Hot Rods Went to the auto supply store today OH MY!

Clarification, of proper nomenclature, when ordering special parts like a
"petcock" or a "drain tap"

Blue Bonnet, is a brand of Margarine,


It's not a "hood" for a " Blue MG Magnatte"

 

You should try the Prince of Darkness grade OE smoke. Has to be installed using the left-handed screwdriver in the special tool set.

I'm having trouble though finding an original Lucas headlight switch, with the three factory settings - OFF, DIM and FLICKER. My local store must have thought I was doing bodywork, because the box they brought out from behind the counter had LED on it.

Cheers,
Harv

 

So I can lament. First off I don’t expect anyone behind the counter to know what is what that they have in the back that’s stocked. But I think they should know what on the hanging racks. Am I wrong?

6/7 years ago sent a message to my daughter as she’d be coming through town. Told her to stop and get 3-way flasher. I told her I didn’t need a heavy duty one. She stopped, showed the counter guy and got home and handed this small box to me and like a 15/16 $$ receipt. I was “huh” what was in the bag was a solid state flasher.
I drive to town and asked “who sold this to my daughter”. Asked the guy did you read the message I sent her? “Yes” and I asked why he sold her this part. “Well that’s our most popular one we sell”.
Oooookay. Went to the rack, got what I needed and did the exchange thing.
Do maybe I’m behind the times, but is everything built/made today using an SS flasher?

I mean I can walk into a grocery store and ask “where would I find…”?

 

I needed a flasher. Told em I needed a 552 flasher.
Saved any headaches.
There’s several numbers for those things.

 

Well, I asked for a 3 prong flasher. I got a black box with 5 or so leads to plug into wherever it goes.
I didn’t have a smartphone at the time, and didn’t want to go inside to look up a PN on the computer.
So say my kid walked in and asked “where are your flashers at”? I think the counter person should know what’s in the store and on the racks, regardless of what it’s use is for.

 

Why do the British drink warm beer?
They have Lucas refrigerators.

 

Yep. It’s got a lot easier to get parts with these hand held lap tops/catalogues we have.

 

Whoa! I think I actually got a pair of fittings in a trans cooler line kit that were that BSPT, definitely tapered, but not the 3/8 NPT tpi count we usually see. They wound up in the scrap pile. Back to the topic....

 

Yes, it was tapered, I could see the taper on it. My thread gauge 20 TPI lined up on it. 18 TPI did not. It’s gone now, I returned it, so can’t re-measure now.

 

I don't recall the details of the original post, but it sounds like you received a poorly made part.
I purchased a fuel pressure regulator a little while ago which was very well made, but came with a couple fittings that were just terrible. Like yours, the pitch was wrong, and in my case the flare was made wrong as well.
Luckily I could simply use good fittings and scrap the crap.

 

Frustrating? I called my local auto parts store yesterday to confirm the current retail price of a common 2065 early Ford throw out bearing. I was on the phone almost 15 minutes which time he was repeatedly asking me what make and model car. I explained to him that the bearing fit all pre 48 cars and trucks. Finally he gave me a price, he may have guessed?

 

can i relate. whenever i'd visit our neighborhood parts store (long since closed) the counter guys would be playing "trivia" using their knowledge of parts numbers!

 

I purchased this “vintage” petcock off of eBay last year or the year before for my build. Turns out the handle/spigot doesn’t turn. Purely decorative! Checked a few days ago and they’re still selling them. Never did bother to complain. F’d up world we live in.

 

I’ve had similar style of valves like that for gas. I have to tap up on them from the bottom (spring side) and then can turn them. Also I have one I use to shut off the air down the driveway, it’s so old I have to use an adjustable wrench on it. Killer on the hand otherwise.

 

Harv, an original Lucas headlight switch marked Smoke, Smolder, and Burn might be a bolt in replacement!

 

Pretty sure it was cast as one piece as I can’t see a joint between the spigot flange and body, but I’ll remove the cotter pin, washer and spring to see what it looks like from the bottom end.

 

I’ll give mine a look over, heck will take a pic too. But the male threaded part looks (in your pic) to my eye to be 1/4 NPT, what size is it?

 

Had another horrible successful trip yesterday.
Darn kid got me the exact part I asked for.
What’s wrong with these people.
The worst part is the part cost less than online!!!!! What the ………
I won’t go back until this evening.

rant over

 

I needed a new PCV valve for my Buick 455 yesterday. Looked it up online, got a 10% discount for ordering and paying for it, and picked it up on my way home in a couple minutes. Good thing I did, too, because from past experience the counter guy I got has a hard time looking up anything.

 

I'm not surprised that they would have a hard time with that. It's 75+ years from current. If I'm looking for something early Ford, I call the local early Ford parts place. Sometimes the mainstream parts houses can get the stuff, but it's more a surprise if they can rather than an expectation.

My dad needed a new master cylinder for his 33 Dodge 11 years ago. Called the parts store expecting a goose chase. "It will be here this afternoon." That was shocking.

 

You and me both Anthony…the newest young lady at my local parts store looked up clutch parts for a 50year old application and got them for the next day….hard to deal with such successful service.

 

Tell the truth now. Did you give them their part number or walk in and ask for it. And, most importantly did you give the proper year/make/model?
I’d bet you didn’t say “I need a SBC water pump, a 1968 would work”. .

 

Yesterday on a Facebook car group, a guy was complaining that he went to his local parts house and asked for a radiator hose for a 73 350 in a 52 Chevy Sedan Delivery that had a custom rad, and was disappointed that the kid couldn't look it up but instead they sent him to the rad hose rack in the back to find what he needed.

I would have been happy they let me find it myself. When people expect the parts person to know the exact part you need for your custom application is hilarious.

 

I find if you are nice to them they let you in the back to look at stuff, hell I’ve answered the phone at my local store…

 

Nope. Didn’t need a number this time
I don’t get asked the year, make……..whatever most trips.
The local guys know what’s up when I walk in.
Just gave him an accurate part name, then picked it out on the screen.
Super easy

 

I suspect that a lot of the counter people at the big chain stores don't get much in the way of courtesy or respect from their employers. When customers tend to treat them in the same manner, then it's easy for them to get their backs up.

When you go into a situation like this with a chip on your shoulder, things seldom go smoothly.

 

You can't DYI most repairs on today's vehicles so I expect most auto parts places sell anything besides air fresheners or floor mats to mechanic shops who can and know exactly what application and part #s they need. The counter staff is there to sell you cleaning products and traditional fuzzy dice.

 

It’s horrible out there.
This kid had the audacity to be polite and helpful. Even after me being a total jerk by giving him an accurate part description as stated in their system in a calm and helpful manner.
I just don’t know what we’re gonna do.

 

Not sure where you got that notion from. There is not much that cannot be DYI'd on modern cars.

 

Yeah that's just false. I take it you haven't paid attention to what parts other people are getting for their cars in parts stores. Spoiler: not fuzzy dice.

The bread and butter of parts stores is selling parts for current cars, not the old junk that we need parts for.