How to get aftermarket car parts free

So you’re sitting at the computer going through car accessories and aftermarket parts to modify your vehicle and at some point we all have the question pop into our heads: “how can I get free car parts?”

Well, what if I told you that you could get aftermarket car parts for free? Maybe not always entirely free, but heavily discounted? Or, how about getting paid to modify your car and buying all the auto parts online that you want with that money? The best part is you don’t need to be a professional racer either! So what am I talking about? Car sponsors!

I do recommend reading the book Motorsports Marketing and Sponsorships: How to Raise Money to Race and Give Sponsors What They Really Want (yes that is an affiliate link) but the book really breaks down more in depth information than I can cover here. Plus, the electronic version is pretty cheap, but I personally prefer paperback. Ask yourself how serious you are about giving this a shot.

Have you ever asked the following questions?

Q: How can I get paid to modify my car?

A: Easy! Show car part stores and companies that you can expose their brand and bring them more sales! Don’t know how? Follow the below guide to help build yourself an automotive sponsorship portfolio.

Q: How can I get car accessories free?

A: How big is the following on your car? Are you well known on social media platforms? Car forums like the Camarov6.com? Follow the below guide and we’ll show you how to build your sponsorship portfolio.

Q: How much does it cost to modify my car?

A: Depends! It can range anywhere from a couple hundred dollars to well over $100k if you get really serious into racing. The more work you can do yourself the easier it is to keep costs down. 

Q: How can I increase my cars exposure to car sponsors?

A: Easy! Start with making a build thread on all your favorite car forums. Build yourself a social media platform. Are you following @highperformancejunkies on Instagram? Does your car have it’s own page? For you to build your exposure to car brands you first need to have your own following that you can draw them back to. Not sure how to start? We’ll show you!

Car Sponsorship & Free Car Parts

Car Sponsors is something we see whenever we watch Nascar, Formula 1, BAJA 1000, or any other automotive programming on television.  All the big name million dollar rides are covered with car decals from different car accessory brands and automotive stores like Autozone. These companies have given them money or automotive parts in return for viewership visibility. Automotive television or YouTube shows that feature builds offer their sponsors exposure through talking about the car parts they are installing or tools they are utilizing to get the job done.  

For the big builds / race cars you see on television, the companies sponsoring them are giving them hundreds of thousands of dollars in a mix between money and free car parts. Now, no one wants to drive around a daily driver with millions of car decals on it and you don’t have to. There are different ways you can give a Sponsor visibility while still keeping your car from looking like a hot wheels toy.

Sponsor My Car

There are 7 key components to building a case to have your car sponsored by a company. You will want to create yourself a little package using Microsoft Word and then save it as a PDF (in Microsoft Word) when you are done to make it look professional:

1. Build a list of potential car sponsors
2. Introduction / executive summary
3. State your potential
4. Sponsorship ask
5. Automotive advertising
6. Closing
7. The email

Building A List Of Potential Car Sponsors

First thing you want to do is sit down to start brainstorming and listing the potential companies that you would like to get an automotive sponsorship from. This will be in the form of money or free aftermarket car parts. Write them all down and make sure they make sense for your build. For example, if you’re building a Corvette, it doesn’t make sense for you to go to Mustang parts suppliers and vice versa. 

Try to think outside the box. Don’t get caught up in only going to automotive part stores near you or car accessories suppliers. There are plenty of other opportunities that can help your cause.

To help you think, I’ve taken some time to compile a list of potential automotive sponsors. I also tried to break them down into a few categories just to help get you on track. Some or all of the companies listed below may not be willing to Sponsor anyone, I am by no means guaranteeing that you fit their marketing model.

Online Car Part Retailers

Auto Parts Geek | CARiD | Summit Racing | Jegs | Rock Auto | Auto Anything | Carparts.com | Cardone | USautoparts | Prostreetonline.com | JC Whitney | VDO USA | Andy’s Autosport | Vividracing | Ontrack Performance | Stableenergies.com | 425 Motorsports | Smileys Racing Products | PitstopUSA.com | Motor State Distributing | Laneautomotive | Racecar Engineering | Wesco Performance | Cipher Auto | Safe Racer | Racesport inc | Fullthrottle Race Parts & Equipment | Grand Prix Auto Sport Center | K1 Racing Gear | Speedfactory Racing | Performance Parts | Clausen Racing | Pannauto.com | Partstrain | Racing junk | Turtlewax | ECS Tuning | APR Performance

Specific Aftermarket Car Part Retailers

Afcodynapro | Stillen | USracegear.com | Simpson Race Products | Bilstein | Autometer | K&N | Bestop | Coverking | Magnaflow | Corsa | Flowmaster | Rampage Products | Bushwacker | Gibson Exhaust | Rancho Shocks | Rough Country | EBC Brakes | Anzo lights | Wilwood | VP Racing fuels | B&M | WIX | Accel | Ace Racing Clutches | AEM | Aero Race Wheels | Weld Racing | American Racing | ARP | Auburn Gear | Autolite | Alpine Stars | Bully dog | Superchips | Hp Tuners | Dynomax | Momo | Moser | SLP | Aeromotive | BBK | BMR | UMI | Earls | Edelbrock | Eibach | Kooks | TSP | Lunati | Comp Cams | Mickey Thompson | Hoosier | PFADT | Procharger | Spec Clutches | Wiseco | Wurth | 

Canadian Automotive Stores

Pfaff tuning | Teknotik | Alpha Motorsports | Kensai Racing | Kplayground | Performance Improvements | Touge tuning | Canadian Tire | OK tire | Princess Auto | Autopartsway.ca | Mccollracing.ca | TDotperformance | Partspro.ca | 1010 tires | Rona | Automotive tools supply | Babco Tools | G2S Equipment | CHTools | Tech Protools | Nortool | Black Rock Tools | All Tool Canada inc | KMS Tools | Kensal Rental Service | Tegs | CRC- Canada | Niagara Tools | Angus Tools and Sports

Box Store Chain Companies 

Napa | Autozone | Advance Auto | Castrol | Mobil 1 | Amsoil | Lucas | Pennzoil | Royal Purple | Valvoline | Redline | Shell | Pep Boys | AC Delco | Carquest | O’Reilly’s | OE Wheels | Tire Rack | Discount tire | Harbour Freight | Home Depot | Lowes

Vehicle Specific Retailers

Extreme Terrain | 4Wheel Parts | Yank Racing | Midwest Chassis | Strano Parts | Maryland Speed | Founders Performance | Speed inc | Ws6 Store | ZZPerformance | PA Racing | 

Tool Companies

Snap On | Ingersoll | Stanley | Mac | Northern Tool and Equipment | Toolsource.com | Craftsman | Gray Tools | Irwin Tools | Gates | Grainger | Tool Planet | Boxotools | USA Tools | Fowler | Matco Tools | Automotive Tools

To add to the above you can add auto salvage yards near you, your local Mechanic shops, decal places, paint shops, auto body shops and local car clubs. Honestly the list is practically endless. Take a look at our website sponsors and google ads, these companies are paying for visibility!

Always Remember

If you go out and approach a Sponsor, make sure you properly represent them. For example, if you go out and get a deal from Mickey Thompson, make sure you aren’t running Hoosier tires when at events. It makes you look bad and it makes it harder for average people to approach these companies. 

Pro Tip:

You need to create a package to reach out to each of the companies you’ve selected. I advise that you do a little bit of research on every company you want to reach out to and make some notes. This will help you be able to leverage yourself in the next steps and you’ll be better equipped to piece your package together.

Introduction & Executive Summary

Feels like I am back in English class with that title. This section should be at the beginning of your Automotive sponsorship package. Although it should be at the beginning, it is going to be the very last thing you write. Why is that? It’s because it is going to summarize your whole portfolio and you can’t summarize something you haven’t written! 

For our introduction & executive summary you are going to introduce yourself.

Contact Information

• Name,
• Phone number
• Email.

Short Explanation

• Quickly explain who you are and why you are seeking to get a car sponsor

Mission / Values

• How are you a good fit with the mission and values of the company?
  • Are they a homegrown organization that wants to stand behind enthusiasts from their home town?

Benefits

• Why are you a benefit to them? Keep this short and sweet. This is just a “taste”.

Fact Summary

• Summarize some facts that are upcoming in your package
  • What is your total reach? (I’ll elaborate on this in #3). Throw out the biggest number (without lying) so you grab their attention. If your total reach is 20,000 people that will “see” your car per year, say that.
  • Do you have 10,000 Instagram followers? Tell them.

What Are You Asking For?

• State your ideal ask. Do you want money or car parts? Or, maybe it is a combination of both.
• State the value figure and briefly what it will cover. If you are asking for money what is it going to pay for?
• Tell them you are willing to let them use your vehicle as an advertisement in exchange for their support.

Summary Conclusion

• End your summary with a sentence or two that prompts a synergy between their brand and your vehicle that captures their attention. Keep the summary short and sweet. It should just highlight the content in your package and make them want to read more. 

State Your Potential

Here is your chance to shine and pump your own tires!

• Outline everything you have to offer. Sell yourself in any way possible.
• Outline any goals you have. For me personally I would state that I am aiming to be the fastest LS1 bolt on only F-body in Canada – stuff like this is important if you are truly aiming for it.

Where Do You Show Your Car Off?

• What are your stats?
• Do you take your car to the race track? Even Amateur Test and Tune nights?
  • How often?
  • What is the average attendance at those events?
  • How will the car parts or money you receive be seen by other car enthusiasts?
    • Example: Maybe you race at 3 test and tunes a year but maybe those events take place at the track the same time “Pinks Arm Drop” live events happen (or others). Research what the average attendance was at the racetrack you attend for the previous year. State in this section that you plan to attend (x number) of Test and Tune events that coincide with the Pinks Arm Drop events. Let’s pretend there are 3 events you’ll attend and those events average 15,000 people in attendance per event (hypothetically). Your potential would be a visual reach of 45,000 people (15k x 3 events) just based on going to those 3 Test and Tune events and running your car for fun. Make sure you tell them that you plan to be at the event for the duration of the day so that they are aware that spectators who are walking around will see your vehicle and their advertising more so than when you just make a pass down the track.

Social Media For Cars

We have an Instagram page, do you? Exposure doesn’t stop at race days- Do you or your buddies film your car at the race track and put it on YouTube? How many views does your YouTube channel get with your races? 5000 a month? add that to the reach that you get from your days at the race track. Now you’re reaching 50,000 people a year outside of daily driving (for example).

• Do you have a website that follows your build?
• What about Facebook pictures?
• Instagram Pictures?
• Pintrest?
• Twitter?
• Where is your build thread on all relevant car forums? Mine is on Camarov6.com

Break down what your follower and or page views are of your car across any websites or social media and add that into the mathematics of your numbers.

Car Forums

Do you belong to car forums like camarov6.com or others? The more forums you belong to and actively participate in the better. Some forums allow signatures that you can link back to your social media, blog, or other online followings.

• Are you posting your material on the car forums? Pictures? Videos? 
• When you post on car forums anyone on the internet can find you from around the world. People that see your build may have questions which means people interact with you. 

Car Shows

How many Show’n’Shine car shows do you go to? Do you just belong to a local car club or do you participate in Regional, National, Provincial, Annual car shows that happen? Maybe you travel across Canada / USA and other countries with your car to go to specific car shows and meets?

• How many people attend those specific shows and meets that you go to? add it up!

Pro Tip: 

Car shows are a great spot to meet local shops willing to sponsor you – especially if you car is entered and draws a crowd!

Valuing Visual Exposure For Automotive Sponsorship

As you begin crunching numbers you’ll find that you’ll wow yourself with how many people you reach. 

Here is some more food for thought- next time you are at the race track on a test and tune night, take a look around the race track at the walls advertising. Now think about this, some of those advertisers will buy ad space for specific events like “Pinks” and they will spend big money. If you’re also going to those events and have sponsor branding on your vehicle, these companies know they can pay you a fraction of what they are paying the race track for exposure. It’s a win / win for them and you. The only thing stopping them is they don’t know you exist. Companies don’t know who  you are or what you can bring to the table unless you tell them!

Make sure you end this section outlining how their company will benefit from the exposure you provide. If you have access to any demographic stats this will only help further strengthen your ask.

Car Sponsorship Ask

It is important to know what it is you want to ask for. Are you asking for money? Free aftermarket car parts? A combination of the two? How long are you asking for- will this Sponsorship last for 1 year? A few months? The duration of a race season?

Sit down and come up with solid figures. You never want to go to a Sponsor asking “what can you give me?” If they have to work at finding your potential you’re not going to be successful. 

Here is my advice on how to sit down and come up with a figures:

• Have a reason behind the value figure that you come up with.
• What are you buying with the money? Make sure you outline what you will be spending the money on. Sponsors don’t want to give you money so you can go buy beer on a Friday night.
• Be realistic with your ask. Know what your reach will be and know the money that you are putting into your ride. If you are only putting $5000 into your ride don’t ask for $10,000
• Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want. Some people fall into the “they won’t give me $1,000 so I’ll ask for $200” type of mentality. If your ask is reasonable and you outline why you are asking for it, there will be 3 outcomes:
  1. They reject it.
  2. They reject it but come back with a counter offer.
  3. They accept it.
• End off with how the money you are asking for will allow you to achieve your goals
  • Even if your goals aren’t competition related, every gear head has some kind of an end goal they have in mind when they start modifying their car.

Automotive Advertising

This is where you need to identify how you can help the Sponsor advertise and get their brand out to the public.

• Are you going to put their brand on your car in the form of a removable car decal that can be put on only on race / show days and taken off afterwards?
• How big of a decal are you going to put on your car?
• If you have a website- are you going to recognize your Sponsor on your website?
• If you have a YouTube page, are you going to insert a still photo or two into your videos clearly showing your car with the Sponsors displayed on it?
• Can you recognize your Sponsor on social media? Forums?
• The more creative and innovative you get the more value a Sponsor will see in you.

Remember, whatever you decide on, your Sponsor will need to approve of what you are using / doing.

Recognizing Sponsors Who Give You Free Car Parts

Another thing you may want to consider early on is how you will recognize different Sponsors that give you different amounts of money or automotive accessories.

• For Example: Sponsor “A” gives you $1000 in cash or parts and Sponsor “B” gives you $200.  How are you going to show Sponsor “A” more value? Be prepared to negotiate. There isn’t an easy answer and every situation is unique.

Paint A Good Picture

I would include some “good” photos of your vehicle at this point as well. 2 or 3 good photos should be more than enough. Make sure your vehicle is clean and looks presentable. Your car doesn’t need to be perfect. However, if your car is severely beat up and falling a part you might have a bit of a tough time convincing a company you could be a great billboard unless they are an auto salvage yard.

If you have an action shot, definitely include it! I keep using the below picture because it is my best action shot for now!!

CLOSING

This is the final portion of the package. The ending. Give the Sponsor you are approaching the ability to take action easily. Remember, the easier you make things for the Sponsor, the more likely they will positively answer your request.

Make sure you thank them for taking the time to consider your application. Include your name and contact details again (so they don’t have to go searching back through the first page) as well as payment options.

• Do you have Paypal setup?
• Do you want a money transfer?
• A cheque in the mail?

Make sure they have all the information they need at the end of the package in case they are ready to pull the trigger. You don’t want to lose the opportunity because they become frustrated searching for details.

Make sure you go over your document for spelling errors, grammar errors etc and correct them. Then save your document and then re-save it again as a PDF. You’ll send the PDF version but you may want to tweak the Microsoft word version later.

The Email

This is the last and final piece. Draft up an opening email to send to your potential automotive Sponsor in which you will attach your Sponsorship request PDF. Keep the email very brief, there is no need to repeat anything you are already telling them in the summary or document itself.

My advice here is to try and research the head of Marketing if it is a bigger company or the owner if it is a smaller company and address them specifically.

You would be surprised how much further something like this goes when you have taken the time to personalize it.

Now, sit back and wait for a response. If you haven’t heard anything in about a week, follow up with a friendly email or phone call.

Happy modding! Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram @highperformancejunkies and share this across your forums/social media with other gear heads! I want to see more builds out on the roads!