If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
I’m a curious guy. When I need car parts, as I will next week when I start servicing up my Buick Roadmaster Wagon, I will stop by one or both of my favorite automotive parts places. Car Quest was and is my favorite parts house. I have known some of the guys there for about 30 years, they know I want the best replacement parts available. Experienced parts men are a real pleasure to deal with.
Vic is the guy I have known forever it seems like. I love the guy, he is a sweet person. We talk, I ask questions like, how is business? Are you busier since cars are expensive and more folks seem to be keeping cars longer now? Whew, he said “we get busier every day it seems. Everyone is a mechanic now, and the shops are starting to bristle with folks who are fixing their cars, instead of buying new ones”.
So, the other day I found this email in my box from Brian, who owns a highly reputable engine replacement company, It pretty much says it all. Click here to read the article on car parts. Full of statistics, but very telling about the direction we are going in.
For a variety of reasons, people are committed to keeping cars longer. I like that idea for a few reasons too. It is good for the auto shops and mechanics to stay busy. It also provides an excellent opportunity in a field where we need more students and young people to enter and pursue.
Something I don’t hear much about, but think about, is all the waste products we produce with the ‘buy a new car every 3 years’ attitude. Same thing with electronic devices. The ‘new breed’ of electronic devices last about three to five years, then they need to be disposed of properly. (not many people take the time and effort to call the proper recyclers for what ever toxic product they are getting rid of..computers, fluorescent lights, etc..) Cars are the same way, when you ‘junk’ a car that could be repaired, you are creating more toxic waste that goes into the environment.
Simply put, by replacing the engine in your old Nissan, instead of junking it, you are reducing your carbon footprint. I don’t like to play favorites too much, but we own Mac computers. Just the fact that a Mac computer will outlast a Windows based P.C. by 2 to 5 times, slows down the amount of toxic computers going into the land-fill. BYW, Mac computers work better too!!
I could go on and on about where is the good old fashioned craftsmanship of the old days? When your dishwasher lasted 30 years or you still have your 1948 Singer Super Featherweight sewing machine (I have my moms). Times when old-world craftsmanship meant something.
GotEngines.com blog knows that their company will stand to flourish if more folks replace their engine with a rebuilt engine or used one. We also care about the environment. Enjoy..


Very interesting. My company sells OE replacement parts exclusively online. September last year as the US spiraled into the recession, we felt that our company was uniquely positioned for those that will not buy or can not afford a new vehicle – rather most would choose to maintain their older vehicle… longer.
I have listened and researched and the overall consensus of the financial community has seem to agree with our thoughts above. March – May it seems our sales have leveled off. I read an article from one of the Wall Street firms stating that the AUTO and AUTO PARTS sectors had grown MTM by 5% in May. We had certainly not experienced this in our space so I dug a little deeper. Seems that Gasoline sales are also included in the AUTO category. As the overall average price per gallon increase in May – it accounts for 3.5% of the total 5% growth.
I still agree and believe that the consumer will be keeping and maintaining their vehicle longer hence helping parts and engine sellers – but it sure has not helped us yet.
RW