Bumper to Bumper
Parts Depot
Bad Part Warning!!!
The auto parts business has gone through dramatic changes recently. It used to be that most parts stores were locally owned. Most all parts were manufactured or remanufactured in the U.S.A. , at least for domestic cars. For imports, Japanese parts came from Japan, German parts came from Germany, and so on.
Not so anymore! Almost all auto parts now come from China or Mexico. Low price is the main consideration, and quality takes a back seat.
As to a locally owned parts store, good luck finding one! Every store in Gainesville now is part of a national chain.
In Gainesville the oldest parts store in town (and the last independent parts store) finally "gave in" and "sold out" to the national franchise "BUMPER TO BUMPER" , AKA "PARTS DEPOT". Although not as well known as NAPA, Carquest, or Auto Zone, I had heard of them before and I continued to do a fair amount of business with them after the sellout.
MY SAD STORY
A good customer of mine was going on vacation. His Ford Escort had 80,000 miles on it, and he wanted all the belts, including the timing belt replaced. I recommended replacing the water pump also, since it is driven by the timing belt.
Thank goodness my customer made it back from his vacation, but soon after (less than 3 months) he called me back RED HOT MAD !!!
His car had broken down with a broken timing belt. The timing belt had failed because of a defective bearing on the new water pump I had installed.
Bumper to Bumper agreed to give me a new pump, but when I inspected the replacement pump I could feel looseness in the bearing of the brand new replacement. We broke open 3 new pumps and each one had that looseness which I didn't like.
Because I have been in business for 30 years and depend on word of mouth advertising heavily, I decided to use another brand of water pump for this "warranty job". I didn't need to replace this guy's pump every three months!!!
A few months later the local Bumper to Bumper auto parts store closed down. I knew both managers of the 2 local stores and I asked them what had happened. They said the national guys just showed up without warning, fired everyone in the store, and shut it down. On a Friday they were open for business. Monday they were shut down. So much for the oldest parts store in Gainesville!
I didn't have to fix my customer's car for free. I could have told him it was all the fault of Bumper to Bumper Auto Parts, especially since this was true!!!
But then again, I intend to be in business locally for quite some time, and give quality service to my customers. I don't know what goals Bumper to Bumper Auto Parts and Parts Depot Auto Parts have, but they obviously aren't the same as mine.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Parts quality just isn't as good as it used to be. Still, you can do business with someone who has been in business for awhile,and doesn't leave town like a thief in the night, as Bumper to Bumper seems fond of doing.
Try to buy parts from a supplier you have heard of before: a part in a plain white box may be OK, but why doesn't anyone like to admit making it?
Find out who your mechanic gets the parts from. Ask if there is a warranty. IF YOUR MECHANIC IS BUYING FROM BUMPER TO BUMPER, WATCH OUT! YOUR WARRANTY MAYBE WORTHLESS WHEN THEY LEAVE TOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT!!!
Although it may cost more, parts from the dealer, or from the OEM supplier (Delco for GM, Motocraft for Ford, Mopar for Chrysler/Dodge) are most of the time as good or better than aftermarket or "white box" brands.
The Economechanix Cyber Mall
We also serve the surrounding communities of Alachua, High Springs, Hawthorne, and Newberry!
Thank you for visiting the ECONOMECHANIX WEB SITE. Please feel free to comment. We also serve the surrounding communities of Alachua, High Springs, Hawthorne, and Newberry! Gainesville has been my home since 1974, and I've loved Gvl and the Gators since I came here in the fall of 1974 to attend the University of Florida. I loved it so much I stayed and opened my car repair business. Originally it was out of the back of a 1963 Chevrolet wagon, but in 1977 a fellow mechanic and I opened an auto repair shop with actual walls, etc. I stayed in the same location for 26 years, and recently moved my operation to property I bought 15 miles east of Gainesville. I am doing most all the repairs myself now, having reduced my overhead from $1500 per month to practically nothing. I do work by appointment only. I mostly work only on my established customers cars, but I will occasionally take on new clients. E-mail me and I will either make arrangements to look at your car, or I will recommend you to someone who will.
George G. Scott, Jr.