C3 parts supplier - who to use???

[MilkyNoSugar]

Are there any other good C3 parts suppliers to use to get things in the UK, either buying in the UK or buying from US suppliers and getting stuff shipped over?

Please do not recommend Corvette Kingdom as I have not had a good first-time experience ordering parts from them, which was disappointing.

 

[Roscobbc]

Many will suggest Gavin from EMC.

 

[Chuffer]

Are there any other good C3 parts suppliers to use to get things in the UK, either buying in the UK or buying from US suppliers and getting stuff shipped over?

Please do not recommend Corvette Kingdom as I have not had a good first-time experience ordering parts from them, which was disappointing.

For what it`s worth I have only ever had good experiences with Corvette Kingdom and have used them many times .

 

[johng]

If they've got what you want it's hard to beat Rockauto, but they don't do everything. I've also bought bits from Claremont Corvette and Corvette Kingdom with no issue, or even Amazon and Ebay for some things

 

[Chuffer]

Milky , it also depends on what parts you need . You could try US Automotive in Bedford of Frost`s in Wellingborough .

 

[Rich]

You've already tried Corvette Kingdom, but you won't go wrong with Keith at Eurovettes or Gavin Roe at EMC Performance. Contact details can be found in Vette News.

 

[Letank]

For buying generic Chevy service items, Rock Auto can work out very reasonable (but only if you know exactly what part numbers you need).

For all other Corvette specific parts or restoration items, I always go through Gavin at EMC. Just look up what you need on Top Flight Automotive (Formally Corvette America) and then let him know the name and part numbers of what you want.

Going through Gavin saves a bit on shipping and duty vs doing it yourself.

 

[CaptainK]

Another one here that's used Corvette Kingdom, EMC, RockAuto, random Ebay sellers, and others I can't remember now. All been good so far, especially CK and EMC.

 

[Roscobbc]

It can be worth checking with Customville in Dagenham......having been around so long their shelves often have have surprising items gathering dust.

 

[Emc]

The main reason I can be more competitive than other UK suppliers is that I do not have a large work shop or workforce to service. In general most UK suppliers buy their parts from the same US suppliers and generally at a similar price it is then down to expenditure they need to cover with the price of their sales.

 

[BigVet]

I think we're all missing the point here, MilkyNoSugar's original question was asking for a "Good C3 parts supplier". I have to say, generally speaking the parts are the same whoever you buy them from, the difference is in the supplier. So, as the UK's largest seller of used Corvettes by far, we'd go out of our way to recommend EMC for parts above all others. We've known Gavin for more years than we care to count and we know he always spends time with callers, whether he's making a sale or not. Now add to that his prices are way below the rest, so what's not to like? Just my humble opinion.

Tom, Dromey Corvettes

 

[Chris Sale]

As a long-term C2 owner, the constant point-scoring emphasis on which supporting vendor can supply parts at the lowest cost continues to concern me. Surely, we should be looking at the broader picture of the level of commitment vendors are demonstrating to helping us owners of early Corvettes keep them on the road. It does not require much in the way of investment to set up a mail order parts business or to offer basic maintenance and repairs from home, whereas it does take substantial investment and commitment to set up the dedicated workshop and maintain the large parts inventory that CK have.
Chris Sale
'64 Coupe

 

[Nassau65]

In the days before the magic of the internet and being based in north London, I used customville for all my standard stuff if it was something that I didn’t have to hand. For corvette specific items I used Claremont corvette and corvette kingdom and found both Tom at Claremont and Ray at corvette kingdom to be great people to deal with. John Wolfe at staples corner was another great supplier of anything/everything you could possibly want.
Nowadays parts buying couldn’t be simpler, a few clicks of your mouse and you’ve got it.
Never bought from EMC, but a lot of people give him great praise, so he’s doing something right.

 

[antijam]

As a relatively new Corvette owner I've dealt with Scott at Corvette Kingdom, Tom at Claremont Corvette, Adrian at Dromey Corvettes and have chatted with Gavin at EMC. All suppliers in the UK and they've always been very helpful and generous with their time. I've never bought parts from EMC mainly because they don't have a website and it's easy to look for what you want on the web these days.
The web also makes it very easy to buy from the States and as well as several other suppliers I've found Full Throttle Corvette in Ohio very useful.
Buying from UK suppliers and helping to keep them in business can only be good for the long term health of our avocation. Obviously with the miniscule potential market over here compared with that in the States it's impossible for them to keep the full inventory of parts available over there and sometimes you have no choice but to buy abroad. When doing so it does pay to check shipping costs carefully ; they can sometimes be extortionate.

 

[Mad4slalom]

I think we're all missing the point here, MilkyNoSugar's original question was asking for a "Good C3 parts supplier". I have to say, generally speaking the parts are the same whoever you buy them from, the difference is in the supplier. So, as the UK's largest seller of used Corvettes by far, we'd go out of our way to recommend EMC for parts above all others. We've known Gavin for more years than we care to count and we know he always spends time with callers, whether he's making a sale or not. Now add to that his prices are way below the rest, so what's not to like? Just my humble opinion.

Tom, Dromey Corvettes

I too have used all the above uk sellers as I like to support as many as I can. Great service from all of them but as Tom just said there is no one more generous with his time and advice than Gavin at emc

 

[Letank]

I too have used all the above uk sellers as I like to support as many as I can. Great service from all of them but as Tom just said there is no one more generous with his time and advice than Gavin at emc

Couldn’t agree more with this ☝
I have had hours of free help and advice from Gavin over the years. He lives and breathes C3’s and loves to help out fellow enthusiasts…never with any obligation to buy from him.
Not having a website may well put some people off, however it allows him to keep costs low. Just tell him what you want from the Topflight website and he’ll bring it in on his next big order, saving on shipping and duty.

 

[Mad4slalom]

One thing is certain, at least buy some of your parts from uk suppliers , as to lose any one of them would be detrimental to the corvette scene in the UK! I have met Tom falconer, I have met Gavin and I have met adrian , I I have spent a fair bit of money with CK but have never met Scott, when I find myself delivering pianos to norfolk I will look forward to meeting him too. Its just nice to put faces to the names of folk you deal with and makes it a bit more personal when you speak to them next time on the phone.