Buying Mercedes Parts

[Full Monte]

Hi Guys,

I'm curious...does anyone have a favorite internet place to buy parts? I've been looking around, but haven't had any experiences yet. I have bought some parts through a friend.

Thanks!

 

[The Warden]

Monte,

I've found a few online places that have parts at good prices.

http://catalog.mercedesshop.com/ - Mercedesshop.com. Their prices are generally pretty good, and the parts are up to OEM spec.

http://www.performanceproducts4benz.com/ - Performance Products. Unless they stopped carrying engine parts, their paper catalog has a better selection than their website lists.

There are a couple of others, but the URL's are on my other computer (which is already packed)

I generally look at the sites and see which has the part at the lowest price. So far, everything I have bought, I bought through MBShop (the first link), but I know that Performance Products has some suspension parts that are cheaper. BTW, MBShop's customer service is top-notch.

Just my $.02

 

[Full Monte]

Hello Warden,

I've been cruising around the internet and did price some stuff at mbshop. Their prices are pretty good. The a/c compressor was higher than elsewhere by a lot...now I'm asking if that price was for new or rebuilt. Thanks for your input.

 

[Full Monte]

That performance website is one of the better ones I've seen. At least I don't have to enter the year and model of the car for each part I'm looking for...it remembers that from the first parts selection.
Thanks again!

 

[The Warden]

I don't remember what MBShop wants for a compressor, but IIRC it wasn't cheap by any stretch of the imagination. OTOH, I've found a rebuilt compressor for just over $100 at AutoZone...once this move is over, I'm going to re-do the a/c on my 116. This heat's going to make me melt!!!

Maybe I've been lucky, but I haven't had a problem with components (water pumps, etc.) bought at McParts...

 

[towcat]

monte-
I don't do much over the internet for mbz parts. Since I don't buy enough monthly from them, I am forced to go through another shop in order to get my parts. "Worldpac" is my euro carparts sourcing. they're good for just about all powertrain and electrical items. Most small shops won't mind at all acting as your "front" since the W/D requires a purchase amount of 1k/mo to keep the account active. ordering is done over the 'net ironically, and yes it's password protected. even adding a percentage to the shop for the hassle, the pricing is still pretty good.

 

[Full Monte]

I don't remember what MBShop wants for a compressor, but IIRC it wasn't cheap by any stretch of the imagination. OTOH, I've found a rebuilt compressor for just over $100 at AutoZone...once this move is over, I'm going to re-do the a/c on my 116. This heat's going to make me melt!!!

Maybe I've been lucky, but I haven't had a problem with components (water pumps, etc.) bought at McParts...

MBshop wants $679 exchange for a rebuilt one. Their other prices are good. Cheapest I found is $485 so far. $100 is an unheard-of price.

Moving in the heat is no fun...I did that when I moved into my current house. Maybe that's why I haven't moved in 24 years.

 

[The Warden]

MBshop wants $679 exchange for a rebuilt one. Their other prices are good. Cheapest I found is $485 so far. $100 is an unheard-of price.

$679?!?!?!?!? I can go to Beshoff and buy a NEW one for $500!! (although that's with an employee discount; I know someone who works there) I would check out http://www.autozone.com and http://www.partsamerica.com for the compressor...

Moving in the heat is no fun...I did that when I moved into my current house. Maybe that's why I haven't moved in 24 years.

I hear that. But, we were lucky...we got to live in this place rent-free for the last 4 years. Now, I get to play nomad for a while... *sigh* I just want to be able to settle down; never stayed anywhere more than 5 years in my entire life. Maybe in another 5 years I can buy a place, if I don't end up in the foreign service...

The heat is another story. I don't handle heat on the best of days (65 degrees is about my maximum "comfort" temperature)...but, the record heat we've been having, plus the physical labor...it's been absolute torture. At least I got to drive a couple of rental trucks

 

[Full Monte]

Warden,

Thanks for the info. I checked out both, and there are a lot of choices at AZone. Everything from $139 to $542. Do you know anything about Compressor Works? They are selling a new one for $238.99. Seems cheap.
Ready Aire new is $383.99. Denso reman is $542.99. AC_Parts reman. is $138.99 (3 month warranty).
What a wide difference in pricing! Can't figure out why it's so variable. Maybe the quality of workmanship, or number of internal parts replaced...?

 

[The Warden]

Do you know anything about Compressor Works? They are selling a new one for $238.99. Seems cheap.

Haven't heard of them, but that doesn't necessarily mean much either. It'd be interesting to see if anyone else has had any dealings with them.

Ready Aire new is $383.99. Denso reman is $542.99. AC_Parts reman. is $138.99 (3 month warranty).
What a wide difference in pricing! Can't figure out why it's so variable. Maybe the quality of workmanship, or number of internal parts replaced...?

I just remembered...part of it is probably that there was more than one type of compressor used. Earlier cars (mostly 240D's and non-turbo 300D's in the late 1970's) used a York compressor, while most turbo 617's used a GM R-4 compressor. Some later cars used a Denso compressor...and, there's a fair bet that that's what your 124 has. I know someone who has a 124 300D (I even got him to post on here once; his handle is jmak124) and has the Denso compressor. And, the bad news is, the Denso compressor is more expensive than the R-4.

So, the price differences may be due to the prices being for different compressors. I think the R-4 is the cheapest of them.

In fact, I need to check my 116 and see what I have...I thought I had an R-4, but maybe they used the Denso compressor in earlier S-class bodies?

Hmm...

 

[Full Monte]

[/QUOTE]I hear that. But, we were lucky...we got to live in this place rent-free for the last 4 years. Now, I get to play nomad for a while... *sigh* I just want to be able to settle down; never stayed anywhere more than 5 years in my entire life. Maybe in another 5 years I can buy a place, if I don't end up in the foreign service...

The heat is another story. I don't handle heat on the best of days (65 degrees is about my maximum "comfort" temperature)...but, the record heat we've been having, plus the physical labor...it's been absolute torture. At least I got to drive a couple of rental trucks [/QUOTE]

Foreign service in a place that's not HOT? I thought most, if not all, first assignments in the Foreign Service were guaranteed to be to hot countries.
Maybe after a few warm years in the Sahara, you'll get to choose an East Bloc assignment in norther lattitudes.

 

[Full Monte]

Yeah...mine is a Nippo Densu with the 4.75 inch pulley (if my tape measure and parallax vision didn't lie to me). You may be right about all the choices being for different model MBZ, though it confused me why I got so many choices after entering all the info they asked for about model, year, etc.

 

[The Warden]

it confused me why I got so many choices after entering all the info they asked for about model, year, etc.

Autozone's a litte in that regards They also think that our IDI's need spark plug wires IIRC AZ lists both the R-4 and the Denso compressor as "fitting" my 116...translation: I need to pull the compressor and take it in to find out.

OTOH, I also need to have a shop flush it out... *sigh* but I can't live without my a/c!! As soon as this move's done, the a/c's getting fixed...

 

[Meta6981]

Wuss, i have been rideing with no ac for a while, its not that bad. Thats another thing i have to do is look into my A/C system and see whats going on with that.

 

[Full Monte]

Meta,

I can't believe "it's not that bad" after the weather we had a couple weeks ago. It was over a hundred degrees for a long time. Are you sitting on ice cubes?