UK Jeep parts Suppliers - Observations on 'the big 4'

[Wolfy]

Our local group has a lot of WW2 Jeep owners and there have been discussions on the main 4 parts suppliers.

 

I thought I'd share the views I have heard and see what others thought.

 

The views are based on a number of owners using all 4 for a variety of parts. We have no connections, bias etc etc

.

 

 

• Jeeparts - Cheapest for a reason, numerous problems with bad 'mechanical/serviceable' parts, Wide choice.
• Dallas - Frequently good quality, most expensive, service recently has been patchy
  
• Universal - Usually good quality but some lower grade parts, prices between the above two, service very hit and miss
  
• Jeffrey Engineering - Good quality, Usually good service, Reasonable prices.
  

 

 

As I said just observations on experiences from our group. Clearly original parts have or are drying up and many parts come from similar sources now. Any thoughts on the above?

 

 

[Gordon_M]

I only have experience with one of those suppliers, but it agrees with the above.

 

I've pretty much given up ordering more than the occasional hose over the phone or by e-mail though. It is worth the trip to visit in person, cash in paw, and inspect at time of purchase - plus you will often find that other essential item while you are there.

 

Don't know how good all four are at accommodating 'drop-in' visits though - comments? :angel:

[arcot1751]

I have dealt with all of the suppliers mentioned and would pretty much agree with your comments , a lot of the parts now available probably start out from the same manufacturer. Jeeparts service has been poor and their attitude unhelpful, (I bought two rear lights for my jeep which didn't work and they became quite rude when I asked for replacements) a few years back I got through five of their jeep head gaskets before I discovered Dick Petman (sadly retired now) who not only supplied me with a top quality gasket which did the trick but also rang me twice after I fitted it to ask if all was ok, top man much missed. Universal have always been prompt and helpful and although I have had a couple of issues with parts they were sorted promptly and happily for both parties. The NOS stuff has/is dying out and we have to be grateful that these people exist to help us but I sometimes wonder if they lose sight of quality in their desire for profits ? That said we should not be afraid to speak up if quality is not up to scratch and if we do they should if they value our custom address those concerns. :undecided:

[rampant rivet]

Interesting comments on parts suppliers while not wishing to comment on any in particular my concern with "pattern" parts is -

 

A) Quality of manufacture, while non of us wish to pay over the odds there is no point in supplying items that are not up to the job which I think is happening.

 

B) Accuracy of reproduction I happened to view a jeep that a mate of mine was looking to buy only to realise that it

contained 70% repro parts all of which when looked at in the whole looked ok until you gave them closer inspection and most of the repo stuff was not accurately remanufactured. Now that may not matter much to some people but when the seller was asking + 14K then we walked away, we wanted to buy a WWII jeep not a pile of repo parts.

As a lucky owner of a WWII jeep it was easy for me to spot this unlike my mate who may just have gone for it.

 

C) I have an idea that it is possible to buy a complete new willys chassis now which I fear may cause problems in the future if buyers are unaware of this fact.

 

Cheers RR.

[Tony B]

Not only Jeeps. I've dealt with two of those supliers for my Dodges, and my local factors- Which for many service parts know me well enough to pass rude comments, then go out of thier way to find things, and are around a third or less of Specalist Dealer parts.

[Gordon_M]

The better dealers, if you are looking for a common part, will often have a choice or original or repro at two different prices.

 

I do tend to shell out the extra for original parts, but some things like water temperature gauges seem to be fine as repro.

[paulbrook]

Well if its all the same to everyone I am going to stick up for all of them as in my humble opinion they all do as good a job as they can bearing in mind the niche nature of their business and the fact that they are all catering for ancient and obsolete vehicles.

 

Without suppliers like these the whole movement would be on its backside, save for those lucky enough to have a monster stash of spares in their own sheds. So good on them!!

 

Where else can you phone up from a busy airport lounge on the way to somewhere or other and discuss then order up a rebuild kit for a dodge water pump engine (that wasn't the usual military engine but the supplier took the trouble anyway to check, measure up and get back to me) allowing me two days later on my return to fit the kit and live happily ever after?

 

Now of course there may be from time to time issues (such as being supplied a go-devil gasket not a hurricane one) but the place to discuss those is with the supplier - and (again in my humble opinion) not here. After all I ordered an exhaust system for the 4 year old astra van belonging to the folks next door a week or two ago and the motor factor sent the wrong one. These things happen. They of course changed it - it's in their business interests to do so.

 

The same detail applies to repro parts. Sometimes the reproductions are not great, but then neither is some of the 70 year old stuff. Much of what is available is actually better than the original (take oils and lubricants for instance). And anyway - when is a repro part a repro part? If a batch of spares is manufactured during the life of the equipment by whoever are they not repro parts? Just becaue it says Jeep on the tin does not mean that it is jeep in the tin, as it were.

 

And while I am having a rant I note on another forum regular complaints about the price of things for sale. "Oooo he'll never get that for it" they say (and then he does - love those market forces...) Yet the same folks will insist that their vehicle is worth a heck of lot of money.

 

It seems to me that we are exceptionally lucky in UK to have access to extraordinary support for our hobby. Let's try to keep it that way!

 

Going to take my medication now.....

[arcot1751]

As I said earlier we should be grateful we have ALL these suppliers, however I stand by my comment that if parts are not fit for purpose OR of dubious quality we should speak up. If you bought a new part for your cooker and it was crap you would complain surely ? The same should apply to jeep parts, that said I agree we are lucky to be able to order pretty much everything off the shelf as it were but these items are only of use IF they are fit for purpose. Quality won't improve unless we speak out if things are wrong.

[commander]

I have dealt with all of the suppliers mentioned and would pretty much agree with your comments , a lot of the parts now available probably start out from the same manufacturer. Jeeparts service has been poor and their attitude unhelpful, (I bought two rear lights for my jeep which didn't work and they became quite rude when I asked for replacements) a few years back I got through five of their jeep head gaskets before I discovered Dick Petman (sadly retired now) who not only supplied me with a top quality gasket which did the trick but also rang me twice after I fitted it to ask if all was ok, top man much missed. Universal have always been prompt and helpful and although I have had a couple of issues with parts they were sorted promptly and happily for both parties. The NOS stuff has/is dying out and we have to be grateful that these people exist to help us but I sometimes wonder if they lose sight of quality in their desire for profits ? That said we should not be afraid to speak up if quality is not up to scratch and if we do they should if they value our custom address those concerns. :undecided:

 

In reference to the above I agree nobody is perfect but ref Jeep Parts I personally have found the service has been very good and accommodating and there attitude has been very helpful and as for being rude to you ref your complaint to be honest I have found them to be quite the opposite and as most people I might have issues with some items these have always been sorted amicably and

as most people who know me I am not the most easy person to get on with well that is my rant over

[arcot1751]

In reference to the above I agree nobody is perfect but ref Jeep Parts I personally have found the service has been very good and accommodating and there attitude has been very helpful and as for being rude to you ref your complaint to be honest I have found them to be quite the opposite and as most people I might have issues with some items these have always been sorted amicably and

as most people who know me I am not the most easy person to get on with well that is my rant over

 

As I pointed out I can only speak for MY experience, however I do not seem to be the only one who has had problems. When I politely explained that neither of the lights worked and could I exchange them, I was told and I quote " Well they are new old stock you know" ! I couldn't care less whether they were NOS or made that day to be honest what I do expect though is lights that actually LIGHT I did explain that as I was driving my jeep to Normandy and French law dictated I carry a working set of spare lights hence the purchase they did replace them with working items once the two failed units were returned, so yes it was sorted but I felt almost guilty for expecting the lights to work. :undecided: I still buy stuff from Jeeparts sometimes but admit it has soured the experience somewhat. As you rightly say no one's perfect and they were probably having a bad day as we all do but customers have long memories and tend to go elsewhere if service is below that expected.

[paulbrook]

Let's hope none of the suppliers starts a discussion about good and bad customers..................

[arcot1751]

Let's hope none of the suppliers starts a discussion about good and bad customers..................

:rotfl::clap: