Can you take your own parts to your shop?

[Jeff's Old Volks Home]

I'm deliberately poking at the hornets nest with this one. When you go to your regular shop for repairs or upgrades, are you allowed to bring your own parts? do they charge you a fee for doing so? How do they handle warranty?
Jeff
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www.jeffsoldvolkshome.com
2004 Jetta TDi Wagon
2002 Smyth Ute TDi
1990 Vanagon weekender Syncro AAZ
1987 Syncro Doka AAZ...soon to be TDI
2014 DL650ABS Xpedition
1986 Weekender Syncro (Under construction)
1987 Westfalia (Under construction)
1987 Syncro Single cab

[carterzest]

I always price my parts prior to going into my regualar shop. One time when I decided to have them do the shocks on my van, they called back with the quote and it was about $100 more for the shocks alone, not the labor. I asked pointedly what the difference was as the parts store in the same building with the same name as the shop, had quoted me $100 less. He stated that the reason it was more is that they had to warrant the shock install and the shocks. When I told him I was more concerned about saving the $100, he let me buy them and drop them off on his desk and save the money.

Definitely a conundrum/hornets nest indeed, but, some folks like to save the $$ and some folks do their research, especially in this community.
I have had the same shop install my SmallCar disc brakes as well as various suspension parts, all with the understanding that they would not warrant them. No problem with me.


Hope this helps
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Happiness=Portland, Oregon in the rearview mirror!

[vanagonjr]

I think as long as the shop and the customer have an agreement, it's fine to bring parts. For instance on my timing belt, I wanted OEM parts - they were fine with me bringing the belt and water pump, and I was fine if they bumped up the price slightly to make up for the money not made on parts. This shop is owned by a friend.

Years ago, I supplied a clutch because a friend worked for a wholesaler and I could get it way cheaper than they could. They told me they had to increase the labor charge quoted, and I was fine with that. 1st time I used that shop.

However, if I were going to a random place to get brakes done on a typical car, I would not be asking if I can supply my own parts (-but seeing the recent continuing decline in the quality of parts, maybe I should!)

See for me, it's not about saving money, it's getting the quality that I want - I'll supply Honda coolant for my Honda, I don't want the one coolant fit's all stuff that they have. It may be fine - I just don't know.

For things like custom exhausts and suspension, I think it is best that the customer bring those parts in, but I would expect them to suffer with any product failures - i.e., no warranty.

That's my $0.02. IF you supply your own parts, I'll have to charge you $0.03
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John - 86 Wolfsburg Westfalia "Weekender"
Flint reversed 1.8T W/Passat 5-Speed
LiMBO (late model bus club) www.limbobus.org
LiMBO is on Facebook too! https://www.facebook.com/groups/
FAQ thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=525798

[andk5591]

All depends on your shop - keep in mind that most shops count on the parts mark up as part of their income. Also, if there is an issue with YOUR parts, then its YOUR problem.
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D-Dubya Manx clone - 63 Short pan,1914.
Rosie 65 bug - My mostly stock daily driver.
Woodie 69 VW woodie (Hot VWs 7/12).
"John's car" 64 VW woodie - The first ever
Maxine 61 Cal-look bug - Cindy's daily driver.
Max - 73 standard Beetle hearse project - For sale
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There's more, but not keeping them...

[BigNick0]

Not vanagon related, but... My V6 passat needed two new catalysts which are integrated into the downpipe. The OEM parts were something like $1500 EACH (not 100% sure since I purged that memory). Anyway, I sourced my own from Canada for $350 a piece and started the job myself.

Turned into a major hassle because of the 4Motion and I wound up taking it to the dealer. Yeh.. the VW dealer put my aftermarker cats on with no mark up or anything. No complaints, no questions.

I think it depends on the shop. Just call and ask.
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91 Carat 2.1

[bdcain]

my place welcomed the parts
didn't have to find them
which they could not locate localy
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It looks just like a telefunken u-47

[Alaric.H]

These parts are getting hard to find so you would be doing them a favor.

[landkholdings]

[Juststeve]

One Vw specialist shop in Calgary, Canada that I sometimes use is excellent about doing exactly what I request, using parts I supply.
Whenever I'm in the US, I always pick up vanagon parts and kits or specific brands of parts that I've learned about from the online vanagon community (you guys). I avoid the shipping costs, get exactly what I need and eliminate the guesswork and trial and error. Also, auto parts are WAY cheaper in the states.
Obviously, the shop only guarantees the job they do, not the parts. This really helps me out because I don't always have the time or specialist tools to wrench all jobs myself.

I should add another point. Our good friends at Gowesty (and several other companies) make a business of engineering parts and handy kits based on a tremendous amount of very specific vanagon experience. I love tinkering with my van but there is no way I could improve on this work they have already done. I'll gladly support these businesses.
I really appreciate when a maintenance shop will just charge for labour and install a kit I supply. Until I have more time to spare, this really helps.
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1988 Westy dove blue(75% VW),... (25% Gowesty, Van Cafe, Bus depot, RMW, Burleys, Gary Lee, T3technique, vwbusshop, bus-ok, etc. etc. etc...)
1984 BMW R80rt

[blemon]

We are new to van ownership but our guy will buy parts straight from the dealer. He told us we could buy our own because it would save us a lot of money. His warranty is on the labor, not the parts.

[teej]

Last time I had a bunch of too-difficult-for-me-to-do work done at a shop I had already sourced the parts. I explained this beforehand, they were cool with it. On the day I dropped the van off I slipped the owner some extra cash and said thanks for working with the parts I provided. All were satisfied with this and I am pretty sure a small part or two that he provided did not end up on the invoice. When specialty parts have to be ordered in it makes sense to gather them up ahead of time.
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1986+ Wolfsburg Weekender Pop-Top 2.3 WBX Manual Trans

[Glenn]

[riceye]

As a sideways discussion, I frequently buy my parts from the shop I trust. CV's for example. He gets the good stuff (Lobro), and shares a good price. Filters, etc., too.

This keeps me familiar with the guys, and supports our local economy. And the least I can do as they haven't put a wrench to my van in eight years!
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'87 Westy Weekender - daily driver on salt-free roads

There's gonna be some changes made.

“I find that things usually go well right up until the moment they don't.” - Ahwahnee

"Quality isn't method. It's the goal toward which the method is aimed." - Socrates, later quoted by R.M. Pirsig

[j_dirge]

[MarkWard]

I buy my steaks online and when we go out for dinner, I bring my steaks with me and ask them to cook them for me.


The internet did not exist when I had my shop. I specialized in VW and Audi. I was a total repair facility. In other words, I did not just do the gravy. Fixing cars is a fickle thing. Not all jobs go well, especially on old vehicles that have seen 25 different mechanics over their lifetime.

I recall a Jetta that would quit making left turns, but only when the turn signal was used. I spent a lot of time on that, but was fair to the customer on the labor charge. I also advised him that he needed front brakes and shocks at some point.

Next time I see him for an intermittent AC problem, I open the hood and see someone's wrench in the cowl. The dust caps were missing from the shock tops and sure enough, the car had new shocks and front brakes. The hack left the bump stops out as well. I asked the customer about it and he said Sears was cheaper. That was the last time I worked on his car.

If I were in business now and had a lot of overhead, I suppose I would have to install customer provided parts. I would not like it though. I'd rather keep my overhead low, provide excellent service to those that trusted me to supply the parts, install them and stand behind the job both parts and labor.

So that some of you reading this understand. When a shop has to warranty a defective part, there is no reimbursement to the shop from the supplier for the time. So the shop is eating the time to redo the job and also not making money on pay jobs while they replace that cheap ass Chinese part. That is a double hit.

Shops also have overhead as I mentioned above. The income is from both the labor and parts to cover this overhead. The shop has to purchase tools that the internet vendor does not. Example, how about that expensive Freon recovery machine? How about the coil spring compressor? How about the $20 to $50K in hand tools?

I appreciate trying to save money where you can. If I had to pay someone to keep my antique VW running, I would not own one.
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☮️

[Syncrozilla]

[Bruce Wayne]

[MarkWard]

[Jake de Villiers]

I do most of my own work but do use an excellent shop for jobs I don't want to do in my gravel parking spot, and for my wife's newish Subaru.

I have supplied parts in the past but we have a very good relationship. They don't want customers to supply parts because they can't warranty the work that way, and I don't want to interfere with their ability to make a profit.

I want them to be around when I'm too old and decrepit to fix my own van!
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'84 Vanagon GL 1.9 WBX
'86 Westy Weekender Poptop/2.5 Subaru/5 Speed Posi/Audi Front Brakes/16 x 7 Mercedes Wheels - answers to 'Dixie'
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[SCM]

Suppose that ask my mechanic (a euro car mechanic who occassionally works on Vanagons) to install SS coolant pipes on my Westy.

1) is he even going to know what I'm talking about?

I assume that they are going to have to go through one of the same vendors I have access to so,

2) will the mechanic get a special wholesale price on the pipes or is he going to pay full retail upon which he will then tack on some amount of profit for himself?

3) what if I prefer my money to go to one vendor vs another and specify that the parts be bought from "GoRockyMtnCafeKay"?
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'91 Westfalia GL Automatic (GTA "Turbo" Rebuild w/Peloquin) and 2.3L GoWesty Engine