I have been comparing prices for brake parts,rotors,calipers, and pads. IPD is pretty high, alloemvolvoparts is somewhat better, and the best seems to be newandusedvolvoparts.com.
Any other suggestions would be appreciated. Also what experiences have you had with these and other suppliers?

Believe it or not i was able to get very very good quality cardone re-built calipers from Rockauto... at a super cheap price. Working perfectly for 2 years now.
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'91 244 205k auto

The original post is 18 years ago. Auto parts vendor management and sourcing can change quickly.


Tasca Parts in Cranston, RI (Buy OEM cheaper than FCP and iPd aftermarket and elsewhere)

https://www.tascaparts.com/

OEM as is for 200-series and others. Find whether available or NLA. Tasca Parts is also part of the Volvo dealership parts networks and may be able to find an NLA items on the shelf at some dealership elsewhere.

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Genuine Classic Parts ...

https://www.gcp.se/en/

Stock is usually in Sweden and may take six weeks to arrive.

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For 200-series, the OEM strut mount PN 1272455, is now made in China using a sealed bearing and inferior bushing material as if it was URO or Meyle. At least if you bought it from Tasca or the dealership.

The only solution for a 200-series strut mount is the Kaplhenke 240 Offset Spherical Strut Mounts @ 185$ a piece.

https://www.bneshop.com/collections/240/products/240-spherical-offset-strut-mounts

Read here. I'm unsure, yet a similar quality issue may affect 700 & 900 series strut mounts.

Volvo OEM strut mounts .. early Failure?
http://www.turbobricks.org/forums/showthread.php?t=315522

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Another option is to track down the OEM to pay less for better quality. Example is the flex disk (Joo-Bo) "giubo" behind the M47 gearbox.

You can buy the Volvo version made by SGF to this day, or at least when I bought the Volvo blue box version, or buy the better version Dan Pageda told us about some time ago as SGF "GAB01-017". Never get the URO / MTC version. IIRC, Swedish Baklava or somebody here had the URO / MTC version fall apart.

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Other vendors exist. As Volvo Cars AB is owned by China Geely, makers of some of the worst automobiles ever, be grateful you can find quality parts, OEM or blue box Volvo.

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There is a constellation of enthusiasts like David Samuels' Wagonmeister web site, Dave Barton for specifically Volvo 240 / 740 / 940 parts and is the sole vendor of the made in Belgium(?) wire harnesses.

iPd and FCP are useful and they do sell what we need, and we can find Volvo and OEM part numbers.

Use Bosch the part number to find Bosch parts to save a $ versus a Bosch or other electrical part like sensor.

Coolant thermostats are made by BorgWarner Wahler and other vendors like Calorstat. BorgWaner Wahler sells the air filter box preheater flap valve thermostat (Wahler PN 70411).

Also helps to search here about folks experience with a part to know whether the part lasted.

Some parts are Volvo only.

Other retail vendors exist.

hi alan,
i've used this volvo parts store.

http://212.247.61.152/us/main.aspx?guest=yes

vp autoparts classic car parts. good source for volvo parts both euro and u.s. shipped from the u.s. i can buy euro headlight parts from here with u.s. shipping prices.

friendly people and good place to compare prices.

regards,
byron golden
86 245
92 245
94 940

Thanks. This is a very useful posting.

There was a time when I would buy from FCP without looking anywhere else. But, when I started getting Elring rear main seals made in PRC (newspeak for Peoples Republic of China) instead of Germany, I had to reconsider.

It pissed me off that FCP had gone over to the Dark Side, but what really irked me was when they acted like I was an idiot because I wanted to return Chinese parts. "Parts are parts," they would say. OK, will you do the work to R&R a queefed out Chinese rear main seal after 5 kMi? Silence.

Anymore, you have to parse EVERY word in an offering to have any idea of what you are buying.

What finally soured me to FCP was when the sold me a Üro branded fuel pump which arrived with absolutely NO markings: FCP TOLD me it was US-made and the correct part number. After no small amount of checking and just about having to put a gun to a Üro reps head, he admitted it was made in China.

What a pain-in-the-ass.

Rich (near The Burgh)

I think alloemvolvoparts has the easiest website to use, and shipping is free if your order is over $50 (mine somehow always is).

http://www.concentric.net/~Rusty166/
goodprices-discount-excellent-he ships-

IPD has okay (GMB water pumps for instance - $48) quality parts for somethings good to great for others, but almost always expensive parts prices and shipping. I've had the best luck with FCP Groton (www.fcpgroton.com), who has lower prices, better parts (Hepu , a higher quality water pump, - $37), and cheaper shipping (I'm much closer to IPD).

Between the junk yards, local dealer (w/ 20% discount), IPD (for the specialty) and FCP Groton.. I'm not lacking for any parts (except body panels!).

Oh yeah, IPD's online ordering stuff is !@#!@'d up (has been for a while, apparently they don't care). With MSIE 5.x. go to Tools -> Internet Options -> Advanced -> Security -> Warn about invalid site certificates and make sure it's checked (the other browser I use, Konqueror, does this automatically). Now try to go check out stuff, and notice the warning you get.

- alex

'85 244 Turbo

Alan:

www.fcpgroton.com has about the best prices for this stuff I've found.
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Mike W., '79 242GT (my project car), '85 245DL (son's project car), '87 245 DL (my daily driver), '90 244DL (son-in-law's daily driver), '91 744T (wife's daily driver), '94 944T (daughter's daily driver), Largo, FL

I came to the same conclusion about IPD. Good quality but rather high prices. Just for fun, check this site out. It give you a lot more choices...

http://r1.east.rmi.yahoo.com/rmi/http://www.expressautoparts.com/store/index.cfm/rmivars%3ftarget=_top?do=index&logvehiclemodel=245

Later,
Will