Damaged in Transit

At Autopartstomorrow we pride ourselves in how well we handle packages for our customers. It is after all what we do for a living. Yes we sell auto parts, but our main focus is that we are a "Warehouse Distributor". Meaning we check auto parts into our warehouse from the manufacturer, then we distribute those auto parts to our customers.

One thing we don't have any control of however is the shipping service after it leaves our dock. If UPS or FedEx crushes a box, it becomes a problem for all of us. If you find yourself with this issue, please call us or use our online returns process and just explain what happenned. Unfortunatley we have dealt with it before, and we will deal with it in the future. Howevr, we will do everything in our power to make sure you are taken care of as quickly and painlessly as possible.

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Old vs. New version 2

If your taste runs anything like mine you are a huge fan of old classic cars, but really prefer the reliability and drivability of newer vehicles. I loved my 66 Mustang but I still have nightmares about the MANY times I applied power around a corner, but the suspension was unable to translate the traction needed (and I had to fight to stay out of the trees).

For those of you with an unlimited supply of money, I may have found the perfect combination of old vs. new at Uncrate.com. They have taken a brand new Ferrari and completely replaced the exterior along with a retro rebuild of the interior and created the Ferrari 340 Competizione. Follow the link and read about this beauty, and many others the site highlights. It is worth the time...

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Old Car vs. New Car

Have you ever reached that point where you finally decide to get rid of the old car you have been driving, pull out all of the junk you stored in the trunk and back seat, thoroughly cleaned the inside and waxed the exterior... then stepped back and said; "Hey, this is a pretty nice car!".

There are good arguments to be made on both sides of the old vs. new discussion, but sometimes, not having a car payment can be really nice. This article from the automotive section of Popular Mechanics highlights some ideas to make your vehicle much more desirable. Who knows, maybe you will feel better about your car and get another year or two with an old friend.

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Autopartstomorrow EBay

Many of our loyal customers have come to us via EBay. Our store there contains a large portion of our inventory, and EBay is a great process by which customers can use their PayPal accounts to buy items from us. It may not be the ideal way to continue to buy auto parts from us though because of some of the limitations they have.

On EBay, parts are listed as individual auctions and must be bought one at a time. If you go directly to our site, Autopartstomorrow.com you are able to buy many parts at the same time by moving them into your shopping cart and then buying them all at one time. Another issue we feel more comfortable with direct is our catalog. EBay has a great tool to narrow down which year and make a part fits on, but if that part has multiple items for the same year (say three alternators of different amperages) they don't always make that distinction.

I guess the main thing we are saying here is that you have choices in how you buy from Autopartstomorrow. Whether it is through EBay or directly to the web site itself, we will do everything we can to make sure you are completely satisfied!

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Port and Polish?

Bloggers have favorite blogs that they follow... first for ideas and content, but also for writing style and personal entertainment. Jalopnik is that blog for me.

Mike Spinelli wrote in today's question of the day about "What is the cruelest joke ever played in a car forum". Click on the Jalopnik link to read his response but basically it comes down to giving advice about how to port and polish an engine intake (to make it run more efficiently) by pouring sand into the air port... thereby ruining the engine of anyone dumb enough to try it. Sometimes people are just not nice!

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People and Cars...

With these two topics I will never run out of things to write about!



... and then the creative people get involved.



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New GM Mid-size Truck?

Autoblog.com is reporting today that GM has revealed plans to build a new version of the midsize Colorado at a plant in St. Louis. The information seems to have been leaked during recent UAW negotiations.

The truck industry as a whole seems to be in flux as over the years the mid and full size offerings from all manufacturers have creeped up in size. In fact the mid size is just the end result of where compact trucks from the past evolved into. There are rumors of Ford reintroducing a version of their old F100 pickup and Mahindra is said to be entering the US market with a true compact truck complete with a small 4 cylinder turbo diesel engine. The next few years will be interesting...

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HDR Photography

I mentioned in a recent post that we can draw a conclusion about how much we love our vehicles by how often we photograph them. Photography is currently going through a period of rapid improvement.

Most of us are aware of how quickly the pixel count on cameras is increasing, but how many acknowledge the new techniques and after processing that are producing truly stunning results? One such improvement can be seen on the website of Trey Ratcliff, my new favorite photographer...

HDR photography uses a special technique that combines multiple exposures of the same image, taken at different settings, and then combines the very best elements of each (much like our natural brain and eyes do naturally). I think you will agree, the results are breathtaking. I don't believe I have seen a breakthrough of this magnitude since Ansel Adams secret black and white processing techniques. You may not agree it is that revolutionary, but I promise you will feel drawn to these photos unlike any you have seen recently.

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BMW vs. Toyota Prius

"It isn't what you drive that matters, it's how you drive it."
Jeremy Clarkson / Top Gear BBC

Car Photography

One of the best parts of my job is the research for topics to write on. Basically just ideas that spark other ideas that form the basis for the daily blog posts you see here. Car photography is one of those inspirations.

Because of our love affair with the car, every day there are tens of thousands of new automotive photos posted. Today I have chosen this blogspot site as a good example of someone who took one car and one person and turned them into many multiples of beautiful artwork. The photographer is Krystal Howell, and she has laid out a great spread of ideas into how you might better photograph your car.

It's just a snapshot into the research I do, but one that I felt you might benefit from.

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Cars and Politics

One of my online newspapers today featured a 1978 AMX Javelin for sale, so I clicked on it. The picture of the engine compartment (above) surprised me first because it was so dirty, then for the unbelievable complexity of the wiring and hoses needed for a straight six cylinder engine. It made me think back to the 1966 Mustang I had and how very simple the layout was... engine in the middle with distributor on top and plug wires to the 8 plugs, alternator, radiator, battery, and that's about it.

Then I remember that the early 70's were when the EPA stepped in and ruined American cars with very strict smog requirements that we weren't technologically able to actually produce... hence the spaghetti array of vacuum hoses on the AMX. I then looked up a Mustang from the early 80's and the engine still seems like it has been wrestled to the ground and tied like Gulliver by the Lilliputians with vacuum hoses.

Today we still have quite a few contraptions under the hood, but most of the standards are met with computer control modules and exhaust modifications. There's not much room in the engine bay but everything seems to be engineered in a much better fashion than that 72 AMX... Thankfully we learn from our mistakes!

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Leather Ferrari

We should have known it was coming to this... First were the cool graphics for advertising applied with vinyl. Then we began seeing different colors (chrome, flat black or white, glow-in-the-dark), and effects (flames, 3D, mirror, carbon fiber) that vinyl allowed and paint could not. Now the full 3D effect of a vinyl wrap leatherette. Thanks to Chillhour.com and GTSpirit.com for the story and pictures. What do you think? Cool or Gaudy?

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Improved Performance!

Sometimes you put off the repairs on your car for so long that you don't realize how badly it is performing. When you finally get around to it, please check out Autopartstomorrow for all of your tune-up parts needs.

We are an authorized AC Delco and Motorcraft warehouse distributor. What that means is we buy directly from the manufacturers, GM and Ford, and then resell the auto parts at wholesale pricing directly from the warehouse. Since we don't have retail stores, or a huge advertising budget, our prices are ALWAYS cheaper on the same exact brand new Original Equipment auto parts.

So go ahead and tune-up that car. You will be surprised how much better it runs!!

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I Just Can't Afford The Repair Cost?

In times like these many are having to deal with the very real impact of issues such as this. The car you need to take you back and forth to work first started acting up, and then quit running altogether. The mechanic has identified what is needed, but between what he is charging for labor and the cost of the auto parts needed it is just too much.

It's time to get creative. This is where Autopartstomorrow.com can help out. Our wholesale pricing is typically LESS than what your mechanic has been buying the parts for. Once you find what you need with the help of one of our parts experts at 1-800-547-2052 you can either install it yourself if you have the know-how or ask your mechanic to help out at a pre-agreed to labor only job fee. Believe me, the way things are you will not be the first one who has asked for help. He may say no, but his business has been impacted as well, and any job is better than none. Even if he says no he may be able to suggest someone else who may be able to help.

We are all figuring out new ways to get things done. Our low price, straight from the warehouse distributor business model is new. Creativity, and the willingness to help are always in demand. That is why we will be here for years to come. Everyone we help today will tell a friend tomorrow... If you know what I mean ;-)

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EV Out of Juice?

One of the biggest issues facing today's current technology plug-in only vehicles is what to do when your charge runs out on the road. This article from Motorcrave.com suggests an interesting option... find an RV park. With nightly rentals running less than a tank of gas or a tow charge, and RV parks much more prevalent than you might expect, it would at least be an option.

It's not a great option because you will be cooling your heels for about four hours, but if you bought the EV car you understand there are going to be inconveniences. Until someone can design a battery with a much greater range, and a very long "limp home" mode, these are going to be issues. That is why I feel the hybrid option that uses gasoline to charge the batteries is a better choice at this time. At least if you "run out" with those vehicles someone can bring you some gas and get you back on the road.

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APT Returns Form

Every day our returns department brings me parts that have been returned with either NO paperwork or blank return forms like the one above. Please, please, please give us the information with your returns so that we can quickly get your money credited back to your account.

We do a huge volume of orders that we process every day, and are very proud that our return rate is less than 5%. Considering that non professionals may be looking up their own parts and the catalog provider brags about their catalog data being 95% accurate (or 5% wrong) that seems to be a very good number. Even on this very small percentage we have six full time returns associates working on pallets of auto parts returns each day. A box with a random part, a blank sheet and nothing else causes an unknown customer to wonder why they didn't get their credit.

Like Tom Cruise said to Cuba Gooding, Jr. in Jerry Maguire, "Help me... help you" Please fill out the form, include a copy of your original invoice in the box, and I promise we will quickly get your money credited back.

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But I Want a Battery?

We get calls almost every day from people wanting to buy a car battery. They see our extremely low prices on everything else and assume they can probably get the same savings on batteries as well. We would love to be their source on car batteries, but unfortunately UPS and FedEx both consider them hazardous materials. Because of this we really don't have a way to economically ship batteries.

As long as we are speaking about shipping, you might also run across a few more items that we cannot sell as well. Very large aluminum A/C lines, some chemicals, a few of the gas filled struts and shocks, all are unavailable because of the type of business we are. But for everything else, you have found the right source.

For low cost auto parts, priced low and shipped fast... Autopartstomorrow.com

Delco Parts

AC Delco Parts- Keep Your GM Vehicle All GM

Maintaining your GM brand vehicle and keeping it 100% pure Chevy, Pontiac, Buick, Cadillac or other GM product line is important as this also helps retain the value of your vehicle. Using aftermarket replacement parts from manufacturers which feature cheap prices also reflects in cheap quality parts. Instead you should use AC Delco parts which are made by this General Motors division and provide a superior quality parts replacement.

AC Delco Parts for All Your Car’s Systems

AC Delco parts replacements are available for all General Motors brand vehicles, as well as certain parts replacements for other brand vehicles. You can obtain parts for the ignition system, engine, filters, belts, cooling system, fuel and emissions systems, drive train, electrical, and every other system on your vehicle. When you need these replacement parts fast, you can find most of them in stock and available for next day delivery from Auto Parts Tomorrow.

Ted Talks Magic

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There's a Chill in The Air...

The heat wave has broken and it is time to start thinking about cooler weather...


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What Causes My Brakes to Squeal?

Sounds like a simple question, right? I have been in various jobs within the auto service world for over 20 years. I asked several of our Parts Experts. They asked their customers... I have several different answers for you.

Brake squeal is basically caused by a metal on metal friction. Since brakes are designed to cause friction to slow down your car, it seems they should squeal all the time. The reality is that the material formulation on every manufacturers brake pads are designed to eliminated the squealing noise. The noise then comes from other metals within the process.

Mechanics HATE brake squeal... it is the number one cause of customer returns and warranty work. The reality however is that most of the time the problem is caused by incorrect installation. Every brake pad set we sell comes with new hardware which should be replaced every time. The shims should also be replaced to keep the back of the pad from rubbing on the caliper piston. Most of you have heard of brake quiet spray... It is designed to spray on the BACK of the pads to cut down on noise, not the pad material or rotor.

Finally, one thing that may be the overlooked step is the cleanup process. There is a large buildup of metal shavings in the entire brake/wheel area that needs to be cleaned up and meticulously kept away from the new brake pads. This same process needs to be done when the rotors are "cut" or shaved down to a new perfectly level surface. The microscopic metal filings must be washed off, with soapy water not brake cleaner, so that they don't transfer to the surface of the new pads. If any of those brake filings get embedded in the pad material, even ceramic, there will be metal on metal and the squeal will happen.

The main thing to pay attention to when doing a brake job needs to be precision and cleanliness, not speed. Saving five minutes today does not make sense if it will cause a disgruntled customer and forty five minutes of your time next week. It's like everything, do it right the first time and things will always be better.

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P.S. You may be thinking to yourself, "What about semi metallic pads?". The metal used there is copper so the "metal on metal" is dissimilar and therefore doesn't make noise. The noise comes from steel on steel in the case of the brake filings and from iron on iron if it is the backs of the pads and the caliper housing.

AC Delco Parts Catalog

Find Part Numbers- ACDelco Parts Catalog

When you own a General Motors vehicle from one of their many popular car lines, such as Chevrolet, Pontiac, Cadillac, Buick, Oldsmobile, or Hummer, you will need to obtain replacement parts for the vehicle at some point during its life. While you can use second rate quality replacements, which often last a short period of time, it is better to use ACDelco parts manufactured to last just like the original parts in your GM vehicle. You can find current parts numbers for your GM vehicle is an ACDelco parts catalog.

Access an ACDelco Parts Catalog Online

Finding the correct part numbers for your parts replacements is important to ensure you are getting the correct part and not something you do not need. You can get access to a searchable ACDelco parts catalog online through Auto Parts Tomorrow, which has a large stock of automobile replacement parts available in stock, by filtering by your vehicle or searching by brand name.

Customer Service Roulette

As part of my job here at Autopartstomorrow I am blessed to be able to speak with some of the nicest people in the country. Many of our customers are genuinely appreciative of our companies price, auto parts availability and super fast shipping. I also sit amongst the rest of our customer service parts experts, and can listen into the conversations.

An interesting side effect of taking tons of calls is when we have the opportunity to speak with someone who is having a bad day. We do a great job on almost all orders taken and shipped, but invariably the one order that somehow gets sidetracked always seems to be for someone with the greatest need. While we are empowered to do almost anything to take care of our customers, the phone call doesn't always begin with that understanding.

I call it the "pulling a rabbit out of the hat" effect. If you are as old as I am you will remember the Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoon and the piece where Bullwinkle says "Nuthin' up my sleeve" and reaches into the hat where he may pull out almost anything. So our CSR's are answering the calls; kitten, squirrel, puppy, rabbit... OMG Get this alligator off of me!! It's part of doing business and these guys are PRO's at handling issues, but sometimes it catches us off guard.

I think I can speak for all of us here, our favorite thing in the world is to assist a caller who starts off like an angry alligator and help them out, solve their problem and go that extra step... so much so that they say "Thank You" when we are done. Buying auto parts can be complicated and stressful, especially if it begins with a broken down car. We are here to make it a quick and pain free experience. We love our customers and appreciate each and every phone call we get.

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RUBE 2

We got such a good response to last weeks "Rube Goldberg Machine" video that I found another along the same lines... Again, AMAZING and WHO HAS THAT MUCH FREE TIME? Anyway, Thanks!



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AC Delco Part

AC Delco Part Replacements for Your Vehicle

If you like to perform your own automobile maintenance and repair yourself, you can save money by not having to pay for the service labor. Many parts are simple to replace and cost less when you obtain them yourself instead of through the car dealership. AC Delco part replacements are available for all General Motors vehicles as well as other car manufacturers for all different systems on your vehicle, such as fan belts, electrical systems, and fuel and emissions systems.

AC Delco Part Replacements with Guaranteed Delivery

When your vehicle breaks down and needs parts, the biggest problem is when you only have one vehicle and cannot wait weeks for parts backorders. Finding the AC Delco part replacements you need and getting them to you quickly is the quality of service offered by Auto Parts Tomorrow, which guarantees next day delivery to select regions or your entire order is free.

Human Slingshot Video

If you are wondering what to do this weekend, check out this great video by Devin Graham for ideas. You may want to scroll through his other clips as well... Great Stuff!!


Autopartstomorrow

Rube Goldgerg Machine

Whenever I see a video like this the first thought is "Wow, that is cool!", then I inevitably wonder "How long did that take to put together?"... and who has that kind of time anyway? I love technology, science and art as much as anyone (isn't that what an automobile is the perfect combination of anyway) but this seems over the top. What do you think?



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Ford Hybrid Concept

This article by @itskeithbarry at Autopia previews Ford's new concept vehicle, the EVOS, a plug-in hybrid. The design is beautiful, even giving the new Jaguar and Aston Martins a run for their money.

Although the article spends most of it's coverage on the great new technology behind the vehicle, I focused more on two simple items. The picture... it really is a stunning design (if they will keep it for production), and the rated 500 mile range for the combined drive train.

Either way, whether you see the high tech or the skin deep beauty, Ford should be proud of this design and if they were smart they would get it to the showroom floors at your local dealership as soon as possible.

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Hyundai Review from AskMen.com

Watch those Korean manufacturers... Hyundai doubled their business during a huge recession? They must be doing something right.

The 2012 Hyundai R-Spec Reviewed

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