I disagree with your vendor recommendation

Question:

I have been a subscriber to your excellent publication for over 20 years now. Always enjoy every issue. However, I was disappointed to read your “plug” for Andy Bernbaum Auto Parts on page 7 of the November 2017 issue as I had a nightmare of an experience with a part that I bought from him a while ago.

I bought a rebuilt water pump for my 1956 Desoto Firedome from Bernbaum. It seems that the fan came off the water pump while still attached to the shaft, and tried to come through my radiator. Of course it destroyed my newly rebuilt factory radiator, pulleys, belts, fan, etc. It cost well over a thousand dollars to put everything back to the way it was before my Bernbaum water pump wrecked the above-mentioned parts.

When telling Mr. Bernbaum about all of this he said that he did not manufacture the pump and that there was no warranty! He was very gruff and unfriendly too! He would not help me in any way. So whenever I have the opportunity I try to steer people away from Bernbaum Auto Parts.

Also, the icing on the cake so to speak was when he refused to take back the old pump as a core at a car show. He said that I had to mail it to him, when it was on his table right in front of him! Wow! So I did mail it to him at considerable expense. The water pump core situation happened before the failure of his pump.

I have been a mechanic almost all of my life and am a certified Pennsylvania state inspection mechanic. I always cringe when someone mentions Bernbaum’s name!

Answer:

I too tried to contact Andy Bernbaum’s Mopar Parts by way of the Internet, but was not able to do so. Therefore, I invite Mr. Bernbaum or a representative of the company to reply to the above reader’s concerns. I am not in a position to comment on the above, because I have not personally dealt with this vendor.

My referrals in Mechanic on Duty are based on my own previous experience whenever possible, but because I have not had occasion to order parts or services for every kind of car in every part of the country, I cannot always personally vouch for each individual source to which I refer readers. I do try to find as much information on such companies as possible. However, I recommend that readers check and verify vendor’s reputations with the club for their make of car if they are not familiar with the vendor.