts that I needed (cf the price of the main pump shaft between TVR Parts Ltd and Powers...).
Consequently TVR Parts Ltd saw the vast majority of my spend. I latched onto Martin (who just happened to answer my initial call) and found him pleasant, efficient and helpful; he even located an 'unavailable' pump drive gear for me s/hand at a very reasonable price. There were a couple of minor slips but these were sorted immediately and without further cost to me. Delivery was next day although I have called to collect from them on a couple of occasions.
I have also dealt with Racetech, Powers and ACT and found them all equally helpful but due to my recent experience with them I have no problem in sticking up for TVR Parts Ltd.
As we know the dealer prices are often much higher but on the other hand, the part usually fits properly first time without a fight so it can be a balance depending on budget and capability.
It pays to check the prices of parts between the various suppliers. When this problem arose I had ordered 2 parts from TVR Parts as they were cheaper than Powers but ordered the other 2 parts as Powers were cheaper than TVR Parts. However, without the expected service the price is no longer the controlling factor alone. I will pay a premium for fast service as sometimes I want the car fixed quickly and need a reliable supplier.
I ordered the 2 parts, that did not come as expected from TVR Parts, from Powers just before midday yesterday and they were delivered before 10am this morning. I know where my next call will be. wink

NCE 61

2,385 posts

280 months

Thursday 13th July 2017
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Have used Powers Performance and TVR parts both very good, quick delivery times and reasonable shipping cost to Belgium.

Englishman

2,215 posts

209 months

Thursday 13th July 2017
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My experiences of the three major suppliers are as follows:

- TVR Parts Ltd: Since Les took over TVR, prices have become more competitive, but the same experience as others when ordering online, i.e. no notification if there is a delay which has caused issues when a car is in bits. So I now always call them to order and check stock levels, but they don’t always call back if they need to check with suppliers etc. They do however reduce delivery charges for small parts which is nice. Also offer a good discount for TVRCC members. Not had any quality issues to-date. They could be the best supplier with more focus on customer satisfaction

- PowersPerformance: Much useful (and correct!) advice from Dom and his team if you have queries. If they have the parts they are always delivered when expected. Price is not always compitive though, especially if you are a TVRCC member. Never had any quality issues

- Racetech: Tend to be the most expensive of the three so as a result have used them less than the other two, but they do offer some top quality unique parts, e.g. alloy Tuscan rear screen clips. Always deliver when expected and never had any quality issues

I also look to other suppliers when the parts are obviously from other manufactures, to avoid the TVR tax.

TwinKam

2,937 posts

94 months

Thursday 13th July 2017
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N7GTX said:
As we know the dealer prices are often much higher but on the other hand, the part usually fits properly first time without a fight so it can be a balance depending on budget and capability.
You didn't read my point correctly, I wasn't talking about 'pattern' parts, rather about getting the 'OE' part in a (eg) Bosch box before it gets put in a (eg) BMW box.
TwinKam said:
I do my best to avoid the 'main dealer' and his inflated prices where I can, and source the same quality part from alternative suppliers ('OE' parts made by Bosch, Hengst, SKF, Siemens etc etc) There are exceptions and it pays to check not only prices, but delivery times & costs. So my answer is, whoever is offering best value at the time, like for like.

The exception here, upon doing those checks, was finding...
TwinKam said:
...TVR Parts Ltd being cheaper for nearly all of the parts that I needed (cf the price of the main pump shaft between TVR Parts Ltd and Powers...).
This is not what you would expect to find because the aftermarket is supposedly constantly checking prices to ensure that they remain competitive with (ie undercut) the main dealer prices. That's why main dealers sell so few spark plugs/ filters/ wheel bearings/ brake pads etc.
Did you look up the price difference in that example I cited?

N7GTX

Original Poster:

7,823 posts

142 months

Thursday 13th July 2017
quotequote all
It should also be remembered that many aftermarket companies sell their parts as OEM quality. That is vastly different from the manufacturer's own brand. It can mean many things to different people and some household names have been bought by big parts suppliers and then the contents are made in China.
I too look for original parts without a TVR tax - only yesterday fitted Hardy Spicers on the propshaft and they came at just over £10 each inc postage. They are genuine GKN parts supplied by a Landrover specialist.
I'm sure many who know what they are looking for do the same and why there is an alternative parts list. It could do with updating as times and suppliers change as do prices.
e.g. the original Bosch headlamps are well over £100 each from TVR suppliers brand new although you can get re-silvered ones for around £75 now (exchange). I asked Andrew Page Bosch suppliers for 2 reflectors as they were priced at under £40 each. They came back with, ' only available in Germany.' So I tackeld Bosch direct but they would not budge on it despite having 120 sets on the shelf. So much for EU regs.
It would be good if the parts list was updated regularly with finds that could save us a fortune in TVR tax. I seem to remember there was something similar on the Cerb forum a few years ago?

Edited by N7GTX on Thursday 13th July 14:07

CerbWill

670 posts

117 months

Thursday 13th July 2017
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TVR Parts are, as others have stated, an absolute shambles unless you're lucky enough for them to have all the items in your order in stock and ready to go. They were much better when they were Racing Green/Clever Trevor.

Edited by CerbWill on Thursday 13th July 15:31

TwinKam

2,937 posts

94 months

Thursday 13th July 2017
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CerbWill said:
TVR Parts are, as others have stated, an absolute shambles unless you're lucky enough for them to have all the items in your order in stock and ready to go. They were much better when they were Racing Green/Clever Trevor.

Edited by CerbWill on Thursday 13th July 15:31
I reiterate that this was not my experience, April to present day. When did you last use them?