most people think that having there car serviced by a main dealer is the best way to go but logic says that young apprentices go to a main dealer to work for them and learn the trade but the ones that are any good having served there apprenticeship move on to work for themselves thus leaving the main dealers with first , second and third year apprentices working on your vehicle. where you are paying 50-70 per hour labour charges when you could be getting a better job done from your qualified mechanic now working for himself at 25 per hour.
Likewise when buying parts we can apply the same principles its not alwaysnecessaryto buy brand new parts from the main dealer. insurance companies these days arecategorisingmore and more cars as category B (Breakers) with lots of quality used parts with lots of life left in them.
An example of parts you would and would not buy second hand are as follows :
Brake pads for example brake pads you would not buy used only new.
Drive shaft you could save up to 80 % by buying second hand
Tyres equally you could save up to 80 % off retail prices
A lefthandhalogenheadlight for a Ford Mondeo MK3 with cost 127 + VAT where a perfectly good serviceable halogen headlight from Scrap Yard for 35
Another example pirelli 195/65/R15 P6000 60 new per tyre with 8 mm thread off a scrapyard you can get that tyre with 7 mm thread for 15 per tyre