TheSamba.com :: View topic

Sat May 18, 2013 11:16 am

Does anyone know where to get vanagon parts from Canada? I get tired of ordering everything from US websites ( Go Westy)..and paying as much for shipping as I do for the item itself. The two rear hatch struts I want are $25, the shipping is $23. Argh....

Sat May 18, 2013 11:28 am

Here: http://www.frankcondelli.com/staging1/store/

Here:
http://vanagonwestfaliaparts.com/product-category/body-and-exterior-parts/

And here for some stuff: http://www.germansupply.com/home/customer/home.php

If you like Walmart quality and prices...do your research but
http://www.cip1.ca/default.asp?m=0

Sat May 18, 2013 11:28 am

Try the Skylight Guy in Gibsons BC
http://vanagonwestfaliaparts.com/product-category/body-and-exterior-parts/

Sat May 18, 2013 11:35 am

Don't forget the skylight guy:
http://vanagonwestfaliaparts.com//

Lots of camper/poptop stuff but some general vanagon stuff and getting more all the time. The items they carry is usually the same as The bus depot (share suppliers)

I use Cip1 too. Some of their stuff is marginal quality but some is the same as anywhere else. Bought my entire exhaust there. Now gowesty has stainless for not much more though (damn them!)

Edit: damn, beaten to the punch! Well 2 for skylightguy!

Sat May 18, 2013 11:58 am

I picked up all the audi G60 big brake stuff from "canada.autopartswarehouse.com". Probably some other generic stuff there too. Well worth a look.

Cheers,
Mike

Sat May 18, 2013 12:37 pm

Also www.cip1.ca. They don't have a *lot* of Vanagon parts, but they do stock the basics.

Edit... aaaand already mentioned.

Robyn

Sat May 18, 2013 2:56 pm

cip 1 was my only source for a csa branded electrical inlet
if not for this 1 part I could not of gotten my westy certified in manitoba
and could not be lawfully driven
even if everything mechanical was up to snuff!

and the guy at german supply was great in getting me a caliper!

moral of story in canada when buying a westy
at least in manitoba
look for the csa sticker
if you dont have or cant read it add 1 to 4 thousand more to a saftey

Sun May 19, 2013 9:33 am

Thanks for the info. I contacted sky light guy but the struts were $50 for the pair and the lighter was $10 from on old van. I can get new stuff cheaper from Go Westy including the shipping. I'll bookmark the suggestions though for future reference!

Sun May 19, 2013 9:58 am

In Calgary, give concept 1 a call as well. If you're talking about the back door struts I bought mine from auto value ... I believe there are two different ones one strut pushes up and the other is basically just there for show. I picked up two from the one side, installed them and the back door works great!

Cheers,
Mike

Sun May 19, 2013 11:32 am

bdcain wrote:
at least in manitoba
look for the csa sticker
if you dont have or cant read it add 1 to 4 thousand more to a saftey

Is there a yearly inspection in Manitoba?

Robyn

Sun May 19, 2013 11:45 am

no just the safety to register and get plates when we first bought van
i think all provinces have a safety deal when you buy or sell a used
car
truck
van
motorcycle etc
and on top of safety or part of for rv's is the csa sticker
which they put on outside to fade away

Sun May 19, 2013 1:36 pm

BC categorically does not have an inspection requirement for any vehicle, unless you're importing the vehicle from another country/province, or are ordered to get one by a police officer. Which is why I was curious :)

Thanks,

Robyn

Mon May 20, 2013 8:42 pm

Back on OP's topic, parts vendors in Canada.

I dealt with the Canadian representative of VW Classic Parts, Don Raycroft of Myers VW in Ottawa. He was helpful and efficient, and they had quite reasonable prices.

His coordinates:

Don Raycroft
Director of Parts Operations
Myers Volkswagen
Myers Classic Parts
Myers Audi
[email protected]
1 800 863 9557

WiboBusMan

1984 Westy, full camper
1988 Syncro GL tintop (sold)
1986 Syncro Doka 1.8t conversion project[/b]

Mon May 20, 2013 9:20 pm

I always check autopartsway.ca. They don't have a ton of stuff, but they usually have a brand selection, and free shipping on orders over $100. Fast service, usually 2 days to the east coast. Some good quality stuff too. For example, I just bought (for Golf) rear wheel bearing assay (FAG) and inner CV joint (Lobro) for much less than dealer cost, and free shipping.

They have your hatch struts (Stabilus) for $25.56.

RonC

Tue May 21, 2013 9:07 am

snowsyncro wrote: I always check autopartsway.ca. They don't have a ton of stuff, but they usually have a brand selection, and free shipping on orders over $100. Fast service, usually 2 days to the east coast. Some good quality stuff too. For example, I just bought (for Golf) rear wheel bearing assay (FAG) and inner CV joint (Lobro) for much less than dealer cost, and free shipping.

They have your hatch struts (Stabilus) for $25.56.

RonC

Thanks for this, I didn't know about these guys.

Tue May 21, 2013 9:44 am

You guys have Napa up there right? Canadian tire too. Some of the weird Vanagon specific stuff you need to get from vendors so listen to the above advice as I don't spend much time in Canada.

But things like hatch struts, brake pads, oil filters, and other basic maintenance stuff can (at least in the stated) always be ordered through just about any generic parts store. Is that not the case in Canada? Lots of the parts on these things aren't anything special and can be had at decent prices from the corner parts store.

Tue May 21, 2013 9:52 am

There is no substitute in Canada for places like VC, GW, BD etc...
What is the point of http://www.frankcondelli.com/staging1/store/index....uct_id=329 to this
http://www.van-cafe.com/home/van/page_312_1144/radiator.html ? I am sick of being ripped off by shipping companies and governments!! Makes me wanna pack up and move to sunny California!! :lol: :lol: There, I said it!!

Tue May 21, 2013 9:57 am

Shipping from the U.S. to Canada doesn't always have to be expensive, unless the item is large or heavy. We ship north of the border daily, and have learned the ins and outs well enough to save our Canadian customers some money.

The shipping methods to avoid are UPS Ground and Fedex Ground. Those services are subject to hidden brokerage fees that are collected on the back end and can exceed the cost of shipping. Instead we use U.S. Mail (Parcel Post or Priority) and Fedex Expedited 3-Day. The latter is usually expensive but we get a 50% negotiated discount and pass it on to our Canadian customers. That means that in some (but not all) cases it is relatively competitive with Priority Mail, but it's faster and fully trackable. Unlike Fedex Ground, the expedited services include brokerage fees. (Of course you still have to pay any import taxes that may be due.) If you're on a tight budget, Parcel Post tends to be cheap but slow. At the moment that option doesn't show up on our website, but feel free to email Fred at [email protected] and he can quote you on it.

We also supply some of our more popular items to Cheri and Trevor the Skylight Guy (linked earlier in this thread) so that is also a good option.

Tue May 21, 2013 10:16 am

Busdepot wrote: Shipping from the U.S. to Canada doesn't always have to be expensive, unless the item is large or heavy. We ship north of the border daily, and have learned the ins and outs well enough to save our Canadian customers some money.

The shipping methods to avoid are UPS Ground and Fedex Ground. Those services are subject to hidden brokerage fees that are collected on the back end and can exceed the cost of shipping. Instead we use U.S. Mail (Parcel Post or Priority) and Fedex Expedited 3-Day. The latter is usually expensive but we get a 50% negotiated discount and pass it on to our Canadian customers. That means that in some (but not all) cases it is relatively competitive with Priority Mail, but it's faster and fully trackable. Unlike Fedex Ground, the expedited services include brokerage fees. (Of course you still have to pay any import taxes that may be due.) If you're on a tight budget, Parcel Post tends to be cheap but slow. At the moment that option doesn't show up on our website, but feel free to email Fred at [email protected] and he can quote you on it.

We also supply some of our more popular items to Cheri and Trevor the Skylight Guy (linked earlier in this thread) so that is also a good option.
Why can't you guys just offer free shipping over $99.00 to ALL customers...like this company http://ca.binnacle.com/ I bought my Engel cooler from?
I'm guessing not many people line up outside the store to shop.

Tue May 21, 2013 10:33 am

There is no such thing as free shipping. Nobody is in business to lose money. If a retailer absorbs the price of shipping by making it "free," that means they are calculating their shipping expense into the product price.

That being said, we do offer a 5% discount on most orders over $50 exclusively for Samba contributors. This will offset at least a good chunk of your shipping cost. To qualify you must be an active Samba contributor, which we define as having posted at least 12 times and having been a member for over a month. The discount has certain exclusions, most notably sale items, made-to-order or special-order items, tires/wheels, engines/transmissions.

PM me for the code if you qualify. I cannot publish it here because it is not available to the general public.