My experiences with 4wheelauto have all been good, but I am pretty sure that I have always talked to Dan himself either in person, on the phone, or by email.
A word about 4wheelauto (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter Diesel42
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Hey,
Just a side note, the brushes in your and almost every ones Toyota uses the same brushes. I got my last set from Stevens Creek Toyota, cost $7.00 for the pair and about 2 minutes with a soldering iron to replace them into the brush block/regulator assy.
Hola
eric
Never Again
I just spent a bunch of $$$ with 4wheelauto. Initially, I was quite impressed with them. When they sent me the wrong parts for my BJ42 5 speed conversion, they would no longer return my calls or my mechanic's calls and my BJ42 sat in the shop for 6 months while I waited for them to make it right and send me the correct parts...never happened. I never even got a call back from them. I finally just called SOR and they sent me everything, their tech guy even called my mechanic to troubleshoot and make sure I got the right parts this time. I guess I should have dealt with SOR from the start.
They were no more expensive than 4wheelauto and actually knew what they were talking about. The conversion ended up costing me 3x what it should have and 6 months of downtime. Had I known how involved it was I never would have tackled the project. Thanks a load 4 Wheel Auto.
Part of the same order consisted of a 'complete' BJ Series A/C system which I paid $1500 CAD for. They sent me a 24v compressor and a condenser.....nothing else. I had to send them a BJ Series A/C diagram and hound them before they'd send me the rest of the parts.
Customer service and pricing are not their strong points and I would never do business with them again.
I just spent a bunch of $$$ with 4wheelauto. Initially, I was quite impressed with them. When they sent me the wrong parts for my BJ42 5 speed conversion, they would no longer return my calls or my mechanic's calls and my BJ42 sat in the shop for 6 months while I waited for them to make it right and send me the correct parts...never happened. I never even got a call back from them. I finally just called SOR and they sent me everything, their tech guy even called my mechanic to troubleshoot and make sure I got the right parts this time. I guess I should have dealt with SOR from the start.
They were no more expensive than 4wheelauto and actually knew what they were talking about. The conversion ended up costing me 3x what it should have and 6 months of downtime. Had I known how involved it was I never would have tackled the project. Thanks a load 4 Wheel Auto. Part of the same order consisted of a 'complete' BJ Series A/C system which I paid $1500 CAD for. They sent me a 24v compressor and a condenser.....nothing else. I had to send them a BJ Series A/C diagram and hound them before they'd send me the rest of the parts.
Customer service and pricing are not their strong points and I would never do business with them again.
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I think the bottom line is that every shop has some variation among their staff. I haven't had cause to call 4wheelauto yet, but I'm sure I will someday! Some of their prices seem a little high though - precups and injectors are a fortune on their site. 
Dave at Japan 4x4 is awesome, he even offered to take an axle shaft I needed out of his own truck if I was in a bind.
Sheldon at gscruiserparts is also top notch, returns calls just about instantly.
Beast II, I'm glad you had a good experience with SOR - you must NOT have been talking to Paul, who is a douchebag of the highest order.
Dave at Japan 4x4 is awesome, he even offered to take an axle shaft I needed out of his own truck if I was in a bind.
Sheldon at gscruiserparts is also top notch, returns calls just about instantly.
Beast II, I'm glad you had a good experience with SOR - you must NOT have been talking to Paul, who is a douchebag of the highest order.
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Beast II wrote,
"I just spent a bunch of $$$ with 4wheelauto. Initially, I was quite impressed with them. When they sent me the wrong parts for my tranny upgrade, they would no longer return my calls or my mechanic's calls and my BJ42 sat in the shop for a month while I waited for them to make it right and send me the correct parts...never happened."
Well it looks like I'm not alone after all then. That sounds VERY similar to my experience with that outfit. Initially no problems, then consistently got the wrong parts from 4WheelAuto, communication progressively sucked, they kept me waiting for weeks at a stretch, they over-charged (and quoted high prices otherwise) and didn't return calls. They did at least refund my money a couple of times from wrong or crummy parts, but I remain regretful that I gave them so much of my money, and like you, NEVER AGAIN.
I wish I had found Dave at Japan4x4 from the get-go. Better prices, better service.
"I just spent a bunch of $$$ with 4wheelauto. Initially, I was quite impressed with them. When they sent me the wrong parts for my tranny upgrade, they would no longer return my calls or my mechanic's calls and my BJ42 sat in the shop for a month while I waited for them to make it right and send me the correct parts...never happened."
Well it looks like I'm not alone after all then. That sounds VERY similar to my experience with that outfit. Initially no problems, then consistently got the wrong parts from 4WheelAuto, communication progressively sucked, they kept me waiting for weeks at a stretch, they over-charged (and quoted high prices otherwise) and didn't return calls. They did at least refund my money a couple of times from wrong or crummy parts, but I remain regretful that I gave them so much of my money, and like you, NEVER AGAIN.
I wish I had found Dave at Japan4x4 from the get-go. Better prices, better service.
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crushers
post ho
well, well, well...
i have been using 4wheel for about 10 years, i have had hit and miss with used parts. each year Dan has been doing better. prices have been coming down, correct parts have been going up.
Dan has made a few mistakes over the years but nothing he never rectified or refunded. considering he is a 3 man show he is doing quite well. and considering the volumm of parts he ships out i have been impressed more and more.
when it comes to used parts he needs to be more accurate in his descriptions. when it comes to new parts he is pretty darn good. he has found me "hard to find" parts and made little off them.
he also trys hard to return calls quickly, he gives advice freely and walks customers through most of their problems.
could i do his job? probably not.
he will spend time on the phone giving advice and then the potential customer will go buy his parts elsewhere for $10 cheaper from someone that has no frigging clue what goes where or why and has no advice to give thus Dan just wasted valuable time on a dead beat. how many of you go to work each day, put in your 8 hours but only get paid for 5 or 6 hours? how many of you will still be doing that job 10 years from now? how many of you spend countless hours, after the job is over, organizing for the next day, month, year without pay?
how many of you are self employed? i am talking Dan at 4wheel, Dave at Japan4X4, Greg and Sheldon at G&S, Steve Tetu at extreme bends, Simon in Manitoba, Micheal at West Coast cruisers, Mike at Gozzard composites and many many more that support this fine community. how many of you know the inner workings, the people of these companies? i know these people (hey, they are PEOPLE that work their asses off for the community), many intimately, and i know how much time and money is wasted (time IS money) on giving advice or creating a product, supplying a product to all of us. MANY of the above have considered closing their doors due to attitude of the community. this is not bull****, MANY of these companies have considered walking away. (where the hell are you going to get your parts then?)
how many of you have invested hundreds of thousands in stock so that you can supply the LC community with parts with a relative quick turn around time?
how many of you deal with THOUSANDS of cruiserheads and NEVER made a mistake?
yah, yah, "but they make money off us". how much money do you think they actually clear at the end of the year? how about a quick list of expenses?
over head - buildings, racking, heat, hydro,
labor - employees wages, sick leave, taxes, more taxes, WCB, mandatory holiday pay (you know this one, pay for sitting on your ass) and of course your self. after all we ALL go to work to make money, right? (you might be surprised to learn the lowest paid individual is usually the owner)
stock - time to locate, organizing shipping, sorting, confirming, racking, imputing, crating and shipping back out.
THAT is just the beginning, then instead of being able to sit back and answer the phone and make money hand over fist, you answer the phone and the bloke at the other end says "hey, i was reading on mud about this cool frigging swap, what do i need to do it?" you scratch your head and try and picture what the hell this guy is talking about. remember, you do not have a tech on staff that has tried all the cool ideas floating around. what the person is talking about makes sense so you spend a few minutes getting everything written down, tell the guy you will call him back and then you phone up someone that has done the swap and ask him questions. once you feel comfortable enough with the info you go check and see if you have stock of the needed parts. no parts you call someone you know that might have them, if he does then you get a price, if he doesn't the search goes on till you find someone that does. you get your parts prices down, your mark up (this is your companies earnings) confirmed, you go over the facts again to make sure you are close with the estimate and now you are ready to call the individual back. "Hi, is Jimboob there?" and you give him the quote. now the waiting game begins, meanwhile you are onto the next Jimbob and his dreams. the first Jimboob calls back and says "hey i just read that i can do this as well, can i get a quote for that as well" and off you go again. of course you don't hear about the first request being filled by someone that never bothered to do the research cause you just gave Jimboob all the part numbers so he could give company B. of course company B can sell for cheaper since he just sits at the phone and ships the parts out.
you would be surprised at the amount of information that these companies that support our community have to aquire. ideas pop up continually on Mud, and unless you wrench then most of these ideas are beyond what these boys do. Sheldon at G&S is a book of knowledge but, i have to ask, why the hell should he give out his hard earned information for free? Dan has aquired a huge knowledge base over the years. they are TRYING to help the community.
yes, it sounds like Dan dropped the ball on this one. i would like to know EXACTLY what parts Spector supplied differently than Dan. what was the wrong part(s)?
Dan should have stuck by this but he did give the advice he had to offer, how the hell do you correct a problem from thousands of miles away unless the customer can accurately describe the issue. there was lots of advice given in the thread dealing with the problem but no follow up with what was the final solution, why not?
i know Sheldon, Dave, Micheal, Dan, Steve etc all spend UNPAID hours giving advice to people they have never met and probably never will. cut them some slack or maybe next time you call these people up they will have a 1-900-advice hot line. or... maybe they will have had enough of the bull**** and closed the doors completely.
the Land Cruiser world is a small world and many of the small cruiser shops that support this world have closed their doors due to the leaches in this small world. the people that suck the time out of the overworked supporters and drop their money elsewhere.
yah, yah, it is your hard earned money you are spending but it is their hard earned money you are wasting. you all are big boys here, grow up and realise PEOPLE make mistakes and realise... Cruiser supporting companies are PEOPLE, there is no Wallymart in the Cruiser world.
want to save money? go buy a Jeep, Cruisers are expensive to buy, maintain, repair.
sorry to hear Dan didn't come through.
i have been using 4wheel for about 10 years, i have had hit and miss with used parts. each year Dan has been doing better. prices have been coming down, correct parts have been going up.
Dan has made a few mistakes over the years but nothing he never rectified or refunded. considering he is a 3 man show he is doing quite well. and considering the volumm of parts he ships out i have been impressed more and more.
when it comes to used parts he needs to be more accurate in his descriptions. when it comes to new parts he is pretty darn good. he has found me "hard to find" parts and made little off them.
he also trys hard to return calls quickly, he gives advice freely and walks customers through most of their problems.
could i do his job? probably not.
he will spend time on the phone giving advice and then the potential customer will go buy his parts elsewhere for $10 cheaper from someone that has no frigging clue what goes where or why and has no advice to give thus Dan just wasted valuable time on a dead beat. how many of you go to work each day, put in your 8 hours but only get paid for 5 or 6 hours? how many of you will still be doing that job 10 years from now? how many of you spend countless hours, after the job is over, organizing for the next day, month, year without pay?
how many of you are self employed? i am talking Dan at 4wheel, Dave at Japan4X4, Greg and Sheldon at G&S, Steve Tetu at extreme bends, Simon in Manitoba, Micheal at West Coast cruisers, Mike at Gozzard composites and many many more that support this fine community. how many of you know the inner workings, the people of these companies? i know these people (hey, they are PEOPLE that work their asses off for the community), many intimately, and i know how much time and money is wasted (time IS money) on giving advice or creating a product, supplying a product to all of us. MANY of the above have considered closing their doors due to attitude of the community. this is not bull****, MANY of these companies have considered walking away. (where the hell are you going to get your parts then?)
how many of you have invested hundreds of thousands in stock so that you can supply the LC community with parts with a relative quick turn around time?
how many of you deal with THOUSANDS of cruiserheads and NEVER made a mistake?
yah, yah, "but they make money off us". how much money do you think they actually clear at the end of the year? how about a quick list of expenses?
over head - buildings, racking, heat, hydro,
labor - employees wages, sick leave, taxes, more taxes, WCB, mandatory holiday pay (you know this one, pay for sitting on your ass) and of course your self. after all we ALL go to work to make money, right? (you might be surprised to learn the lowest paid individual is usually the owner)
stock - time to locate, organizing shipping, sorting, confirming, racking, imputing, crating and shipping back out.
THAT is just the beginning, then instead of being able to sit back and answer the phone and make money hand over fist, you answer the phone and the bloke at the other end says "hey, i was reading on mud about this cool frigging swap, what do i need to do it?" you scratch your head and try and picture what the hell this guy is talking about. remember, you do not have a tech on staff that has tried all the cool ideas floating around. what the person is talking about makes sense so you spend a few minutes getting everything written down, tell the guy you will call him back and then you phone up someone that has done the swap and ask him questions. once you feel comfortable enough with the info you go check and see if you have stock of the needed parts. no parts you call someone you know that might have them, if he does then you get a price, if he doesn't the search goes on till you find someone that does. you get your parts prices down, your mark up (this is your companies earnings) confirmed, you go over the facts again to make sure you are close with the estimate and now you are ready to call the individual back. "Hi, is Jimboob there?" and you give him the quote. now the waiting game begins, meanwhile you are onto the next Jimbob and his dreams. the first Jimboob calls back and says "hey i just read that i can do this as well, can i get a quote for that as well" and off you go again. of course you don't hear about the first request being filled by someone that never bothered to do the research cause you just gave Jimboob all the part numbers so he could give company B. of course company B can sell for cheaper since he just sits at the phone and ships the parts out.
you would be surprised at the amount of information that these companies that support our community have to aquire. ideas pop up continually on Mud, and unless you wrench then most of these ideas are beyond what these boys do. Sheldon at G&S is a book of knowledge but, i have to ask, why the hell should he give out his hard earned information for free? Dan has aquired a huge knowledge base over the years. they are TRYING to help the community.
yes, it sounds like Dan dropped the ball on this one. i would like to know EXACTLY what parts Spector supplied differently than Dan. what was the wrong part(s)?
Dan should have stuck by this but he did give the advice he had to offer, how the hell do you correct a problem from thousands of miles away unless the customer can accurately describe the issue. there was lots of advice given in the thread dealing with the problem but no follow up with what was the final solution, why not?
i know Sheldon, Dave, Micheal, Dan, Steve etc all spend UNPAID hours giving advice to people they have never met and probably never will. cut them some slack or maybe next time you call these people up they will have a 1-900-advice hot line. or... maybe they will have had enough of the bull**** and closed the doors completely.
the Land Cruiser world is a small world and many of the small cruiser shops that support this world have closed their doors due to the leaches in this small world. the people that suck the time out of the overworked supporters and drop their money elsewhere.
yah, yah, it is your hard earned money you are spending but it is their hard earned money you are wasting. you all are big boys here, grow up and realise PEOPLE make mistakes and realise... Cruiser supporting companies are PEOPLE, there is no Wallymart in the Cruiser world.
want to save money? go buy a Jeep, Cruisers are expensive to buy, maintain, repair.
sorry to hear Dan didn't come through.
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"pulling this info out of my ass so take it with a pound of salt"
I think I understand your signature line a little better now, Crushers. Nice rant - enjoyed the read. Those poor company owners, and all the sacrifice and unpaid service they do for "the community". Man, what a noble bunch - tears were welling up in my eyes.
I happen to be self-employed myself, so I look at this from that perspective. If I don't return calls, and the customer goes elsewhere, well, that's my fault. If I fail to qualify a customer and spend hours on them for nothing, then that's my fault. It's tough to run any business, especially in a contracting economy. My support of any business relates to their competence at doing their job. My time is wasted when they send the wrong parts, or omit to send parts in shipments, and my time is important to me.
The business always has the right to set what things it charges for and at what price, and to decide how much time to spend on a customer and how much info to provide without charge. To draw an analogy, if you're selling stuff, then you're engaged in fishing, and some fish bite, and some don't. Still, you've got to put the lure or the bait out there, or you won't have any chance at landing a fish. If you cast the lure at the same place for hours with no results, then perhaps it might be wise to fish elsewhere, or maybe fishing just isn't for you.
If some guy is giving out part numbers to customers and they are taking them elsewhere to buy stuff, then maybe a prudent course would be not to give out part numbers. If such lessons fail to be learnt, well, some businesses lose competitive advantage. I swim in the same pool. People are in business for all kinds of reasons, and I suspect that altruistic support of 'the community' is rather low down on the list for most, though it would make for good pr.
I think I understand your signature line a little better now, Crushers. Nice rant - enjoyed the read. Those poor company owners, and all the sacrifice and unpaid service they do for "the community". Man, what a noble bunch - tears were welling up in my eyes.
I happen to be self-employed myself, so I look at this from that perspective. If I don't return calls, and the customer goes elsewhere, well, that's my fault. If I fail to qualify a customer and spend hours on them for nothing, then that's my fault. It's tough to run any business, especially in a contracting economy. My support of any business relates to their competence at doing their job. My time is wasted when they send the wrong parts, or omit to send parts in shipments, and my time is important to me.
The business always has the right to set what things it charges for and at what price, and to decide how much time to spend on a customer and how much info to provide without charge. To draw an analogy, if you're selling stuff, then you're engaged in fishing, and some fish bite, and some don't. Still, you've got to put the lure or the bait out there, or you won't have any chance at landing a fish. If you cast the lure at the same place for hours with no results, then perhaps it might be wise to fish elsewhere, or maybe fishing just isn't for you.
If some guy is giving out part numbers to customers and they are taking them elsewhere to buy stuff, then maybe a prudent course would be not to give out part numbers. If such lessons fail to be learnt, well, some businesses lose competitive advantage. I swim in the same pool. People are in business for all kinds of reasons, and I suspect that altruistic support of 'the community' is rather low down on the list for most, though it would make for good pr.
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crushers
post ho
Henry,
i worked for 13 years in the finishing trade and been self employed in the trades and self employed in the LC community for decades. sad to say, i am not one of the cold hearted greedy buggers with info you seem to be pointing at.
you got the wrong parts and lost some down time eh, hurts eh? but if the rest of us loose some time, tough s***, eh? glad to read the attitude.
you are right, Dan and the others should immediately tell the potential customer to bugger off as soon as they ask for advice or what is needed to do the job. yep, good advice, i will be sure to pass it on.
i will start deleating my posts as soon as i finish posting this up. i would not want to be one of those "idiots that give information away for free in an altruistic support of the community" (as well as Sheldon as another, i will be sure to pass this on to him). yep, thanks for the advice.
(of course i might be misreading your post but i doubt it)
i worked for 13 years in the finishing trade and been self employed in the trades and self employed in the LC community for decades. sad to say, i am not one of the cold hearted greedy buggers with info you seem to be pointing at.
you got the wrong parts and lost some down time eh, hurts eh? but if the rest of us loose some time, tough s***, eh? glad to read the attitude.
you are right, Dan and the others should immediately tell the potential customer to bugger off as soon as they ask for advice or what is needed to do the job. yep, good advice, i will be sure to pass it on.
i will start deleating my posts as soon as i finish posting this up. i would not want to be one of those "idiots that give information away for free in an altruistic support of the community" (as well as Sheldon as another, i will be sure to pass this on to him). yep, thanks for the advice.
(of course i might be misreading your post but i doubt it)
he will spend time on the phone giving advice and then the potential customer will go buy his parts elsewhere for $10 cheaper from someone that has no frigging clue what goes where or why and has no advice to give thus Dan just wasted valuable time on a dead beat
Exactly!
Someone said I got "hosed" (paid Dan $55 for a hose heater, can be had elsewhere for less), but... the mechanic was not sure what type or how to install. Dan told me exactly what to buy and why and where to put it. Am I going to buy it somewhere else to save $10 (run the guy out of business, stop getting his incredibly accurate diagnoses)? Not likely!
Toyota made me wait 6 weeks for lamps. 4 parts places gave me the wrong lamps 4 times. Dan sent me the 24-volt bulb kit with 5-volt replacements for the ridiculous 3-volt dash lights, made a $3. error in shipping cost/class, and corrected it!
I could not pass safety (no plate, no insurance) for ONE bulb. I borrowed one from a truck already plated, but driving without a lamp is not my style.
When the mechanics told me everything was fixed on the suspension, I told the KID to go road test it. Nothing changed... shaking all over the road. He took a few wild guesses (this kid owns a Land Cruiser, on blocks, not running; I like mine to run).
I called Dan. "The steering damper is the cause, in 90% of all cases". I told the kid to test the damper. Dead. Dan sent the damper, explained the tie rod and relay rods to me, so I ordered some kits for that.
Most of the time, the mechanics take wild guesses (even the best Toyota mechanics that I can find between Ottawa and Montreal). I give them Dan's number. I tell them to call and hash it out with Dan. I authorize Dan to bill me for needed parts.
Dan just left for a week or 2 of vacation. Chris and Don took care of my last order, almost flawlessly. I always ask for Dan, but by now that is only because he knows what trucks I have and what state of restore they are at, what we have already done to them.
They bill me before they ship, which I do not like, and which I will correct tomorrow (whole order is waiting on one part, and if it is not in tomorrow, they can rebill, ship the rest).
Dan will sell you as many parts as he can, so you have to decide how many and which ones you really need.
He told me about the wire vis-a-vis the glow plugs ... failure is rare, so check all the wiring, listen for this, listen for that. So far, his remote diagnoses have beaten every single mechanic I have been to, and I only go to good mechanics.
He explained every single part involved in an injector rebuild, sent the parts to the shop for me, stopped me from buying the wrong stuff.
Dan emails me diagrams of the parts, explains to me what is going on while we are both looking at the diagrams. He gets me parts for JDM that would take months to get through Toyota.
Some parts I ordered in April from Toyota have NEVER arrived.
Exactly!
Someone said I got "hosed" (paid Dan $55 for a hose heater, can be had elsewhere for less), but... the mechanic was not sure what type or how to install. Dan told me exactly what to buy and why and where to put it. Am I going to buy it somewhere else to save $10 (run the guy out of business, stop getting his incredibly accurate diagnoses)? Not likely!
Toyota made me wait 6 weeks for lamps. 4 parts places gave me the wrong lamps 4 times. Dan sent me the 24-volt bulb kit with 5-volt replacements for the ridiculous 3-volt dash lights, made a $3. error in shipping cost/class, and corrected it!
I could not pass safety (no plate, no insurance) for ONE bulb. I borrowed one from a truck already plated, but driving without a lamp is not my style.
When the mechanics told me everything was fixed on the suspension, I told the KID to go road test it. Nothing changed... shaking all over the road. He took a few wild guesses (this kid owns a Land Cruiser, on blocks, not running; I like mine to run).
I called Dan. "The steering damper is the cause, in 90% of all cases". I told the kid to test the damper. Dead. Dan sent the damper, explained the tie rod and relay rods to me, so I ordered some kits for that.
Most of the time, the mechanics take wild guesses (even the best Toyota mechanics that I can find between Ottawa and Montreal). I give them Dan's number. I tell them to call and hash it out with Dan. I authorize Dan to bill me for needed parts.
Dan just left for a week or 2 of vacation. Chris and Don took care of my last order, almost flawlessly. I always ask for Dan, but by now that is only because he knows what trucks I have and what state of restore they are at, what we have already done to them.
They bill me before they ship, which I do not like, and which I will correct tomorrow (whole order is waiting on one part, and if it is not in tomorrow, they can rebill, ship the rest).
Dan will sell you as many parts as he can, so you have to decide how many and which ones you really need.
He told me about the wire vis-a-vis the glow plugs ... failure is rare, so check all the wiring, listen for this, listen for that. So far, his remote diagnoses have beaten every single mechanic I have been to, and I only go to good mechanics.
He explained every single part involved in an injector rebuild, sent the parts to the shop for me, stopped me from buying the wrong stuff.
Dan emails me diagrams of the parts, explains to me what is going on while we are both looking at the diagrams. He gets me parts for JDM that would take months to get through Toyota.
Some parts I ordered in April from Toyota have NEVER arrived.
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I think Dan has some connections with Toyota people in Japan, he has been able to get me NOS frame parts from Toyota that have already been dropped from the catalogue. Some of his prices might be higher than Toyota and of course he wants to sell you parts, he is in the business after all, but I have found his advice to be good and his ability to find the parts in the first place to be good. My experience is if it is possible for him to get you OEM he will.
crushers
post ho
Dan and i have chatted about the reason for aftermarket vs new OEM parts, he will get you OEM if you want them, but most customers want cheaper so aftermarket.
i will say, most of his aftermarket parts lately have been as good as OEM.
he is like a bloodhound when it comes to finding hard to find parts... let him loose and listen for the baaoooccc in the trees...
i will say, most of his aftermarket parts lately have been as good as OEM.
he is like a bloodhound when it comes to finding hard to find parts... let him loose and listen for the baaoooccc in the trees...
I live in Edmonton, and I have been stopping by the shop for the last 5 years or so. Dan helped me out a lot when I bought my first landcruiser. I have never had to order parts over the phone so I don't want to comment on that.
The one thing that impresses me is how much more organized the shop is now, compared to when I first started going there. It used to be just Dan, and maybe Chris up front. They have way more inventory now, and it is all nicely organized. It used to be a gong show in there. I think they have come a long way in that regard.
I am extremely glad I don't have to order parts over the phone. If Dan wasn't around I would be in the same boat as a lot of you guys (having to order parts over the phone, waiting for them to arrive, finding out some of the parts are the wrong ones/don't fit/are too used, etc.) and that would suck. So, I have no problems taking my business to 4 wheel. Besides, Dan really is a good guy.
************
87 HJ60
85 BJ74 LHD
The one thing that impresses me is how much more organized the shop is now, compared to when I first started going there. It used to be just Dan, and maybe Chris up front. They have way more inventory now, and it is all nicely organized. It used to be a gong show in there. I think they have come a long way in that regard.
I am extremely glad I don't have to order parts over the phone. If Dan wasn't around I would be in the same boat as a lot of you guys (having to order parts over the phone, waiting for them to arrive, finding out some of the parts are the wrong ones/don't fit/are too used, etc.) and that would suck. So, I have no problems taking my business to 4 wheel. Besides, Dan really is a good guy.
************
87 HJ60
85 BJ74 LHD
VE6LLZ (hey, you have a truck the same as mine), thanks for that! Today I called to have the one part put aside until later. Don took care of it pronto, even offered more than I would have asked for.
If the part is not in today, he will send the rest of the order, and pay the postage on the single piece when it arrives. Many, many vendors would give you lip if you asked them to cover the back-order postage. I can only think of one other place (vitamin guy in Ontario) who covers postage (depending...).
I have paid return postage to many many vendors (many of whom will never see another nickel of mine) for items that arrived busted up from lousy packaging.
4Wheel seems to be one of the diminishing number of real people who you really want to deal with. I get paid more than my colleagues (some of whom do not merit their degrees and certificates) because I pay attention. You SHOULD get paid better when you do better.
I shudder to think how much you would have to know about Cruisers if you wanted to take this on and do all your shopping at flea markets, junk yards, cash 'n' carry... yikes!
Without you guys here, guys like Dan, I (and I figure many of us) would be extremely frustrated.
If the part is not in today, he will send the rest of the order, and pay the postage on the single piece when it arrives. Many, many vendors would give you lip if you asked them to cover the back-order postage. I can only think of one other place (vitamin guy in Ontario) who covers postage (depending...).
I have paid return postage to many many vendors (many of whom will never see another nickel of mine) for items that arrived busted up from lousy packaging.
4Wheel seems to be one of the diminishing number of real people who you really want to deal with. I get paid more than my colleagues (some of whom do not merit their degrees and certificates) because I pay attention. You SHOULD get paid better when you do better.
I shudder to think how much you would have to know about Cruisers if you wanted to take this on and do all your shopping at flea markets, junk yards, cash 'n' carry... yikes!
Without you guys here, guys like Dan, I (and I figure many of us) would be extremely frustrated.
crushers
post ho
LOL!!
the thing i appreciate about Dan over the years is his willingness to learn. when i hooked up with him in 98 he was still in the old shop and that was a joke.
he bought junk cruisers and sold s*** parts (and some good ones) and i still joke with him about being a "used car salesman" and the mentality that went with it.
in the last few years he really has come a long way, his shop is a lot more organized (thanks mainly to Kevin who is no longer with Dan), Dan tries hard to ship the right parts and yah, he screws up now and then but with me anyway he takes the wrong parts back at his cost and he ships out the corrected parts at his expense. not many companies do that.
Chris, damn, i haven't talked with Chris in a couple years, went wheeling with him, good guy. the only time i went wheeling with Dan i had so much fun, he SUCKS at wheeling but that doesn't stop him from trying. he tried climbing this one hill out at Lee's offroad park, couldn't pick a trail if his life depended on it and ended up with a busted birf, he was stubborn and when he finally made it to the top he couldn't turn so i had to hook his front to my back TIGHT and drive him out over those nasty mougles. of course that cost me a tail light. i never expected him to come good for the light since it was already cracked but 3 days later i got a brand new 70 series assembley in the mail.
contrary to what many beleive, he really does try to support the community (AND to make a living off it). he has come a long way. there are few vendors i recommend but G&S, 4Wheel, Japan 4X4 are 3 that have earned my respect and my business and my recommendations.
enough blowing smoke up Dans ass, (of course next week he will screw up with one of my orders just to remind me he is still human)
the thing i appreciate about Dan over the years is his willingness to learn. when i hooked up with him in 98 he was still in the old shop and that was a joke.
he bought junk cruisers and sold s*** parts (and some good ones) and i still joke with him about being a "used car salesman" and the mentality that went with it.
in the last few years he really has come a long way, his shop is a lot more organized (thanks mainly to Kevin who is no longer with Dan), Dan tries hard to ship the right parts and yah, he screws up now and then but with me anyway he takes the wrong parts back at his cost and he ships out the corrected parts at his expense. not many companies do that.
Chris, damn, i haven't talked with Chris in a couple years, went wheeling with him, good guy. the only time i went wheeling with Dan i had so much fun, he SUCKS at wheeling but that doesn't stop him from trying. he tried climbing this one hill out at Lee's offroad park, couldn't pick a trail if his life depended on it and ended up with a busted birf, he was stubborn and when he finally made it to the top he couldn't turn so i had to hook his front to my back TIGHT and drive him out over those nasty mougles. of course that cost me a tail light. i never expected him to come good for the light since it was already cracked but 3 days later i got a brand new 70 series assembley in the mail.
contrary to what many beleive, he really does try to support the community (AND to make a living off it). he has come a long way. there are few vendors i recommend but G&S, 4Wheel, Japan 4X4 are 3 that have earned my respect and my business and my recommendations.
enough blowing smoke up Dans ass, (of course next week he will screw up with one of my orders just to remind me he is still human)
I've had multiple transactions with them and customer service has been great. The only complaint may be the wait, but much of that might be due to international shipping -- I recall seeing the postmark on a package with a date that was 2.5 weeks prior to delivery.
I once ordered a set of 24v bulbs from them which never came. I called and was told they would re-send. When it came, it was missing half the bulbs. I called again, they sent another set (complete) and told me to just keep the half-set. Although there was some waiting, I thought the free bulbs to be a great compromise...
I once ordered a set of 24v bulbs from them which never came. I called and was told they would re-send. When it came, it was missing half the bulbs. I called again, they sent another set (complete) and told me to just keep the half-set. Although there was some waiting, I thought the free bulbs to be a great compromise...
Gotta agree with the majority, Dan has been great to deal with, good prices and super shipping. Had a glitch one time over a fan clutch for my 3B, the aftermarket catalog references screwed up and it took three tries to get the right one, but he found a stock toyota one and got it to me on his nickel!
I'll be doing business with them again, for sure!!
I'll be doing business with them again, for sure!!
I don't usually weigh in on many posts, especially related to vendors, but I have only had good experience dealing with 4Wheel Auto. I even made a point to drop in to their shop and meet them while I was visiting relatives in Edmonton last spring. I appreciate being able to order parts from Canada, and it's a bonus not having to deal with exchange rates and brokerage fees. Keep up the great work.
Robert
Robert
Well, the final part on my last order arrived just after the rest of the order was shipped.
Chris sent it out immediately, by FedEx, right to the garage, emailed me the tracking number!
Yee haw!!!
Chris sent it out immediately, by FedEx, right to the garage, emailed me the tracking number!
Yee haw!!!
Just found this thread. Following Crushers line of comments. I can relate my experiences from just my adventures of the renovation of my FJ40+12HT:
4WheelAuto:
I have dealt with Dan & staff many times over the past 2 years during my 12HT conversion. He has been right on target with everything he shipped to me in Texas. He has always been patient and knowledgeable. Some of the knowledge he has NO ONE else had offered and it saved me considerable head-aches: Example: My oddball alternator did not come with a regulator and I was about to fabricate a wiring harness for an exterior one. Dan checked my part number and came up with an INTERNAL, exact fit for me. It turns out that it was made down here in the USA so it had passed the border 2x. You know what? I would have paid double or triple the price for it w/ all of Dan's time & knowledge because of all the trouble he saved me. Every time I open my hood & see my alternator, I appreciate them.
G&S: Greg and Sheldon are AMAZING (in very positive ways!). They have pulled some super hard-to-find parts for me and executed HERO moves to get them to me FAST! (Like a brand new H55 main shaft).
Extreme Bends (EBI): I got my engine from Steve. I paid high-dollar for it. But the cost was *nothing* compared to all of the endless, friendly advice and support. I can't count the number of hours Steve and I cumulatively talked on the phone (I am sure he could though!). Steve also has a really good supply of hard-to-find stuff. I came away as a very satisfied customer.
SOR: Marv's massive inventory & large knowledgeable staff doesn't come cheaply. I see many people complain of SOR's prices. Frankly, he has more variety of parts in inventory than anyone I have ever seen. SOR has been extremely fast to work through problems and they dedicate people to answering questions. I am grateful SOR exists.
Mudrak: Gary is a master at his work. I would have driven a stock 40 from Texas to Marin for him to perform his SOA/Saginaw magic if it hadn't already been done (by Gary!). There are countless stories of Gary saving they day for our Landcruiser community when people need emergency repairs in a hurry. He's been working on our rigs since high school.
Marlin: I met Marlin at a TTORA trail days at Barnwell mountain a few years ago. It was just below freezing and raining very hard. Marlin had decided to help rebuild a broken 3rd member for someone just so they could DRIVE their rig back onto a flatbed trailer. There was a small crowd of newbies around him shivering in the rain learning from him. He drove out from California and brought his bad-ass trail rig, but he was standing in the icy mud in a downpour with swollen hands massaging this 3rd member to a pretty well adjusted new life. Of course he wasn't just helping this ONE driver, he was helping educate anyone that wanted to learn from him. I taped part of it; Not just for the information, but because I was so impressed by his dedication and willingness to put something back into the community. Marlin has also been part of the legal initiative to re-open surprise canyon. I was so moved from that rainy-day experience that I **KNOW** where my next Marlin-applicable parts will be coming from....
Japan4x4 : I got a very detailed explanation and quote from Japan4x4. The scheduling for me was wrong at the time to go ahead with my purchase, but I would want to do buisiness with him in the future.
CruiserParts.net : Well, I think you need to set your expectations when dealing with them. I think most of their inventory sits outside in the New England air. What they consider surface rust would amaze the West Coast or Southern States crowds. Snow can delay an order by MONTHS and they do get orders screwed up frequently. When I see someone has some parts arrive from a LC vendor and I look at the exterior of them, CP almost has a signature look (ie: Oxidation).
That being said, the owner **ABSOLUTELY WILL** make sure you get what you ordered and/or you are credited for deficiencies (which appears to be often from my and my friends experiences). Just be prepared to do all the back-n-forth 'adjustments & discussions' via 1 email per day (max) and don't buy stuff from them if you are on a tight timeline. One nice thing: They will make 'special requests' for some rare stuff and actually follow through. I have seen some amazing finds come from them. Now that my expectations are set appropriately in dealing with them, I think it will be less stressful and I may try ordering from them again.
I know I am not covering all vendors; Sometimes I am amazed just how many stories there are of our supportive vendors helping the LC community. Sure there are some there less favorable people out there, but lets be realistic about the size of most of these outfits and the rarity of them.
So before you compare a price for something (to Walmart?), consider how easy it is to get that part and what advice you are getting (or may need in the future). I always shop this way: Try to use the smaller shops. If I get advice from someone, I make *darned* sure they get my business. I want these people to be around in the future.
- Just my 25 cents (due to inflation)
- Eric
4WheelAuto:
I have dealt with Dan & staff many times over the past 2 years during my 12HT conversion. He has been right on target with everything he shipped to me in Texas. He has always been patient and knowledgeable. Some of the knowledge he has NO ONE else had offered and it saved me considerable head-aches: Example: My oddball alternator did not come with a regulator and I was about to fabricate a wiring harness for an exterior one. Dan checked my part number and came up with an INTERNAL, exact fit for me. It turns out that it was made down here in the USA so it had passed the border 2x. You know what? I would have paid double or triple the price for it w/ all of Dan's time & knowledge because of all the trouble he saved me. Every time I open my hood & see my alternator, I appreciate them.
G&S: Greg and Sheldon are AMAZING (in very positive ways!). They have pulled some super hard-to-find parts for me and executed HERO moves to get them to me FAST! (Like a brand new H55 main shaft).
Extreme Bends (EBI): I got my engine from Steve. I paid high-dollar for it. But the cost was *nothing* compared to all of the endless, friendly advice and support. I can't count the number of hours Steve and I cumulatively talked on the phone (I am sure he could though!). Steve also has a really good supply of hard-to-find stuff. I came away as a very satisfied customer.
SOR: Marv's massive inventory & large knowledgeable staff doesn't come cheaply. I see many people complain of SOR's prices. Frankly, he has more variety of parts in inventory than anyone I have ever seen. SOR has been extremely fast to work through problems and they dedicate people to answering questions. I am grateful SOR exists.
Mudrak: Gary is a master at his work. I would have driven a stock 40 from Texas to Marin for him to perform his SOA/Saginaw magic if it hadn't already been done (by Gary!). There are countless stories of Gary saving they day for our Landcruiser community when people need emergency repairs in a hurry. He's been working on our rigs since high school.
Marlin: I met Marlin at a TTORA trail days at Barnwell mountain a few years ago. It was just below freezing and raining very hard. Marlin had decided to help rebuild a broken 3rd member for someone just so they could DRIVE their rig back onto a flatbed trailer. There was a small crowd of newbies around him shivering in the rain learning from him. He drove out from California and brought his bad-ass trail rig, but he was standing in the icy mud in a downpour with swollen hands massaging this 3rd member to a pretty well adjusted new life. Of course he wasn't just helping this ONE driver, he was helping educate anyone that wanted to learn from him. I taped part of it; Not just for the information, but because I was so impressed by his dedication and willingness to put something back into the community. Marlin has also been part of the legal initiative to re-open surprise canyon. I was so moved from that rainy-day experience that I **KNOW** where my next Marlin-applicable parts will be coming from....
Japan4x4 : I got a very detailed explanation and quote from Japan4x4. The scheduling for me was wrong at the time to go ahead with my purchase, but I would want to do buisiness with him in the future.
CruiserParts.net : Well, I think you need to set your expectations when dealing with them. I think most of their inventory sits outside in the New England air. What they consider surface rust would amaze the West Coast or Southern States crowds. Snow can delay an order by MONTHS and they do get orders screwed up frequently. When I see someone has some parts arrive from a LC vendor and I look at the exterior of them, CP almost has a signature look (ie: Oxidation).
That being said, the owner **ABSOLUTELY WILL** make sure you get what you ordered and/or you are credited for deficiencies (which appears to be often from my and my friends experiences). Just be prepared to do all the back-n-forth 'adjustments & discussions' via 1 email per day (max) and don't buy stuff from them if you are on a tight timeline. One nice thing: They will make 'special requests' for some rare stuff and actually follow through. I have seen some amazing finds come from them. Now that my expectations are set appropriately in dealing with them, I think it will be less stressful and I may try ordering from them again.
I know I am not covering all vendors; Sometimes I am amazed just how many stories there are of our supportive vendors helping the LC community. Sure there are some there less favorable people out there, but lets be realistic about the size of most of these outfits and the rarity of them.
So before you compare a price for something (to Walmart?), consider how easy it is to get that part and what advice you are getting (or may need in the future). I always shop this way: Try to use the smaller shops. If I get advice from someone, I make *darned* sure they get my business. I want these people to be around in the future.
- Just my 25 cents (due to inflation)
- Eric
