• From: Bethel Park PA
  • Registered: 2004-06-27
  • Posts: 686

Topic: Finding parts at VW dealers

I provided this info at the old forum site but it hasn't carried over.

Some years ago, VWOA directed all VW dealers to divest themselves of ALL air-cooled VW parts.  Most dealers did this, either by selling everything to other resellers (where did you think RMMW, CIP1, etc. got their NOS parts?) or, as one local dealer did, by putting everything in a dumpster!

Even so, some few parts escaped this disposition and destruction.  I have found a few smaller parts that were still available in some dealer's inventiries.  To avoid wasting a lot of gas and/or phone charges, try the following web site:

www.partsvoice.com

When you log on to the page go to the Find By Part Number page.  You only need to enter your ZIP code.

Enter Volkswagen as the manufacturer and then the (VW) part number of the part you're looking for.

IF the part you are looking for exists in any VW dealer's inventory in the US, it will provide the dealer's name, address, phone number and the number of parts available.  It will also show how far away the dealer is - that's why you had to enter your ZIP code.

At this late date, don't expect a lot of success, but for some parts you might get lucky.

David H
'66 VW Beetle w/sunroof
http://tinyurl.com/qhw59
"Where am I going ... and why am I in this handbasket?"
  • From: Colorado Springs, CO
  • Registered: 2004-03-27
  • Posts: 3,622

Re: Finding parts at VW dealers

David: Great advice! I have been fortunate to find several smaller items in my local Dealers' inventories. At one time, VWOA published a book of the remaining aircooled VW parts in most of the network of US dealerships. I used to have the book but it is long since been lost (or "borrowed" by someone who needed it more than I did). When I worked for RMMW we had, as you accurately noted, an arrangement with the local dealers. If there was a part in their network, they would locate it and have it ready for our pickup in about a week. They also offered us fairly reasonable prices, since these were "obsolete" parts. Many, many items were found in the Dallas (TX) Parts Depot, (used to be in Carrollton, TX). My guess is that there are still parts to be found, and it never hurts to befriend one of the Parts Department counter people to ask for an occasional favor....to look up a part on their computer network. It really helps if you have a VW part number to work from. The old RMMW catalogs and several others often listed the actual VW number.

I will check out the link you mentioned. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Clancy

  • TomB
  • Moderator
  • Offline
  • From: Austin, TX
  • Registered: 2004-03-27
  • Posts: 1,095

Re: Finding parts at VW dealers

As of last year my local dealer was able to get many obsolete aircooled parts from the Dallas warehouse. The parts guy had toured it (the central location for obsolete parts) and they were still sometimes getting parts in from Germany and elsewhere for these obsolete models. So the policy of removing obsolete parts from dealers didn't mean complete scrapping of all old parts.

  • From: Northern Illinois
  • Registered: 2004-03-27
  • Posts: 1,105

Re: Finding parts at VW dealers

When I took over the Evanston, IL dealership as Parts & Service Director in the early 90s I about dropped dead when I found TWO N.O.S. VW stamped single tip mufflers along with a hord of other stuff on the shelf in the parts department.

-Darby
  • From: Bethel Park PA
  • Registered: 2004-06-27
  • Posts: 686

Re: Finding parts at VW dealers

Above, where I mentioned dumster disposal of parts I was referring to a local dealer who told me that, among other large things, they had dumped "about a dozen" mufflers and sent them to the landfill.

Using the link I gave, if a dealer has a part in inventory, this will find it.  This can also be used for any part for any make of car.  When you go to a dealer for a part that they themselves don't have, and they use their computor system to look for who has it, they're using PartsVioce.

It may be true that some dealer might be holding parts that aren't on inventory.  You might hit it lucky to go to that dealer but, for instance, how would i know to call a dealer in, say, Utah looking for what I need?  Anecdotal stories of secret finds are great but, again, for inventoried parts, partsvoice is the way to go.

David H
'66 VW Beetle w/sunroof
http://tinyurl.com/qhw59
"Where am I going ... and why am I in this handbasket?"