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When I crashed my 2006 Dodge Stratus I knew I was going to be out of a car for a while since my car insurance only covered the other person and not my own vehicle. I then decided to park my car and buy the parts little by little, till I had everything and could get it fix all at once. The problem was that I din’t know how much I was going to spend on parts and how difficult it would be get them or find them.
At that time my vehicle was 5 years old and not many local junkyards had the parts for my vehicle since it was considered new, and looking for the parts new or at the dealer was out of the out of the question and my budget.
How did I get my car back on the Road?
My number one priority was to have my car running, the cosmetic parts will be done last, since I could drive my car and get to work and places without having to pay taxis or bus or even call friends or family for a ride. So I started tackling all the parts I needed. From the less expensive to the most expensive, one by one, and also my how long would it take to get there. Remember my priority was to get my Dodge Stratus back on the road, even if it looked like a piece of junk, if the car was drivable I will be happy.
So I bought the headlights, the tank for water since it got destroyed when I crashed, the radiator and houses, then the joints and strut assembly and tire, Then the battery and last and hardest thing to get was the airbags.
When you are looking for car parts is necessary to get the VIN ( Vehicle Identification Number) where it will tell you all the parts your vehicle has, you can call around and ask for the best prices on used auto parts. Being in Houston Texas at that time, it was easy to find a Junkyard near me that had parts for my car. Also, very useful was to have a list of vehicles that also carry the same parts that my car has. This was time saving like no other.
Many people get stock looking for a car part that is listed only for their vehicle, like If I was looking for the strut for a Dodge Stratus only, disregarding any other make or model that shows could fit my car. The truth is that car manufactures use the same auto parts for many models and even makes of vehicles. that goes for the Airbag in my car, I was able to get one from a Chevy that had the same part number as mine, and it fit perfectly and it works great with no lights or errors.
Where Did I go to buy the parts for my car?
As I mentioned before, in Houston there were and are many salvage yards near me, with a list of parts and the right tools I started calling junk yards like Pick N Pull, where I bought the radiator and headlights for my car, I called and visited LKQ Pick your Part where I purchased the tire, rim and parts for the water reserve and car battery. I also when to Pull N Pay and got the windshield since my airbag had deployed and the force of it broke it. I also visited Houston Auto Recyclers where I bough the parts for the strut assembly I as missing.
How much did I pay and How much did I save?
Original quote was $5327 for parts and labor, I managed to buy all the parts for $1192 and the labor for installing them was about $400 since my friend Bryan helped my a lot getting the job done and he is a licensed mechanic with all the tools and know hows. He helped me find the inter-exchange list for all my parts, saving me a lot of money and time finding parts on other vehicles and were not my make and model but had the same parts as mine.
So for less that half of what the local mechanic wanted to charge me I managed to get my car on the road, a few months later I got the fender and other cosmetic parts that were damaged when the accident happened, I also took my car to Maaco with a coupon and got my whole car painted for $350
My car still runs great till this day, Even at 12 years old with the right maintenance. oil changes and belt replacements the car runs great.
Conclusion
Even if you get a high quote from your mechanic, you can always save over 50% if you buy the parts yourself, tell your mechanic that you will be providing the parts for the repair, let them know that some of these parts will not be new or that they will be reconditioned. Visit and call all the local junkyards and salvage yards close to you and ask for prices and availability of vehicles. You will be glad you did.
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