anyone hear of a company called visteon? I just got 2 of their reman starters, from a "clearing house" type place via Ebay; for about the same-- maybe less-- per piece than the local junkyard would get for used. and that was with delivery to my door. the bigger ones, rebuilder number 3258.
There has been talk on here in other threads lately, about what spares to carry and I've always liked having a couple known-good starters and alternators around. Not in the trunk maybe buy definitely on the shelf.
I had gotten another reman 3258 from this place before along with some old stock Made in USA rotors, wheel cylinders, evaporator, heater core, AC lines and more a couple years ago. (basically went thru one day and bought everything they listed in their store as fitting a Volare.) The starter I had bought from them then, wound up in the Fury last spring when the original showed that magic smoke. . Truck takes the same starter. Volare could too if I wanted to put that model on there. I had gotten rid of my stock of "older parts" in recent years, but need to replenish, since the last few things I have gotten, have been "older" vehicles.
so anyone heard of this place? any pros/cons?? better/worse than an "average" reman? I got them both for $50 shipped. $25 ea.

Ain't gonna get a mini starter for that even at the junkyard, or the ever more common Ebay "special", knock offs.

My buddy at Car Quest, shows that P/N starter (old number, that has since been crossed to a different numbering sys) as being a $68. starter (list about 1/3 more) EACH. Its been a few years since I've had to buy a reduction gear Mopar starter, but that actually sounds steeper than I'd have thought..

Visteon is a major OEM supplier. The parts you're buying are "Visteon" in name only, like the "Bosch" or "Delco" remanufactured parts that have been on shelves for years. It's just recently that Visteon licenced their name this way to make a quick buck; they don't have anything to do with the "remanufacturing" process — in other words, you're buying the junk you're warned here all the time against buying.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

well I guess no worse of a crap shoot, than spending the same for used at the yard... the reman I put in the other car seems fine so far. can't remember who's rebox that one is.

hi sages- i have great respect for the advice, recommendations, knowledge and sense of humor given by sl6ers on this forum. however, 1 topic on which i at least have some experiential disagreement is the general disfavor with remans and rebuilds. between 77-06 i usually put rebuilt parts from pep boys into my 77 aspen wagon. this included a long block, water pump, alternator, starter, clutch sets, fuel pump, radiator, brakes, master cylinder, wheel cylinders, calipers, shocks, carberetor, mufflers, cat, distributor. i did all the work myself. over 29 years and 360k miles which included about 40 vacation trips to fla from nj, and long commutes to graduate and law school, rarely did oneof these parts fail prematurely. most had lifetime warranties which in the few cases where i had to replace a failed part, pb always gave me a replacement without a hassle. what sent the car to kronos the squashing machine was severe rustout for which i could no longer find a welder(my favorite welder who had done a few torch jobs for me, said no more, the car is too dangerous). so it was curtains for the aspen. anyone who has lived and run a car in nj knows how bad the rusting problem is.most of the time i did get usa built remans. my question is either my experience with rebuilds is unusual or lucky or reman quality has gone to hell in the last 5 years. what do you say? hope i havent opened up a trough of barracudas.regards bob f

Alot of the problem with rebuild parts nowdays is the work has gone over seas....to China.

You, uh, bought a rebuilt muffler? A rebuilt catalytic converter? A rebuilt radiator? A rebuilt fuel pump? Rebuilt shocks? A rebuilt clutch? I kind of doubt it. :shrug:
That's pretty much it. Also, one's satisfaction with "remanufactured" and other low-quality parts depends on one's expectations. If ya don't care how well something works as long as it works, then part quality matters a lot less. Don't care if your car sounds like someone threw a live cat in a steel cage into an industrial meatgrinder every time you crank it? Then a "remanufactured" starter will be fine. Don't care if your lights dim at idle and your line voltage is spiky and flickery, and your ear isn't tuned to bearing hash or AM radio noise? Then a "remanufactured" alternator will be okay. Don't care if the car takes a couple tries to start, doesn't idle quite right, doesn't get the fuel economy it should? Then install a "remanufactured" carburetor. Don't really care whether the components in the engine are the best pick for the job, as long as the car runs? Drop in a "remanufactured" engine. Not bothered by nagging uncertainty over the brakes, as long as you have a nice Lifetime Warranty certificate in the glovebox? Go ahead and use a "remanufactured" brake cylinder.
No, it's pretty much always been junk, ever since factories full of semi-trained apes replaced skilled, knowledgeable craftsmen at workbenches.

Eric- there's not much "remanufacturing" going on in China. A different kind of garbage comes from China: "100% new!" copycat/knockoff parts of poor quality, performance, and durability.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

hi dan- sorry i mispoke. most of the parts you referred to were new, except the clutch which came as a rebuilt matched set pressure plate and clutch disc. of course the pilot bearing and release bearing were new. also the fuel pump was remanufactured. remember inthe 60s working for a aftermarket parts distributor, would pick up many used clutch sets and fuel pumps for rebuilding. have had some experience with the chinese new parts;, buick disc brake pads were so noisy, i had to replace them. always pick the usa part over the chinese part. these chinese parts have really earned a bad reputation. the other parts i referred to were remans.

I know that Dan. Sad, eh?

Visteon does supposedly supply with new parts as well. For example, I was working at my uncle's shop, and we ordered a radiator for a '99 Acura Integra. The unit that arrived was at least what appeared to be new, and the unit worked fine... of course, this unit does not have electronics, or moving parts.

Rebuilt radiators do exist... BTW...

I am not a fan of reman parts myself, and it's a hit and miss as to whether you get one that will work.


~THOR~

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1984 D100 Shorty Custom
Certified Auto Appraiser - RevItUp Classic Appraisals
President - Cherry City Bombers CC
Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

never heard ofa rebuilt radiator; by rebuilt you mean the old upper and lower tank was resoldered to a new core. bob f

"Rodded and Cored" I think is what they call it for the fin area. If the top and bottom tanks are nasty, they can solder new ones on... except in the case of plastic tanks, if those go, it's new radiator time. The plastic top tanks are held on with little metal fingers that go all the way around the tank edges.

I've only seen them for older cars, because most if not all the new radiators have plastic tanks.

~THOR~

_________________
1984 D100 Shorty Custom
Certified Auto Appraiser - RevItUp Classic Appraisals
President - Cherry City Bombers CC
Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing