Online, you can find used auto parts to suit your needs. However, if you want to buy a new auto part, which is a mechanical one, then you have to consider the difference in wear between the adjoining ones. The older your vehicle is, the greater the difference. Therefore, in this case it is better to look for used pieces. If the car is just a few years old, then you can go for factory original parts.

Let us start with ease of obtaining. Obviously newer car parts will be easier to get than older ones. A friend of mine still has a 1975 Pontiac Lemans. To obtain parts for this car he has to literally go to junk yards and even online. No new car dealers keep parts beyond 10 years or so and even auto parts stores limit their inventory to cars under 20 years. A 30 year old vehicle is almost impossible to find parts for. Plus, if you can find the part, depending on where you get it, the cost could be anywhere from 20 to 100% over the original part cost. To say that late model car owners are taken advantage of would be a gross understatement.

Ensure that all tyres are inflated to the correct pressure. Take a look over the tyres to check for any cuts and bulges, and also check for tyre wear to make sure that the tyres are not so worn down that it is unsafe to drive the car. Ensuring that the tyres and correctly aligned will also prolong tyre life. For safety, and to get the most out of your tyres, rotate your tyres from front to rear every 5000 miles or so.

Compare the prices of the shops around you. Not all auto repair shops are created equal. Finding an honest mechanic who is just trying to make an honest living without stealing all of your money in the process is not as hard to find as you might think. There are definitely the more shady mechanics out there, but they are usually pretty easy to spot. Make sure that when you get an estimate on the repair to compare what they say is wrong with your car also. Sometimes they will find different things wrong in different shops, and try to discern what is probably them trying to trick you and who is being honest. Also when you tell a shop that you are going to shop around, sometimes they will instantly lower their price just to try to get your business immediately.

It is a good idea to shop around for an auto repair shop before you actually need one; it will help when making decisions because you are not in rush or in a panic. Do not just pick the first muscle car classifieds that you come across. A little bit of extra effort and time spent in this direction can pay off in big dividends and wind-up saving you a bundle of cash in the process.

So over this 2 year period before I opened my shop I accumulated every major tool I needed and paid cash for all of it. The great thing about this was the day I opened my shop I was debt free.

While inspecting a second-hand car make sure that you take a car mechanic along with you. Only a mechanic will be in a position to inspect the car thoroughly and identify defects which may include corrosion, fluid leaks, previous crash damage, engine issues etc. Do not be misled by the physical appearance of the car.

Another option is to purchase auto parts via the bidding process held by auto parts auctions. Auctions are best known for great bargains. For one is the price control. You pay what you think the part is worth. The downside is the time it can take to for the auction to end. There are different types of auctions and many have the «Buy It Now» option to speed up the process.