What you should know about used auto & truck parts
An automobile for most people in this country is not a luxury. It is a necessity. It represents a sizable investment and its operation and upkeep are becoming increasingly expensive.
Seven out of ten cars operating today are more than three years old. In fact, more than half of them are five years old or older. Car owners need to reduce the costs of operating their vehicles, especially the older ones, while maintaining their efficiency. One of the best ways is to buy used parts and components when replacements are needed.
There are two good reasons for shopping at Coronado Auto Recyclers. First, the price of a used part is usually one-third or more under that of a new part. Second, used parts are very often more readily available than new parts, particularly if the auto is more than three or four years old.
Few new car dealers stock the large number of replacement parts needed to supply the wide range of models produced annually by each manufacturer. Shortages of materials have sometimes curtailed production of replacement parts.
Used parts & where they come from
A used part is just that: a part that has been on an operating vehicle before.
The primary source of used parts are cars obtained from insurance companies which take in autos assessed as totally demolished (totalled) in accidents and not worth the investment in repairing them.
About 60% of the cars coming to a used parts dealer are from insurance companies. The remainder are acquired from private owners or from public agencies which pick up abandoned cars or derelicts.
The important thing for a buyer to remember is that no matter what the overall condition of the car, there are still good usable components on it. An insurance company may rate a car totalled when the doors, windshield, engine, transmission and other parts still have long service remaining in them.
Just consider the car a container for its parts. The dealer dismantles it, stocking only those parts suitable to offer for re-sale.
Dollar Savings
Supply and demand are the key elements of the pricing policies of the industry. You can expect to save between 30% and 70% of a comparable new part and often with a longer warranty than furnished by a new or rebuilt parts dealer.
Buying a used engine
(an example) The key component of any auto is the engine. It is possible to buy new engine serviceability without paying the price of a new unit. Taxicab and truck fleet owners regularly install used engines knowing they will get thousands of miles of service from them at a fraction of a new motor's cost.
A used engine is sold complete with heads, manifolds, water and fuel pumps, distributor, wires and coil, usually just as it was assembled at the factory. Since all components are already attached to the engine, it can be easily installed with less labor cost and less time out of service.
When purchasing a used, not a rebuilt engine, keep this important point in mind: while a used engine is generally sold complete, all the dealer is charging for (and all the buyer is paying for) is the block and heads. The other attached parts are left on the engine for convenience and to make installation easier. These attached parts are not usually covered in the warranty.
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