Dealer parts?

[Lil Lulu]

Friend asked me yesterday if VW dealers carry any parts for the bus. Had to say “Duh, got me. I haven’t been in a dealership in 50 years”.

Now I’m curious. There must be some parts available, right?
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'65 Beetle "Lil' Lulu"- Ruby Red
1600 stock from '71 bus

'72 Deluxe - Niagara Blue w/pastelwiess Camper Special 2L dual 40 Webers 002

'74 Hightop Weekender "Dixie" 1800 34 Del singles

[Glenn]

Dealers have limited space so storing parts for 60 year old cars is not worth it for them. Even things like tune up parts and wiper blades are not available at dealers.

A few years ago I was contacted by the local dealership, a customer came in and wanted the engine in his 74 Super Convertible rebuilt by a dealership since he didn't trust anyone else.

They didn't have anyone who ever worked on an aircooled VW and not idea where to get parts. They contracted with me to build the engine. I had to go there to tell them how to take it out and how to put it back in. I then took the engine home and rebuilt it in my basement, not a single part came from the dealership. I gave them a detailed list of all the parts I used and their cost.

I have no idea how they wrote up the customer's bill but i'm sure they added a few thousands to the bill.

I did hear back the the customer was thrilled how well the engine ran.

I even rebuilt the distributor and had carb rebuilt.
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Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"

Member #1009

#BlueSquare

[skills@eurocarsplus]

[Wildthings]

When I first got into VW 45 years ago I was shocked at how much they wanted for parts, often 4 times or more than what I could buy the identical part for aftermarket, this has kept my shadow from blocking light going through their door very often. VW also had a weird policy of not selling things in sets (like not having engine gasket kits) when it was extremely reasonable to do so and selling things only as sets (connecting rods) when there was little reason to do so.

For my Toyotas I checked with the dealer first and bought almost 100% of my parts from them, while for my VW's I checked with the dealer last and bought little.

[vwwestyman]

Heck, on my recent trip to Wisconsin, the cap on the last diesel fuel injector line started leaking. I was in Minneapolis/St. Paul area when I found it. I figured surely a dealership in a big city like that would have this teeny-tiny part.

Called a place and was told they'd have to order it in.

Instead, I bought several 1/8" vacuum line nipples and used one of them for now.
_________________
Dave Cook

President, Wild Westerner Club

1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing

[skills@eurocarsplus]

well, there is a difference in being able to get it vs being in stock.

99% of the time dealers have it next day. dealer parts basically keep wear items and maintenance items in stock unless there is a 'trend' in one part, like drivers window regulators for example.

what you're going to find is a whole lot less "NOS" parts in the future because the dealer has no reason to stock something. every part sitting on a dealer shelf was bought from the parent company. dealers aren't going to buy stuff they can't move
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[SGKent]

the Harley Davidson chapter in "Search for Excellence" explains it all. Since that time, based on the Japanese production model, manufacturers only make what they need in the next 48 - 96 hours or so. Their service parts warehouses don't stock items either like they did 40 years ago. Too easy to ship small items coast to coast. If I put $1,000,000 in inventory and sell $20,000 worth of parts a month I might make $3,000 in profits after I pay cost, overhead and labor. That doesn't include my $1,000,000 investment or factoring fees on it if it is financed. But if I stock $30,000 in daily items like filters, brake pads etc., then my profit is much more reasonable. General rule of thumb these days is to sell everything you have in stock at least once every 45 - 60 days. Industry says that Walmart turns their stock on an average of 42 days. It is also why we get into shortages so easily since Covid / SARS-2, and why inflation is going to take a bigger bite of your income than certain politicians are willing to tell you.
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“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin

[oscarsnapkin]

I bought the engine ground connector (the 3 or 4 prong thing that is attached to one of the case bolts) for my Bus a few years back at a dealership. It is/was apparently used on some more modern cars. I guess you can get lucky with something like that if it has been carried over. I can’t imagine there would be too many parts though.
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- 1977 CEI Sunroof Bus 2.0L F.I. Hydraulic Lifters
- 1973 Thing

"It’s so easy to laugh, it’s so easy to hate, it takes strength to be gentle and kind."

[Wildthings]

When bus thermostats disappeared from the VW aftermarket supply chain 15'ish years ago, I called up the dealer to see if VW had any in their parts system. Was told there were two on the shelves somewhere in Florida for something like $11 a piece. Told the VW parts man to get both of them for me.

[airschooled]

I bought the front door lock internal springs from Bob Baker, and they had them in a day.
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Learn how your vintage VW works. And why it doesn't!
One-on-one tech help for your Volkswagen:
www.airschooled.com

[Alan Brase]

Back in the 80's I could do some reasonable trade with the dealer. Especially special items or close out. I had a 4 year old 1978 Champagne edition bus. I got to talking with the parts man, I could have my choice of the overhead dealer installed air or the under dash. I chose overhead. $525 complete in the sealed box. What a BUNCH of work to install. No wonder no one wanted to buy them. I still saved the A/c. not so much the bus. (Bad move)
About that time, fall 1985 he handed me a printout: "Scrap 1985" told me to take it home, they'd sell me stuff for $20% markup. I bought every piece of splitty sheet metal listed, and a lot of bay parts. I ran out of money. They showed right and left corners for bay pickups. I think they had 44 of one side and 11 of the other, I bought 2 each. for $7 each. $28.+ 20%. This about a month before I bought my 1969 double cab, but I was aware of what these parts fit. I did also buy every CE interior carpet and seat cover, I think 3 for the middle seat, which I figured I could cut up and patch my front seats. I sold most every part on theSamba about 20 years later.
It was always great getting these parts because you knew they would fit perfectly.
Some regular prices were ridiculously expensive. Gas heater parts: Wire harness was about $1000.
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Al Brase
Projects: 67 sunroof bug, 67 Porsche 912 Targa, 70 Westy
Dec 1955 Single Cab pickup WANT 15" BUS RIMS dated 8/55, thru 12/55
To New owners: 1969 doublecab, 1971 Dormobile
Vanagons:
80 P27 Westy JUL 1979, 3rd oldest known US
83 1.6TD Vanagon, 87 Wolfie Westy daily driver, swap meet home

[Abscate]

It’s still 3-4x for OE over aftermarket.

Why would anyone pay $150 for a Volvo caliper , when I can get a Cardone for $40 , seize up the pot metal caliper side pins in one winter, ruining the pads and rotor, and doing the whole job again in 12 months! Look at the saved money!
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.ssS!

[Alan Brase]

[Cap10323]

[Abscate]

[raygreenwood]

[skills@eurocarsplus]

[airschooled]

[Abscate]

[skills@eurocarsplus]