Lawrie
I expect you'll get some flack over this post!
Many small suppliers do indeed only stock fast moving items but many others
supply parts that the big three do not supply at all - they're called
SPECIALISTS!!
I know of gearbox parts suppliers that stock items that the biggies do not,
Autogear Ltd for example. I myself have dug out of old stocks gearbox parts
for people on this list that were unobtainable elsewhere.
Quite often, people try the small suppliers for the difficult to find time
consuming parts but get their quick moving easy items from the biggies.
Sometimes the people who provide the bread would also like a little jam!!
john
----------
From: owner-mgs@autox.team.net on behalf of britcars@juno.com
Sent: 18 December 1996 19:05
To: mgs@autox.team.net
Subject: Parts suppliers
Recent correspondence has dealt with peoples' excitement at finding new
sources for parts for our LBCs at prices lower than "the big three". Can
I offer a thought that I feel should be borne in mind when choosing
suppliers?
In twenty years of restoring LBCs, I have found that buying for less is
not always the best way to go. The smaller companies generally sell only
the fast-moving, most frequently purchased items. Volume enables them to
price these things lower. But when it comes to the hard-to-find parts
that are so often critical to completing a restoration, they don't have
them.
These parts, often NLS from the original manufacturer, have in most cases
been re-manufactured as a result of the investment of many thousands of
dollars by the big three (especially Moss Motors). Without this
investment on their part, I know our shop would not have been able to
complete a lot of the jobs we have done. If we buy only these
hard-to-find parts from the big three, their sales and profits fall, and
they will be less likely to continue the investment needed to keep
virtually everything we need in stock.
Doesn't it make sense, in the long run, to support the people who are
willing to tie up lots of their money in helping keep our cars on the
road, rather than putting money into the pockets of the people interested
only in selling the fast-moving bits?
Lawrie Alexander
|