Home » What Car Part Would You Never Buy A Cheap Knock-Off Version Of?

What Car Part Would You Never Buy A Cheap Knock-Off Version Of?

Aa Knockoff Parts
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Amazon is a grand marketplace where you can buy all kinds of car parts. You can find just about anything you’re looking for on there, and usually at a reasonable price, too. However, if you’re heading there to purchase a new carburetor of questionable make, be wary. You might not be getting the reliable bargain you hoped for.

Let’s start with an example. Uncle Tony’s Garage specializes in working on old-school muscle cars. In a new video on YouTube, Tony says he’s having trouble with a cheap knock-off carburetor. His solution? Tearing it down to figure out why it’s performing so much worse than an original example from sixty years ago.

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The carb in question is an unofficial reproduction of a Carter BBD [Ed Note: I hate the Carter BBD. I replaced mien with a Motorcraft 2150.  -DT], a dual-barrel carb used on a variety of models. By pulling it apart, it becomes clear that this modern knock-off has some serious deficiencies compared to the genuine article.

They Don’t Make ‘Em Like They Used To

Tony’s not outright against knock-off carbs. “These cheap knock-off Amazon carburetors, I have used a few of them over the last few years, because in some cases, you can’t get a legit reproduction,” he explains. He notes that the price of the reproduction carbs is “dirt cheap” compared to sourcing an original example in good condition, and sometimes, it’s your only option. While he’s had some success fitting them in the past, he notes this is the first time he’s examined one that’s been in use for some time. He’s less than impressed with what he finds.

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It all started with an old Barracuda project that wasn’t running quite properly. “So we bought this thing a month ago, drove it from where we bought it to the shop, and it needed work, you could tell that it wasn’t quite right,” says Tony. “No big deal, we’ll give it a tune up and we should be able to move on.” Yet despite fixing a number of obvious external issues on the engine, including swapping the intake out and a replacing a broken exhaust manifold, the car continued to run poorly.  “It would never idle the same way twice, it would surge oddly… it was weird,” he explains. “It had a very very weak accelerator pump, which is unusual because it’s a relatively new carburetor.” That carburetor in question was the knock-off version of a Carter BBD.

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These things are cheap, and you can find all kinds. via Amazon

With the carby on the bench, the inspection begins. “You can see it’s still in relatively new shape, visually it looks like it just came out of the box; a little dirty on the front, but that’s your overall condition of it,” says Tony, noting that on the outside, it look relatively okay. But just by feel, he says you can tell it’s not the real deal. He compares it to a Carter BBD off a running car that’s sat on the shelf for the last ten years or so. “The very first thing you notice is how light [the knock-offs] are, they probably weigh two-thirds of what an original carburetor [does].”

But what of the internals? “Both of these carburetors have been used on 10% ethanol gas,” says Tony.  Despite the fuel’s poor reputation, the float bowl lid of the original Carter BBD looks fresh, clean and new. In contrast, the same area on the knock-off carb looks to be significantly corroded.

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Uncle Tony puts both of these matters down to a difference in material quality, stating he believes the OEM parts were made with a superior alloy. Tony refers to the knock-off as being made of “plain aluminum” which probably isn’t the case.

It’s more likely the knock-off is using a crappy alloy rather than raw aluminum with no alloying elements at all. Indeed, many carburetors are made out of zinc alloys—and many carburetors on Amazon claim to be just that. Whether they’re made of specific alloys that are fit for purpose is another thing entirely. The corrosion would suggest they aren’t.

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Zinc is a popular material for carburetors, including cheaper models sold on Amazon. It’s easy to cast and machine.
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The difference between the original Carter BBD and the knock-off. It’s likely these are both zinc cast parts, but it seems likely the knock-off version isn’t as corrosion resistant.
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A closer view of the knock-off part, showing significant corrosion after a relatively short period of use.
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The vintage Carter BBD looks fresh despite being decades older. We’re told both carburetors were run with E10 gas during their lifetime.

As for the accelerator pump? “I noticed [the knock-off] had a very weak accelerator pump shot, which is unusual, as BBDs have a very strong shot, generally speaking,” says Tony. The accelerator pump is crucial for drivability. It’s responsible for squirting an extra dose of fuel into the engine when you lean in to the accelerator—hence the name. Examining the accelerator pump on the knock-off carb reveals corroded parts with a hardened seal that would almost certainly be harming performance. Meanwhile, the older original Carter BBD has cleaner parts and a far fresher looking seal despite being a decade or more older.

It’s worth noting that these corrosion issues can seriously affect performance in a carburetor. Metering jets and moving components of the carburetor are very sensitive to dirt and debris. If they clog up and no longer flow or move freely, the carburetor will fail to meter the right amount of fuel, and the engine will run poorly. Having a carburetor that’s quickly corroding is a recipe for trouble, and it’s unlikely to run well for long.

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It’s hard to see due to the blurry video, but there is obvious rust on the knock-off accelerator pump, which could easily clog the carburetor. The seal is reportedly very hard. This would seal poorly and affect performance.
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Tony suspects the original Carter BBD has been rebuilt at least once in its lifetime. Still, it’s sat for around a decade since it was last run, and its metering rod mechanism is smooth, springy, and responsive.
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In contrast, the knock-off shows significant corrosion to the plate on top of the metering rod and the mechanism jams easily. This likely has something to do with the carburetor’s surge issue.

As for the odd surging issue? Uncle Tony puts it down to the metering rod assembly. The metering rod  assembly moves in response to engine vacuum, and is responsible for leaning out the mixture at low engine speeds. While the rod on the original carb moves freely, on the knock-off carb, the moving plate sticks easily. It’s showing some corrosion, and appears to have not been clearenced properly to the guide rod. This would severely interfere with the ability of the carb to deliver the right amount of fuel.

“Do I fix it? Do I go through it and try and make it function correctly, or do I throw it in the garbage?” asks Tony. “It’s obviously junk, but I’m going to work with it anyway, because a lot of you guys are going to be faced with the same situation.” His plan is to replace the accelerator pump and fix the metering rods so they move up and down freely. He points out that since old genuine carburetors are getting so thin on the ground, sometimes your only option is to work with what new parts are available on the market.

Screenshot 2024 09 09 153911
An original Carter BBD will cost you a lot more—but is perhaps less likely to require rebuild or replacement parts in a few short years. via eBay

Like I said, Tony’s experience of these types of carburetors hasn’t been universally terrible. “I’ve been optimistic about these carburetors, and my experience in taking them out of the box and then bolting them on something so far has been fantastic,” he says. “This is the first one of these carburetors that’s been through a few cycles, it’s been through a year or two under the hood, it’s had fuel sitting in it.” His ultimate finding? While these carburetors work well when they’re new, they don’t seem to have anywhere near the longevity of the genuine article.

The final assessment? “My opinion of these things has definitely gone down somewhat,” Tony says. He doesn’t recommend avoiding them entirely, noting the realities of the modern market for these parts. “If you can’t find an original, usable version of what you need, sometimes it’s your only alternative,” he says. “But I would say it’s a good temporary alternative—something that will get your car running and down the road long enough for you to find the right thing and swap it on.”

Again, we only just showed a single example, so maybe that Amazon carb isn’t as bad as it seemed. With that said…

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Not An Isolated Example

Tony’s not the only one out there tangling with these knock-off carburetors. YouTube channel Muscle Car Solutions has done multiple reviews of cheap knock-off carburetors, and he’s often less than impressed. One of his most popular videos concerns a cheap Edelbrock-type carb that he purchased on eBay for $230.

From the drop, his opinion is altogether negative. “I have to apologize for having this hot pile of garbage on my workbench,” he says. “It was worth it to show you why you should not spend your money on a knock-off carburetor that clearly has no business going on anything.” His first complaint? The quality of the Phillips fasteners that hold it together, as opposed to the nicer Torx hardware in modern genuine Edelbrock carbs. “They use the absolute cheapest garbage they can find,” he says. This can make it difficult to work on the carburetor without stripping screws and the like.

Other problems he identifies include a weak step-up spring, a broken float, and cheap gaskets. There’s also no thread locker on important fasteners, which can put your engine at risk if a screw happens to come loose. Nor were there reference markings to line up the electric choke. Worst of all though? This particular carby had proved difficult to tune on idle. That turned out to be because one of the idle screws had broken off inside the carb and was no longer properly adjustable.

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Cheaper fasteners and manufacturing shortcuts make it harder to work on the cheap knock-off carby.
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One of the idle screws was broken, which made the carby basically impossible to tune properly.
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The tip of the screw had broken off inside the body of the carb.

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One of the floats was falling apart. You wouldn’t expect this carb to run well or last long.

This carb had only run for 30 minutes on the dyno. There’s no evidence of corrosion or anything like that, unsurprising given its short period of use. Regardless, the disassembly shows a whole bunch of other problems that you can find with these cheaper knock-off parts. Between its weak springs and broken components, it wasn’t exactly predictable during tuning. “Erratic was the word that was used to describe how the [air fuel ratio] bounced around,” he says. “It’s just not gonna be able to give you the correct control over the fuel system.”

Head out to auto forums and you’ll find plenty of other people griping about their knock-off carb experiences. There are tales of clogs from metal filings left over from manufacturing, poor quality castings, and lots of problems with leaks. The general consensus from most is that while sometimes you’ll get a good one, the quality is hit and miss at best.

 

The graveyard of chinese carbs
byu/john4927 inJustrolledintotheshop

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It’s anecdotal, but the prevailing community opinion is that a lot of knock-off carbs are a bit of a crapshoot as to whether you get a good one or a piece of junk.

Not The Best Choice

There are some parts of your car where you can often get away with cheaper parts. An exhaust, for example, is pretty simple—it’s some metal tubing welded together with a flange or two. Similarly, things like radiators, gas caps, and bulbs are unlikely to give you much trouble unless they’re really badly made. But a carburetor? Not so much.

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You can almost think of a carburetor as a complex mechanical computer. It measures airflow and responds by dosing the correct amount of fuel in response. It does this across a wide range of engine operating conditions, from idle to high RPM, from cruising to high load hill climbs and hard acceleration. To achieve this feat, it has a ton of tiny little parts that all have to dance together perfectly to get the fuel delivery just right. It’s a precision piece of equipment that needs to be built well to work properly.

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A new Holley will set you back a lot more than a knock-off, but that extra money goes into better materials, better assembly, and quality assurance. via Summit Racing

If you build a carburetor in a slapdash fashion, you’re going to have all kinds of problems. If your idle screws are falling apart, you’re never going to get your engine to tick over nicely. If your accelerator pump leaks, the car’s always going to hesitate when you hit the gas. If everything’s corroded, parts aren’t going to move freely and your jets are probably going to end up clogged, leaving your engine running lean or maybe even stalling out.

It’s a simple fact that carburetors are too mechanically delicate to run well when you build them without proper regards to quality. You might get lucky with a knock-off that’s put together well and manages to hang together for a while. But the truth is that the genuine article is more expensive because that money is spent on proper parts, proper materials, and quality checks that ensure the thing actually functions the way its supposed to. You can cheap out on those things, but you’ll often suffer the consequences.

You might save yourself $500 to $800 on a cheap knock-off carb. But if it has problems, and it costs you a day or two of tuning time? Then it’s all a wash and you’re out just as much cash anyway. Sometimes it’s easier to save yourself the trouble.

Now, since this is Autopian Asks, I put it to you: what car part would you never buy a cheap knock-off version of?

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Image credits: Uncle Tony’s Garage via YouTube screenshot, Amazon, eBay, Muscle Car Solutions via YouTube screenshot, Summit Racing

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Dan1101
Dan1101
18 days ago

I’ll go aftermarket on accessories like floor mats and lighting things like headlights. For anything engine-related, I buy OEM. Especially electricals.

67 Oldsmobile
67 Oldsmobile
18 days ago

I don’t usually buy knock-off anything if I can help it,most car parts are to important and relatively inexpensive for than. Some parts and components are horribly expensive though,but they can often be refurbished.

Taxi maniac
Taxi maniac
21 days ago

I’ve had bad luck with cheap wheel bearings and control arms and tie rods. Basically if it’s hard to replace I go with oem, oem salvage yard or oem equivalent parts now.

I’ve been happy with cheap loaded struts and the cheapest pads and rotors you can find. I go with autoshack pad and rotor sets and i can’t believe how cheap they are. I also get cheap Walmart synthetic oil and oil filters and my engines have been all fine up to 430k where the rest of the car is cost prohibitive to keep running as work vehicles.

Cheap tires and used name brand tires have been good to me to.

Ben
Ben
22 days ago

Most things, honestly. My time has value and I don’t like having to do a job twice because a cheap part failed. One example is the coolant control valve on my Prius. You can get knockoffs, but by all accounts you’ll end up having to replace it again in a year or two, whereas OEM is good for 10+. That’s a particularly egregious case because I was able to get the OEM part for only about 10 or 20 bucks more than the knockoffs.

That said, I have a bunch of small engine equipment that is running Chinese carbs. Quality is hit and miss, but in a lot of cases the OEM carbs cost more than the equipment is worth so it’s worth the $10 gamble on a cheap one. Some work great (my gas trimmer has been dead nuts reliable since I put a $12 carb on it) and others absolutely will not run correctly no matter what adjustments you do.

Badroadrash
Badroadrash
22 days ago

I bet that knock off carb was a previous return. Can’t see all the corrosion occurring after a short use. Amazon is notorious for its sellers just repacking a return and shipping it so some unsuspecting buyer.

Max Headbolts
Max Headbolts
22 days ago

I still use genuine Honda Oil filters on my shitbox, so yeah I’m not going to buy anything critical as a knock-off….

Along with Martin, Dutch Gunderson, Lana and Sally Decker
Along with Martin, Dutch Gunderson, Lana and Sally Decker
22 days ago

I recently rebuilt the clunky front end on my 110k mile Chrysler Pacifica using a mix of OEM and aftermarket parts when the OEM parts weren’t available. The job took forever because certain parts, specifically the TTY hardware was OEM only and Stellantis being Stellantis they don’t stock parts. So after replacing the control arms, outer tie rod ends, wheel bearings,sway bar links, upper strut mounts and the required hardware, the front end isn’t much better than it was before I went to all the trouble.

Turbotictac
Turbotictac
22 days ago

Any fuel system related part, and any sensor. Lighting and such I will take a chance on. Also love having a set of cheap tires sitting around.

Vic Vinegar
Vic Vinegar
22 days ago

Batteries – 12v, hybrid traction battery, I’m sure at some point there will be a “knockoff” EV battery for your Model 3. Every time I’ve ever used a cheapo battery, something bad happens. Not worth it for a AA, certainly not worth it for your car.

Tires – Too important.

Otherwise, like others have said, maybe I’ll roll the dice on an easy to access part. Hard to access, I’m more interested in not having to do it again. So OEM or high-quality aftermarket is the way to go.

In general I usually just spend the extra $$ on the better part. I like to support manufacturers that still care about quality, assuming they actually are better quality.

ChefCJ
ChefCJ
22 days ago

I don’t think I’ve ever bought a single VW branded part. I genereally get the part number from VW, find it on FCP Euro, and then shop around. Sometimes I buy it there (suspension, timing belts, glow plugs and such), sometimes I put the number into Amazon and see what pops up. If there are actual reviews from people that posted a picture, I’ll think about buying it. If it’s just 4 5 star ratings with no actual reviews I’ll avoid it. Most of what I get is OEM, from Bosch or something at least mid range. VW part are expensive, and they’re not usually the best part for the car. The magic of VW is that you can always find a part that is both cheaper and better quality than factory.

The only cheap Chinese knock off part I think I’ve ever bought was a turbo, and that was solely out of desperation. It amazing worked out really well and I got a solid 100k out of it, but I wouldn’t run that risk again.

Musicman27
Musicman27
22 days ago

Brakes definitely brakes.

Citrus
Citrus
21 days ago
Reply to  Musicman27

Yeah if it doesn’t go, that’s annoying. If it doesn’t stop, that kills you.

Mark Hughes
Mark Hughes
22 days ago

Anything for the suspension, steering, brakes, tyres engine and gearbox internals. Basically anything safety related or that would cost a lot of time and/or money to fix when it goes wrong later. For example, The extra spotlights and air horns on my VW T3 are cheap ebay items. But my engine internals are certainly not. The central locking I am going to fit soon is also just a cheap set as it’s failing just takes me back to normal locking… Essentailly if the failure of the part is only a minor inconvenience then I don’t worry too much about buying quality bits.

I’m not advocating for or even use OEM myself quite often, Just that if you go aftermarket get good stuff from known good companies.

Last edited 22 days ago by Mark Hughes
Slow Joe Crow
Slow Joe Crow
22 days ago

I’ve discovered the threshold, when the Buick needed a power window regulator my first attempt was a $30 part from Amazon that failed after a few weeks so I bought the $60 part from Rock Auto. Higher priced stuff from specialists seems like the better deal. Granted the eBay coilovers in my son’s old Corolla haven’t failed but it rides horribly.
I categorically refuse to buy Chinese tires on anything, car, motorcycle or bicycle. I’d also be wary of stuff like carbs and such. Supply channel seems like good indicator, Amazon parts haven’t done as well as O’Reilly or Rock Auto sourced parts

Curtis Loew
Curtis Loew
22 days ago

I’ve bought two Chinese knock off carbs from Amazon. One a Rochester monojet knockoff has been working well for 2 years. It’s not quite as smooth as an original, but reliable and acceptable. The other a Rochester BV didn’t run that well as soon as installed and completely crapped out after a week. Amazon refunded me. It really is hit or miss.

Really if you can afford it, you are better off with one of the cheap self learning throttle body fuel injection systems. They work well.

Sarah Blikre
Sarah Blikre
22 days ago
Reply to  Curtis Loew

Do you happen to know if there’s one of those EFI systems that would fit in place of a Rochester monojet?

Peter d
Peter d
21 days ago
Reply to  Curtis Loew

If you can replace the carb with throttle body fuel injection, that is what you should do – those of us who were there before fuel injection remember just how big a pain in the ass carbs can be- they can also be inefficient, and they tend to hate cold weather (choke pull-off anyone). Back in the day they were inconsistent and a pain to adjust – with adjustments seeming more of a black art than a science – which might explain some of the cheap carb variation. Gosh I love modern fuel injection. Finally – it looks like they still sell carb rebuild kits – if they are like back in the day get almost all new internals for a couple/few Hamiltons. It seems to me that the castings have very little to go wrong except for gunking up or stripping threads.

BlackCab
BlackCab
22 days ago

Turbos
Diesel injectors
Diesel injector pump
Tires
Brakes
Lubricants

Buying any of these from a mystery maker is a great way to be penny wise and pound foolish.

Saul Goodman
Saul Goodman
22 days ago

Tires. You wont catch me rollin around on some Ling Longs or Forceums (which sure does sound a lot like foursome.) Even if they are cheap, tires are the only thing between your car and the road, unless your exhaust is hanging off.

Also, really anything thats a pain in the ass to get to in an engine/very important. Been fixing a VG on a 300zx and I saw a suspiciously cheap timing belt on concept z… definitely won’t snap immediately.

Last edited 22 days ago by Saul Goodman
Col Lingus
Col Lingus
22 days ago
Reply to  Saul Goodman

This. Cheap tire are usually pretty much crap.
Life is short. Don’t want to risk my own life, or anyone else’s trying to cheap out on something as important as tires. Not worth the risk.

Last edited 22 days ago by Col Lingus
Laurence Rogers
Laurence Rogers
22 days ago

I’ve had pretty good success with $100 eBay electronic distributors, having run one in the Charger and Project Cactus for a lot of miles.

Having said that, I am looking to change the setups in both cars for either better timing control or improved longevity as there are some clear signs of shortcuts in their manufacturing that will cause dramas in the long term.

I have seen some people have success with the FAJS knock-off DCOE Weber, but I’m not keen on trying a knock-off carby for the reasons shown above.

Hell, my other Valiant Ute (‘Lenny’), runs beautifully on a Carter RBS I bought at a swap meet for $15 and slapped straight on, and Cactus’ Holley carb is off a paddock wreck with no rebuild work done either. I’d gamble on a swap meet or other used genuine carby over a knock-off for sure.

Knowonelse
Knowonelse
22 days ago

I tried a non-Toyota disc brad pad set for my Gen 2 Prius. Never again. Didn’t come with all the proper parts, did not fit properly.

Pappa P
Pappa P
22 days ago
Reply to  Knowonelse

I tried to buy Oem brake pads and rotors for my Rav4. Never again. Didn’t come with all the parts, everything sold separately.
Once everything added up, the parts cost more than a complete brake job from the Toyota dealer.

Pappa P
Pappa P
22 days ago

Why did they install this carb in the first place? Because the oem one was too shitty to fix.
It’s likely that carb sat with old fuel in it for a long time.
The first thing I would do is buy a new one from Amazon, so long as the reviews are decent. Then I would install it and drive. Keeping it in regular use with good fuel would produce much different results.
If it doesn’t work out, they’ll give you your money back.

Squirrelmaster
Squirrelmaster
22 days ago

Well, I was going to say carbs, as I’ve been burned by this myself with cheap Chinese clones (I ended up using some of the parts to rebuild the original), but I’ll add timing belts/chains, valve springs, rockers…okay, anything to do with the valve train. Valve train and rotating assembly, so no knock off pistons, pins, rods, rings, or cranks.

I will go cheap on stuff that I know I can modify or won’t cause catastrophic damage, like valve covers, EGRs, suspension bushings, and the like.

Nicholas Bianski
Nicholas Bianski
22 days ago

Anything that could find itself inside the engine if it breaks. I was looking for a bigger turbo for my old Civic and thanks to ads, I started seeing lots of cheap examples of them on Amazon, eBay, and Temu. We’re talking sub-$100 parts that I wouldn’t trust to make it through the install in one piece, much less a drive.

Pappa P
Pappa P
22 days ago

I know a few people who have relied on Chinese knock off turbos for years, making 900+hp in Hondas reliably. Hey are not what they used to be.
At least with Amazon you can use the reviews to inform your decision, and get a refund if you’re not satisfied.

Rust Buckets
Rust Buckets
22 days ago

The number of people in the comments here who insist on only OEM parts is baffling……. Especially after this week’s Wrenching Wednesday where tons of people were super comfortable with cheapo parts and mechanical halfassing.

Col Lingus
Col Lingus
22 days ago
Reply to  Rust Buckets

How do you equate this difference though?

Drive By Commenter
Drive By Commenter
22 days ago

Anything electrical or computer related. Used OEM is fine and probably less of an issue if it’s sourced well. Like a front subframe on a car that got totaled from hail.

Anoos
Anoos
22 days ago

I’ll buy aftermarket, but brands that I’ve had decent luck with through the years.

I guess with buyouts and consolidation, I can’t really count on brand names anymore. I don’t really have the time to research the ownership structure of every manufacturer, so I just have to go with what I know until it doesn’t work for me.

Andrew Wyman
Andrew Wyman
22 days ago

I’ve never had to buy a knock-off, but that’s because most of my cars have had a plethora of used parts available. My first car was a Corolla, and there were parts everywhere. So OEM was the easiest for me.

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