Do I Always Have To Buy My Repair/Replacement Parts From Mr. T.?

Great thread topic. Exceptionally valuable. I wonder where you got the idea...

Might balloon into a whale, though. Maybe a brief explanation of why OE rules, when it does, would help too.

O2 sensors are Denso, not Denon?

You are right. Thanks for catching that!

I will make the correction now.

So that this original post, which might someday become a "Sticky, does not bloat out of control, I will leave it to others to explain why the OEM Mr. T. parts and/or Brand Name products are superior to the generics.

The most common reason for using OEM products may be that only  Mr. T. makes some of the parts used on our Spyders.

The reason why OEM is better is primarily because they get it right the first time which saves me time and endless furstration. I have been burned so many times because im tempted to buy aftermarket to save a few bucks. I think one of the reason besides quality that goes into the parts for the high cost  is a reality of storage for making the parts available for an old car. Im discovering that OEM is not just for Toyota as im seeing the same thing with my new used espresso machine that I rebuilt with some reproductions parts. I ended up having to  buy the real Swiss parts that cost a fortune but will last. 

Last week a member came over to help replace a non working catalytic converter  from an aftermarket manufacture because the cat went bad early. The same replacement had pipes that wouldn't fit the ring gaskets.  It was a major frustration but somehow I was able to make it work with a flat gasket.  

 Would it be worth paying though the nose for a OEM catalytic converter, hell no but the best alternative is to buy a good used low millage one.  If the OEM part is expensive the best alternative is used OEM from my experience.  

All of the Advance Auto and Autozone stuff is crap.  When my alternator goes out for the third time they can keep that lifetime warranty. 

Isn't World Pac a cheaper option for OE parts if you have a friend who has a shop?

I stopped buying parts from the local dealer and buy online now. You can save on everything about 40-50% and get it shipped to your door and by reviewing a part, you get free shipping. If you want to compare with your current supplier, check against this dealer:  parts.norwalktoyota.com

I used to buy mostly off ebay but Norwalk is even cheaper and have since gotten three large orders from them.

I cant argue with that. I get some sweet deals on Amazon and EBay from time to time and the parts get here sooner. Parking at the dealer is a pain because the porters use the customer parking spots. 

Brake rotors, I like Centric, they have a good iron content so they don't warp easily and are very affordable.  Brake pads is highly dependent on application and use. Serpentine belts, I usually go with Gates as they've always worked well and are cheaper than OEM.

Cheap parts like light bulbs and wipers, I absolutely do not recommend going  to the dealer for.  Get them at a parts house or even wal-mart.  Headlight bulbs are a bit different, but I still don't recommend OEM as there are better options for cheaper, or equivalent options for cheaper.

Tires, I would never go through the dealer, they don't have some special supplier, they get tires from the same distributors that independent tire shops get theirs from but usually charge more.  I buy my tires online anymore.

The big things I recommend OEM are oil filters and the Toyota anti-freeze.

@nocoolname

I agree with you on all of what you said except why OEM on the antifreeze?

Toyota coolant is known to be one of the best and longest lasting in the industry. I know some people who use it on other cars. A mechanic friend of mine loves it. 

There are some Toyota fluids that have such a great reputation that they are used on other car makes. The oil pan sealant is very popular. 

Honda moly paste which is no longer available also has a legendary reputation as the best spline grease that is used by enthusiasts of motorcycle and cars. 

I have also found for some unknown reason the Toyota red brake fluid gives me the best results so that’s all I use now because I believe the formulation for their fluids match the internal components and seals. 

I no longer substitute for non OEM except for the engine oil. 

I know this is way overkill and that I will get FLAMED for doing it but I change coolant annually in all of my "special" vehicles (Spyder, S2000, etc). I will check out Toyota coolant. Any good places to buy?

OK I am now seeing that there are Long Life and Super Long Life in the Toyota coolant. I do know some are "red" and some are "pink" (diluted). Any thoughts on which for the Spyder?

Posted by: @desertwanderer

I know this is way overkill and that I will get FLAMED for doing it but I change coolant annually in all of my "special" vehicles (Spyder, S2000, etc). I will check out Toyota coolant. Any good places to buy?

I get the Toyota  red concentrate from Amazon.  Although they say you can use pink (backwards compatible) and it was factory fill in 2004 I prefer to stick to red because there is some anecdotal chatter that it’s a better match.   

@haloruler64

The coolant was one of the items on my last shipment from norwalk. 

00272-SLLC2    $14.36/gallon

This is the pink stuff.