Hi guys/gals,

I've been in the UK now for 2 days and I can't believe how many Freelanders and, basically, Land Rovers of all kinds are about the place.
Even the guy across the road from where I am staying has a RR vogue with a huge caravan in front of the house.
All good to see I also did a huge food and alcohol shop and couldn't believe how cheap everything was compared to Oz

Anyway, can anyone suggest a good place for me to buy the following:

A set of brake pads

A roof spoiler (preferable already painted in Arctic White but I don't think that will happen.

Both to be original parts, and no, I don't really wish to go the main dealer to get them.

Cheers everyone.

Last edited by AiiEEX on 26th May 2011 4:41 pm. Edited 1 time in total

Hi AiiEEX - welcome to sunny England

Pads - Can't help with these as I've not purchased any yet, but something as safety critical as these (and discs) personally I would defo go to a main dealer (I know you made a point of not wanting to go to one ). Cheaper pads might, and I stress 'might' (as I don't really know), have a different compound mix that will have different wear and fade under load characteristics.

Rear spoiler - check out the auction site now and there's one at Leicester for £160 (Unpainted)....... but it's at a dealer

Enjoy the UK and good luck

I shopped arround for prices, thought about fitting none genuine pads and discs but after several internet searches the genuine parts were not all that much more in price.
Fitted front and rear discs and pads myself, very easy to do if you have a little DIY skills in car maintence, this alone saved over £400 on what the stealers charge.

Cheers for info so far
I did mention original parts in my post, especially brake pads, because of the reasons mentioned above as I don't mess about when it comes to brakes and tyres.

It it down whilst I was out shopping today, which made a change.. but then again, thankfully, I haven't come for the weather

AiiEEX wrote:

I also did a huge food and alcohol shop and couldn't believe how cheap everything was compared to Oz

all thanks to the unceasing work of British farmers, now everyone go out and buy chicken At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

Hi Aiiex yes Pads and discs I fitted were genuine landrover parts

Grass is always greener....."All good to see I also did a huge food and alcohol shop and couldn't believe how cheap everything was compared to Oz " UK food and booze have increased significantly over the last year.....not to mention diesel! Guess it is because the pound is weak? Enjoy your trip, How will you get a spoiler back safe and at a beneficial cost??? Upgraded to an ex demo, 7 mth old, Rimini Red/Ebony Napoli Auto HSE on 28th Jan 2011, added roof rails, mudflaps and side strips.
Gone - A great 57 Plate, Auto SE, Bought Feb 2009, Roof Rails and Mudflaps added on purchase. Blue colour, anything but drug dealer black.....

julytourist wrote:

Grass is always greener....."All good to see I also did a huge food and alcohol shop and couldn't believe how cheap everything was compared to Oz " UK food and booze have increased significantly over the last year.....not to mention diesel! Guess it is because the pound is weak? Enjoy your trip, How will you get a spoiler back safe and at a beneficial cost???

Howdy Julytourist

Believe me the grass is ALWAYS greener! and thanks, I plan to enjoy my trip. I'm here for 2 months or so.

All I can do in compare prices to Perth, the exchange rate (OZ - UK) does help very much though.
I am, however, in a unusual position where I earn UK £'s, and the exchange rate is so poor (UK-OZ) so I would rather spend it in the UK

Fuel is pricey over in the UK full stop but what can you do?

I would be looking at posting the spoiler out and hope it doesn't cost much.

AiiEEX wrote:

I would be looking at posting the spoiler out and hope it doesn't cost much.

Why don't you buy a very cheap ski bag and put the spoiler in there, suitably protected by bubble wrap etc., and put it on your flight home. I'd be surprised if that was more expensive than posting, and, possibly safer too. Worth investigating.

athelstan wrote:

AiiEEX wrote:

I would be looking at posting the spoiler out and hope it doesn't cost much.

Why don't you buy a very cheap ski bag and put the spoiler in there, suitably protected by bubble wrap etc., and put it on your flight home. I'd be surprised if that was more expensive than posting, and, possibly safer too. Worth investigating.

Good thinking that man

I guess that I should have found out how much one costs in Oz first I just assumed that it would be pricey. "Never assume" is my philosophy, so that has gone out of the window now!

Knowing this information I can work out if the cost in the UK+freight is good or not.

I once bought and posted back a Vortex Generator for my Evo from the UK. But that was in carbon fibre so the weight was negligible, but postage also goes on size so who knows.

Hmmm, more research is needed...

Research done... sort of anyway!

I am going to get an online LR spares company to supply the brake pads and spoiler to me but get them to deliver it to Oz.
That way I wont get charged 20% UK tax, which in turn will help somewhat towards the freight.

Goods bought abroad and delivered to Oz, which total no more than $1000 AUD, does not get taxed

Blimey
Anything over approx GBP£60 imported into Switzerland attracts:
1: Customs Inspection Fee - Minimum Circa £14 (then on an upward sliding scale as a percentage of purchase value)
2: Import Duty - Circa 18% (Car Parts) (if it was meat it would be 40%)
3: VAT - this is based not on the price paid in the UK but on the list price in CH @ 7.5% and is applied to items 1+2+3.

Add to that the cost of shipping to Switzerland.

At the end of the day you better do the maths carefully if you want to have anything of value sent to you in Switzerland.