Re: Beck/Arnley Wordwide

["Douglas Hurst Quebbeman" <dougq@iglou.com>]

> Hairy green toads from Mars made Greg Herrmann say:
> 
> > Is anyone familiar with Beck Arnley.  My local foreign parts place is able
> > to get me a set of pistons for less than half what the usual places want.
> > Kind of makes me skittish of quality.
> 
> As I know it, Beck Arnley is actually an importer/distributer.
> When I buy the oil filters for my A6, they are Mahle (or Mann)
> filters in a Beck Arnley box.
> 
> I think my place said that they just package and distribute a
> lot of OEM stuff.

The problem is, they don't end up carrying the entire line from
the source for every model variation of every Audi. They more-or
less condense it down into their own catalog.

First time I noticed this: bought B/A plug wires for my 100LS. 
They didn't fit. They were about 5 inches long, which would have 
fit fine for a model that did not have A/C, but having a compressor 
meant the alternator mounted differently, and the plug wire end
for cylinder #1 would be obsructed by the alternator.

Second time was when I went to buy a master cyinder for my 84
Coupe GT. I got home with this bright, shiny new m/c, went to
hook it up, and found my car had more brake lines than the
M/C had connections. Took it back, we both verified that the
computer referenced the unit we were holding; he had two more,
we opened them up, same thing.

So for filters, I guess I'd have no problem with Beck/Arnley, but
watch out when it comes to more serious parts.

-doug q
--
-Douglas Hurst Quebbeman (dougq@iglou.com)       [Call me "Doug"]
    QuattroClub USA# 4536     Audi International # 100024
       74 100LS Auto,   77 100LS Auto,   84 Coupe GT 
           83 ur-Q,   86 5Kcstq QLCC 1.8bar  
"The large print giveth, and the small print taketh away."  -Tom Waits