Quote:If I ever need one, I know where to go.
Global shipping is so common now.
No problem to wait a bit for a quality part.
Takes longer to get OEM stuff from Germany.
I waited over a year for strut mounts...
I’ve been putting off some semi-routine maintenance on my Smart for a while now. Both the electric clutch actuator and the shift motor are acting up and need to be cleaned up and relubed. Because I intend to keep the car forever, I figured it might behoove me to buy new bits before they’re NLA or prohibitively expensive, R&R the old bits and keep them as spares. (Clutch Actuators have nearly doubled in price in the last 5 years)
I found a Clutch Actuator in Italy for 1/2 what they were going for in the states, including the $50 shipping. I ordered it on Sunday and I got it yesterday (Thursday) My local MB dealer had as cheap a price as anyone on the shifter motor, so I ordered it Monday. It was supposed to be a 2 day deal. It still isn’t here.
The world gets smaller every day. There’s a plane leaving everywhere to everywhere else about every two hours. Unless it’s too much of a PITA for Wallander to fill out the customs forms, I’d just as soon give him the business as anyone else. The last place that rebuilt starters and alternators locally closed up shop two years ago. When I had him rebuild the VW starter and alternator for my Spyder, he told me his biggest problem was getting repair parts. There used to be a Bosch warehouse or two full of parts in every country. Now there’s a corporate headquarters in Germany and a remanufacturing plant in China. The new model is ship the cores to China, rebuild them, and ship them back.
FWIW, my Italian Clutch Actuator had no customs forms. Just a typical FedEx Economy label. Most of the M/C stuff I’ve ordered from the UK comes via Royal Mail in about the same time I get stuff from the east coast.
