You Can Tell You're at a REAL Auto Parts Store When...

Was looking for wheel cylinders for my OT 46 jeep that I put 11 inch brakes on 20 some years ago and after no such luck at Napa, Auto Zone etc because they had no info to punch into the computer they didn't seem to enthused about helping me, I stopped at the O'Reilly's and low and behold behind the counter was a gal that had worked parts at the local Chevrolet dealer that was a victim of the economy and now graced this place with her employment. Andrea dug into the books the old fashioned way by matching the wheel cylinder sizes and style, the first box's she pulled was a match. 15 minutes total time and had my parts and on my way. Hat's off to the True Parts Person.

 

Our local carquest and napa are excellent. I can call with something I need and they always have it for my old stuff. They try to deliver it tight away but I try to go in to shoot the shit whlith the guys. I f I go in and need to make something they let me wander through the back till I find something that will work.

Carquest set me up with an account and dealerI pricing with no limit and I didn't do anything to get it. The owner just set me up. Hands me a bill when he actually has it figured out.

The stores call me up to see if I want side work when someone needs something they know I am familiar with. I turn my own flywheels and drums. I don't have a press so I use theirs all the time.

I like visiting the parts house

 

i recently relocated to riverside, ca and cant for the life of me find a parts store that will give me the part i ask for by name and part number. they want to poke info into the computer and ask a few questions i dont really have an answer for then have to get 2-3 other people to help them figure out how to use the part number i supplied them with to see "if" they can get that part. id be happy paying a touch more for auto parts if the guy behind the counter had an idea what he was doing at his job besides playing key board jockey.

 

Other then NAPA,all the other stores near me have computer jerks on the counters.

 

Tops Auto in Anaheim, ca is about the only parts supply store in the area where the guys behind the counter actually know what they are doing. I havent had much luck at any of the few napa autos that we have around so cal. It was a mission trying to get basic 3/8" fuel filter from them napa guys. The guy wanted to know every bit of info for the car when in reality it was going to go in a jet boat. I didnt tell the guy that it was going in an old boa tbecause that would have probably kept me there another 20 mins. As for autozone, kragen, pep boys, etc... I just grab the keyboard from them and look up the parts myself. Its much quicker and once I find the part I need, I just send him off with a list to grab my parts.

 

That pretty much sums it up. I grew up in the parts business (3rd generation) I came from an era of huge catalog racks, personal tabs, hand written invoices, smoking in the store, and a store manager that would throw you out if you were a phuckin idiot.

In hindsight, it was almost a romantic time (sounds cheeseee) My fondest memories come from those stores. It's when you learned how to LOOK things up, interchange them, and solve customers problems. How I miss those days. The manager my Father had me work under was an old Marine drill sargent. Tough SOB but a great role model on how to run a parts store.

I am still in the parts business and thriving at it. I have been lucky enough to employ a handful of old school parts guys (can read a paper catalog when we can get them) but believe you me, they do not come cheap. These people have families and lives. In short, they don't work for $9 /hr.

I guess I am ranting too.

BTW, when you get sick of where you are at Carl, look me up!

Tim

 

They don't push 2 for $5 flashlights at you (checkout challenge)

You don't see a bottle of "hand sanitizer" being used by the help

They know what plastiguage is and it comes in colors

They know what a zerk fitting is and have an assortment

 

No shit!! Thats cool....we're all connected!

 

My local NAPA used to be my favorite place. I knew the three guys working there for 30 years. Each of them knew I had a 58 Massey Ferguson tractor, a 29 AA and needed parts for either a 60 F-350 chassis or a 70 351 Windsor. They even held stuff back that they knew I'd need.

Those guys retired, and now the boobs working in the place sold me a bad torque converter, couldn't find stuff that I needed that I eventually found by l o o k i n g, and they never call when stuff I order has come in. I switched to a different NAPA in the town where I work, not the closest one to home. They're still old school.

 

Worked at a local speed shop in my home town back in the 70,s . I was just out of high school, it was called Baileys performance center in Odessa Texas . It was back in the days when we didnt even know what a computer was ,we knew most of the part numbers by heart and most of the customers that way to.The guys that worked there were all car nuts ,my boss that owned the shop had a 68 camaro 427 4 speed 4.88 had been a race car from the day it was new. the guy that was the manager had a black Don Hardy vega, smallblock with a doug nash 5 speed both cars had crager super tricks on em..i had a 57 Nomad 283 4SPEED one of my buddies that worked there with me had 62 ss impala small block 4 SPEED that his dad bought brand new the other guy had a 65 mustang 289 4 SPEED . We carried american wheels ; crager wheels, m/t slicks.crane cams,hooker and doug thorley headers.bowtie small block heads and pink rods,zoom,schiefer,gears,lakewood,holley,accel,moroso,....had a big selection of superior steering wheels,plus a heck of a lot of other stuff.I remember we had a giant selection of dorman stuff it was about a 25 foot row of metal orange and black parts drawers there was about any part you could think of in there .I remember i allways hated having to restock that thing..to bad mail order put most of these places out of buisiness....those were the days....

 

bar stools and rubber tired ash trays

 

2 bar stools, for customers, piston ashtrays, 2 employees and the owner that work there... know the voices on the phone, know most of their cars,2 of us are avid car enthusiest, one has just worked there for 14 years, the owner has been there 25, i should have been there in the beginning. we sell everything from car parts to Cummin's motors for logging equipment. our motto is if we cant get it...you dont need it..lol we HATE Oreillys and we ARE an independent Carquest. 2 rack of books 2 stacks high and 6ft long, and another 4 ft stack under the counter...but we keep our store clean and tidy so even the most high and up tight woman needs something she feels welcome. wipers, battery, headlight and tail light bulbs we do with a smile. belts and hoses all around the building hanging on the walls.

 

I still have a parts store in the next town from me that if the damn computer doesn't have it , The person behind the counter says wait here a minute ........then comes back with a real BOOK ! Then we sit down and try to find something that will work . If they don't have it , they will order it and get it for you !
Also the person behind the counter can legally buy beer !
They also have a Domain selection too !
You can sit on one of the bar stools as you wait for your turn .
They still have books on the counter they actually look in and use all the time !
They also will turn your drums and rotors for you .
They will get you what you want and sometimes they don't even look at the damn computer either ! They just walk back and bring up what you need !
Yes they even have the Tire ashtrays or the disc brake caliper pistons for ash trays !

Retro Jim

 

real men behind the counter who know there stuff and a free pinup calendar or floaty nudie pen for customers.

 

You don't hear welcome to auto zone when you walk in the front door.

 

Here, here!

1. there is a dog in the store
2. they don't glaze over when you ask about a y block
3. they don't thinka hemi is something their dad had an operation for
4. they have grease under their nails
5. the owner smokes in the store and "don't give a shit about what the gobermint says he can't do"
6. they know your NAME and what you drive
7. they have heard of motors other than a sbc350, ford5.0[/QUOTE]

 

when the counter guy is running 2 phone lines,taking care of counter and looking up parts in rows and rows of books

 

they trust you for the core charge. (Baxters.)

 

our store used to do that up until a certain few over the period of 3 months cost us 2k in cores....

 

you know when.....

there's a drag car sitting on a trailer next to the place

 

When you walk into Mr T's auto parts in Toppenish, Wa behind the Texaco and beside Safeway.
No computer on the counter unless they added one in the last month but they have the best rack of parts books in any parts house anywhere. Either Terry or his wife can figure out what you need too but the damned cats stink up the place enough to make some people uncomfortable.

 

Every guy at the counter has a car project- usually a v-8 or at least a straight 6. The books are used for parts lookup and IF there is a computer- the primary function is as a cash register. one of the grumpier counter men has a limp and a permanent grey stain from leaning on the galvinized sheet countertop.

I had a 36 Intenational truck that I needed spark plugs for I think the number on them was AC 78- The book didnt cross reference them, neither did the book older than that- The guy helping me said " give me a few minutes and I will just go in the back and bead blast them for you."

The guys have your cell number and call you for that hard to fingd used part that you may have. and then give your number to the customer needing the part.

When They photocopy original shop manuals from 72 International books and fax you the parts breakdown.

And these are all the great reasons I buy local whenever I can.

 

and the miniature rubber tired ash trays!

 

I had a problem finding the bushing for my 53 F100 generator in Phoenix 03; I hadn’t been in town so long and didn’t know where to go. I had tried little but the places I went to couldn’t help me, then I asked Mike (HAMB) that I just meet. He told me the right place to go is GenStar Electric. This place was real cool and nicest place I have seen. I had my back plate for the generator with me just for sure, first thing the man behind the disk said was, and you need a new bushing for your autolite gen. The place was like go back in a time machine, I can’t forget this place. I know this isn’t an auto Parts Store, but places like this is gold for old car nuts. The pick I just found on the web,,

 

you walk into the shop with a part from a car that is is sixty years old and the guy says..."hmmm, back in a minute" and comes out with an armful of dusty old parts books, gives them a wipe over and proceeds to track down the exact part. And it arrives the next day, just on cue, with a courteous phone call to your place to verify its arrival.

 

When they have wood floors. Back in the day, went to a parts store where the owners lived upstairs. When they were closed they would come downstairs and sell you parts.

 

Bud comes out when you push the Diet Coke button.

 

The last decent parts house in the Dallas area was on Denton drive, and burned to the ground a few years ago. After Tommy retired that was it for parts houses around here!
Walk into a parts house and announce you need a water pump for a big block. If you don't hear back " Long or short?" walk out. Mike

 

Kirks reply is funny, the guy got fired at Taco Bell. Probably more true than we want to believe. Sick! ~sololobo~

 

When you walk into Keslers in Metairie La. They have been there I would guess at least 50 years. The Original owners still run the place. They now specialise in heavy truck stuff only. It is still the place to get fly wheels
turned. bearings pressed etc. No computers on the counter and hand written receipts Back in the day they were where I shopped for everything. I still go there for what I can. I do not know how long they will keep on, for there does not appear to be any young family members to
take over. It will be sad to see them retire.