Customs Water pump takes a dump, now for the good news

Last night I started my '50 Chevy (same one as avatar) it has a stock 216. I let it run for a while to keep the juices flowing, don't like to leave it sit too long without some run time. Any way to make a long story longer, as I let it run and come up to temperature suddenly water started spraying onto the fenders. Well the water pump weep hole was pouring. Today I found my receipt from Federated Motor Products for it dated 12/27/2012. Stopped by and they tell me it's still under warranty so bring it in tomorrow morn and they will have me a new one here from warehouse in Virginia. Amazing ! What customer service. Also I am amazed at how many parts can still be found "off the shelf" with knowledgeable staff to look for it.

 

Wow thats lucky. I bought a brand new one for my cadillac from usa parts supply and was told no warranty

 

what is this "knowledgeable staff" you speak of? we don't have any of that around here.

 

Had that happen on one from NAPA for an OT car after 5 years. Had the receipt and they told me I had bought one with lifetime warranty when I went to get replacement. Of course it didn't cover my labor to replace it.

 

Always good to hang onto all your receipts, you never know when one will bail you out. Nice when you're in a parts house and you have some choices in warranties.

 

Wish we had some of that knowlegable staff you speak of around here.
Went to a parts store yesterday and asked for a 78 series battery.
The "parts man "says that must be an oddball we don't have one.
I say thats funny Gm has been using it in every pickup, tahoe, suburban, etc. etc. for the last 20 years.
Ended up they had 10 of them.

 

I LOVE my local N A P A. It doesn't matter what I walk in there with, I just plop parts up on the counter , They walk in the back room and come back with what I need. They dont even ask for the year/make/model.
They have had every part in stock that I have ever needed for my early 70's pontiac motor , rear end and Brakes

 

I went the other day to get a new battery for my truck. "78 series" was all I needed to know, went to the shelf, grabbed the battery I wanted and brought it to the counter. the clerk says "do you want one just like this?" told him yes, then he walks over to the battery rack, comes back and says he needs to go to the warehouse and get one. I figure he's the parts guy and must know what he is doing.

he brings back another battery just like the one I put on the counter and rings me up. I asked about the core charge and he says he did not ring up a core since I brought the core with me.... I had to explain to him that this was not a core, but a battery from the battery rack and the core was still in my truck.

if I was evil and quick thinking I could have said I changed my mind and would keep the core and got a second new battery for the price of the core charge. he said most people don't know what battery they need and just go to the counter.

 

I find that the shops selling Federated stuff are mostly wholesalers on some level, and HAVE to hire people that know what is going on. Mine here in Phoenix, AJS is absolutely aces! I for the life of me can't imagine NOT finding the local wholesale house and introducing myself so I can buy there.

 

I ordered a genuine ford tranny filter for my 97 150 auto tranny from O'Reilly . Clerk said 3 days as it was to come from Colo. I went in to pick it up & it did not arrive. The clerk calls the ford parts dept & bargains me a deal for what it would have cost from O'Reilly. Ford parts guy said it was almost what he had to pay. Ford original price $80.00 + & OReillys price $ 22.00 & change.

 

Picked up my water pump from Federated this morn and just for fun asked about headlight switch and dimmer for the '50 (six volt) and also '52 Buick water pump. They looked them up, had to dig through the books, yeah books, and found part numbers, dug online and said "yes we can have 'em here tomorrow" How cool is that. I am always throwing zingers out there just to see and am amazed at the parts for these old cars that are still available if some one is knowlegeable and will take the time. Now that's what I call cutsomer service. Maybe next time I'll ask for a '46 Lincoln starter!