If you enjoy fixing up cars and selling them for a profit, you probably find yourself buying auto parts regularly. To make money in this business, you will need to find ways to make the repairs affordable, and one of your options is to purchase aftermarket car parts instead of original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts.

What's the difference between OEM parts and aftermarket parts?

1. OEM – These parts are made directly by the manufacturer of the vehicle. They are exact substitutes for car parts and most OEM parts come with warranties.
2. Aftermarket parts – An aftermarket part is one that is made to resemble the original part, but is not made by the manufacturer. The manufacturers that make these parts often make parts for all makes, brands, and models of vehicles.

You can usually order both types of parts at auto parts stores, but there are pros and cons with each type.

What are the benefits of aftermarket parts?

One of the reasons you may want to consider choosing aftermarket parts for your car repairs is the price. Aftermarket parts are cheaper than OEM parts, even though they are typically made with the same materials and in the same way. In most cases, aftermarket parts will look identical to OEM parts. The difference is that aftermarket parts are not backed by the original manufacturer of the vehicle.

Some people are hesitant about using aftermarket parts because of quality issues, but this really isn't as big of a problem as it once was. Aftermarket parts used to have a reputation of being low in quality, but things have changed. Today, there are many aftermarket parts that are actually better than the OEM parts, and this is attributed to improvements part manufacturers are making to the design of parts that didn't work as well as they should have.

You should also know that finding aftermarket parts is much easier than finding OEM parts. While some auto parts stores may sell certain OEM parts, they are more likely to sell aftermarket parts.

Choosing aftermarket parts will help you affordably repair the cars you want to sell, and you can feel good about the repairs because aftermarket parts are usually just as good as OEM parts. If you would like to purchase cheap auto parts for the cars you need to fix, look for an auto parts store that sells aftermarket car parts.

You can also purchase salvage car parts, either aftermarket or OEM, taken from other vehicles. You can find these at a professional salvage auto parts shop.