If your car is looking drab on the outside, go ahead and get that makeover. A little paint job can do wonders for an older car. It will make your car look shiny and new. Some people may even ask you when you got a new car. Especially if you get new rear view mirrors too; that will really add to the new look.
While spurious are a great option, there is a better one. Take a visit to your local auto salvage yard. Getting parts here could not be easier. Most of the times they are available of the shelf for the more common auto models, if not you can either search the wrecking yard yourself or an employee will retrieve the part that you require.
Today, there are thousands of companies selling millions of auto parts. Some expensive, some cheap, and some “good quality at reasonable prices”. I believe in supporting your local auto parts stores, and the same rules still apply. But sometimes, it’s fun to look at all the great online catalogs. If you choose to order online, you can’t inspect every part you order, and you can’t take it apart to see how it’s made. This is when you have to rely on the reputation of the supplier, their promise of good quality, and their “no-hassle” refund policy if you’re not satisfied for any reason.
Now you want to check out their ordering system. Most automotive parts sites use an Online Catalog Ordering System. They are very easy to use. Some will ask you for your vehicles year, make and model then you click the search button and a list of all the parts available for your vehicle will appear. Others may ask you what part you are looking for first and then ask for your vehicle information. So make sure you have all the needed vehicle information handy. Your vehicles, year, make model and engine size, should be all you need. You can get most of this information from your registration. You engine size is on the information label in your engine compartment or sometime stamped on your air cleaner or valve cover.
Like many car owners and car parts buyers out there, I must say that I once thought that the genuine parts sold by my local automotive dealer were better. Well surprisingly, this is far removed from the truth. Do you think that car makers make their own parts? They certainly don’t. They would probably like you to think so but this isn’t the case.
I expect that after just a few encounters with the local crooks, all they would have to hear in the middle of the night is a loud bang from a big tail smacking a fender and they would be over the fence, out of the bmw salvage yard, and trying to look innocent in just a few seconds. Not long after, “My Wife is Meaner than a Junkyard Beaver” starts to climb the country charts.
You will attract what you believe, or have on the inside. In other words, the metal in your soul is like a magnet, it will attract things with like properties.