Ok guys I just had to pass on this info. I am a mechanic, my strength of knowledge has been in v8's, and DSM. I recently got my little 96 EX, and have started the transformation on it.

First off I will start the story with my local parts stores are Napa, Autozone, Pepboys, Checkers and maybe a couple others. I have a local Honda STEALERSHIP that also delivers parts. I have access toa full shop, you name it and its probably in there.

Anyway so this week, and last week I have been working on the whole energy suspension upgrade, new LCA's, and I had to do some maintance on the car.
First off, my CV axle had a crack in the boot, and it had some slop, I could have just rebooted it, but I felt why not just get a new axle. I have a "connection" at Pepboys and the axle was just under $40 (after core). I got the axle installed. I decieded at the time that I would change out the output shaft seal as it was leaking, and Pepboys didn't have it so I got it from Napa ($6). Bring long story short and I will add the second part in just sec, but I was back in the shop today to work on my A/C. The CV shaft that I had recieved was defective, had a whole in the boot, and grinding when I turned hard left. So I called them up, they brought a new one, the wrong one, the took the one I had out of the car (the new one that just was installed last week), and they took it back to pepboys, yeah it was the wrong one installed from the start, another two hours before the RIGHT part was brought to me. By the way just to top it off the stupid BRAND NEW seal that I bought from Napa (it looked a little different than the one that I pulled from the car last week) was leaking, so I WENT TO HONDA, bought the HONDA SEAL ($10). New seal was the right one, new shaft is installed, and seems to work today....called Honda, and a remanufactured CV is $60. So all in all, you can save money in places, such as pepboys, autozone, or EBAY, or you can get the real thing. I am not saying that the Honda dealership is all knowing and never-failing but they are 10-10 for me.

Second part of the story. I bought my new A/C compressor from these guys on ebay:
a9star9a
http://stores.ebay.com/a9star9a_W0QQ...2BSI%26otn%3D4
I ordered the compressor/dryer/o-rings on Monday from Cali, recieved the part in Jax, FL on WEDNESDAY! Not only was the shipping fast but the price was great, and it works great! I know I just talked about buying cheap and buying Honda, but I just thought it should be known that I got a good buy in one place but bad buys in the other, just helping out my fellow Honda owners!

So here is the moral of the story. You get what you pay for period, that is a life lesson. Cheap toilet paper, cheap tin foil, cheap paper towels do not substitute the real thing. Cheap parts are just that, but if you find something cheap and have a good experience with it share it with us so maybe we can save a dollar with out having John Wayne Toilet Paper (aka sandpaper).

 

I agree.

 

Thanks Apostle. My knuckles are bloody, my fingernails have greese under them, and I have done a pretty major transformation on my little EX in the past couple weeks. But the bottom line I have come across is that as even as bad as the STEALERSHIP is, their parts have not steared me wrong. I guess it comes down to the decion each of us have to make. How much is the difference between the price, and is it worth the hassle in the end.

 

I've used mostly parts that I bought from advance auto parts, with the exception of a few things that I could only get at the dealership (could only find a rear door manual window regulator at the dealer, valve cover bolts, random etc.), and i've never had a single problem with any part they have given me. Maybe I'm just lucky, but i'll keep buying from them until I run into a problem with their parts.

 

Yeah, I always opt for better parts. Like getting re-conditioned used parts from Autozone with a LIFETIME warranty. What good is a warranty? Is worth 20 bucks less to have to go throught he hastle of taking your crappy broken part off and replacing it? I think not. I always just go new and with the best.

 

Just food for thought, but some of HONDA remanufactured parts are actually more than New parts. the reason is that they are in better than new/oem part condition. Take for example my A/C compressor it was 395 new/-50 for core, or 365 reman but no core charge. I think the sameis for the CV axles as I just went through this.....

I could have bought the a/c, p/s, alt belts from anyone of the parts stores for 1/3 less than what I paid at Honda, but I learned my lesson, and you know what the new belts work great, no returns, and worth the extra $10 bucks for all three belts.