Before you begin searching for your car or truck parts on Ebay there are a few simple things that will help you find what you are looking for.

First: You must know the Year, Make (Ford, Dodge, GMC, Jeep Etc.) and Model (Taurus SHO, Daytona ES, Escort, F100 Pickup, Thunderbird, Chevelle, Etc.) of your vehicle. The Year, Make and Model determine a lot of the parts that were specific to Your car.

Second: It is good to know the specifics of the component (Engine, Axle, Transmission, etc.) that you will be ordering parts for. Following are some ways to determine specifics.

To determine your ENGINE size (often in Liters, C.I.D. or Cubic Inches of Displacement or Horsepower (HP)) you may do one of these few things: 1st: Look at how many spark plug wires you have. Most vehicles made have one wire per cylinder PLUS ONE (which supplies the others) so for example if you have five wires it's likely a four cylinder, 9 wires is likely an eight cylinder, etc. SOME newer cars have dropped the coil wire SO THAT four wires is four cylinders, etc. and some indy racecars and newer engines have multiple plugs (and wires to match) per cylinder which is somewhat confusing (and a little overboard and an unnecessary added expense for a passenger car/truck in my opinion). 2nd: Look under the hood for a sticker/label (either on the engine-(usually the valve cover), on the underside of the hood , placed on a flat area on the driver's or passenger's fender well, or over AND to the right OR left of the radiator). BASICALLY- ON A LARGE FLAT AREA. The labels are usually 4-1/2" X 5-1/4" or 6" X 4" ,etc. Keep in mind you may need a cloth to wipe any grime off to read them easily. The engine ID. on older cars (pre-1974) may be located on the warranty plate or ID stamp/plate on the firewall or front fender underhood area 3rd: Locate the casting code to your engine block (For example Ford has many cast facing the ground over the area where the starter mounts on or stamped behind the intake manifold.-A Ford engine number can be deciphered to determine the engine size AND the vehicle it came in.) The casting code is usually raised letters but may also be stamped. It may also be covered in grease/grime so use a cloth to wipe the area to make it easier to see. Keep in mind-books like 'How To Rebuild Small Block Fords' may contain some casting code deciphering codes and an explanation of what they mean 4th: Look for a number on the engine's intake (3.0, 5.0Liter,etc.), valve covers (stamped in raised letters), on an emblem on the car (if you're sure it has the original engine), or (AS A LAST RESORT) under the valve covers. Last: Look for certain engine parts (oil pan or valve cover with certain number of bolt holes for example) that were specific to certain motors.

To help determine your AXLE specifics many axles have a small thin flat metal tag attached to one of the nuts or bolts around the center housing ("punkin"). Also, the pattern and number of the bolts either on the rear or front cover (input housing) can be used to tell you which axle it is or is in general. Some models had raised letters in the casting or a stamping for identification. Again removing dirt and grime will make your search easier. Don't be discouraged if the tag is missing - some mechanics are known to be lazy at replacing such things instead of discarding them. Instead of a tag you can use visual Identification here also. Each axle and manufacturer set their products apart with certain changes that you can see. An internet search engine or sometimes a repair manual may turn up results and pictures to help you on your way.

Likewise, to determine TRANSMISSION specifics there may be a tag attached to a bolt anywhere on the outside of the transmission. ALSO there may be numbers cast on the outside of the case in raised letters or on the transmission fluid pan. Many transmissions are easily identified by their number of pan bolts and shape of the pan itself. And keep in mind if you know your car is front wheel, rear wheel, or four/all wheel drive this is a big help because each of these types of drive systems uses a different style of transmission.

Last: Keep in mind that parts for a Ford Station Wagon (theoretical example) may or may not work on a Ford car with the same name. Also between 2-door and 4-door cars and trucks there may be significant changes. This is true for ALL companies (Ford, Chrysler, GM, Nissan, etc.) The internet has many search engines for you to locate what you need to know- and so does your local parts person so be a wise Ebayer and try to look BEFORE you leap and ask questions to avoid getting a wrong or useless part. GM especially uses a lot of different lug patterns for wheels so be careful you know EXACTLY what you need. Also asking a hometown mechanic is not a sin and may shed some light.

Some internet search engine searches you may try are: transmission id , transmission identification , engine indentifier , axle id , etc. You can also use any combination of words of the part  you are looking for as a search. I cannot guarantee you'll always find what you need on the internet so if all else fails- ASK A PERSON WHO KNOWS ABOUT CARS (auto parts store cashier, garage mechanic, dealer, etc.) I'll bet the harder you try and more persistant you are the more you will learn and the easier it will become. HAVE A GOOD DAY PARTS HUNTING!!!  ( and don't let any rude and not-smart eighteen year old parts counter person(s) discourage you - Henry Ford said: "If you think you can - you can" - so be a little bull-headed and try to never give up). Also online are car forums like the fordforum website where people might be able to help. You can use a search engine to locate a specific one for your vehicle just don't mind any grumpy old guys (they can be helpful too). If you can make it through reading a few paragraphs like this you're sure to end your search with an answer.