RockAuto now sells an expanding selection of FVP parts! More than 15 years ago, FVP started with just a few parts like batteries and radiators. Building upon the success of those parts, FVP has now expanded to include a full line of automotive parts.

RockAuto.com now has FVP premium absorbed glass mat (AGM) Batteries, Alternators, Starter Motors, Radiators, Water Pumps, CV Axles, Heater Cores, Motor Mounts, Coolant/Antifreeze and so much more.

Products earn the FVP name by being built to OE factory specifications, verified by technicians, and proven in real-world driving conditions. With such a wide range of FVP parts available in the RockAuto.com catalog, it is now often possible to get FVP brand parts to check off everything on your list and have them all conveniently ship from one location to your door.

PowerStrokeNation.com is an online community dedicated to Ford Power Stroke owners and enthusiasts. Join the discussion about diesel performance, modifications, troubleshooting, suspension, wheels, maintenance and more!

If you are the administrator or member of a forum and you would like to see your website featured in an upcoming newsletter and receive a discount code to share with your members, contact marketing@rockauto.com.

Back in high school, I spent most weekends wrenching on my 1964 International Scout with my buddy who had a Scout II. One day, I overheard my girlfriend's dad talking about needing new brakes on his VW Jetta. Not missing a chance to win points with her dad, I told him brake jobs were one of the easiest jobs ever, and that I could have it done in under an hour for less than $50. Later that week, my friend and I jacked up the Jetta and each taking a side, we replaced the brake pads in less than 30 minutes. We were proud of our mechanical abilities and had the whole family impressed with our know-how.

The next day, my girlfriend's dad mentioned that the brakes were making a grinding noise. Confident that we could not have made a mistake, I did not bother to check our work, but rather I assured him that the pads just need a little time to "seat," and the noise should go away in a day or two. A couple of days later, he told me the grinding had actually gotten worse and asked me to drive it around the block. After putting the Jetta in gear and moving just a few feet, it was immediately apparent something was very wrong.

I sheepishly jacked up the car and took the passenger tire off...and the caliper fell dangling from the hydraulic hose. Both of the caliper bolts were missing, and the caliper had been scraping inside the wheel, only being held in place by the fact that there was not much clearance between the brake rotor and the wheel.

My only saving grace was that this was the side that my friend did, and according to him, he had finger tightened the caliper bolts and asked me to finish them when I was done with my side. Apparently I did not get the message, and it cost me a new brake rotor, brake caliper, a set of brake pads, caliper bolts, and a whole lot of pride. Lesson learned; always test drive before assuming the job is complete.

Jason in California

Tell us about your most infamous auto repair blunder or unconventional fix. Use your woe to help others avoid similar mistakes or share off-the-wall solutions that worked (at least for a while!). Please email your story to flamur@rockauto.com. Include your mailing address and if you would like a RockAuto T-Shirt (please let us know your shirt size) or Hat if we publish your story. See the T-Shirts and Hats under Tools & Universal Parts in the RockAuto catalog. The story will be credited using only your first name and your vague geographic location (state, province, country, continent, etc.) so you can remain semi-anonymous!

In 1966, GM allowed testing of its prototype fuel cell powered "Electrovan" only on GM property, and automotive journalists were not permitted to drive it. Why was security so tight?

A. GM and the FBI were concerned that foreign government spies would steal the fuel cell technology for use in space satellites.

B. The Electrovan's top speed was 4 mph (6 kph).

C. A hydrogen tank in one Electrovan had exploded, spreading shrapnel over a 1/4 mile (0.4 km) radius.


Answer below

This month's vaccine mandate turmoil at the Canada/USA border made me think it is a good time to remind customers that RockAuto.com's truck icons and "Choose for Me to Minimize Cost" box can give customers some additional control over the final leg of the "supply chain" leading to their home or business door.

We sell over a million different parts and a single warehouse cannot hold them all. If you already have one or more items in your shopping cart, truck icons will indicate parts that could ship with those already in your cart. Choosing parts with the truck icons next to them means fewer cardboard boxes and lower shipping costs.

Choose for Me to Minimize Cost

If you care most about lowest total cost (parts plus shipping), the "Choose for Me to Minimize Cost" feature will choose the part with the lowest total cost from a list of acceptable alternatives that you select. (Like using the truck icons, "Choose for Me to Minimize Cost" usually results in the fewest number of shipping boxes, but sometimes it will figure out that adding another shipping box is worth doing in order to get the customer especially inexpensive part choices.)

Both the truck icon and "Choose for Me to Minimize Cost" software are constantly considering what parts are already in your cart and what parts you subsequently add. Let me give an example where I put a must-have part in my cart first to help give you a feel for how the software can help optimize your shopping experience. (The "Choose for Me to Minimize Cost" software will still optimize the total cost of the part choices no matter what order parts are added to the cart.)

Let's say I absolutely must have a Raybestos rear right Parking Brake Cable for my '92 Dodge B-250 van. I put that must-have cable in my cart first.

Let's say I also need rear Brake Shoes for the van. I am not picky about brand or friction material, but I want to pay less than $20. I click the "Choose for Me to Minimize Cost" box at the top of the brake shoe list and then check the boxes in the "Alternate" column next to all the brake shoe choices that cost less than $20. After adding any of those brake shoes to my cart, the cart now shows a set of Power Stop brake shoes is the lowest total cost alternative. (That brake set's price plus the cost of shipping is less than the other brake set alternatives I checked, likely because that brake set can come in the same shipping box as the brake cable already in the cart.)

Finally, I need a fresh Drum Brake Hardware Kit for those new brake shoes. All the kits are similarly priced, so I do not bother using "Choose for Me to Minimize Cost" and just put a kit made by Dorman in my cart because it is the least expensive kit for my van that has a truck icon next to it.

The specific parking brake cable I absolutely had to have, brake shoes that I wanted to pay less than $20 for, and a drum brake hardware kit that can ship from the same location as the cable and shoes; all conveniently arrive at my home for the lowest possible cost.

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

To read more of Tom's articles, click this link and choose from story titles on the Newsletter Archives page.

Here is my 1987 Chevrolet Corvette! My grandmother purchased it new in 1987 and just before she passed away, she gave it to my father. My father held onto it for a long time, and kept it covered and inside a garage. He always said the Corvette had an overheating issue and never got around to fixing it. Around 2006, my father lost his job and sold the Corvette to pay bills. That year I was 12 years old.

Fast forward to 2020. I was looking around at C5 and C6 Corvettes to purchase and then it hit me; I wondered if I could find out who purchased our old Corvette and buy it back. I talked to my mother and a few family friends and ended up tracking down the car at a local body shop/salvage yard. The owner of that yard actually said he was getting ready to crush it since it had a blown engine, and the owner had never come to claim the Corvette.

I had the vehicle towed back to my house and began assessing the damage. The engine had a spun rod bearing. The suspension was trashed. All the calipers were seized. The rear differential needed a new gasket and fluid. There were tons of electrical issues. The brake lines were bad. The brake master cylinder was bad, and there were many small things it needed here and there.

I pulled the engine and put together a large list of items needed to rebuild the engine. I have used RockAuto for many vehicles I have had due to great prices, easy to use website, and great customer service. Therefore, I used RockAuto for all the Corvette parts. From the air filter and alternator up front, to the engine parts, interior parts, suspension parts to window motors...virtually every system received fresh parts.

It was a very cool process bringing the Corvette back to life from near death. I hope to pass it down to my children one day to make it a four generation Corvette.

Paul in North Carolina

Share Your Hard Work
Do you purchase parts from RockAuto? If so, RockAuto would like to give you the opportunity to have your car or truck possibly featured in one (or occasionally more) of our publications such as the monthly newsletter, collector magnets, RockAuto social media or other commercial use. New, old, import, domestic, daily driver, trailer queen, classic, antique, we want to see them all! For submission instructions and tips for taking pictures of your car, please visit our Photography Tips & Submission Info page

In 1966, GM allowed testing of its prototype fuel cell powered "Electrovan" only on GM property, and automotive journalists were not permitted to drive it. Why was security so tight?

A. GM and the FBI were concerned that foreign government spies would steal the fuel cell technology for use in space satellites.

B. The Electrovan's top speed was 4 mph (6 kph).

Answer: C. A hydrogen tank in one Electrovan had exploded, spreading shrapnel over a 1/4 mile (0.4 km) radius. (source: https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2013/08/29/cars-of-futures-past-1966-gm-electrovan)