westlothianvette
New user
I have just purchased a 1971 convertible and will need general service items.
Looking for the best supplier in the UK .
Looking for the best supplier in the UK .
Recommended suppliers for C3 consumables
- Thread starter westlothianvette
- Start date
Chris Sale
CCCUK Member
I find it surprising that a former CCCUK Chairman consistently recommends only one supplier, EMC Performance.
Chris Sale
Chris Sale
Last edited by a moderator:
Roscobbc
Moderator
I'm going to presume the OP, westlothianvette is north of the border - I can't help with knowledge of any potential suppliers close to him......but there are others in the UK who will no doubt be happy to send items. There is Corvette Kingdom, based in Norfolk with an excellent stock of Corvette related items for earlier marques of Corvette. There is Customville, based in Dagenham, Essex who carry an exhaustive stock of regular service items for most American cars (including Corvettes) - both of these suppliers offer a discount for CCCUK members - there is Real Steel in Uxbridge who hold really good stocks of aftermarket and tuning items for all American engined cars (including earlier Corvettes). There is also Rock Auto for on-line standard American car parts. EMC Performance has already been mentioned, Gavin carries some useful stocks. Perhaps other members can suggest suppliers too.
SESH
CCCUK Member
Not forgetting Claremont Corvette who trade solely online now. www.corvette.co.uk based in Kent.
westlothianvette
New user
It looks like rock auto is based in the usa. Is it cost effective or get parts sent over with the costs involved or just pay the premium price charged by the uk retailer.
Roscobbc
Moderator
If you like to purchase your car items 'old school' then use one of the UK suppliers - you have a better chance of seeing before buying. Remember that if the item you want isn't in stocked in the UK the shipping/duty costs etc still haven't gone back to pre-Covid levels so prepare for perhaps a price shock if the UK dealer has to ship it in.
Rock Auto are used by a fair number of people in the UK. They are efficient and quick to dispatch........but you really need to know what you are ordering.
johng
CCCUK Member
If you are going to use Rock Auto, make sure you pick the shipping option that includes VAT, otherwise you will incur delays and an additional customs processing fee. It's easy enough to get a price from Rock Auto and compare that to the UK suppliers and then make up your mind whether or not it's cost effective.
CaptainK
CCCUK Member
Quite a few UK suppliers as Roscobbc says above. The RockAuto option from USA is great if you select the shipping option that includes it all in it as johng says above. Saves hassle with shipping and import and you can see exactly how much its gonna cost you.
I find its nice to use the UK suppliers - I've bought from EMC, Corvette Kingdom and Real Steel. All very good, no issues, and in stock items arrive quickly. I have no experience yet of the other suppliers, so can't comment. Obviously there is also Ebay and so forth, but results can vary there.
I find its nice to use the UK suppliers - I've bought from EMC, Corvette Kingdom and Real Steel. All very good, no issues, and in stock items arrive quickly. I have no experience yet of the other suppliers, so can't comment. Obviously there is also Ebay and so forth, but results can vary there.
Chuffer
CCCUK regional rep
As others have said , Corvette Kingdom which I have usede many times . I have also used US Automotive in Bedford and C M Frosts American Car parts in Weliingborough both of whom carry large stock and will ship to anywhere in UK . If you know exactly what spec you require for your model year for spark plugs , oil filters etc you can get a lot of bits on Ebay UK .
Roscobbc
Moderator
I forgot to mention Topspeed Automotive for aftermarket parts who are also in Bedfordshire I believe. Do JWR (John Woolfe Racing) still exist? and there's Repower (I think) Brighton way.....supply Chevy crate engines and performance parts for kit car users.....and there are others out there......
Chuffer
CCCUK regional rep
JWR were still in business a couple of years back as i bought bits from them .
Mad4slalom
CCCUK Member
I have seen a few posts on here referring to uk suppliers and their so called “ premiums” it kind of baffles me that some folk seem to expect business owners to import a vast range of spares for a foreign , fifty year old marque and then sit there twiddling their thumbs waiting for someone to phone up for a set of plugs , points , bushes , bearing or whatever And then expect it to be the same price as it would be if you walked into a parts store in the states. Or refuse to pay a bit of postage for it to arrive safely and correct the next day.
Just think of the money a supplier has invested to hold a reasonable stock of service, repair and restoration parts to provide a service to owners and enthusiasts over here. In my experience they are all extremely knowledgable , genuine guys , out to make a living, Not con men trying to extort an extra fiver out of anybody on a set of points ! On top of that, when you call them to order your set of points or whatever, and you have a query on the fitting or location of said part, These guys are extremely helpful and generous with their free knowledge , advice and recommendations, if that is’nt worth paying a small Premium for , I dont know what is .
Just Sayin 
antijam
CCCUK Member
eBay.com is always worth checking for parts. Many US Corvette parts dealers use it and many of them ship using the Global Shipping Program. With this all the shipping and import charges are paid up front so there's no waiting while HM Revenue and Customs decide how much to sting you for before it's delivered. I've found Full Throttle Corvette particularly useful on eBay and many of their listings use the Global Shipping Program. If you find stuff in the States that the seller won't ship to the UK you can always use a shipping agent like MyUS. If you buy from several sellers that offer free shipping in the States, using MyUS to consolidate your purchases into one shipment can be very cost effective.
Nassau65
CCCUK Member
It does pay to look around all suppliers both UK and USA. Depending on the parts you require savings could be quite considerable from one supplier to the next sometimes. Of course how quickly you need the item will influence your choice of supplier. For general service items it’s probably better from a UK supplier, but for a number of the larger more expensive items a US supplier may offer a considerable saving. What doesn’t help at the moment is the terrible pound to dollar exchange rate, but that affects everybody including the UK based suppliers.
Me myself have used UK suppliers Customville in Ilford/Romford Essex for general service items for most “yanks” . Corvette Kingdom for corvette only parts. Both have provided excellent service over many many years.
Me myself have used UK suppliers Customville in Ilford/Romford Essex for general service items for most “yanks” . Corvette Kingdom for corvette only parts. Both have provided excellent service over many many years.
Roscobbc
Moderator
I recall when first getting my Vette - the very first 'addition' I decided upon was a pair of headers. I did no more than drive over to Customvilles shop, preparing to order a pair and wait for them to be shipped-in. Imagine my surprise when they actually had a pair of Hedman Hedders (specifically for a big block) on their shelf in the stores out the back!
Nassau65
CCCUK Member
In the old days it was pretty hard for individuals to order parts direct from the USA. They/you simply didn’t know how/where to order them from. So you went to people like customville or John Wolfe Racing who did it for you. ( if it was not a stock item) you waited a couple of weeks and then went to collect it.
The internet changed that. It was simple to do, any anybody could do it. What was once only in the realm of specialised suppliers is now open to everybody. Great.
The internet changed that. It was simple to do, any anybody could do it. What was once only in the realm of specialised suppliers is now open to everybody. Great.