The Thrifty Story

The Thrifty story began in 1978.

Back then, we were a humble supplier of engineering and automotive parts… but with a bit more horsepower than your average parts shop.

Many of our customers still remember the “good old days,” when Ralph would roll up to their workshop, swing open the wings of his truck, and top them up with nuts, bolts, degreaser and whatever else they needed—saving them a trip into the big smoke by bringing the goods straight to them.

Travelling up and down the North Island servicing mechanics and engineers, Ralph certainly clocked up a few miles. (Back when diesel prices didn’t make you wince.)

Eventually, the business passed into the hands of Lindsay Raine, who ran the operation out of his shed in Parakai. Customers would pull up out front, tell him what they were after, and off he’d disappear out the back—returning with exactly the right part, no matter how obscure.

Need a radiator cap for your old Morris Minor? Lindsay’s got one.

Lost a 3/16 inch compression spring from inside your 80s Kirby vacuum cleaner? Before you go buying a new Dyson… try Lindsay.

Part of the magic was how he sourced stock. From Nissan to Fisher & Paykel factory floors, Lindsay saw value where others saw scraps—collecting dropped nuts, bolts, springs and everything in between, and giving them a second life in the hands of fixers, tinkerers, engineers and mechanics.

It was this reputation for stocking weird and wonderful bits and bobs that cemented Thrifty Auto Supplies as a go-to… but only if you knew where to find it. Tucked away and slightly off the beaten track, it was Helensville’s best-kept secret for years.

To this day, a framed photo of Lindsay still sits on our front counter—in honour of the man many customers still affectionately refer to as “Mr Thrifty.”

The business later stayed in the family with Maree Raine at the helm, supported by local jack-of-all-trades (and importer) Des Ross. Together, they transformed the mysteries of Lindsay’s back shed into a proper retail space at 103 Mill Road.

The sheer volume of stock made this a gargantuan task. Let’s just say the stocktake that started back then… may still be ongoing. Every now and then, we still uncover a dust-covered gem that’s slipped through the digital cracks.

In 2022, long-time customer Roger Pimblott was browsing the shelves after work—like he’d done many times before—when he happened to overhear the business might be for sale. Laying down his electrical tools and long commute to potter around this haven of engineering bits and pieces, well, it didn't take much convincing.

What Roger may have pictured as a quiet semi-retirement—tinkering with motorbikes and serving the occasional customer—quickly turned into something else entirely. After all, 12,000 product lines don’t look after themselves.

The team grew. The shelves filled. And the seeds of a website were planted.

By 2025, growth meant another big move—this time into the iconic former Helensville Glass building at 48 Mill Road. You can’t miss us now, thanks to the giant nut-and-bolt sculpture by local artist Jeff Thomson out front. Step inside and you’ll find not just parts, but a treasure trove of curiosities and collectibles donated by locals over the years.

Because Thrifty has never just been about what’s on the shelves.

It’s about the people. The doers, the fixers, the makers, the tinkerers, the engineers, the mechanics—the ones who keep things running when others might throw them away.

That’s the spirit of Thrifty.

And it’s bigger than any one owner, any one team, or any one building.

It’s Kiwi ingenuity at its best.