JBugs or Wolfsburg West or ...?

[Freebirdbeachbum]

I'm a newbie to VW restoration with a LOT of cosmetic parts to replace on my '71 convertible (pretty much everything) plus floor pans. Mechanically it's OK for now.

I would appreciate any feedback on these two suppliers or others as to which should be my go-to and for what category of parts (e.g. JBugs for seats covers but WW for seat foam).

Thanks,

Ken

[sshulk]

For floor pans use WW. I believe they have the best quality because the metal gauge they use is thicker similar to the original
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17 years old
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Filthy Buggers

[VW_Jimbo]

I try and use my local supplier as much as possible. I am a small business owner and know how hard it is to keep a business going. That said, I believe that pricing must be fair, meaning I will pay up to 10% more at a store front for my parts, but the service ought to be better than what I can get on line.

Beyond that, they carry the same shit. WW actually goes beyond just being a middleman. They have direct suppliers manufacturing parts for them. So they are active.

My most recent problem with both of them was with a hazard switch. WW sent me one. It was faulty. They offered nothing to me, nothing. They would not take it back either. So, I will not buy from them anymore, UNLESS I can not get the part anywhere else. JBugs sent me a Hazard switch to. It was a piece of shit! But when I called them, they offered a return! That is good business. My experience. WW was great back in the 80s and 90s, when Tony had just started. I would buy thousands of dollars worth of stuff from him. I used to restore Ovals. But after they got big, they got distant. Not good in this business, as we all know one another!
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Jimbo

There is never enough time to do it right the first time, but all the time necessary the second time!

[hotsam]

For the big vendors, based on my 2 or 3 years with VWs...

WW - great so far, very fast shipping, will call for orders that don't make sense (like accidentally ordering seatbelts in different colors)
JBugs - no issues, slower shipping, but still good
CIP1 - will sell you anything from crap to great - but they will tell you if it's crap or great. Shipping is typically free but slow.
Aircooled.net - top notch customer support, prices may be a bit higher, but in my mind great support is worth it. I order from here more and more frequently.
MTMFG - online interface is pretty terrible, but they are on the east coast (like me) and the prices are fair, so I sometimes use them.
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1968 Beetle

[vamram]

[baldessariclan]

I've been buying a lot of parts from Wolfsburg West, Cip1, JBugs, et al. over the past couple years, while working on a "rolling restoration" project 1971 Beetle.

They all seem to sell merchandise which is "some good, some not-so-good". But my overall personal experience so far has been that the best chance for obtaining good quality parts the first time around is usually with Wolfsburg West. Then I'll try Cip1, then JBugs, etc.

Few other sources to consider are "West Coast Metric" (often very good-to-best quality available rubber / seal parts), "Airhead Parts" (good for used parts), "Bug City" (lots of original German / NOS parts -- usually at a $$ premium, though), "Aircooled.net", etc.

Customer service experience has been similar to what folks above relay -- WW is often helpful, but can also seem a bit "stingy" at times. JBugs is indeed very easy to return merchandise to -- which is a good thing since I estimate I've had to send back over 50% of what I've ordered from them, due to poor quality and/or non-functional products I received.

In the end I suppose it ultimately depends on your own personal preferences, based on the well established principle of "Good / Fast / Cheap -- pick any two..."
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1971 Standard Beetle — fairly stock / driver

baldessariclan -- often in error, never in doubt...

[Freebirdbeachbum]

Thanks all for your prompt responses.
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1971 Super Beetle Convertible
1986 Alfa Romeo Spider
2017 Triumph Tiger Explorer
1972 Honda CB750 Four
1980 Honda 500CX Custom
1968 Benelli Cobra
1965 Moto Guzzi Lodola GT

[Chris333]

I like how Jbugs will tell you if a certain parts will not last long. An some of the crappy aftermarket stuff they tell you how to make it work better.

[Cusser]

[Frodge]

I used to buy mostly from Wolfsburg West. Now I try to get everything in excellent used or NOS condition from the classifieds. You get what you pay for, or sometimes a little less.

[VW_Jimbo]

[Xenophek]

I think everybody has opinions about suppliers, and if you want mine I'd say that I use Jbugs almost exclusively for these two reasons:

1) Their phone support ROCKS. They have that old-school kind of phone support where you talk to a person that knows what they're doing. You can ask the sales people about parts related to what you're working on and they'll generally be able to tell you if the part will fit, if you'll need a seal or something you didn't know about, etc. When in doubt, call them on the phone because they usually know what they're doing.

*except that one guy at Jbugs who is always an asshole on the phone. I hate that guy.

2) They restore cars and have great videos on youtube. There are people working there that can give you the knowledge you need to keep moving with your restoration. They put enough work into high production quality videos that I want to keep supporting them and their work in the VW community

[Frodge]

To me the quality of the part is the most important. I hate putting a piece of garbage in the car and having to do the job over again.

[AlmostHeavenWV_VW]

All the feedback on any notable VW supplier you could ever want:

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewforum.php?f=14

Type the name in the search box of the supplier in question and you get a dedicated page to their feedback on parts and customer service
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1973 Standard Beetle
1600DP AK case
Solex 34PICT3 Carb
Bosch DVDA 205AJ Distributor

[ricaroo]

I just received a part I ordered from JBugs and the sticker on the part said Wolfsburg West

Go figure...

Rick
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1971 Standard Beetle 2 dr Sedan 1600dp

[AlmostHeavenWV_VW]

[Frodge]

I haven’t bought anything from any of these suppliers in a couple years. When I started in this hobby, Wolfsburg West and West Coast Metric were the go to places. Seems like they’re all in bed with each other now, which really complicates things. I’ll continue to always go to the classified section and get good german original parts as much as I can.

[H2OSB]

Another one not mentioned yet is CBPerformance. Any time I've ever had an issue with something purchased from them, they're right on it to get the problem sorted.

Can't go wrong with Aircooled.net. John, the owner is on here all the time, is a very personable guy, and willing to give advice.

I like MTMFG for sheet metal and pans. Their site is a little funky, but I like how they give reasons for carrying the parts they have. They carry the same pans as WW. I think there's one other vendor who has those pans. So either WW, MTMFG, or the other guys. I wouldn't cheap out on pans.

I like West Coast Metric for rubber parts. Never had a single issue with a single part from them. Many vendors carry their rubber. I buy from them directly.

CIP1, Jbugs, Socal Imports and quite a few others, I kinda put all in the same category. The only nod to CIP1 is they're the U S importer for CSP parts, but if they dont have the thing you want, they charge a bundle for the special order.

H2OSB

[Cusser]

[raymondball]

WW has nice quality for the most part but they will cost you. So it depends on your priorities for the part. CIP1 has great shipping. I ordered a muffler and a coil on Tue night an it arrived in Buffalo, NY Thursday afternoon.