Spares to keep?

[hogweed]

Having had – like most of us – to replace one or two potentially expensive items, once or twice I’ve been lucky enough to find good used parts – for other things, I’ve paid a small fortune for new ones. For example, the diesel cooler that sits underneath at the back – I got a good used one for £50, instead of something like £300.

I noticed in a post the other day that one of the in-tank fuel pumps (there are 2, aren’t there?) was 3 or 4 hundred quid and wondered if there are specific parts I should try and accumulate in the garage, against future disasters… does anybody do this?

PS do smaller scrappers ever let you just attack one of their cars with a toolkit, present them with a bag of bits after an hour or so, think of a number, and let you buy them? The main one near here operates like a big retail outfit, with everything on the shelves, and strictly no access to the cars by customers.


And trying to get parts out of them is like Monty Python’s cheese shop sketch:

ME: Now then, some Rover 75 parts please, my good man.
BREAKER: (lustily) Certainly, sir. What would you like?
ME: Well, eh, how about a headlamp control unit?
BREAKER: I'm, afraid we're fresh out of headlamp control units, sir.
ME: Oh, never mind, how are you on rear number-plate light assemblies?
BREAKER: I'm afraid we never have those at the end of the week, sir, we get them in fresh on Monday.
ME: Tish tish. No matter. Well, stout yeoman, a rear offside light cluster, if you please.
BREAKER: Ah! They’ve been on order, sir, for two weeks. Was expecting them this morning.
ME: 'T's Not my lucky day, is it? Aah, road wheel? Union?
BREAKER: Sorry, sir.
ME: Alternator?
BREAKER: Normally, sir, yes. Today the van broke down.
ME: Ah. Diesel cooler?
BREAKER: Sorry.
ME: Driver's door switch assembly? Walnut steering wheel?
BREAKER: No.
ME: Any front indicators, perchance?
BREAKER: No.
And so on…

[Dawn]

Originally Posted by hogweed

PS do smaller scrappers ever let you just attack one of their cars with a toolkit, present them with a bag of bits after an hour or so, think of a number, and let you buy them? The main one near here operates like a big retail outfit, with everything on the shelves, and strictly no access to the cars by customers.

Albert Looms in Derby lets you just go in with tools and a hi vis vest and off you go. There's an office on the way out where they price up what you've taken off, they mark it in case you need to take it back, job done.