Staff Writer
LIMESTONE — The new building at Caldwell’s Auto LLC is approximately 60 feet by 140 feet and was built to hold 400 engines and 700 transmissions, but with a steadily increasing customer base at the new used parts facility, who knows whether or not 8,400 square feet will be enough space to keep up with the increasing demand for the high quality used parts now sold at the Limestone shop.
Aroostook Republican photo/Natalie Bazinet
Whether it’s a cup holder or a carburetor, Caldwell’s Auto LLC has everything you need to build or re-build your vehicle at a fraction of the cost of purchasing new parts. Shown here standing in front of dozens of recycled engines are, from left, front row: Stacy Robey, secretary and Ken Tracy, parts locator and sales. Back row: Fran Bartley, on-the-road sales; Scott Caldwell, co-owner; Dylan Caldwell, parts locator, inventory; John Elliott, vehicle dismantler; and Dwayne Goughan, sales representative.
“Someone can buy a used CV shaft from us for $40 versus buying a brand new one for $100, and with economic times being what they are, more and more people are interested in purchasing used parts,” shop Co-owner Scott Caldwell explained.
Caldwell’s Auto has gone global (or at least hemispheric) having just shipped two engines out to Haiti on Aug. 5, which was the same day as their grand opening picnic that was attended by roughly 125 customers. Many of the orders placed for used parts come from out of state, and Caldwell’s owners Scott and Robbie Caldwell are no strangers to long-distance shipping whether it’s a fender to Florida, a transmission to Texas or a camshaft to Canada.
One of the reasons that the business has been able to receive nationwide attention is that mechanics and vehicle enthusiasts are able to view all of the available parts in Caldwell’s inventory through popular websites Hollanderinterchange.net and partshotline.com.
“All of our parts are viewable electronically so that customers can see what we have in our yard,” explained Scott Caldwell. While the customers have been steadily increasing since the business officially opened on May 1, the diversity of available parts is growing as well with 800 cars in the Caldwell’s lot ready for dismantling and distribution.
Last year, in preparation of the used parts facet of Caldwell’s Auto, the shop took in 225 vehicles though the popular Cash for Clunkers program — and did they see a couple of automotive “gems” roll (whether driven, pushed or towed) through their garage doors; most likely the queen of the clunkers program at Caldwell’s was an old Dodge van that the owner had converted to a motor home — “unique” would be the most friendly euphemism to describe that vehicle.
But Caldwell’s mechanics took her apart, recycled the good parts to for reuse and recycled the rest of the clunker-queen because perfect-working-order parts can be utilized to reduce repair costs of a similar vehicle, sometimes by more than half the price.
Not all of the parts in the Caldwell’s inventory have as much of a story as the old dodge van; last week mechanics at the shop were busy dismantling a vehicle with less than 100 miles that had sustained quite a bit of damage. The shop travels all over the Northeast collecting similar vehicles, from New Jersey to Pennsylvania — Caldwell’s drivers have even gone to Florida to pick up recyclable wrecks.
The result from gathering high quality used parts is an excellent customer response, which is again, something that the Caldwell brothers are used to. Caldwell’s Auto has been around for about 40 years servicing vehicles and rebuilding cars and, for example, a former Loring Air Force Base resident that has moved to Alaska since the base’s closing in ’94 had a Caldwell’s rebuilt vehicle driven all the way up to Alaska because of the reliability of their product.
Repeat customers are one thing that has helped the business grow throughout the years, and to ensure customer satisfaction of their new parts-based services, the shop offers a warranty on all the parts they sell.
The majority of Caldwell’s inventory consists of parts needed to keep the average vehicle on the road, but not just any parts make the cut to join the roughly 2,000 parts that line the businesses’ shelves.
The parts are first inspected and if found inferior, the scrap metal is recycled.
“The only parts we can’t recycle yet are car seats and old tires,” Caldwell said, but quick look around the shop shows some good old-fashion Aroostook County ingenuity as no usable parts are put to work, like the use of an old tire under a transmission to cushion the part.
But as resourceful as many in The County are, most drivers can’t differentiate a fuel pump from an alternator, which is where Caldwell’s installation services come into play.
The same building that houses all the used parts is also used by mechanics to install the discount parts into personal vehicles.
“Customers can install the used parts themselves or we can install it for them here,” Caldwell said.
Additional information on Caldwell’s Auto, located on the Long Road in Limestone, can be obtained by calling 325-8802, visiting www.caldwellauto.com or by e-mailing caldwellauto@myfairpoint.net.
