As in the auto parts supplier, FCP Groton. http://www.fcpgroton.com/
They have thousands of positive Ebay feedbacks, offer a lifetime warranty on parts, and they're the cheapest place I've found so far. However, I'm interested in purchasing vital steering components, hence the hesitation.
Apparently their kits may consist of parts from "Karlyn Industries, URO parts, PEX NA , Moog, TRW, or Meyle." Is that good?
Moog is good.
I have bought parts from them before. The experience was fine - fast & accurate.
They are a Worldpac dealer and someone else as well. I'd call them on the phone and tell them you want OE brand suppliers only. That will make the parts a bit less of a bargain - so the price will be comparative to everyone else at that point.
They had something of a poor reputation in the BMW world for selling bottom of the line suspension components that would wear out quickly. However, in the six months or so, someone from Groton has been appearing on the BMW boards to announce they've cleaned up their act and are now selling better quality parts. I haven't heard any feedback from buyers to indicate if that's really the case or not.
edit: talking to them in person and telling them you want an OEM quality part is probably a good idea. It may cost a few bucks more but it will save you grief in the end. Lemforder is a good brand, if you're talking BMW parts.
editx2: if you are talking BMW, I've been buying parts recently from http://www.blunttech.com/. Prices and service have been very good.
I've never had a poor experience with FCP, mostly with Volvo stuff. I had no complaints about the front suspension stuff I bought from the for the e30 5 years ago though.
I have successfully purchased many misc Volvo parts from them.
All positive experiences.
Like most parts places, the cheapest part is usually priced that way for a reason.
I've compared prices with www.eEuroparts.com a couple times and found that eEuro was cheaper. This is for identical items, by the same manufacturer, not, say cheap-o Chinese cr@p vs. European OE maker. eEuroparts also has free shipping for orders over $49 -- for me on the west coast, I usually get stuff in three days.
Example: a Saab 900 control arm at eEuro is $79.90; the same part -- same manufacturer -- at FCP is $115.00.
Of course, YMMV...
Pretty sure I bought some Volvo parts from them. I'd have remembered if it was a bad experience. They were fairly highly regarded on the turbo brick forums.
I've dealt with them in the past and never had any problems.
+1 for good results with Volvo parts.
No problem with past orders on parts for a Volvo 850 that I used to drive. Fast shipping, no hastles. These guys are on the up-and-up.
Bought and install tons of front end parts through FCP from the 2 E30s I had and my E36s during the poor reputation in the BMW world. No problems at all.
I've only gotten a few parts from them since, but everything seems to be better on the customer service side.
I ordered some control arms and end links from them a while back. I asked for M3 control arms and 328i end links but got both parts for M3. No hassle on the return though. I'd buy from them again. CW
I just got a fan clutch from them last week for my E30. Sure, it's a cheap UGO part but it was 1/2 the price of anything else anyone else carried. It arrived in a reasonable time, in a nicely packaged box. No complaints.
Thanks for all the feedback. FCP sounds like a safe bet, but I will make sure I'm getting OE quality.
They describe on their web page who makes each part. So it's easy to tell if it's oem or aftermarket.
