The sales rep at NAPA told me that NAPA has started to use manufacturers' part numbers for their own NAPA part numbers because having special part numbers assigned for the parts that NAPA sells costs money. For example, the NAPA part number for a fan belt for my '62 Falcon has the same part number as the Gates belt. You might check the NAPA part number for the NAPA struts and see if you can match it up with a part number for another manufacturer like Monroe, Gabriel, etc. Just a thought, but it might help. I guess you could also just ask the NAPA salesperson if they have this info.

 

The part numbers for NAPA Gold (and some other) oil filters are contractions of the WIX (NAPA supplier) part numbers.

 

Thanks guys- it looks like NAPA is using Monroes for the years I checked. Some guys in the Allanté club have recently replaced their 1993 OEM shocks/struts with Arnotts and have been satisfied but only when the springs were replaced as well. I checked with Arnott and they said that only the shocks/struts that are made to be serviced (some BMW. Mercedes, etc.) are rebuilt and sold as such. They will buy those cores to rebuild. Strutmasters and Suncore get mixed reviews- some love them but it seems an equal number hate them and the companies. Now there seems to be several brands I have never heard of being sold very cheap on Amazon for Caddys and other marques with electronic shocks/sruts (Oredy, Unity). At least it shows there is a market for these parts after the OEM's stop making them but I seriously question those offered at half the price of the traditional brands. A few people I help out with their older Caddys (1993 - 2000) are asking for direction on replacements. Any thoughts?

 

Monroe is a well established, reputable manufacturer - why compromise the ride/handling of a Caddy with an unknown quantity - unless, of course, cheap is the determining factor?