Good Way To Source Spare Car & Motorbike Parts Online

For some years now, ebay's been my main port of call when sourcing spare car parts and tools on the internet.   But I've come across another great source for finding spare parts on-line which I'm going to pass onto you - the reason being that in the past there have been a number of items I've needed which I couldn't find on ebay.

Although I know these items are sold on-line, finding the suppliers is a lengthy and frustrating business, as you'll know if you've tried it.  The bulk of suppliers don't show up on search engines – unless you're willing to search through 200 pages of search results.  The sort of things I'm talking about are items like suspension components, shock absorbers and springs , brake discs, exhaust manifolds and mufflers etc..

As these are specialist high performance items, up till now when I needed to source them, I called up companies I'd seen in magazines or asked around like-minded enthusiasts but at the end of the day it was a bit hit-and-miss as to whether I found a good supplier. So I was chuffed when I recently discovered an all-in-one place for sourcing just about all the tools for the job when building your own project - it's a shopping search engine called Twenga ...and it's got a wicked inventory of items listed.

The cool thing is that when you make a search on their site you get listings of spare second-hand parts (from Ebay, Amazon, etc.) side by side with new items directly from all suppliers on the web (some of them with decent discounts) - so you're getting the complete market-place served up in one place.   This make it a lot easier to compare prices, specifications, etc.

It's a well-built site with a fresh feel and easy, user-friendly navigation. You can open a free account if you want to keep your eye on particular products, and you can be alerted of any price-drops, which could be useful.

I notice that they've got sites for quite a few countries: UK, USA,, France, Germany, Spain, Italy Poland, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Brazil, Russia and last but not least, Australia.   I've exchanged a couple of emails with them and like their style. Note, though, that they're not involved with any customer support for items bought – you have to go to the individual seller for any questions regarding a purchase you've made ...but nothing new about that.

Top 6 Engine Tuning Books – Reviews & Best Buys

Hi. Here's a few words about the 6 books I have read the past 2 years on how to improve, modify and powertune engines. The authors are David Vizard - 1 book, Des Hamill - 4 books, and Peter Burgess and David Gollan - 1 book.

 About 4 years ago I bought an old ford Capri which little did I know needed a lot of work.  I started working on it without any real knowledge of what I was doing, generally making mistakes and so 'took the long route' to being able to actually drive it.  I never looked for any tech books or info on the internet from people who had been there and done it ...duh! 

It took me about 6 months to get the old beast on the road.

When I started driving it I began getting interested in the performance of my vehicle. Though it did go well with its 2000cc twin choke downdraught weber SOHC pinto engine I wanted more!!

Then a few days later my friend John Gasto told me about a book he had somewhere about tuning and modifying the Ford 2000cc SOHC pinto engine and he said he would lend it to me. That book was David Vizard's "How to modify ford SOHC engines".  (I've linked these titles so you can see more in depth reviews I've written on each one)

I was hooked, this book was giving me all the knowledge I needed to build my self an engine that would go like *:_()(&&^$^$%$@'!! And that was exactly what I wanted. I used to hate reading books, my mind would wonder; but not with David Vizard's books - no Sir. I was hooked, I am hooked.

Then I bought a copy of Des Hammill's "How to powertune Ford SOHC 'pinto' engines" which is great;  then Des Hammill's "How to choose camshafts & time them for maximum power";  followed that with Peter Burgess's & David Gollan's "How to build, modify & powertune cylinder heads" which is superb.
 
Next came another one from Des Hammill "How to build & powertune Weber & Dellorto DCOE, DCO/SP & DHLA carburettors".  And the latest one I bought last month "How to build & powertune distributor type ignition systems" by Des Hammill.

With hand on heart I can tell you that all of the above will give you enourmous value for money.  And you will enjoy them!

Before you go heading off to Amazon to buy them, check here below to see if there are any on ebay, because they will be your best buy, price-wise.

A Word About The Listings Below  The results below will show all books listed for: David Vizard, Des Hammill and Peter Burgess and David Gollan.  They may not be the actual titles that I have used - so you need to check that.  It shows listings in the US by default but by clicking on the arrow of the small box immediately below you now, you can select your own country.  The display is set to show 9 items at a time but has option at the bottom to view as many pages of items as you like...   If it says that there were no items found, it means that there are no books for those authors listed on  ebay at this moment.

Reviews and Best Buys for the ‘TomTom One’ Sat Nav

I bought a ‘TomTom One’ satellite navigation around six months ago and it’s proved itself a great gadget! It’s easy to use, reliable and I can honestly say it’s been worth every penny I paid 10 times over.

I bought mine originally because I started a new business as an express courier service in the UK. It was a must-have for getting the job done.Now 6 months down the line I can say that yes, it’s wonderful how science and technology bring this satellite navigation right into my van and my car… it’s brilliant!

I’ve written a detailed review of the TomTom One, including a video where you can catch up with us using it on a trip to London…

It’s now starting to ‘rub off’ on my family: every time they were driving a route they didn’t know too well they wanted to borrow mine. I lend it to them when I can but I need mine for work. Now, one by one, they’re getting their own.

Satellite navigation’s addictive – once you’ve tried it you don’t want to be without it!  If you're ready to take the plunge you'll find some of the best buys in the listings below. 

A Word About The Listings Below:  It will show listings in the US by default but by clicking on the small box immediately below you can select your own country.  The display is set to show 9 items at a time but has option at the bottom to view as many pages of items as you like...  That's it!
 

If you want to test the waters, so to speak, you can probably find a car or van rental firm near you who will rent out a sat nav by the day.

This is what I did initially. The firm I rented from had Garmin but they are quite a bit more expensive and are no better than the TomTom.

The TomTom One is the least expensive of the sat navs and it truly works like a pro.

I’ve written a detailed review of my TomTom One, including a video where you can catch up with us using it for a trip to London…

Have fun!