Dale Gribble

After some light discussion with a fellow member, i've decided to try and see through the idea of starting up a parts company that deals in porsche aftermarket that is located in canada.

I've talked to several people and they believe the idea has some merit, since a lot of parts are brought in from abroad, usually with delays, duties, etc etc.


I'd like your thoughts on this, as well as what you think we should stock in terms of fast moving parts, current trends, etc etc.

I'd like 2 focus mainly on newer model porsche such as the 996, Cayenne and boxter, but it would be foolish to ignore the 993 and club racecars such as the ever popular 944.

Additionally, we've toyed with the idea of carrying porsche merchandise as well.

The focus of the company will be to deliver quality products to enthusiasts at a reasonable price and of course with attention to customer service.

What do you guys think?

Bill 86.5 928s

Well to begin with........I like your Avatar.........Aftermarket is good....Best of luck.....Bill

996

I think we have the demand for Porsche aftermarket parts shop in Canada. From a customer point of view. I will love to have a local shop know more about our p-cars, will have most of the parts instock, also the price will be close to import it from US by myself. You will already saw couple shop doing similar approach. Such as Pfaff tuning, G tek... But for their price, I rather import same part from US by myself. You're more looking to open a store like JRP but more for P-cars base. I'm looking forward to see a shop like I've mention open in Toronto!!

adie

944 owners are cheap, I'm not sure you will find much success with them unless it's hard core race stiff (fiberglass hoods, fitted cages, brakes, struts) or things like the dash replacement covers. I always import from the UK but I come from there and know where to get parts from, however from whet I can gather the frustration comes from the wait rather then the price for most owners so if you carry large stock or be assured on quick response times (relying (sp) on a third party) you could do very well.

Dale Gribble

ray, that's pretty much what i had in mind, a JRP type of thing but catered to Porsche and eventually ferrari, lambo, bmw and mercedes.

I've been talking to some reputable manufacturers of aftermarket and OEM replica stuff and i'm very excited as the outlook has been very favorable. I'm also pleased to note that pricing and import duties may not be as big an issue.

i'm working on some stuff now, i don't want to say anything more because i havn't become a rennlist site sponsor yet..but once i finalize suppliers and pay my dues 2 the forum, the cat will be let out of the bag.


it seems as if tho we will be focusing on the 996, cayenne and some light 993 support to begin with.

i welcome any ideas and suggestions that you guys may have.

NOBLEGT3

dont bother..canadians dont support anyhting and most people dont buy **** for their porsches beyond cosmetic junk. i have been involved in organising track days, racing and motorsports for over 10 years and everytime i stuck my neck out there was very little support. see how many motorcycle performance shops go bust?
i commend your thought on this but save your money

Dale Gribble

hmm...good point.

the initial investment on my part would be pretty low tho: only fixed overhead cost is advertising (rennlist, PCA, etc...) as i already have storage facilities for inventory. in any case the key would be to at first be light on inventory and keep the rest on order (or in a perfect world, stock stuff that i would eventually end up buying for myself lol). and if i decided to shut down, i don't have a fixed timeframe in which to liquidate inventory since i'm not paying rent to myself and heat, hydro and other expenses are covered thru my main operation.

NOBLEGT3

good luck. i will support you any way i can

Dale Gribble

thanks man

Zero10

I'd be interested, but I usually only buy maintenance stuff, and whatever breaks. I try to keep my cost of ownership low, but since my 951 is a DD, stuff wears out, and stuff breaks.
I probably spend $500/year - $600/year on maintenance for my 951, about half of that is spent locally, and about half goes to online vendors. If you were able to at least match the pricing of the larger competitors south of the border, you would get that share of my business. If you guys shipped greyhound, and became an amsoil dealer, you would get even more

I like the idea, but as always I will, and you should, remain cautiously optimistic about this.

ientre9y11

Suspension kits and HID lights seem pretty popular.

Dale Gribble

^ yep, i will be stocking PSS9's and GT3 sways, just waiting for confirmation from my supplier.

Also a lot of interior trim bits in CF and GT3 Cup/RS bodywork in small quantities.

Marc Shaw

While the market may be a little smaller, I would suggest you don't ignore the older p-car's like the 3.2's and the 964's. They are older so things break and wear-out (good for your business) plus the mod potential is higher (IMHO) so you may do well with that crowd too -- and there is a lot of them on the road too!

Don't forget mail-oder -- not everyone with a p-car lives in Toronto, though!

I'd be happy to support a Canadian shop!

Marc

Dale Gribble

^ excellent point.

as for not everyone living in toronto, my intention was to setup an online page where orders can be placed from anywhere, and vendors and shops can even log in to a special wholesale section so they can place orders. this was i can check up on it 24/7 and if there's a problem that needs immediate attention, i can adress it at any time of the day.

Now as for 964's, what are some of the key mods and brands that are worth looking into?

thedyingiraffe

I have a 964... Here are some of the things I'd be interested in:

-H&R lowering springs
-HID conversion
-Aero mirrors