Archive for the 'General' Category

The shortage of used car parts in the UK automotive recycling  sector continues despite expectation of ’quantitative easing’ due to the recent UK Governments initiative ’scrappage scheme’.
Comments on the excellent Car Magazine website regarding the UK vehicle scrappage scheme by the Director of the RAC Foundation, Professor Stephen Glaister: ‘Currently the vast majority of cars are still on the road at ten years old. The scrappage scheme announced today risks consigning a lot of perfectly good, and relatively clean, vehicles to the dustbin.
‘However if the scrappage scheme leads to a reduction in the average age of the national car fleet then this has to be good for road safety as more modern cars will have a wider range of safety features built-in.

‘And whilst the announcement is good for motorists and the motor industry, if it does not encourage people to buy green vehicles it is a missed opportunity as far as the environment is concerned.’
Approximately 60% of demand for quality used vehicle part is for vehicles 9 years old and less. The scrappage scheme appears to have had had little or no affect on this key supply issue, as well as negligible impact to date on the 10-year plus sector.
One big criticism is that it excludes leasing, which represents 50% of all new car registrations. This appears more ‘vote catching’ & ‘external looks’ rather than content and real substance. Does the UK Government think the motor industry and UK vehicle consumers are lack intelligence and understanding? The British public have got used to detecting ‘political spin’. This seems to be another political initiative designed to look good but doesn’t feel good.
CarSpareFinder is still today one of the best ways to source used car, van and bike parts.
 
 
 

It seemed quite mad but there were motorists who attempted to move their car across snow covered roads, only to find them move in an a different direction to the road. The results were a huge increase in motoring accident, taking the loyal car straight to the insurance yard and then to the breakers yards, providing car parts for you and me and probably a few salvage projects too.

It is however quiet astonishing that even when we know the bad weather is coming; we first are unable to clear the snow an second, seem to think we can leave our homes at the same time and get to work, school or whatever in the same period of time as normal. The results are stressed motorists, who then find themselves clipping kerbs, hitting trees or worse, other cars.

This is not good news for the insurance companies who now have bumper payouts, or the breakdown cover patrolmen, who are now really earning their annual premiums. But for the car part searcher, there will be an abundance of cars hitting the breaker yards after insurance procedures have been cleared.

This probably won’t affect the 4 x 4 market as owners are probably having some relief from the excess insurance charges, road tax and depreciation in their vehicle values. For once there will be a relief in owning a vehicle like this and have the benefit of getting around, providing they wer not stuck in a traffic jam of course.

But for breaker yards that have been a bit short of car parts recently, this may be good news with a new influx of new models arriving. We will wait and see what they are.

In the last 3 months CarSpareFinder has heard of at least 5 car parts suppliers closing down or have gone into administration. This should be no surprise as most tend to have one car manufacturer as a customer and with factory shut downs affecting all of the factories within the UK.

Most car manufacturers use small but specialist companies within their local area to provide the add on components or even integral units to their cars. Even manufacturers who build their cars from a kit imported from their owners homeland still use dozens if not hundreds of other locally sourced car parts that are made to a specific specification, to ensure reliability in the cars they make.

This is no small thing because when car production does start again; factories will need to source these parts which are custom made.  This is not as easy as it sounds as often special equipment has been bought to satisfy a long contracted run of car parts.

For us the consumer this also could have a knock on effect. Not only were parts made to add to new cars, but also to stock the dealership garages with the correct parts and not any cheap copy. Many of these parts were also retailed to car owners as well as sold to trade, such as local garages.

The short term effect of this could mean that there could be a selection of parts where a true replacement can not be found. Consumers may be forced to buy a cheap import as any proper part is kept back for the manufacturers.

There is one solution though and that is to use CarSpareFinder to source genuine car parts. With 2 million cars leaving our roads each year, there are hordes of crash damaged and salvage cars within our breaker yards, with correct genuine parts fitted, that will come with a guarantee.

This should be a consideration if you like a driving experience that does not bring up problems every 5,000 miles or so, but how car manufacturers will handle any legal implications of not being able to supply the right car parts might become an issue in future months.

We hope all your driving experiences are all good, but in times you need any parts to keep you vehicle on the road, you will use our free service.

We have deveoped a video to describe our system and what we do, when looking for cars parts. Here it is.

2008 will be a year that most in the motor industry would want to forget. Many car manufacturers were forced to close factories for many weeks in the year as sales plummeted; some figures suggest that in November only 50% of the cars sold in November 2007 were sold in 2008.

The USA were particularly hit bad, and those who were still buying cars were being more selective than usual, with low running costs being at the forefront of their decisions. This meant that some Japanese manufacturers like Toyota did better than the USA made cars. Even so, Toyota predicts a $100m dollar loss this year, something unheard of in Japan.

This uncertainty has had a knock on effect on all the supporting industries and the car part manufactures and suppliers have also faced hard times with some of the going to the wall.

The high value of the Euro has meant it has been sale time for salvage cars in the UK, for those in Eastern Europe ready to buy these types of vehicles and ship them home.

Many breakers who would buy these vehicles to strip for used car parts, have found they needed to bid that much more to get any vehicle, and to an insult to injury, may found that car parts were cheaper than ever, as shoppers were counting their pennies and spending more time to shop around for the best buys.

So there is some anticipation in the air that 2009 will be better for all associated making and buying cars, as well as the car parts suppliers. We have already seen TV adverts for loans on TV, something that has not been around for a little while, this may be the encouragement for the public to start borrowing again and buy that new car.

However for those on a tight budget, you cannot forget the savings that CarSpareFinder can achieve for you when buying car parts and keeping that vehicle on the road. We have plans make you experience with us even better, so we hope to see you again soon, we wish you all a very happy and safe 2009.

We often have discussions at CarSpareFinder regarding the relevant demand for car parts across all makes and models. Often the answer is based around how good our marketing against your demand for car parts for the car you own. There are some makes for example that have a reputation for good reliability from say BMW to Honda. Sometimes models of these cars don’t need replacement car parts either until they get to a specific age or have had an accident and are deemed as a salvage project. Of course we serve all needs here at CarSpareFinder.

But their is one make that seems to have a huge reputation for reliability, so much so that the makers Toyota have made an advert to promote the point with a bit of humour. So we ask you the question would you offer roadside assistance if you saw a Toyota broken down at the road, with a beautiful lady needing help?

Watch the video and enjoy.

It doesn’t seem to matter what you read or watch on TV, everything now seems to be either green or aiming to be. Well what I mean by this. Well even the latest Formula One race had tyres with eth green lines to prove how they were made, there is also a site that will tell you how green your car is, call what green car.

Of course this can all apply to the car parts industry also and what can be more green that reusing this car parts that just happen to be on a salvage car, but have plenty live in that individual unit. Anyone with a car background will not see anything new in buying used car parts from their local scrap or beaker yard as it was always the cheapest way of getting good quality spares. But not there is another reason that many believe is more important than saving a bit of money and that is the green argument, that buying reusable car parts will do you bit to save the planet.

There is another green argument and that is how much less green notes you will spend by using CarSpareFinder to order your reusable car parts, not only are they cheaper but in most cases are the genuine parts not copies that you may end up with if you went to your local car accessory  shop.

The saving can be huge when dealing with manufactures like BMW or Mercedes who’s car parts can be very expensive direct from the dealer, which is why many head to get replica parts to save some money. So let’s summarise

Parts are much cheaper

They tend to be genuine parts

They help with the environment

Seems like a no brainer to me

The Financial Times (27 Sep 08) reported that Motor World, the new car parts and accessories group, has gone into administration, with the loss of 300 jobs. The Administrators, BDO Stoy Hayward, have closed 40% of its national UK network of car parts retail units.
Pacific Retail has purchased the bulk of Motor World car parts shops (approximately 135). What factors brought about Motor World’s demise? Well several scenarios have been put forward, but I can tell you some of mine. Analysts point to the worst UK Automotive trading figures this summer, since the 1960’s. Did not the rising demand for car parts on the internet, using systems like CarSpareFinder, play a major factor?
This week (1 Oct 08) the Automotive Industry learned that Wembley based Euro Car Parts, one of biggest suppliers of vehicle parts in the UK has taken over a Yorkshire competitor, the excellent Sheffield based LSUK. It claims this move will protect the future of 600 jobs. LSUK’s has over 50 car parts outlets and subsidiaries M I Diesel Products, Protech Automotive (UK) and Yeovil Rewind.
Likewise, the UK Automotive Car, Van and Bike Parts sectors, perhaps mirroring the Global banking industry, is involved in widespread consolidation as firms reorganise and reposition themselves to deal with any downturn in the Global economy. The internet is providing the growth area for car parts, and maintains its volumes despite the obvious slowdown on the high street. The high cost of fuel and transport is another factor online driving car parts sales. The single biggest factor has to be the time saving, the ease and simplicity of locating and purchasing car parts online, and as importantly, the outstanding value-for-money in purchasing used car parts are the principal ‘drivers’ of revenue growth. The UK Dismantlers and breakers, like those members of the CarSpareFinder Business Community, are best able to take advantage of the new opportunities for car parts sales, supported by an ever increasingly sophisticated next day delivery courier network which delivers very good customer service and achieves the high levels of customer satisfaction enjoyed by CarSpareFinder breaker clients, and consumers alike.

The turmoil this month (Sep 08) in the US Financial markets, leading to further downward pressure on the UK economy and the UK Automotive industry in particular has played a part in strengthening the used car part sector.
The UK Motor industry has seen a sharp fall in the value of used vehicles this summer and autumn, and it is much more than in previous years. Some estimates of car depreciation put the drop as much as 25-30% of new and nearly new vehicles for this year alone.
Cars worst affected are the large 4 x 4s and the bigger family cars.  In April 2009 the new VED (Vehicle Excise Duty) comes into effect, which aligns heavy fuel consumption to the Government’s new green taxes structure.
The slowdown in the car market has been caused by the Global Recession and the continuing fear of rising Interest rates and inflation. However the interesting factor here for us is the positive affect on the car parts sector as a whole, and the continuing demand for used car parts and parts location services (like CarSpareFinder), in particular.  
People are holding off buying a new car, or replacing it. There is evidence of extending the ownership of car from new, from 3 years to 4 years or more. Linked b y cause and effect is an increasing demand for replacement car and van parts, and the consumer desire to extend the life, value and quality of car and light commercial lifetime ownership.
Is this upward trend in demand for used car parts a ‘flash in the pan’ or is it likely to remain for sometime?
It appears there are 2 main factors which are behind the present strong demand for car parts, unlike many other industries (retail,  diy and home furnishings, financial service and holiday sectors) who have all seen a very sharp fall in business.  
Firstly, people are being charged too much to borrow the money they need to fund their spending e.g. purchase of a new car. Secondly, vehicle depreciation, which can be many hundred of pounds sterling a month, has gone into ‘free fall’.  It has surprised even the Automotive Industry experts just how fast it has happened, with larger cars with bigger engines being the worst affected.
What might be influencing the used car parts marketplace?
·         4 x 4 and Large family car owners may be reluctant to ‘write off’ the value of their cars if they trade it in. By hanging on to the car, their requirements for replacement parts increases (crash repairs, new bulbs, tyres, replacement engines and gearboxes etc.)
·         When they need parts, they are much more inclined to accept a genuine recycled part (e.g. engine, gearbox, body panel) of a similar age and condition to their present car.
·         Cheap counterfeit car parts from Eastern Europe and the Far East, has a counter effect on consumer demand for genuine used car parts from establish UK breakers and dismantlers.
·         Less newer cars means that the demand for used cars is greater, which means that more garages and mobile mechanics are attracted to doing up cars and bringing them to market. This increases demand in the motor trade for used car parts.
·         Demand for scrap metal in the UK is increasing due to the demand for metals from the growing Indian and Chinese industries, encouraging cars to be scrapped using services like scrap-car which is a free service offered by CarSpareFinder to the General Public and UK breakers and dismantlers.

Autumn 2008 and the UK is now officially in recession. Registrations of new cars are down 20%. Retail shops have reported a sharp downturn in takings. Despite the cripplingly high cost of both diesel fuel and unleaded petrol, artificially high because most of it is Government tax, transport will remain essential business and personal expenditure. Demand for used car parts has steadily risen over the past 10 years. The automotive industry anticipates an ever increasing need to recycle, with future legislation committing car and car parts manufacturers, car parts suppliers, car dealerships, dismantlers, breakers yards, and scrap dealers to recycle a greater percentage of their inventory. Over two million cars are written off every year in the UK. It is estimated that 10% i.e. 200,000 need not have been shipped to the scrap-yard. Insurance companies are looking at changing how they calculate accidents and write offs, by offering customers an option of repair work with used car parts. This is in accordance with environmental initiatives. At present it not compulsory for insurance customers, but the time is fast approaching when it may become the norm rather than exception. This extra demand will be a further boost to the growing used car parts market. CarSpareFinder, one of the leading internet parts location services, attracts over 140,000 unique visitors a month to its website. It has launched other initiatives to help breaker yards distribute and sell more of the stock of recycled car parts, such as CarSpareAuctions. It is also helping raise the profile of breaker yards by the launch of Breaker Yard Finder, which will hopefully encourage more consumers of used car parts source the products locally.