What Do “Car Parts” Mean to You?

Say “car parts”, and the images conjured up in the mind of the average petrol-head will be positive. They’re buying car parts almost every week, forever fiddling here and tweaking there, and happily helping their buddies when it comes time to lie around the driveway all weekend getting covered in grease! For another significant percentage of people, however, “car parts” make them feel uneasy, out of their depth, and worried about getting ripped off or sucked into a long back and forth trying to find the correct components.

There was a time; it has to be said, many years ago, when South Africa had to negotiate an influx of new foreign makes and their models entering the country. With the global changes in the auto industry at the time, as well as South Africa liberalising some previous regulations, it’s fair to say that a far more diverse range of car parts began entering the country, and many charlatans saw a window opening and jumped into the spares game.

Car Parts Needn’t Be Scary!

Of course, there was always a reputable car parts supply across the land at the time, on top of various automakers dealing in their branded parts, but especially with the advent of Asian vehicles entering SA–remember when Hyundai first landed on our shores? Things became a lot more detailed in the spares industry. Not everyone was out to do shady deals, and many new entrants into the market were honest people who simply didn’t understand what they were getting themselves into. However, the momentary battle to regulate the car parts industry at the time, certainly helped feed the fears of that second group of people mentioned above!auto spares pretoria

Luckily, while unpleasant in the moment, such market dynamics are great winnowers of the wheat from the chaff, so to speak. Put another way, whenever a regular market experiences such novel and disruptive inputs, the better outlets get stronger, as consumers pretty quickly come to know who to trust and where to find a reputable supply of car parts when they need it. In a funny way, just like hard-sell tactics by the timeshare industry haven’t done anything but make truly worthwhile holiday destinations and accommodation more valuable today, so too did the abundance of startup (and often dubious) spares outlets at the time simply make for a legitimate and far more professional car parts industry in South Africa today.

How to Get the Right Car Parts First Time Round

The charlatans have all but gone, and today’s parts market is highly competitive and professional in approach. Not everyone boasts great customer service (or neat and tidy shopfronts, of course!), but for those who dread the prospect of finding the spares they need, there are a few pointers towards peace of mind that take all of the sting out of car parts shopping today. Firstly, find a dedicated outlet. Look for a reputable, busy outlet that has car parts as its sole focus. They’ll be importing, trading, stripping, and refurbishing car parts, and whatever else they do, it’ll still come back to being all about car parts!

Part-time wreck strippers who are actually towing concerns or small-scale car dealers who “also offer spares” can’t hope to match the level of stockholding and service a dedicated spares outlet can. Secondly, lean heavily on the guy behind the counter. You’ll know a reputable car parts supplier by their busy shop, with customers coming and going – a great indicator of people who know what they’re doing and know what you need to know about whatever make or model you’re trying to refurbish or repair. It only takes a few minutes to see that the guy behind the counter knows all of those ins and outs, and that’s a huge reassurance.

Get the Minimum Information Clear, and the Rest is Easy

A reputable supplier shares information freely and will keep you from making wrong purchases, save you time and money by supplying you correctly the first time around, and will also give you the various options on parts, with their respective guarantees. Lastly, supply the correct information! While that savvy fellow behind the counter will almost always be able to steer you right if you’re listing an incorrect model type or other specifications for a particular make of car, it helps you feel more assured if you know exactly what model your car is, and what components you need.

It also shortens the timeline if you can walk in knowing precisely what you’re looking for. You don’t have to know what it looks like or even exactly what it does, but start the journey armed with the correct information, and it will be a short one.

A.S.A.P. Spares is All About Keeping You Rolling

At  A.S.A.P. Spares, we’ve built up a large clientele simply by being wholly focused on getting you going with the right car parts as fast as possible. We supply new and used car parts for a number of selected makes of cars, but also have a general inventory to better service all comers. We strip spares all the time, providing great value for money on excellent used spares, and we also stock brand new original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts and generics – pretty much offering the widest range at the best prices; that’s our model.

You can trust A.S.A.P. Spares to supply only quality car parts, no matter the make, model, whether they’re new or used – we stand by whatever we supply, and we know it’s going to be fit for purpose and a good deal to boot. Call us or simply swing by the yard –we love seeing your issues sorted, knowing that when you buy from us, you’re good to go!