I now know why the local speed shops are all going away.

To me it would make much more sense to be open Sunday and then closed on Monday. That's what a lot of other weekend oriented businesses like barber shops do.

I agree that Speed Shops need to realize that most guys can only work on their cars on Saturday or Sunday because they work the rest of the week for money to spend in the speed shop. Summitt and Jegs are providing services people appreciate. I, too, have been told by a shop that they can order it. Then they give me a price that I know is just the Summitt or Jegs price marked up. That is a major insult!

 

I buy nearly all my parts online.

Reasons
1. Price (significantly different) when asked to compete most local guys have "attitude"
2. I get it faster most of the time. Local shops always seem to "be able to order it" Why should I drive to them to pay more to order and have to drive back to get it, when I can sit at work order and its on my doorstep a few days later.
3. I am willing to pay more for service and support. Problem is most guys I talk to seem to have less of a clue than I do. Both local and online. If I have to figure it out on my own, might as well order online and save a buck. My local guy left me standing for 15 min. this weekend after he started helping me and then was interupted by another customer. He left me standing and then helped the other guy. So instead of the $600 I was going to spend I spent $30 and only got what I had to have that minute.
4. Most people want to close the deal so they will steer you towards what they have not necessarily what would be best. They know if they do say they can order it you will most likely go home and do it yourself.
5. Its been said over and over hours of operation. I work out in the sticks so I just can't make to any shops during "normal" hours unless I happen to be out driving for work.

 

I have had to buy almost everything for my coupe by way of mail order. I would definitely buy local if I could, but no one has the stuff. The speed shop Lux is talking about is great, and I have bought a lot of shit from them, but they cater mostly to racing stuff. There is no place in this town to get traditional rod parts, so online ordering just becomes "the norm". And Lux can tell ya how good my luck is when the box of parts shows up!

 

its not the point its the princpal for the little guys they need us to stay open dam a phone order i want to see who i am talkin to and know he has real experiance not a computer and not smart enuff to look deeper to helpfind what i need. if you want mom & pop shops to stay around buy from them i know when i want or need a part i want in my hands right then but we need to understand and make some sacrifces or all this will be gone i miss the days of hangin out at the speed shop with guys that could look at a part and get it for you

 

There seems to be this assumption by some on this thread that the Holley carb you buy at the local speedshop is somehow better than the one you bought from Summits or that once you get it, it is more likely to "not fit" than the one purchased locally.

People seem to forget that Summit Racing was a Mom and Pop shop at one point. They created a business model that worked for them and succeeded in a highly competitive marketplace for aftermarket racing parts. The great part about this country of ours is that anyone is free to attempt the same.

In any business, success lies in the value-add or "what I am offering that my competitors are not"...you can't just hang your shingle and expect people to beat a path to your door, you have to earn their business. And their business is earned at their convenience, not yours.

 

Im glad to see some guys are getting my point on this. I in no way wanted to talk down the local speed shops but i can see now why more are ordering off line. i never got it before. cause like most i want to be able to open the box up and check out what i was buiying. and ironicly with the header thing.. i bought a set of shortys for the same car last year and i questioned them fitting but the guys there said they were for my car. got home and nope. They were right into my steering box, And the ones i orderd for my car from summit for cheap fit like a glove.

 

I can second that, I have been doing business with Bill for damn near 20 years. Prices always competitive, excellent service and great inventory. Now if I could just convince Bill to open the store on the southside of town, like he has been threatening to for years, life would be perfect.

 

I don't have to worry about it because we don't have a speed shop in this town of 300,000 people. Haven't had for 10 years, that's when Supershops were here but there prices were way too high. Supershops isn't exactly a mom and pop but it was all we had. I went in there two times and didn't buy anything because I had questions and needed help and guess what happens...sir if you don't know the part number I can't help you...great so much for service. I mail order everything for the A and get it right away, delivered to my front door. I don't have to go argue with the counter know it all who needs the part number, etc.

Now, from a business point of view, if I was the owner I'd be open on Sundays and here is why. Saturday and Saturday night is when the races are held locally, Sunday Nascar is on the tube and most people who are buying this stuff are off on Sunday and want to get some work done. The races, locally or on the tube, get people fired up to work on their cars and buy stuff that they probably wouldn't buy other wise. In sales, the seller has to be ready to do business when the buyer is ready to do business, not the other way around. Sounds like things are set up to be convenient for the seller in most cases. Example: if you own an ice cream truck don't you sell ice cream on hot days? Or, do you sell it on cold, windy days? The shop owner needs to decide if he wants to conduct business, which is the reason they're there, or do you want to make the customer wait a few days and then try to sell them stuff? If your not ready to conduct business when the customer is ready you need a lesson or two in business management. And, don't complain when you go out of business because you weren't ready. If a guy takes the time to fight traffic, get his money together, convince the wife he needs it, and your not open on his only day off...I would think you'd want to take advantage of it. Make him wait a day or two and you've lost the opportunity to make a sale. I can see the shop owners side too, in a way. A speedshop wants to represent at the local track and participation is the way to do that. Problem is, as we all know, that the races can go on until midnight or later. By the time you load up and are rolling to the house it can be 4-5AM. Who wants to get up at 7:00am to open the store? Only way to cover it is to have your B team take care of Sundays right. So, both sides have their issues. I wish I had a hot rod shop, not speedshop, here that was open any day of the week.

 

For me part of my build is going to the speed shop, talking about my project, shooting the shit. Being able to pick a part up and look at it, hell try it on or even just hold it and talk about it before buying it is important. Ordering online is convienient but for me keeping up to date with the boys and staying part of the local social rod scene is what its all about. I have a relationship with my local speed shop, thats how i like it.

 

Have you ever worked at or run a speed shop?

I cut my teeth working for a very popular speedshop on the south side of Chicago. We were open on Sunday from 10-2. I don't know about the rest of the country, but there was nothing for business... save a few emergency parts. There were some Sundays that I had not sold anything the whole day... not had one customer... and some that were decent. Most of the time we lost money opening on Sunday. We had one guy working the counter on Sunday.

The busy days are Friday and Saturday... pay day. Those days, Summer month, it was packed. On the busy days we could have 4 or 5 guys working behind the counter. There were more customers than we could take care of... but they waited.

Why?

Because I sold them what they needed at a price that was close to mailorder.

 

It was 25 years ago that I worked for Ramchargers, and we were always open on Sundays. They lasted longer than Gratiot, but eventually they closed too (buyout and old age). The last time I went in there they were all tuner car and Mustang 5.0 stuff. That generation of enthusiest (and counter help) didn't much care about the vintage muscle car or real Hot Rod stuff.

Steve

 

No. I'm the guy on the other side of the counter that is there to buy products that pay your salary. I'm not there to do you a favor and stand in line to spend my money. However, why do you think that people didn't come in on Sunday? I'd just like to know. And please, don't chop up my response, pick and choose, and then fire away. Please consider the entire post as I've tried to remain neutral and present the views from both sides. I worked in sales for many years and produced over a million and a half in sales a year for my employer working six days a week. How much did you sell in hot rod parts last year? Point made.

 

After having worked in a few different aftermarket parts stores/speed shops over a fifteen year period, I've got to side with the crew that claims that "open on Sunday" isn't worth it. The business (around here, anyway) never justified keeping the doors open, and it seemed that half of what you did sell on Sunday was returned on Monday for some lame reason. Want a parts store that's open all the time? Do what I did for fifteen years--work there and have a key to the place!

 

Thanks Heathen, that explains it. Seems like the other parts stores are packed on Sundays around here but they're the regular parts giants, Autozone, Pep Boys, Orielly's and I cring at the thought of going in those places. Good luck guys.

 

The local speed shops also suffer from inability to stock each and every possible part you might need. But you also can't go to Summit and just look over the various things parts blolts on hand and try to find stuff that could work for obscure projects, not to mention talk tech with the "old guy" at the shop. Say you wanted to figure out an adapter for the new edelbrock inline carb. You might be able to go to the speed shopp and take some dimensions and figure something oput before plunking down 2 large to find out you need to put it on Egay and sell it for half what you paid.

I do use Summit and Jeg's for a lot of stuff but my excuse it the O'reilly's and Advance auto's I have nearby are worthless. if it aion't in the puter they don't have a flipping clue. Had to actually drag one back to the hose wall to be able to look for something that would work on my 68 Camaro with it's new BB in place.

 

I'm firm believer in giving the customer what they want. I work in the service industry as a tattoo artist and I work weekends because that is when other people dont work. Sunday is the universal "work on the projects" day. A speed shop would do great business to cater to everyone working on projects on that lazy Sunday afternoon. Or even being able to provide that great hang out spot for everyone cruising on that nice day to meet up and chat cars. Thats my thoughts, but here in Northern Illinois hot rod shops dont talk to people into hot rods because you might steal there next project or give them some knowledge.

 

See, this is EXACTLY why the store owners don't get it. (sorry 35PU, don't mean this as a personal attack)

They think the only buying I do is that one piece I come in for sunday afternoon. That one piece represents a forgotten detail of a larger project. That one piece represents the tip of +$10K a year business I do with your competition. I got cars that are mail order from the wingnut to the tire tread

The fact shops won't provide service when I need it most means shops won't get an opportunity to provide service when there's more convenient options- mail order. Being there sundays and evenings pays off every day of the week.

Sundays and evenings are the only time my 9-5 job schedule permits us to know each other on a first name basis. And if you wanna know what it takes to get my business from mail order, that's it. Know my name beeatch!

 

Not at all. At least not on my part. I did mention earlier the hassle with returns so I chimed in here.

Many are mentioning reasons to no care if the local place stays open. Other than it's good for your neighbor to keep his job, my points are more towards places that do have knowledgable employees and don't have an attitude. I found a whitworth threaded bolt at the shop I mentioned earlier. I was happy as can be I didn't have to try and order one. I'll pay a little extra for that. The counter guy wasn't sure what I needed but the other guy was on top of it.

And no matter how much stuff they have, the local place wont stay open for long if they don't follow the same model in dealing with customers.

No doubt. I just hope that people who do have a decent place local will pay a few extra bucks to help keep them open.

 

Customers come first....regardless of the business/shop/store/service provided ....... ALL businesses cater to PEOPLE....
The businesses that don't get THAT simple philosophy...will fail....

"Give 'em the pickle."

 

If I want a new kicker amp, glowing neon shift lever and matching pedals, Slip on seat covers with florescent yellow frogs to match the wiper blades, some free N.O.S. stickerz and a steering wheel cover I'll go to the local speed shop.

If I want a starter it's Checkers or NAPA.

If I want performance parts, Jegs or Summit or some online parts catalog.

Sorry, but that's the way the world is now. If you really want to support your local speed shop you can have them order from Jegs or Summit for you and pay shipping plus their markup and drive down to the store again to get your parts when they come in and the guy gets around to calling you to tell you your stuff has arrived.
You can do that, I won't. They lost me when they quit carrying speed parts for american cars in stock.

 

its still that way around these parts, the world stops on sunday, except for the local hardware store which opens at noon..... Palmyra, MO is home to the smallest Oreilly Auto Parts in the whole chain, and gues what its closed on saturday afternoon and sunday.

as far as speed shops go....i have never seen one. ever..... really

 

I really respect the guy who founded Chick-Fil-A. He purposely points out that his stores aren't open on Sunday. That takes some cajones in this day and age.

As far as this topic... I'm on the fence. I was at that shop (but I'm sure a different branch) a couple weeks ago, and was told that I'd have to order somewhere around $1600 worth of stuff to make up the $10 handling fee I got charged for the stuff I ordered from Summit and got 2 days before. I was looking for an alternator bracket, for a 5.0 Ford, at Detroit Speed and, guess what.. it wasn't in stock. But they are WAYYYYYYYYY better now (in stock and service) than when they were Ramchargers.

Jay

 

I didnot read all the posts,but I work 50 hrs a week Im not hanging around on Sunday.

 

I try to support the little man as much a possable, you also have to ask yourself do you want to be at work on sunday? I know I don't!

 

Back in the early '70's I ran a motorcycle shop while I went to college. Kept me real busy. Lots of guys hollered about me not being open on Sundays, "we need stuff for racing, riding, working on projects, etc." Guess what happend when I opened up on Sundays. Well advertised, etc. Nothing. A few guys would wander in, I'd sell a couple of bucks worth of stuff, I wasted a day and lost money being open. After about 6 weeks I closed on Sundays. I like my weekends!

 

Regardless of whether you WANT to work on Sunday,,,

If you are in a retail or service industry you HAVE to realize that the majority of the free world citizens with cash to spend are looking to spend it on their days off. That would be Saturday and Sunday.

The internet is open 24-7. Adapt or die. Just ask the dinosaurs.

 

I, for one, miss Gratiot Auto Supply- they ALWAYS had what I needed/ wanted. Oh. well...

 

I worked in the Austin speed shop business for about 12 years in the early 70's and for about 1 year of that I worked for Bill. He is truly knowledgeable and a genuine good guy. The speed shop business in Austin started dying when SuperShops came in. That's when we started getting all the bozos that wanted to look at everything, touch it, open the packages, read the instructions and then say "I can order that at so and so for less. We tried to work with people but when they wouldn't even try, after about 4 trips to us to solve their mail order problems, I say FO! jack.

 

If all y'all want is a place to buy the new parts that you found in a catalog, then Summit or Jegs probably works. None of your speed shops had used stuff piled on tables and shelves (everything from injectors that you could still smell the nitro in on down.)? No bulletin boards with smokin' deals on parts and cars? No "gurus" to run your ideas by(good or bad). If I never walked into a speed shop, I would have never seen Don Hardy's 32 Ford coupe for sale. Or found out who was out gunning for the top dog that weekend (street or strip). Or got to check out the latest project or modifications going on in the back room. The new, big, corporate places are way to antiseptic for me.

 

My buddy's place is closed monday. open tuesday through sunday. If he's off sunday he cant get shit done because everythings closed.