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Another Happy Customer!

I am a retired US serviceman living in the UK. When my US spec 2000 Honda Civic started acting up, I ordered a few parts for it from RockAuto.

While trouble guessing further revealed the need for more parts, I turned again to your company and got exactly what I needed. Your website is comprehensive, intuitive, and easy to get around...

I know that should the need arise for car parts over here (where support for US spec cars is nearly non-existent) that RockAuto will be able to cover virtually all of my needs.

Thanks again!

Sincerely,
Greg in the UK

 

Carlisle Events
RockAuto is the Official Auto Parts Store of Carlisle Events

Carlisle Events

2010 Schedule of Events:

Carlisle All-GM Nationals
June 25-27

Carlisle All-Chrysler Nationals
July 9-11

Carlisle Bike Fest
July 23-25

Carlisle Truck Nationals
August 6-8

Corvettes at Carlisle
August 27-29

Fall Carlisle & Auction
Sept. 29 - Oct. 3

 

Upcoming Events
If you would like your event featured here, email us with details.

Corvair Society of America (CORSA) National Convention
6/21-6/25/2010
Cedar Rapids, IA
website

Moose Lodge 147 2nd Annual Car Truck Show
6/26/2010
Mooreland, IN
e-mail

12th Annual East Coast Early Broncos
6/26/2010
Manassas, VA
e-mail

Sweet Ride 2nd Annual Charity Car Show for Kids
6/26/2010
Sweet Home, OR
e-mail

Mopar Day in the Park 17 Car Show & Swap Meet
6/26/2010
Carmichael, CA
e-mail

18th Annual Freedom Festival Car Show
6/26/2010
Linton, IN
website

38th Annual Sloan Museum Auto Fair
6/26-6/27/2010
Flint, MI
website

Victoria Swap Meet, Car Show & Social Gathering
6/27/2010
Victoria, BC Canada
e-mail

19th Annual Cruisin in the Sun Car Show
6/27/2010
Richmond, CA
e-mail

2nd Annual Knights Of Columbus Car Show
6/27/2010
Levittown, PA
e-mail

11th Annual Can-Am National Car Show
7/3/2010
Tipp City, OH
e-mail

Serpentine Charity Run
7/3/2010
Buxton, Derbyshire, UK
e-mail

8th Annual Arthritis Foundation Classic Auto Show & Cruise In
7/9/2010
Hilliard, OH
e-mail

Moonman Memorial Car Show
7/10/2010
Springfield, CO
e-mail

Bayside Cruisers 11th Annual Car Show
7/11/2010
Sterling, NY
e-mail

Show-Me F100's Car Show
7/11/2010
Springfield, MO
e-mail

Keep on Rollin' Charity Car Show
7/17/2010
Draper, UT
e-mail

S.A.L 2nd Annual Car Show
7/17/2010
Chicago Ridge, IL
e-mail

Celebrate! Spanaway Community Fair & Car Show
7/17/2010
Spanaway, WA
e-mail

Emmett Show & Shine
7/17/2010
Emmett, ID
website

Landers/McLarty 1st Annual Car & Bike Show
7/17/2010
Huntsville, AL
e-mail

American Classic Car & Bike Show
7/18/2010
McDonough, GA
e-mail

Mopars in Motion Events-Second Annual Mopar Car & Truck Show at Old Saybrook Chrysler Dodge Jeep
7/18/2010
Old Saybrook, CT
website

2010 MCA Grand National Show
7/18/2010
Seattle, WA
e-mail

Appleton Car Show
7/18/2010
Appleton, WI
website

CECCO Annual Show
7/18/2010
Oregon City, OR
e-mail

International Ford Retractable Club Annual Convention & Show
7/20-7/23/2010
Oklahoma City, OK
website

McDowell Mission Ministries Car Show
7/24/2010
Marion, NC
e-mail

3rd Annual Nash Back at Ya Car Show
7/24/2010
Rogers, AR
website

 

RockAuto Accounts

Now you have the option to create your own RockAuto account! The account feature is an easy to use tool that lets you:

  • View & search order history by car, part category and/or part number.
  • Maintain a list of your cars so you can select a specific vehicle from a list and jump to that car in our catalog listings.
  • Maintain a list of your addresses so you can select one from a list on the checkout page to simplify the checkout process.

Here are just a few more possibilities:

  • Not sure if it is time to replace belts, hoses, or other preventative-maintenance items? Search your past orders for those part types and check the order dates!
  • Want to apply for a manufacturer's rebate? Search your orders for the part type and then print an Order Confirmation to mail in with the rebate form!
  • Trying to decide if the cost of repairing your old car justifies buying a newer one? Search for that car and then add up the order values (remember, what's shown is the order total which may include parts for more than one car). With RockAuto's low prices, you may find that keeping your old car running has been costing less than expected!

To create an account (it is optional, you are not required to create an account to order parts):

  1. Click the “Log In or Create Account” link in the upper-right portion of any screen on our site.
  2. Enter your email address & press the “Create Account” button.
  3. An email will be dispatched to your email account to confirm you are the owner of that email account. Follow instructions in the email.
  4. Once the email account has been confirmed you will receive an email with your new password (this can be changed once you log-in).

Once you have your account created all you have to do to log-in is click the "Log In or Create Account" link and enter your email address & password. The "Order Status/Account Settings" link on the left side of the screen is the place to start researching your past orders. If any questions arise please feel free to check out the Accounts section of the RockAuto FAQ page.


This new tool will make your shopping experience with RockAuto even more convenient, quick, and easy!

 

 

 

Forum of the Month

Dakota R/T Club

The Dakota R/T Club, aka the DRTC, is a non-profit organization founded to encourage and promote the admiration for and ownership, care and maintenance of the Dodge Dakota R/T sport truck. The DRTC serves as a medium for the exchange of ideas, information and parts for owners of the Dakota R/T, and aids in preserving these great trucks.

Dakota R/T Club has members from almost every state in the US and Province in Canada, and also a few international members. Our members are interested in all aspects of R/T ownership. Some members have invested huge amounts of time and effort to produce show trucks that have won trophies all across the country at car shows. Other R/T owners have concentrated their time and efforts at producing some very fast drag racing trucks.

The Dakota R/T Club will also be holding its 11th Annual National Meet Dubbed "KEYSTONE KOTAS" at Carlisle, PA from the 8th to the 11th of July. All members in attendance are eligible to win door prizes as well as show awards, for more info please go to http://dakotart.com/meets.htm

 

If you are the administrator or member of a forum and you would like to see your website featured in an upcoming newsletter and receive a discount code to share with your members, contact jessa@rockauto.com.

 

 

Repair Mistakes & Blunders

Ouch!

Several years ago I purchased a new Buick Regal. I noticed that the shift indicator PRNDL was just slightly out of adjustment. Being an engineer and not wanting to take it to the dealer for a minor adjustment, I decided to do it myself. I noticed what appeared to be an adjustment sleeve on the shift cable under the hood. I turned it and heard a click--I immediately realized what I had done. It was a quick connect used to facilitate assembly. Immediately, the car started rolling down my sloped driveway towards the garage! I stood there helplessly as the car took out the center pillar between the two garage doors at the same time folding back the open hood. I couldn't believe what it did to the car and the garage itself. I went to bed hoping I would wake up and it was all a dream, but no such luck. Everything was repaired except my ego. To this day my friends relish in reminding me of my stupidity.

Bob in Arizona

 

Tell us about your most infamous auto repair blunder or unconventional fix. Use your woe to help others avoid similar mistakes or share off-the-wall solutions that worked (at least for awhile!). Please email your story to flamur@rockauto.com. Include your mailing address and shirt size (large or extra large) and we will mail you a RockAuto "Do it yourself?" t-shirt if we publish your story (see the t-shirts under Extras in the catalog). The story will be credited using only your first name and your vague geographic location (state, province, country, continent, etc.) so you can remain semi-anonymous!

 

 

Automotive Trivia

Automotive Trivia

Holding a spark plug wire to ground to check for a spark can damage you and/or your car. The voltage generated by a distributorless ignition system with multiple ignition coils might be as high as:

A. 20,000 volts
B. 30,000 volts
C. 100,000 volts
D. all of the above

Answer: D (source: Car Care for Car Guys by Ralph Kalal)

 

 

I Recommend Adding Both to Your Garage

RockAuto

Standard Motor Products UF411 Ignition Coil

Is that an O2 sensor? Is it a barbecue lighter? No, it is coil-on-plug ignition coil!

When I graduated from college, I rewarded myself by buying a tired but still fun 1968 Plymouth Road Runner. The first thing I did to tune up that old 383 was buy a new ignition coil, ignition breaker points, distributor cap, distributor rotor, spark plug wires and spark plugs. I wanted to be sure the ignition coil generated high enough voltage to ensure a good spark at the spark plug. The new distributor cap, rotor and wires made up the plumbing to let all that electrical current flow from the coil to the plugs.

Setting the “dwell” controlled how long the points (simple, spring-loaded electrical contacts) were closed. This was the time the ignition coil had to build up voltage before releasing that pulse of energy to each of the eight spark plugs. I used an analog dwell meter and hand tools to adjust the ignition points. It required patience and steady hands.

Ignition systems gradually changed over the last 40 years. Points quickly went away and sensors and electronic control were steadily added to the old distributor until it was typically completely replaced by computers (ignition and engine control modules) and a camshaft position sensor in the mid ‘90s.

Modern, distributorless ignition systems still do the same basic job as the ignition system on the old Plymouth. Generate high voltage in the ignition coil and send it to the spark plugs at the correct time. But that it is kind of like saying a computer printer still does the same job as a typewriter. Speed, consistency, and quality are greatly improved with distributorless ignition.

The old distributor doled out voltage from one ignition coil to each of the eight spark plugs one at a time. Modern ignition systems have multiple ignition coils or an ignition coil sitting on top of every spark plug. How fast a mechanical distributor can spin and how fast a single coil can charge (that old “dwell”), no longer limit engine speed. Pruning back the spark plug wires and other “plumbing” means less electrical energy is lost and tighter control.

Distributorless ignition is just one of the modern systems that helps coax out more RPMs, horsepower and miles with less maintenance. A do-it-yourselfer still might not mind fiddling with ignition breaker points once a year and might happily trade all those precisely pulsing coils for the simplicity of a ’68. A quick peek in the RockAuto.com catalog shows a Standard Motor Products (SMP) ignition coil for a ’68 Chrysler 383cid can currently be had for as little as $10 while each of the eight SMP ignition coils for a 2008 Chrysler 5.7L (345cid) currently cost around $23. But on the other hand, the 2008 has more horsepower and much cleaner exhaust. Whenever choosing between cars gets too tough, I recommend adding both to your garage!

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

 

 

Ed's 1970 Subaru 360 Van
Ed's 1970 Subaru 360 Van

Hi RockAuto,

We found this 1970 Subaru 360 van in early 1975. The price of gas had just skyrocketed to (gasp) 45 cents a gallon! My wife thought it was cute, and I thought it would be practical. So we bought it, and more than 35 years later we still drive it every day. It has a 360cc 2-stroke engine (21 ci) that got 25 hp in 1969. This lets us keep up with traffic and pass lots of gas stations.

Thanks again for the parts you stock and keep available for Subaru 360s (you are one of the very few who actually list parts for them) and so many other vehicles! The SUBARU 360 DRIVERS' CLUB has also helped us and other Subaru 360 drivers keep our favorite vehicles on the road.

Ed in Arizona

 

Share Your Hard Work
Do you purchase parts from RockAuto? If so, RockAuto would like to feature you and your car or truck in our monthly newsletter. Please email flamur@rockauto.com with details.

 

 

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