Datsun Roadster Forum-311s.org

I'm getting ready to order parts. I need to get all the usual suspects for the front end, brakes etc. I have looked through the vendors page, and I will request quotes from Fairlady, and Rallye. Is there anyone else I should talk to? I e-mailed Rods, but haven't gotten a reply. I'd like to get all of these parts from one source, but my budget is tight, so I'd like to get the best price I can. Any suggestions?

Glenn

Glenn,

I suggest starting with your local Nissan dealer. I picked up several parts for my front suspension and there isn't any shipping charges. May take a couple days and parts may or may not be in-stock, but I've had some luck. The price is always much better also. Here are a couple of parts I have purchased recently;

48522-16501 Dust Cover ball joints/tie rods 6 at $6.15 ea.
40160-25900 Ball Joint-lower 2 @ $137.33 ea.
40232-16500 Seal- grease (front) hub 2 @ $2.57 ea.
38212-04101 Seal-Oil (rear) 2 @ $3.55 ea.
43223-04101 Seal- Grease (rear) 2 @ $3.55 ea.
54613-04200 Bushing- bar ( stock stabilizer bar- cylinder shaped) 2 @ $2.59 ea.

These prices were all much better than the vendors. From here you'll have to check each vendor for the best price on individual items. Ross at Sports Imports is another good vendor besides the one's you've mentioned. Finally, I strongly recommend the front suspension bolts package from Pat Mahoney. All of the nuts and bolts for the entire front end. Great deal. I finished mine off a couple of weeks ago and everything is tight. Hope that helps.

I have to vote for the Nissan Dealer. If you can get the part #s, you should be good to go. The Nissan dealers list is really bad. They couldn't locate a part # for my radiator cap, or my rear diff gasket.

Will

Thanks guys,

I was under the impression that the dealership was a lost cause. I'll give it a shot.

Glenn

Nissan still has many parts in stock. With some, it takes a little time to show up. As long as you have the part # you should be good to go. Sometimes if you are lucky, you can find an "In" with Nissan Japan, that opens a completly different door for parts. I can't recomend any dealerships who can do this, but I have heard of it happening.
Good luck,

Will

Even here in the hinterlands the local (65 mi away) dealership is almost always the best option. Sam

Glenn,

As mentioned earlier, the key is to already have the parts numbers you need before you go in to order. They aren't very reliable with looking things up. Mostly due to the fact that the car has been out of the system for so long.

Thanks for all the feedback. I am busily collecting part numbers in anticipation of a trip to the dealership. I also have to travel quite a distance to the dealership, and I want to make sure I have all the numbers I need. Thanks again.

Glenn

Glenn,

The dealership has been a delightful surprise for parts , but part#'s are a MUST. You can look up the part numbers at http://www.311s.org/tech/parts/partfiche.html (Hope I put the link in right) Some of the pages are a little blurry, but it is a wealth of information that can't be beat. If you have a slow connection it might take a while though. I downloaded a copy from somewhere else a few years ago and printed everything out, just to make things a little faster and easier to look up. You can then go to http://www.nissanparts.cc/, I think they are out of Washington State, and enter the part numbers to make sure you have the right part number and it matches the description of what you need. It will usually say parts are available in 4-10 days (Don't always beleive it), but at least you will have the right part number for the item you want when you go to the dealer, and they will tell you more accurately about availability.

Happy Wrenching
Mark

Mark,

I found a similar copy of the parts manuals, and downloaded them, but the numbers are hard to read. Maybe I will print it like you said. I am using one of those sites to check my numbers, so I should have a pretty good list by the time I get to the dealership. Can't wait to get things put together so I can get it on the road.

Glenn

It really depends on your dealership. If they've got the old parts book, ask to look at it and find the part numbers yourself. My dealer has it all on computer and we can do a decent job of looking things up together on the computer screen.

I downloaded the parts manual PDF's, too, and have to agree that some of the part numbers are hard to read. That said, Dean @ Fairlady has printed (re-printed?) a manual w/ clear pics and most of the part numbers, which I have found extremely helpful when comparing to the PDF's.

Well, I went to my local dealer today. I took a list of part numbers, printed out in a large font, with the proper descriptions. The folks in the parts department were so unhelpful, that I will never go back there. Noone had any idea what a roadster was, and they really didn't seem to care. They quoted me full retail price plus 20% for shipping, and no returns period. Oh well, I guess I'll try another dealership.

Glenn

There is no excuse for anyone doing business today to act like that.

If their attitude was that bad, I would've asked to speak to the Parts Manager and maybe the owner. If that doesn't get their attention, then I'd notify Nissan USA that they have a dealership that is not interested in customer service.

Doing a quick search, I'm guessing Coos Bay Nissan are the jerks. In the meantime, yeah, check out another Nissan dealer who is interested in your $$$. Looks like you'll have to go a little further:

Horizon Nissan of Roseburg (Roseburg, OR)
Jim Siegel Automotive Center (Grants Pass, OR)
Lithia Nissan (Medford, OR)
Lithia Nissan of Eugene (Eugene, OR)

Good luck.

Yes, the times are changing... In the past I would just make a phone call or run over to the Nissan dealer in Albany,Or for all my parts. Last time, I do mean LAST time, I was in there asking about a slave cylinder the New Parts Manager wanted list plus shipping (over $60). I went to Shucks, $27.00 and they even had it in stock.
For 20+ years I knew the parts manager's, Lynn and Ed, and everyone gave me 15% off and some time even less than cost. Believe me Nissan was making a killing on marked up Roadster prices, the guys even let me look at the marked down parts liststo see if I wanted to buy anything at their cost.
You will find out the older aged parts person will be better for you since they have delt with roadsters in the past. I enjoy just hearing about one. I'm not upset about the Dealership just the incompetant person they put behind the counter. A person feels like walking out into the showroom and saying WOW thats a nice MG. You might give the Jack Scoville dealership a call in Corvallis.
Sorry about going off topic, I just know how you feel... Bill Cole