Concern about Brake Components from the internet - Are they justified? 76 Dvlle

[Foy]

Hello!

I am in the process of having the front and rear brakes on my 1976 repaired. (Rear cylinder leaked, light came on, fun and games.)
Since I don´t have the right equipment to lift the car up at the moment, I asked a well trusted mechanic and friend of my father´s to do the job.
He´s a grand old chap and after cursing like a sailor at the look of the underside of my Deville he suggested to not only repair the rear but also shine up the front disks and such.

The parts:

Master Cylinder
Wheel cylinders
pads all around
bits and pieces
(He hasnt given me the full list yet, he will on Sunday.)

Problem is, here in the Netherlands one does not simply walk into a shop and buy that stuff or order it on the phone.

Point: He does not want to order the parts on the internet, says he´s had ones that simply didn´t work and he just won´t do it again. And the he goes and orders a brake cylinder for 200$, wheel cylinders for 150$ (That one I really dont understand.) and pads for 40$, all through his dealer connections.
Now, I trust the guy, but I´m sitting here at my desk and got the parts list of RockAuto (   http://www.rockauto.com/   ) in front of me. Acdelco, Centric, Bendix... All so much cheaper.

I want to know, what experiences have you made? Maybe even with particular manufacturers. Should I order them myself?

Thanks for your help, I´m really on the edge of my seat on this one.

Foy

[Foy]

Thats the question! Are these quality parts? It´s not like im looking on the shady side of the classifieds and I am certainly not a cheapskate.

[Foy]

So I can indeed rely on Bendix and Acdelco? Cause I thought so. Suppose you actually can be too careful.

[35-709]

Name brands like AC Delco, Bendix, etc. are the way to go.  I have always had good luck ordering from RockAuto.  Having to return a part to RockAuto I found I did not need was easy and painless.  Get the list and order your own parts.

[Scot Minesinger]

Rock Auto, NAPA and etc. may sell the quality brands but the parts may not fit or are wrong.  I don't need to tell anyone that saving $5.00 and getting the wrong part (discovered when car is all apart) is not worth it.  Especially if I lived out of the Country, I would buy the parts from USA Parts 304-724-6600 because the parts are most likely to be correct.  I have bought fuel pumps, starters and the like from NAPA only to return them because they are wrong.

Foy, get a set of jack stands and a good jack, you will need for many other jobs besides just brakes.  This is one of the most basic things required, I bought a set of jack stands when I was 16 for in todays' dollars under $20.  You can use the bumper jack if you can't afford a good floor jack (not best, but that is what I used to do before college). 

As Art writes, don't have anyone work on your car you are not 100% confident in.  Even the people we trust for this work mess it up.  Only go with a person who has been referred by a trusted source.

[Philippe M. Ruel]

You can be confident in the person's work, but not so much in his ability to find parts - still some old mechanics don't want to hear about the Internet and will refuse to purchase parts but from their long-time friends on the edge of retiring.

Rockauto offers good quality parts. Just be ready to place a second order w/express shipping if you get the wrong ones - yes, it happens. Sending them back from Europe isn't worth it. And don't try NOS parts as far as brakes (hydraulics, pads) are concerned.