Interesting Visit to the Mazda Parts Dept...
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 31,816
Likes: 3,219
From: https://www2.mazda.com/en/100th/
pm me your list, i can give you current part numbers, prices and availability, shoot i'm looking at the same screen they should be...
Full Member
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 137
Likes: 0
From: 760 Ca
I worked in a parts department for about 4 years for Hyundai.
Part numbers (especially on old cars) can update or go obsolete in the dealer system, but may still show in the catalog. Usually using the brands own parts system network online gives the most definitive answers on the availablilty of a part. So while the numbers you have from the old books might not show, there could be an updated number that hasnt be inputted in that system their parts guy doesnt know about. It happens.
Depending on the parts program used the VIN may or may not be necessary. We used Microcat at my dealer, and I could look up cars without the VIN easily, however with mulitiple numbers spanning different production dates and trims, you could easily order the wrong part, or certain parts could be a different price. I always preferred getting the last 8 if I could, if not, and it was something common, and I knew the year and engine size I could pretty much go off my knowledge on what was needed for the car, say if you needed an easy maintenance part.
Some parts guys are idiots, many know nothing about cars. Some know parts and nothing about cars. My old boss could recite the Ford parts catalog by heart...but he couldnt assemble an engine.
Part numbers (especially on old cars) can update or go obsolete in the dealer system, but may still show in the catalog. Usually using the brands own parts system network online gives the most definitive answers on the availablilty of a part. So while the numbers you have from the old books might not show, there could be an updated number that hasnt be inputted in that system their parts guy doesnt know about. It happens.
Depending on the parts program used the VIN may or may not be necessary. We used Microcat at my dealer, and I could look up cars without the VIN easily, however with mulitiple numbers spanning different production dates and trims, you could easily order the wrong part, or certain parts could be a different price. I always preferred getting the last 8 if I could, if not, and it was something common, and I knew the year and engine size I could pretty much go off my knowledge on what was needed for the car, say if you needed an easy maintenance part.
Some parts guys are idiots, many know nothing about cars. Some know parts and nothing about cars. My old boss could recite the Ford parts catalog by heart...but he couldnt assemble an engine.
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 31,816
Likes: 3,219
From: https://www2.mazda.com/en/100th/
I worked in a parts department for about 4 years for Hyundai.
Part numbers (especially on old cars) can update or go obsolete in the dealer system, but may still show in the catalog. Usually using the brands own parts system network online gives the most definitive answers on the availablilty of a part. So while the numbers you have from the old books might not show, there could be an updated number that hasnt be inputted in that system their parts guy doesnt know about. It happens.
Depending on the parts program used the VIN may or may not be necessary. We used Microcat at my dealer, and I could look up cars without the VIN easily, however with mulitiple numbers spanning different production dates and trims, you could easily order the wrong part, or certain parts could be a different price. I always preferred getting the last 8 if I could, if not, and it was something common, and I knew the year and engine size I could pretty much go off my knowledge on what was needed for the car, say if you needed an easy maintenance part.
Some parts guys are idiots, many know nothing about cars. Some know parts and nothing about cars. My old boss could recite the Ford parts catalog by heart...but he couldnt assemble an engine.
Part numbers (especially on old cars) can update or go obsolete in the dealer system, but may still show in the catalog. Usually using the brands own parts system network online gives the most definitive answers on the availablilty of a part. So while the numbers you have from the old books might not show, there could be an updated number that hasnt be inputted in that system their parts guy doesnt know about. It happens.
Depending on the parts program used the VIN may or may not be necessary. We used Microcat at my dealer, and I could look up cars without the VIN easily, however with mulitiple numbers spanning different production dates and trims, you could easily order the wrong part, or certain parts could be a different price. I always preferred getting the last 8 if I could, if not, and it was something common, and I knew the year and engine size I could pretty much go off my knowledge on what was needed for the car, say if you needed an easy maintenance part.
Some parts guys are idiots, many know nothing about cars. Some know parts and nothing about cars. My old boss could recite the Ford parts catalog by heart...but he couldnt assemble an engine.
the quirk with mazda is that the electronic parts catalog was phased in for post 1986 cars, the pre 86 cars used microfische. they have scanned it all in, and put it in the computer, but the vin doesn't help you because the info about what car had what options/trims never existed on this side of the ocean.
that being said 1st gens are pretty simple, they are all mostly the same, and mechanically if there is a difference the parts are usually retroactively updated.
