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I have used RockAuto for many parts purchases for the family "fleet". The website is intuitive and easy to use, ordering, shipping, email confirmation and follow up tracking is among the best. Customer service after the sale is great too... I will absolutely be using RockAuto in the future.
John in Michigan
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Upcoming Events
If you would like your event featured here e-mail with details. |
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Annual East Coast Buick Regionals
9/19/2014
Rising Sun, MD
e-mail
2014 A Pontiac Celebration Eastern Regional Meet
9/19/2014
Warwick, RI
e-mail
Wild Rose Classic Car Show
9/19/2014
Wild Rose, WI
e-mail
Sebring Thunder 2014
9/19/2014
Sebring, FL
e-mail
Country Corvette Annual Corvette Cruise-In
9/20/2014
Winston-Salem, NC
e-mail
One Love for Dylan Car & Bike Show
9/20/2014
Anniston, AL
e-mail
Memory Lane Cruisers
9/20/2014
Clarksville, TN
e-mail
Annual Carfest & Cruiz-In
9/20/2014
Washington, IN
e-mail
1st Annual Rabun County Classic Wheels Car Show
9/20/2014
Tiger, GA
e-mail
All Air-Cooled Gathering
9/20/2014
Hillsborough Township, NJ
e-mail
Iowa All Breeds Jeep Show
9/20/2014
Nevada, IA
e-mail
Fallen Army Aviator Car Show
9/20/2014
Jackson, TN
e-mail
Rusty Rockers Annual Car Show
9/21/2014
Eureka, IL
e-mail
GTO Association of Pennslyvania 15th Annual Pontiac-Oldsmobile-Buick Car Show
9/21/2014
Easton, PA
e-mail
National Muster hosted by SMART
9/21/2014
Hemet, CA
e-mail
Rockland Rodders Pearl River Auto Show
9/21/2014
Pearl River, NY
e-mail
Pathfinder Reg Voc Tech High School Car Show
9/21/2014
Palmer, MA
e-mail
2014 Poker Run/Car Show
9/21/2014
Portland, OR
e-mail
4th Annual SVFD Car & Bike Show
9/27/2014
Swannanoa, NC
e-mail
24th Annual Texas All British Car Days
9/27/2014
Round Rock, TX
e-mail
3rd Annual Petit Jean Mountain Car, Truck, Motorcycle Show & Shine
9/27/2014
Morrilton, AR
e-mail
Living Legends Mustang Club Stampede
9/27/2014
Brandon, MS
e-mail
1st Annual Medi Hospice Car Show
9/27/2014
Charlottesville, VA
e-mail
Hartford Fire Department Hoses & Hot Rods
9/27/2014
Hartford, KY
e-mail
3B's Run
9/27/2014
Denver, CO
e-mail
6th Annual Cruise for Troops
9/27/2014
Minneapolis, MN
e-mail
4th Annual Log Cabin Days Car Show
9/28/2014
Indianola, IA
e-mail
Trackside Mustang & All Ford Car Show
9/28/2014
Joliet, IL
e-mail
10th Annual Ocotberfest Show & Shine
9/28/2014
La Crosse, WI
e-mail
Illinois Plastic Kit Toy Show
9/28/2014
Downers Grove, IL
e-mail
9th Annual Gahanna Community Church Car Show
9/28/2014
Canal Winchester, OH
e-mail
Wheel Days "Just Cruise-In"
9/28/2014
Brookfield, NY
e-mail
2014 Ponte Vedra Auto Show
9/28/2014
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
e-mail
3rd Memories on Main St.
9/28/2014
St. Louis, MO
e-mail
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Westar Auto Parts |
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Many more hard to find parts just became easy to find with the addition of Westar to the RockAuto catalog. Top quality Westar parts with RockAuto's reliably low prices! Westar builds motor, transmission, and strut mounts, drive shaft center supports, and numerous suspension parts you might think are only available from car dealerships, if they are available at all. For example, restore an air suspension to like new with Westar air springs, or completely replace a failure prone air suspension with a Westar shock absorber conversion kit.
Westar was founded in 1986 in Maryland. Westar's well-equipped R&D department, state-of-the-art endurance test machines and ISO 9001 and TS169469 certified manufacturing facilities help ensure that their parts meet or exceed original equipment specifications in both fit and function.
Maybe you have given up on finding parts for an antique or are considering trading in a late-model vehicle because the parts it needs seem too expensive? Before you despair, open the catalog! Whether you need motor mounts for a 1948 Ford F2, a drive shaft center support for a 2000 GMC K3500, a transmission mount for a 1998 Lexus LX470 or an air compressor for a 2011 Mercury Grand Marquis, find Westar parts under the Engine, Transmission- Manual, Transmission-Automatic, Suspension and Drivetrain categories of the RockAuto catalog. |
Forum of the Month |
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GMT400.com is the ultimate '88-'98 GM truck forum. We cover a range of topics from street and track, to lifted and offroad, to the interior and exterior. By joining, you will be invited to share your wisdom or learn something new. Registering is fast, free and simple! Once you’ve registered share a picture of your truck in "The Member Truck Thread" and introduce yourself in the "Introduction" area and tell us about your truck!
If you are the
administrator or member of a forum
and you would like to see your website
featured in an upcoming newsletter
and receive a discount code to share
with your members, contact cynthia@rockauto.com. |
Repair
Mistakes & Blunders |
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One Saturday morning, several of us guys were hanging out at the local store/gas station shooting the breeze. A lady pulled up to the pumps in an old Chevy Caprice, and the owner of the store proceeded to pump the gas for her. A few minutes later, she was still sitting in the car. We realized she was having car trouble.
A couple guys went outside and the next thing you know, the hood of the stalled Caprice was up. But, after a while, it still was not running. Next, someone tried jump-starting the car, but the starter would not turn at all. Then someone started banging on the starter with a hammer - eventually pronouncing the battery and starter as bad. Finally, one of the members of our brain trust had an idea. Our new hero decided to check the fuse panel under the dash. Next thing we know the car started right up!
While checking the fuses, he noticed that the transmission had been in Drive instead of Park the entire time. DUH!
Check the simple and least expensive things first!
Dale in North Carolina
Tell us about
your most infamous auto repair blunder
or unconventional fix. Use your woe
to help others avoid similar mistakes
or share off-the-wall solutions that
worked (at least for a while!). Please
e-mail your story to flamur@rockauto.com.
Include your mailing address and if
you would like a RockAuto T-Shirt
(please let us know your shirt size)
or Hat if we publish your story. See
the T-Shirts and Hats under Tools
& Universal Parts in the catalog.
The story will be credited using only
your first name and your vague geographic
location (state, province, country,
continent, etc.) so you can remain
semi-anonymous! |
Automotive Trivia |
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The tire store technician was the first to tell the used car lot owner that the '67 Mustang GT and '86 SVO Mustang he had just bought at auction were not authentic. What might might have tipped the technician off about both cars?
A. Neither car had the original supercharger.
B. Both cars' wheels used four lug nuts.
C. Both cars had disc brakes.
Answer
below |
Caring for Boots |
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If you want to meet Mopar fans without needing to turn a wrench, then buy a late-model Dodge Challenger. I have been surprised by the number of friendly Chrysler buffs that come up to me in parking lots and start reminiscing about the Barracuda, Coronet, etc. they own or once owned. Maybe it is the “Plum Crazy” paint on my Challenger, the baldness of my head or the grease under my fingernails, but somehow they know I am one of them.
This century’s Challenger is modern below its retro skin. One of the modern features that may surprise classic car enthusiasts is the abundance of flexible boots/bellows underneath. The independent rear suspensions, common on newer cars, use CV half shafts similar to those found on front wheel drive and four wheel drive vehicles.
Every new vehicle built these days likely has flexible boots protecting CV joints, inner tie rods, struts and/or brake components. The boots are relatively inexpensive, but they usually protect expensive parts. Replacing cracked boots can also require a lot of labor. This leads customers to wonder if there is any routine maintenance that can help boots last longer.
Typical CV, Steering and Brake Caliper Pin Boots
Flexible boots/bellows are usually made from a neoprene-based synthetic rubber recipe. Neoprene is used in all sorts of abusive environments including freeway expansion joints, power line insulation, timing belts, engine mounts and shoe soles. Neoprene-based rubber boots are built to survive underneath a car. They withstand oil, dirt and temperature changes. They are designed to flex multiple times during every mile the car is driven.
Ozone and UV rays are enemies of automotive rubbers and plastics. Underneath the car, boots are mostly hidden from the sun’s UV rays. Neoprene withstands ozone well, and there really isn’t much a car owner can realistically do to protect their boots from the air. Well-intentioned efforts might even backfire. Something like silicone or petroleum jelly smeared on a boot will attract dirt that could cause premature wear inside the boot’s folds. Here are my two tips for making automotive boots last longer.
- Regularly replace your shocks and/or struts. Shocks/struts control suspension movement. Less extreme suspension movement means less extreme flexing of the CV joint and steering boots. This theory has been quasi-proven by a non-scientific test using my wife’s 1987 Mazda 323. Its CV joint boots split and needed to be replaced twice within a couple of years. I started following the rule of replacing the struts every 50,000 miles (80,000 km) and have not needed to replace the boots since. New shocks/struts also help protect other suspension, brake, steering, etc. parts.
- Periodically rinse mud, salt and other debris off of boots so it does not start grinding away like sandpaper at the boots’ surfaces. Keeping the boots clean will also make it easier to inspect them for cracks and tears. Catching a cracked boot early and replacing it is the only way to prevent dirt from getting inside and damaging the part the boot is meant to protect.
Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com
To read more of Tom's articles, click this link and choose from story titles on the Newsletter Archives page.
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Vic's 1978 Lotus Esprit |
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This is my 1978 Lotus Esprit S2. I purchased this car in 1996 when it had some fiberglass damage on the front end. I performed all of the fiberglass repairs and painted the car in my garage. I updated the style to match the European S3 model, with blacked-out trim and different bumpers. Lotus often used parts from several manufacturers on their cars, like Toyota engines in the new Evora and an Isuzu engine in the '91 Elan. On this early Esprit, Lotus used a complete front suspension from a GM Opel Manta (upper and lower control arms, spindle, hub, rotor and caliper). The 4-cylinder 2.0L engine used in the Esprit is a Lotus design, but Lotus also provided this engine for use in Jensen Healeys.
The Opel front suspension design evolved into what GM used on 1984-1987 Pontiac Fieros. I have Fiero spindles on my car (slightly lighter and more rigid) and I'm using Moog "Problem Solver" upper ball joints which are adjustable for camber. I installed larger wheels, but after doing that, I decided the original brakes looked too small. So I adapted Volkswagen Corrado rotors to match the hubs. I then adapted Mazda RX7 aluminum calipers, powder coated to match the car.
I also own other Lotuses (Elan and Europa) and just like with the Esprit, Lotus "borrowed" parts from other manufacturers, like Triumph Spitfire front suspension and Ford Cortina based engines. Thank you RockAuto for all the Jensen, Opel, Triumph, English Ford, and all the other parts I need at amazing prices!
Vic in Colorado |
Share Your
Hard Work |
Do you purchase parts from RockAuto? If so, RockAuto would like to give you the opportunity to have your car or truck possibly featured in one (or occasionally more) of our publications such as the monthly newsletter, collector magnets or RockAuto social media.
New, old, import, domestic,
daily driver, trailer queen,
classic, antique, we want to
see them all! Please e-mail flamur@rockauto.com with your vehicle's history,
interesting details, your favorite
images and what parts from
RockAuto you have used.
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Let
RockAuto Help |
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Are
you organizing a car show or
other auto related event? From
goody bag stuffers to gift certificates...RockAuto
can help. We can even publicize
your event in our newsletter.
Just
send an e-mail to marketing@rockauto.com with information about your
show.
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Automotive
Trivia Answer |
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The tire store technician was the first to tell the used car lot owner that the '67 Mustang GT and '86 SVO Mustang he had just bought at auction were not authentic. What might might have tipped the technician off about both cars?
A. Neither car had the original supercharger.
Answer: B. Both cars' wheels used four lug nuts. ('60s Mustangs equipped with V8s, like the '67 Mustang GT, had five lug nuts/studs. The turbocharged SVO Mustangs built in the mid-1980s also came with five lug nuts while other '80s Mustangs, even the '80s Mustang GT, only came with four.)
C. Both cars had disc brakes.
Back
up to trivia question
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© 1999-2014 RockAuto, LLC - Madison, Wisconsin USA. RockAuto name, logo and ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED are registered trademarks of RockAuto, LLC. Manufacturer names and logos in the RockAuto catalog are trademarks of their respective companies and are used only to identify their products. All rights reserved. |
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