pennylane

I found some vw jetta parts online for my dad's '75 jetta.. The car needs replacement parts immediately, but my dad doesn't trust anything sold over the internet. Which is better? Online or offline auto parts retailers?

denisond3

There are perfectly reputable parts sources on the internet, but there are shysters too. I know that www.rockauto.com has a good reputation, as does www.summitracing, and www.jegs.com. Beyond that I could only say you should try a small order and see how it goes. I recently ordered $700 worth of stuff from rockauto. It has all arrived, and I am in the process of rebuilding the engine. I am going to order a transmission rebuild kit from an ebay seller called CTpowertrain. They have a very good feedback rating. On ebay you can look at the feeback rating of sellers, and see if you are satisfied with their reputation.
www.jcwhitney.com usually is satisfactory, but they wont have the highest quality. They are consistent in providing their parts though. I have never had a beef with anything I bought from them. The only place you can sometimes beat their prices is on ebay.
One of the nice things about rockauto is that you often get to choose the quality of the part you want - and the price reflects it.

bamerkley

Help!!!! I Have An 81 Jetta That Runs Great But Failed Inspection Twice Due To Tires, Breaks, And Some Very Minor Things. I Need Help Deciding What To Do... I Bought Car 3 Years Ago For 2500 And Now Am Thinking Maybe I Should Sell For Parts Or Should I Fix? I Have A Feeling It Is Not Worth Fixing- Already Put Work Into It And Mechanics Are Being Picky. Help Me- Need Advise From A Pro! I Am New To This!!!

denisond3

Im not a pro, just a hobbyist, but have gotten to where I rebuild engines and transmissions in my cars for the fun of it.
Here is what my viewpoint would be: If the car is not rusty, its almost certainly going to be cheaper to keep it running than to buy any newer car. And it would be much more expensive if you bought a new car of course. You could spend 1/4th the price of a new car and get a lot of repairs done on an old Jetta.
Admittedly there is the problem of finding a mechanic who has experience with the older cars, and of finding the parts. You may find you have to spend time locating parts and waiting for them to be shipped to your town, and to your mechanic. A 1981 Jetta is old enough that lots of parts will no longer be stocked at local auto parts outlets.
I dont know where you live in Canada, but how much do they salt the roads in the winters? That can cause a lot of corrosion on the bottom of the car. Things like brake lines can get so rusty that they should be replaced. This isnt rocket science to do, but if you have it done - its labor intensive work. (Im doing it myself to an 87 Dodge Omni right now). Its all too common for cars in upstate New York to look great - until you lie under it looking up at the brake lines, the handbrake cables, the subframe, etc. However, VWs have a better reputation for standing up to road salt than do American brands; Chev, Dodge, Ford, etc. It can make a huge difference in the condition of the car if prior owners kept it in a garage instead of having it sit outside in all weather.
With a car over 20 years old, its entirely natural to have tires and brake sbe issues at the safety inspection times. On our 87 Dodge and 92 ford Escort the safety inspectors (in Texas) passed both cars last winter, but I subsequently replaced the rear wheel cylinders, handbrake cables, some brake lines and the springs inside the brake drums, due to them being corroded to what I considered a dangerous degree. Both cars had spent their early life in the northern U.S. But the 1990 Jetta I got from a brother-in-law had spent its life in Dallas Texas, where there is little rain and never any salt on the roads - and the underside of that car is totally rust free. Shiny even. I just have to fix its tranny.