There are lots of great and quality used car parts out there. You just need to know how to find them. This post will help you know how to pick the right parts.
Car parts cost a ridiculous amount of money these days.
Buying a single part can set your bank account back quite a way. If you don’t have that kind of money to spend on your car, you should look into buying used car parts.
Won’t these parts be in bad condition?
Not if you know how to find them.
Take a look at this guide to learn where to find quality used car parts and save money.
1. Find the Place Where You Want to Buy
There are a lot of different places out there where you can buy used auto parts, so you have to pick your preferred method before you buy anything.
All of these places are cheaper than normal auto shops, but some of them do take a bit more work to find the part you need.
Here are a few different places you can normally find used auto parts.
Online Used Parts Suppliers
These websites, like BOW Auto Parts, are usually pretty easy to use. If you search for the part you’re looking for (including the year, make, and model), they’ll pop up a list of options.
When you buy the part you need, they’ll ship it to you, which is especially handy if you’re ordering a small part.
If you aren’t sure where to find any of these online suppliers, start with Google. There are several of them out there.
Pick and Pull Recycling Yards
At these junkyards, you have to show up, look for the part you need, take it off the car yourself, take it to the cashier, and pay for it.
Sounds like a lot of work (and it can be), but you can get parts for next to nothing at one of these junkyards. They usually have a list of parts and what they cost, so you can even find parts of rare, expensive cars for cheap.
You can find these junkyards all over the country, so you might be able to find one in driving distance.
Craigslist and eBay
These two options are somewhat less ideal than the others, but you can still use them to find some amazing deals. When it comes to auto parts, you’ll probably have more luck looking on eBay.
Just be careful when you buy parts on these sites. You may not be able to return them or get your money back if the part doesn’t work how it’s supposed to.
Specialty Salvage Yards
If you have an uncommon or old car, you might need to spend your time looking for parts in specialty salvage yards.
These can be really hard to find, but they are out there. If you do some research, you’ll probably stumble across the one you need.
2. Spend Time Researching
It doesn’t matter which method you’ll use to find the part you need, you should always spend some time doing research before you buy anything.
For example, if you’re looking for parts on online websites, you should check out several of these websites and compare prices. If you’re headed to a junkyard in person, make sure you know the typical price of the used part you need.
Some junk yards will lower their price to match the price of other used parts in the area. But you have to know your stuff if you’re going to haggle. The seller will be able to tell if you don’t know what you’re talking about.
3. If You Plan to Haggle, Stay Polite
Know the difference between haggling and asking for an unreasonable price. How are you supposed to know the difference? Again, that comes with some research.
When you haggle, you have to compare the part you want to other similar parts in the area. The keyword is similar here.
That doesn’t mean you can ask for a lower price for a 15,000-mile engine because the other 150,000 engine you found was a lot cheaper. Instead, find another 10,000-20,000 mile engine to compare your price with.
4. Verify Before You Buy
If you don’t do this, you risk getting the wrong part, and if you do get the wrong part, the only person you can blame is yourself.
This isn’t as hard to do when you’re looking at the part yourself. When you’re there in person, you know what you’re getting. But shopping online is another story.
Before you buy anything, you should always call the online supplier and confirm the specific part number. This will ensure the part you’re buying is actually the part you need.
5. Know What Parts You Shouldn’t Buy Used
While buying used auto parts can save you a lot of money, there are some parts you should never buy used.
Think of things like accessory belts, filters, hoses, and timing chains. These parts must be in good condition in order to work well, and if you buy them used, they probably won’t be.
Not this isn’t always the case.
You can sometimes find a car that has recently had a tuneup in the junkyard. If you stumble across one of these, you might get lucky. But generally speaking, don’t get these types of parts used.
Instead, buy things like doors, window rubber, trim, glass, mirrors, auto body parts, engines, suspension parts, blade fuses, screws, etc.
6. Find Help on Forums
This is especially helpful if you are looking for a rare part you’ve had trouble finding anywhere else. These forums may be able to direct you to the parts you need.
In some cases, they may be able to help you actually get the part you need.
If you need a part but don’t live anywhere near where you found it, odds are one of the people on the forum is closer than you. They may be willing to pick up the part for you and ship it to your front door.
7. Don’t Go to the Car Dealership
You can buy the same used part for a whole lot cheaper than you’ll find it at . These should be your absolute last stops.
But if you do your research, you probably won’t need to resort to a dealership at all.
Tips for Picking Quality Used Car Parts
Finding quality used car parts might take longer than buying them new at a dealership, but they can save you a lot of money. Besides, once you get the hang of it, you’ll be finding these parts with no trouble at all.
Have some used car parts to sell yourself? Take a look at how .
