Kaiser Willys Auto Supply??

[corpsman]

I've been thinking about ordering some parts from Kaiser Willys Auto Supply.  has anyone ordered from them?  do they have quality parts?

[BMIC]

I buy about 90% of my parts through KW...
I do not think they provide better quality or pricing than the others, I just like the delivery arriving when I expect it and the order shipped in full.
 I only work on my 3A on weekends so my parts arriving by Friday is very important to me. To that end KW has never let me down.

[garage gnome]

I use Walcks 4WD way more than KW. They ship faster and have more american made parts. However, they all use the same omix ada and MD Juan parts.

[garage gnome]

BTW, I moved this since it isn't tech related.

[johnrb3b]

Like Nate, I get most of my stuff from Walk's.
Walk's and KW are virtually the same on price abd delivery - each can beat the other on different items. Of course, given the world economy, they get most of their parts from the same sources. I get the feeling that Carl works harder at sourcing American made but he can do only so much.
But - here's the big difference.
I've called both on several occasions with questions before buying a part.
In every case, Carl has had the correct answer plus much good advice.
About half the time I call KW, I get someone who simply doesn't have the knowledge and background to correctly answer my question and also doesn't have the experience of actually working on old Willys vehicles.
KW is not bad people, they just don't have the weath of experience that Carl and his son have.

Another vendor who has a lifetime of experience, like Carl, is Herm Tilford - Herm the Overdrive Guy. He is THE authority on overdrives and related items. He also is willing to give you of his time and advice when you call.

Two great guys - Carl and Herm.

[corpsman]

thanks for the input, guys!  i'll check out Walcks and see what I think.

[corpsman]

BTW, I moved this since it isn't tech related.

no problem here.  thanks!

[J Metz]

But - here's the big difference.
I've called both on several occasions with questions before buying a part.
In every case, Carl has had the correct answer plus much good advice.
About half the time I call KW, I get someone who simply doesn't have the knowledge and background to correctly answer my question and also doesn't have the experience of actually working on old Willys vehicles.
KW is not bad people, they just don't have the weath of experience that Carl and his son have.

I agree with this. For the most part, if you know exactly what you want KW is a decent place to get it, especially since their threshold for free shipping is lower than Walck's. However, I had one experience that completely echoes John's.

I tried talking to "Mike," (there is more than one Mike at KW, so this was their "senior parts guy") about a problem I was having trying to find a replacement for a hub that got damaged when I was trying to remove a fused brake drum. Despite sending them pictures (and the link to the blog), they kept asking me what kind of brakes I had - which lead me to believe that they hadn't even bothered to look at anything I sent.

There was a lot of back and forth, because what they were telling me made no sense, and ultimately I ended the call without actually getting an answer.

Sometimes KW has parts I can't find anywhere else, however, so I'm forced to use them but overall I try to avoid anything that might require asking questions later.

Just for what it's worth, at least...

[bretto]

If your ordering important core parts, ie tranny, engine, any gears, stay away from KW.� That's not their bailiwick. Most of their stuff, as other had said, is overseas garbage.� Source OEM USA made parts ONLY.� And I'm not saying that just to say buy American, there is a big difference in the quality.� You will pay a little more but it's better than the frustration of having to redo a job.� A good source for that is guys like John Bizal @ Midwest Military, Peter DeBella, Advanced Adapters or Novak.

To be honest, I just use KW as reference, their catalog is pretty ;)

[corpsman]

If your ordering important core parts, ie tranny, engine, any gears, stay away from KW.� That's not their bailiwick. Most of their stuff, as other had said, is overseas garbage.� Source OEM USA made parts ONLY.� And I'm not saying that just to say buy American, there is a big difference in the quality.� You will pay a little more but it's better than the frustration of having to redo a job.� A good source for that is guys like John Bizal @ Midwest Military, Peter DeBella, Advanced Adapters or Novak.

To be honest, I just use KW as reference, their catalog is pretty

hey, I really appreciate the info.  I will definitely keep that in mind.  I would much rather have a quality, made in USA part.