Buying new parts ?

vette

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Carlstadt
What are some of the places that people have purchase their parts from?
I'm thinking of going with Paragon. Anyone have a favorite vendor they have used?

Thanks,
Danny
 
Depends on what you want to buy..... Suspension and brakes probably Rockauto, AutoZone ..... Wilcox has good deals (and quality) on interior stuff, Vanacor for fiberglass parts , Ecklers is good on fibeglass too but usually more expensive..... For all trailing arm, spindle, bearings kinda stuff: Gary (GTR1999), or Mike (Traccdog2) classiccorvetteparts.....
What I don't buy (anymore) due to bad experience: MidAmerica and Ecklers brand poly bushings ..... Cheap junk......
 
What are some of the places that people have purchase their parts from?
I'm thinking of going with Paragon. Anyone have a favorite vendor they have used?

Thanks,
Danny

Paragon is my favorite for Corvette specific parts.
 
I've had good luck with Paragon, Willcox, and Rik's but have ordered from some of the others also when needed. Just depended on my timeline and the cost. I'm amazed sometimes at the cost difference between vendors although most of the time they are close.

One thing I've learned is to try and avoid the "Corvette premium". Seems an identical part doubles in cost when the word Corvette is attached to it. I've had some luck finding things at RockAuto, Amazon, NAPA, and ebay. Here's a post I made regarding the Corvette premium and the windshield washer pump repair kit: http://www.vettemod.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9363

I've also had some good luck with the local Chevy dealer (Scoggin Dickey). They have an online parts department and ship to other countries as well. Here's their link: https://sdparts.com/. I have no affiliation, just local to me and I'd recommend them.

Since you are doing a full restoration, note that some of the vendors offer discounts for buying a certain volume of parts during a restoration.

DC
 
Full Throttle Corvette
2784 Sugarloaf Pkwy, Suite 202
Lawrenceville,Ga,30045
770-978-0803
 
anywhere - just do not use Corvette South.... I tend to buy from whomever is the cheapest - and that normally is Eckler's for individual parts; and MidAmerica Motorsports for package deals. That said, Corvette Mod has some pretty good prices.

As for customer service, I've had good interactions with Eckler's.

For regular parts - Summit Racing.

Honorable mention is Willcox - nice guys and have some great how-to videos for some of the quirky things that need doing on Corvettes. If you do buy from them you need to use the discount available to Corvette Forum members (which is 15% this weekend) and his website is a bit hard to use....
 
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In 1980 I bought a new frame from GM for my then 1969 Corvette (the 69 frame was slightly bent). In 2008 (?) I decided to use the frame. The 69 had long since been stolen and I had bought a 1970 BB Coupe as a replacement. 28 years after buying the frame, I decided to populate it with the forward subframe pieces, etc for my 70. Things were not fitting. The various Corvette Vendors were not helpful, although they tried a little. Finally, I called Volunteer Vettes...they sell among all the other stuff a lot of frame pieces. They're in Tennessee. Amazing, they took my personal fitment problem as a challenge. After a few back and forth telephone conversations, what they discovered was amazing. In 1980, if you would order a C3 frame from GM, you would be sent a 73 frame! The 73 frame was not compatible exactly with the 68 (of course), and it was also not compatible with the 69 through 72 cars. The 73 had a plastic front bumper. The 73 frame came close to being compatible with the 68-72 cars. In 74 the frame was changed to be more compatible with the plastic front bumper, the 74 frame is not easily backward compatible with a 68 to 73 C3.

If you have a 68 through 72 Corvette and end up with a 73 frame, a body shop can pretty easily make the changes in bolt hole spacings to get things working for you. My congratulations to the person at Volunteer Vettes who worked this all out for me!!! I bought some frame parts from them, but I don't think their profit paid for all the time they spent working on my problem.
 
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after 30 years of buying stuff from ecklers they ticked me off for the last time and will never use them again, and i live 18 miles from them. i use wilcox,keen corvette central and volunteer. i got an overflow bottle for my 79 the clerk at ecklers insisted was not made from wilcox. i bought 2 armrests color matched for my car from wilcox with 2 day shipping for 22 dollars less than ecklers store pick up.:censored:
 
I've always had good dealings with VB&P.

YES, and what attracted me to them some 18 years ago, upon buying my '72, is they had mild modifications for my otherwise stock car.....things like springs/shocks/etc.....I can't remember what all....interior came from Corvette Central?? some outfit in Ca.....maybe through Wilcox or some other dealer....

only been 18 years now....

:crutches:
 
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