After I was married in the mid 80's I was working as a tech at a Cadillac store and working on my stuff and other folks cars in the evening. I used a small auto parts store in North St. Paul almost exclusively for both late model and early model projects. I stopped in to order some parts and pick some other stuff up right after the 1st of January one year. They had just done inventory and closed out the books for the year and one of the owners told me I was their number one "non-chain" customer! Went home and told my wife about my status, she said that was because I was never in the house! Point was taken and I've lost my number one status at the parts houses since then! Tim
Don't think I'd want to buy one of his "race cars". What's he do with the carburetor. Stick it in the dishwasher? LOL
Even Rock Auto has it's headaches. I ordered a Y-pipe for an o/t van, wanted the Walker one, it comes, doesn't fit. It's for 8600 GVW and up vans. Mine's a light-duty one-ton, if that makes any sense, it has a 4L60 trans and uses the same exhaust as a G10 or G20. Walker doesn't make one for a regular G30. I could make it work, but I'd have to put different manifolds on it. Kicker is if you look up as a G10 or G20 you get the right part, but they don't show it for a G30. So I call them up figuring I can get a tag sent to me, or a link to print one up, to use to send it back. No, I have to send it back on my dime. Well, okay, I guess, since it's my mistake, I can see that. It only has to go about two hours down the road, it shouldn't be too expensive. But no, FedEx ground wants $45 to ship this damned thing back that I paid $7 shipping on in the first place. What? I could damned near drive it there myself for that money. They have a handling charge because it's not boxed; okay how much if I box it up? Still almost $40. It's not heavy, but it's big, like 20" across, 15" high, and a good 36" long. So I've emailed them back up to see if I can pay them for one of their shipping tags to send it back. Update: I ended up changing both damned manifolds so I could use the pipe they sent me, after having a second pipe (different brand) come that was supposed to fit and also didn't fit.
I got such a kick out of reading the first few pages of this thread! Man, this stuff is so true, and actually so sad. I recently went to the local Checker store to get parts for my 460 Ford motor. First, the kid thought I was mistaken, saying there is not "460 litre" engine, ( I never said litre). Then, after I explained that a 460 was a 7.5 litre engine, he was amazed, saying " I never knew they made them that big!" Incidentally, I've seen this kid around town in his little 4 banger tunermobile with the coffee can mufflers. Typical of todays auto parts store employees.
I blew a hydraulic hose on my rollback last winter,the one that slides bed forward. Drove about two miles to an O'Rielly's and pulled hose off. Two young kids inside about to close store, they had no idea how to run hose machine. I showed them how to do it, and made my own hose. Pizza guy shows up when I'm about to go out to install new hose so I paid him too. I'd been totally screwed if those kids would've been dicks and didn't want to help because I had about 50 miles to go and it was after 8pm.
I used to call my buddies store and if his wife answered I'd ask for something unusual. I called once and asked for a headlight bulb for a 54 Hoover (vaccum cleaner). I heard her call and ask him. Who the blank is that on the phone? I can't use the other chain stores they ask to many stupid questions & still give me the wrong part.
We call it "AutoZoned" around here, because that is the impression most of the counterpeople give you when you walk in. Also, it's "CarQuestion?", because the countergirl actually had NO IDEA what a carbruetor was! The local O'Reilly's and NAPA stores seem to have a few brain cells working there. Have had hardly an issue with either one in a long time. The one mom-n-pop store that is remotely close has weird hours, and is hard to use during hours they are actually open.
That's the same thing I have said on a few of these Parts Store Rant threads...that being said even that won't always work. I recently needed a gasket set for a Edelbrok 1406. I went to their webite (local Murrays/Oreillys/ whatever this week) and looked it up. Got the number and brand name, found out it wasn't in stock, would be there in one day. I go to the store and told the middle aged housewife behind the counter what i need and that i had the P/N. She starts in on the "year, make model", etc. I tell her it's an after market item and I have P/N. (I'm holding a piece of paper out to her) She rolls her eyes and says she'll take a look. I tell her it's not in stock,but they can get it tomorrow. she ignores me grabs another employee and they look down an isle. She comes back and says they don't have one. I tell her that i know that and that I have the P/N. She starts clacking away on the keyboard, glances at my paper and says, here it is same number you have....but...it's $7 more and they can't get it for two days. O.K. I say Order it and I'll be back. Came back in two days tell the guy behind the counter that there should be a gasket set for an Edelbrock 1406 that came in today. He gets my name, goes in back for a couple minutes, comes out and says "something came in in your name but I don't think it's right" he grabs the "manager" and they both go in the back. They come out a couple minutes later and the manager guy throws a blisterpack on the counter. "I don't think thats right, but that's what came in for you" It was a pair of those cheesey Mr Gasket hood pins so popular in the 70's!!!! "nope" I said "Doesn't look like a gasket set does it?" I told him that I had and still had the PN for what i wanted (Brand name too) He takes my paper and looks it up. "Oh yeah we can get that tomorrow".....
Kinda off topic, but never ever wash car parts in the dishwasher. it may seem like a good idea but trust me you will be informed that it is a very bad idea. ask me how I know
Ive had people come in with part numbers before for stuff we didn't have in stock. so i ordered it and when they came came to pick it up, it wasn't what they wanted and blamed it on me. come to find out they don't know anything about the car and shouldn't even be working on it. Its pretty much a weekly thing prolly in every parts store.
Yes, but in most of the parts stores that I deal with if I give a part # & get them to order a non stock item, it needs to be 50% paid for before they will order it. then if I fucked up & want to return it there is a restocking fee that I have already paid & I will get whatever $$ is left over from my deposit after the restocking fee is paid. If a customer is not known to the store a special order must be 100% paid up front, then if you decide you don't want it or don't come back for it, they do not care. the item is already paid for. This always seemed reasonable to me, but maybe I am in the minority. that being said, like Belchfire8 above if I were to order a set of gaskets and you hand me hood pins, that is your screw up not mine & I am not going to pay for it. But if I order the wrong gaskets then it is my fault & I should be on the hook for any additional costs incurred..
For our regulars, a deposit isn't always needed, like if we're trying to find a part but the computer is listing more than one. we can check the book and/or just order all the parts to get the right one for the customer. and it also depends on the part were ordering. btw i work at Advance.
went to auto zoned I was working on side project 65 cuda I needed rear drums I go in and said I need drums for a 64 1/2 cuda he 5 on 4 bolt pattern guy looks at me and says try another place I said whats the problem ? he said its a bull shit chase they didnt build cudas till 67, lol another time i needed plugs for the 57 I told him I needed plugs for a 69 302 4 bbl ford he said what year car I told him 57 have air no auto ? yes. I have to get a book. three guys latter our books dont go that far back,
In 1981 I worked at Unlimited Auto Parts. It was a real parts store and was a blast. This Woman, wanted the foam they put on roll bars. I said we could get it but the 4x4 shop around the corner probably had it. Then I noticed her "husband "was on a leash with a studded collar and I blew coffie all over the books. The looks were stupendous and we still laugh about that. Dont ask about the blind mechanic. He was busy and must have been good cause he didnt have too many burns or cuts.
LEADSLED...concerning the pressuring washing an engine at the carwash and draning? i can tell you as an engine builder at work and building my drag car engines. that gentleman dosn't know shit. man what dimention do these people come from? excuse me i need 10 or 12 maallox....POP.
I have an ot truck with a push rod motor that has some blow-by in one of the cylinders. Every six months I need the change a fouled plug on that hole. I've tried different style plugs and wanted to try an E3. I went in to the local nation wide chain and told them what I wanted. It took him way too long to tell me he can't get those, and when I asked him for a hotter stock plug he told me he was looking for the more expensive plugs because they were obviously the hotter ones. WHAT? Then a guy down the counter pipes up ( the reason I'm ranting ) and says, "Oh I know why that plug is fouling, your valve cover gasket is leaking". WTF?! I asked how could a leak on an external gasket foul an internal part? I just recieved an open mouthed stare. You know it wouldn't be so bad, but he was so eff'n cocky and smarmy with some of his buddies around that I couldn't just let it slide. At least I know I can get a job at a parts store if I get laid off!
Having lived on Long Island for most of my life and having a close relationship with local auto parts stores I got spoiled with the local stores having tons of small seldom used items AND counter help that knew cars...whether they were wrench turners or not. When I moved to Jacksonville I learned early on that NAPA is the best for the less common vehicles. However when my son & I were doing up our Scout II mud truck & re-plumbing the complete brake system we needed 3/16 brake line fittings. I went to he only NAPA that showed them in stock but when I asked for them on a Saturday AM the response was:" We got them in on a transfer from the warehouse but won't have them unpacked and checked in until Monday" So I walked out shaking my head. Try saying that to a customer in NY.....
Been in the biz for 22 years. If it's in the building & a customer wants it, I'll find a way to get to it!
Want a water pump... 49 is to old for the computer. Its the same till 56... Wat car did it go in... Any.... I dont see "Any" in the computer... what kind of engine do you have in your "Any".... Dude if (laughing now) if you cant find my "Any" why do you need to know what kind of engine I have? F the computer get the books. We dont have any books.... Look behind you slick. Those books are out dated. No shit bet they go back to 49. Now I get a blank stare... Give me the Fn books, let me show you how to read.
Back in the early 80's, owned a Import Parts Store. Had several Toyota dealers in the area. One of them was "Schramm's Toyota". Got a call...guy needs a part for his 70 something Toyota sedan. What model? Don't know. Well is it a Corolla, a Corona, or maybe a Crown? go look for name on trunk lid and call back. Calls back...same program, can't find a name. We give him same response. Has to be a name somewhere, go look and call back. Calls back..."I found it. It's a Schramm".
I got one good story as a customer. I went in O'Reilly's, and asked for a front axle universal joint for a 1996 F150. Counterlady poked the computer a few times and asked if it was two or four wheel drive. I have several good stories from the fun side of the counter, though. The store I worked at was more oldskool. We used books, and the guys they hired knew a good bit. Idiot semi-regular customer comes in. Talk about a waste of good equipment- this mouth breather has two '69 Camaros: a Z28 and a Yenko. (both documented) On this day he buys a set of brake pads for the Z28. A few days later, he comes back with the brake pads, saying they made a horrible noise. We looked at the pads- the wear surface was pristine, the backing plates were grooved. The tool had put them on backwards! Guy comes in one day asking for a thermostat and gasket for a 77 Delta 88 with a 350. Knowing how screwy GM was with their "corporate engines" program, I look it up, and this car could have had a Buick, Olds or Chevy 350. I grabbed him the stat (same for all thee of the engines) and asked which it had so I could get him the right gasket. "I don't know, it's a 350!" he says, getting a bit mouthy. I'm still polite- I know that I can ask a couple of questions and determine which it is. I asked if the distributor was in the front or back. Guy practically screams "It's a 350! Just give me a gasket." No problem, I grabbed a gasket (I'm not sure what that gasket fit, but I know three engines it did NOT fit) and start writing it up. This joker looks at the gasket and says "is this the right one for my car?" I looked him dead in the eye and said "I have no idea, you won't tell me what engine you have."
also called an non-fouler, basically its an "extension" that raises the plug up from the combustion chamber a bit to keep oil off of it.
I had to replace the stoplight switch in my T-Bucket. It had a pressure switch and i hate those things. I've never had much luck with 'em luck so i headed on down to the local auto parts store. I asked the counter guy if they had a universal mechanical stoplight switch. He takes me over to their rack of ignition switches. "I need a brake light switch. You know, you hit the brake pedal and it makes the brake lights work? "Oh. Okay". ""What year?" "A 1923 Model T Ford. It's a T-Bucket. You know, a hot rod. I just need a generic mechanical switch." Blank expression. I think i just overloaded his brain. "Would something old work?" "Most likely". He punches in something and pulls up a switch. "No. That's an electrical switch. I need a mechanical switch. You know, mechanical? ". The switch he pulled up was for a '94 Honda. Counter guy number two says "Try a '54 Chevy pickup." Counter guy number one pulls it up, and shows me the picture. "That'll work." Naturally they didn't have it in stock so i had to go to one of their other stores and pick it up. I knew i should have went to NAPA.
The Jalopy Journal
