E30 Zone

Just looking on GSF comparing prices provided by BMW.

All of the prices on GSF have been cheaper. Is there any comprimise in quality by getting parts from GSF? I don't want to be cheap but if I can save some much needed cash I will.

genuine parts are always going to be the perfect fit... unlike gsf stuff, take a genuine and non genuine water pump... she wont fit as well as a genuine part.... buy cheap buy twice!

Most of the cheap parts wont be as good as genuine parts, but some items i bought for previous VWs were half the cost and were actually genuine parts.

Get genuine if you can. I suppose it depends and what parts your needing.

Things like the head gasket set is £69 (GSF) as opposed to £150 (BMW), also wanting a new fuel filter which was £7.50 instead of £30.

Also piston rings where abit cheaper too.

Some stuff is ok to use GSF.. I can't be bothered with the hassle of working it all out so just buy from BMW

Alot of the time GSF and ECP have several different qualitys of bits some being specified as OEM quality go for these if you need to save some money. Elring head gasket from GSF is OEM quality, so a good saving there(dont forget new head bolts).

BUT........Anything that contains rubber, like suspension bushes, drop links, ect, get from the dealers. These bits are more expensive for a reason........ they are much better quality.

I work for GSF.

Gaskets, filters, head bolts, engine bits are all pretty good. Same with brakes, make sure you go for brembo or zimmerman, and pagid or textar pads and your safe.

I wouldnt suggest buying ANY suspension parts though. Cheap quality bushes, and you'll be changing them 6 months later, especially if you drive hard.

marcp1987 wrote:I work for GSF.

Gaskets, filters, head bolts, engine bits are all pretty good. Same with brakes, make sure you go for brembo or zimmerman, and pagid or textar pads and your safe.

I wouldnt suggest buying ANY suspension parts though. Cheap quality bushes, and you'll be changing them 6 months later, especially if you drive hard.

Now heres a man we can trust! Well done mate for being honest.

Both GSF and ECP are okay if you buy their OEM stuff, thats the stuff that is equal in quality to the original BMW item. HOWEVER, in my experience, very few of these parts are actually much cheaper than BMW themselves. Considering I have a BMW dealer round the corner from me, why would I drive 20 miles to pay a similar price?

Marcp1987 is right about the suspension parts as well. I fitted GSF drop links on my convertible and a year and 1500 miles later they were falling to bits.

If it is a metal part gsf as they are normally the o/e item that the dealer will supply, Rubber alway's dealer.

B7 wrote:

marcp1987 wrote:I work for GSF.

Gaskets, filters, head bolts, engine bits are all pretty good. Same with brakes, make sure you go for brembo or zimmerman, and pagid or textar pads and your safe.

I wouldnt suggest buying ANY suspension parts though. Cheap quality bushes, and you'll be changing them 6 months later, especially if you drive hard.

Now heres a man we can trust! Well done mate for being honest.

Both GSF and ECP are okay if you buy their OEM stuff, thats the stuff that is equal in quality to the original BMW item. HOWEVER, in my experience, very few of these parts are actually much cheaper than BMW themselves. Considering I have a BMW dealer round the corner from me, why would I drive 20 miles to pay a similar price?

Marcp1987 is right about the suspension parts as well. I fitted GSF drop links on my convertible and a year and 1500 miles later they were falling to bits.

I agree with this,good to know we have a GSF employee amongst us!! My local GSF is very good,I buy the better quality items and have had no problems.They did supply the wrong starter motor for my project,but exchanged it without any problems.I tend,as a result,to try GSF first,then ring Cotswold BMW for the 'dealer only' items.Bit worried about the ARB droplink thing,I fitted a pair to the 2.7 in June and they still seem to be OK,though,it must have run 7/8000 miles since then.I bought one of each quality viscous couplings a while back,fitted the cheap one to the 316i touring,swapped it the other week for a 'good' one..not convinced it was the coupling that was faulty,though as the car still overheats at idle..

So I would be safe getting the head gasket and bolts from GSF?

Yes,you require the Elring gasket set.

I bought a water pump, clutch slave and master cylinders all from ECP and the all failed within a year.

Dealer stuff only now.

bss325i wrote:I bought a water pump, clutch slave and master cylinders all from ECP and the all failed within a year.

Dealer stuff only now.

No ECP out here in the sticks,just GSF.With all the horror stories I read about ECP parts I am missing nothing!

bss325i wrote:I bought a water pump, clutch slave and master cylinders all from ECP and the all failed within a year.

Dealer stuff only now.

an expensive lesson Barry! i wouldn't put anything else on the car other than dealer parts.... i wonder if they have built an e30 out of pattern parts before?? and compared it to one that has had its parts bought from the dealer.... just thought i would ask.

I once got the right part from ECP first time

I now have to take along an example with me so I can argue with the desk guy, although normally pointing out that the part number doesn't match the invoice works.

e30bmlover wrote:

bss325i wrote:I bought a water pump, clutch slave and master cylinders all from ECP and the all failed within a year.

Dealer stuff only now.

an expensive lesson Barry! i wouldn't put anything else on the car other than dealer parts.... i wonder if they have built an e30 out of pattern parts before?? and compared it to one that has had its parts bought from the dealer.... just thought i would ask.

The thing that has pissed me off the most is that when the clutch master started leaking, it squirted brake/clutch fluid out and stained my carpet and a fresh pair of white Nike air max 90's !

WAS NOT IMPRESSED!

bss325i wrote:

e30bmlover wrote:

bss325i wrote:I bought a water pump, clutch slave and master cylinders all from ECP and the all failed within a year.

Dealer stuff only now.

an expensive lesson Barry! i wouldn't put anything else on the car other than dealer parts.... i wonder if they have built an e30 out of pattern parts before?? and compared it to one that has had its parts bought from the dealer.... just thought i would ask.

fresh pair of white Nike air max 90's !

You will have to join the cheapskate zoners and wear Hi Tec trainers....

bss325i wrote:
The thing that has pissed me off the most is that when the clutch master started leaking, it squirted brake/clutch fluid out and stained my carpet and a fresh pair of white Nike air max 90's !

F*ckin' chavs

I've purchased parts from GSF many times(Worthing branch and postal Heathrow)and have no complaints.

One time they did supply the wrong part by accident,but left the correct one at the back door for me to swap over(out of hours)so i could get my baby on the road again.

A big thumbs up for the Worthing branch from me!

marcp1987 wrote:I work for GSF.

Gaskets, filters, head bolts, engine bits are all pretty good. Same with brakes, make sure you go for brembo or zimmerman, and pagid or textar pads and your safe.

I wouldnt suggest buying ANY suspension parts though. Cheap quality bushes, and you'll be changing them 6 months later, especially if you drive hard.

Just a quick q (applies to anyone else too)

Looking at headgasket sets, and some have BQ next to them. I always thought that meant 'best quality', being the genuine german made better stuff. But they're half the price of the other headgasket sets?!

Thanks for the info, no offense to cotswold, but I'm a bit skint, and as much as I'd like the genuine BMW stuff, I'll take the mans word on gaskets etc, and get some stuff from GSF! (but I'm still using them for other parts)

^ Same mate boat why I put the thread up.

I wondered what BQ meant lol

bss325i wrote:

e30bmlover wrote:

bss325i wrote:I bought a water pump, clutch slave and master cylinders all from ECP and the all failed within a year.

Dealer stuff only now.

an expensive lesson Barry! i wouldn't put anything else on the car other than dealer parts.... i wonder if they have built an e30 out of pattern parts before?? and compared it to one that has had its parts bought from the dealer.... just thought i would ask.

The thing that has pissed me off the most is that when the clutch master started leaking, it squirted brake/clutch fluid out and stained my carpet and a fresh pair of white Nike air max 90's !

WAS NOT IMPRESSED!

NOT THE AIR MAX 90'S!!!!!!!!!!!!!! shit man... i would have been pissed! im a air max classic man myself, i currently have two pairs, black leather with a light blue tick and white leather with a black tick... i also have a pension for jordan's!!

B7 wrote:

bss325i wrote:
The thing that has pissed me off the most is that when the clutch master started leaking, it squirted brake/clutch fluid out and stained my carpet and a fresh pair of white Nike air max 90's !

F*ckin' chavs

hackett, stone island and lacoste ftw....

e30bmlover wrote:

B7 wrote:

bss325i wrote:
The thing that has pissed me off the most is that when the clutch master started leaking, it squirted brake/clutch fluid out and stained my carpet and a fresh pair of white Nike air max 90's !

F*ckin' chavs

hackett, stone island and lacoste ftw....

you charver

e30bmlover wrote:hackett, stone island and lacoste ftw....

Oh dear..