Sub frames

willeaper

Well-known user
Mar 24, 2014
596
438
UK
I have tried to order a new sub frame from Tasca OEM USA on ebay, and they have asked for VIN no etc, saying they are not keen to sell without this, in case the part will not match,
Surely these subframes will fit any Cougar, C1 & C2?
 
I hate this with some eBay traders. It's your money, it shouldn't matter to them whether you want one to use as a plant pot, a coffee table or to bolt to the roof of a rusty Daewoo Matiz.
 
I have tried to order a new sub frame from Tasca OEM USA on ebay, and they have asked for VIN no etc, saying they are not keen to sell without this, in case the part will not match,
Surely these subframes will fit any Cougar, C1 & C2?

Wil, if you don't fancy using one of your own VIN's find a C1 scrapper on EBay where you can see the reg. no.
Put that reg. into Etis which should then show a VIN you could use.
 
I hate this with some eBay traders. It's your money, it shouldn't matter to them whether you want one to use as a plant pot, a coffee table or to bolt to the roof of a rusty Daewoo Matiz.

I agree that stuff shouldn't be sold as something it's not. But to be fair, imagine if you wanted to use parts on your Cougar, but they're not right. For a real-world example, lets say the rear shocks.

The buyer hasn't done their research, so now has shocks that won't clear the offset of their wheels.

Who is at fault threre? The person who sold them, or the person who has a product they can't use?
 
I agree that stuff shouldn't be sold as something it's not. But to be fair, imagine if you wanted to use parts on your Cougar, but they're not right. For a real-world example, lets say the rear shocks.

The buyer hasn't done their research, so now has shocks that won't clear the offset of their wheels.

Who is at fault threre? The person who sold them, or the person who has a product they can't use?

In my mind, the fault in that scenario lies with the buyer. If someone buys something, adamant that they believe the part will fit their car, then it's their lookout. I can understand a seller asking 'Are you sure?', but the follow up to that should be 'Please understand that if you've bought this then you've bought it. Make sure you're satisfied that the part advertised is the one you need before committing to a purchase.'
 
Unfortunately the need is a legal one. If the vehicle is involved in a crash and incorrect parts are fitted, today's cultures permit the blame to fall upon the suppliers. It's similar in the food world and the reason I pay a f@ck ton of money for the relevant certification and insurances. Regardless of who anyone thinks the blame should fall on, as suppliers, the parts stores have a legal obligation to make sure the part is the correct one for the vehicle it's being ordered for. It also, in some cases, helps build a digital history of parts supplied for the car.

It's really a no brainer and there for the sellers protection and you're safety. If, having provided the VIN, the part is wrong, it's the dealers fault. If you order the wrong one, then how many people do you think own up to ordering incorrectly? How many try and shift the blame? Real world measures, that's all.
 
I agree that stuff shouldn't be sold as something it's not. But to be fair, imagine if you wanted to use parts on your Cougar, but they're not right. For a real-world example, lets say the rear shocks.

The buyer hasn't done their research, so now has shocks that won't clear the offset of their wheels.

Who is at fault threre? The person who sold them, or the person who has a product they can't use?
I have just fell foul of this due to I guess my inability to expect Audi would just raid a parts bin, I have had to replace discs and pads all round on my Audi A6 4f5 C6 I ordered the parts off ebay for my model car, front brakes went on a treat no issues, rear brakes, well the new ones say they are for my model car but measuring the pads they are 10mm to big, after checking through my manuals and paperwork last night I resorted to googling the actual size of the pads fitted, low and behold they are the fitment for a 1.9TD Skoda Superb 134bhp rating against my Audi A6 170bhp rating :cautious: so I am currently driving round today using the rivets in the rear pads to assist in slowing me down, Grind Grind grind oh and to make it better, they take 40% of the braking force of the car FFS (end of temporary Rant)
 
Ironically - given the conversations about safety that I've had with some of you in the past - that wasn't the first thing that occurred to me. I was thinking more along commercial lines and the chargebacks that some vendors might be experiencing through their PayPal accounts.

Too many of these is... a bad thing.

But I do take your point, Kully.


In my mind, the fault in that scenario lies with the buyer. If someone buys something, adamant that they believe the part will fit their car, then it's their lookout. I can understand a seller asking 'Are you sure?', but the follow up to that should be 'Please understand that if you've bought this then you've bought it. Make sure you're satisfied that the part advertised is the one you need before committing to a purchase.'

I see where you're going with that and from a practical sense I agree. A not so hypothetical example is Tracey trying to buy front brake pads:

"I need a set of pads for a Rover R8 Coupe, part number XXYY1234."
"What's your registration?"
"It's A123BCD"
"Okay, no. You actually need part number XXYY5789."
"No, I really don't. The brakes are from a ZS"
"Whoever told you that is wrong. You need part number XXYY5789."
"The brakes. Are from. A ZS. I know what I'm talking about. I need XXYY1234."

Now I imagine that the motor factors get people in every day who think they know what they want, but get protected against a false purchase by their diligence. Tracey is not one of those people, and her brakes are from a top-end ZS.

But someone who drives even a lightly-modified car can fall foul of this. Even I did with my Rovers (for similar reasons). There needs to be a way of saying, "I know what I'm doing and I indemnify you against prosecution if I mess this up". To be honest, I would've thought that someone working on their own car automatically excuses the supplier, (notwithstanding the wrong thing being in the box) but apparently not.
 
Me at Hendy Ford in Cosham, a few years back:

"I'd like to buy some clear side repeaters please, ones from a Mk2 Mondeo or Mk6 Escort."

"Which car are they for?"

"They're for a Cougar, but they never came with clear side repeaters. The Mk2 Mondeo and the Mk6 Escort are the same fitment."

"Your car has amber side repeaters."

"Yes, I'd like to buy some clear ones, as I think they look better."

"Your car has amber side repeaters."

"Yes, I'm aware of that."

"I can sell you some amber ones."

"I don't want amber ones, I already have some. I'd like clear ones please."

"But your car has amber side repeaters."

This continued for another few excruciating minutes, after which I gave up, left, went home and ordered some pattern parts off eBay.
 
I remember that well. It was as frustrating as, "But this one goes up to 11."

Some people just can't be talked to.
 
I get this with the St200 engine and Dave's UIM. As soon as a garage see it they just scratch there heads and say " that is a non standard engine mate "
But when I explain what it is and where it came from then usually everything is ok.