Folks Of Interest What an Auto Parts Store should be.

I've read many threads on here that complain about how bad auto parts stores have become. Well I'm here to tell anyone in the central CA area, Hell anywhere that I've found a jewel in the San Joaquin Valley.

Ely's Auto Parts in Tulare is what I remember parts stores used to be, I've known about them for years but since I live in the next town over I've never had a chance to go there. But now that my niece is driving and I'm the guy that gets to work on her car I use them when I'm over there. They have real "Countermen" that know what they are talking about and know how to get what you need when they don't have it. I needed a radiator hose for my niece's car that wasn't in stock and the guy actually figured out one that would work for me, he didn't say "the computer shows we don't have one".

Anyway, that's my happy rant I just had to share. They are still out there. And this place even looks like an old parts house. Good job guys, thumbs up from me.

https://www.facebook.com/home.php?filter=lf#!/pages/Ely-Auto-Parts/211167632228304

Anyone else still have a good parts house close by?

 

Awesome! Glad there is more then 1 out there.

I go to Arnold motor supply 4th st in Sioux city Iowa and am nothing but thrilled every time. Not only are all of the guys there hands on hot rodders, some with decades of experance, but the owner and a few workers are active HAMB members.

Jrussell here on the Hamb is my #1 parts guru, the 46 is 60 miles away from the store and I still wait till I can drive there to get anything I need! Can't say enough good things about the place.

 

Good to hear there is atleast ONE other good parts store out there. lol

 

Hmm...less than an hour away from a shop with knowledge? I may have to stop by one day.

 

There is Ernies. Used to be here in Monrovia. They moved to Azusa...inside of their distributors warehouse!

 

Arnold Motor Supply in Marion Ia is good as well. The Advance PArts up the road from them is good too. CALL ahead people. That will stream line the process. And would it wouldn't hurt to buy a soda for the help once in awhile.

 

That is nice, I have guys bring me a cold Coke in the shop once in a while.

 

Back in the day, there was Studnicks Auto Parts of Valley Stream, NY. They had wood floors and the owners lived upstairs above the shop. If you needed a part after they closed you would ring their bell and they would come down and sell you a part. There can't be many of these type of stores left.

 

Glad to hear Arnold is still the place to go. It was great dropping off parts in a knowledgeable shop - I recall bringing in a set of '915' 440 heads to the Oskaloosa machine shop and the guy ID'd them before I said anything.

 

Only a few replies and look's. If this was one of those pitch-a-bitch threads it be 5-6 pages by now. Sign of the times.

 

Awesome for those hard working counter guys...thanks Tim good thread.

 

Or a tonic...
or a pop....
depending where you are from....

 

Tim

When I lived there, I had Arnold's rebuild my stock 239 flathead. Did a great job.

 

Bump - here's everyone's chance to recommend a local parts store.

I'll add the NAPA on 50th and State in Milwaukee, haven't bought any truly "old" parts there, but they have been helpful on stuff for my kids 25 year old VW.

 

There used to be lot's more, I worked in one for years...but many fell by the wayside to the cut rate places. Pretty tough keep a good independent parts store open and paying competent caring counterpeople a decent wage when you are up against the monster volume buyers like advance and pepboys. What used to irk me was people would come in and ask questions and seek help, get the part numbers and go to the cut rate place to save 10%. Just remember how much help a good parts man is when you sell him out to save a buck

 

I have a car quest that is about 15 miles from my house. As close to a mom and pop operation as you can find today.He has hired a lot of the good parts guys as other older stores has closed up. If the computer can't find it they actually know how to pull a book out and use it.We are working on a 1947 diamond t and they found the ignition parts for it.Better yet if I can't make it up he delivers.

Went in to an advanced auto 2 miles from my house the other evening in an emergency.After having to convince the counter boy of the epoxy I need, he messed the cash register up. The manger showed up ,I then found out he was just hired and was a waiter at Dennys before coming there.

Thats that 10% savings

 

EXACTLY....Carquest and Napa have independently owned francishes (sp) and many are run by hard working hot rodders and car savvy people....and I am sure there are car guys working in pepboys and advanced. There are good and bad no matter where you go. It just pisses me off that people don;t think and the almighty $ makes decisions for them. I don;t buy gas at Valero....I don;t buy tires at NTB...I don;t buy parts or get my car fixed at pepboys or wal-mart....I had my first job at 14 pumping gas and washing cars at a locally owned independent gas station, I worked through high school at a independent auto parts retailer, I worked through college at an independent tire and repair shop....They supported me when I need a job....it's time to pay the independents back by supporting local businesses in your area.

 

I am lucky to have a NAPA parts store in town that doesn't laugh at me when I come in to get parts for my 59 Ford. Most of the counter guys have decades of experience. They also let me behind the counter to match up parts.

 

I'm fortunate that my local NAPA has younger counter guys, late '20's, but they are good,,,,still have the books on the counter, and know how to use them. They also have kept a large number of catalogs from way back for reference on really old stuff.,,

 

Stopped into Summit in Akron Ohio since I had never been in such a huge retail single store. Huge disappointment. No service. No help. No clue. No interaction. Rows of typical poorly made parts and pieces. Made me really come to appreciate the local mom and pop store back home in Castroville, Ca. Pettigrew and Folletta thank you for hanging in there against the surge of cheaper and faster.

 

Good to hear it.

I managed a store for a small privately owned chain in South Carolina many years ago so I have very little tolerance for 'modern' chain auto parts stores and their minimum wage, fast food mentality.

Luckily enough for me our local O'Reillys has a couple of decent guys working there, PLUS they kinda let me have run of the place when I come in - I usually have my part numbers already and go in the back and pull my own parts.

 

ive worked the counter in oparts stores for yrs and yrs.i still cant get use to " computer shows we dont have it." ive have a A -1 (carquest) store not far from us and i used to work the counter with the guy that is runnin the place. one of the best ive ever seen.we also have a napa in cullman al. that is about as good as the old days gets here.

 

NAPA store in Key West, has real counter men! They can look at a part and get it right most of the time. I have some really weird shit and they have always came through.

 

For me there was always just one guy that you just clicked with and he could find you anything. It was like we both respected each others talent.

 

NAPA in Tomball, Tx. They know their way around a catalog. If they don't have it, they'll get it.

 

There used to be a least one in every neighborhood, if there are any left I don't know where they are..nothing but chain stores and you need to speak spanish in most of them..

 

There use to be a small parts store-towing business down the road from where I grew up. One man operation sign on door might read "ON TOW CALL" hardly ever looked anything up. Now granted that's when things fit the same model for umteen years. He would rattle numbers off as he went to the shelf. But the best part was his help with parts and knowledge. But 2 minutes till close you could call him and he would answer the phone and wait on you. I was a young snot nose punk as he would called you grip and grumble about missing supper an get you the part. As you left he would say , Now if that don't work you know were I live come get me and we'll figure it out.

Kids today don't know what they missed.

 

I have 2 great parts houses very close to me. One is an old time speed shop to get hot-rod type parts, owned by a friend I went to high school with. The other is an all-around parts place for fleet and heavy truck parts that also carry/can get whatever I need for replacement parts. They also have a machine shop that does custom work. Both places feature knowledgeable help. I'm spoiled, I guess.

 

There are a lot of stores/chains that stock only fast moving and high profit items and discounted prices. Some of those don't even have access to more hardcore parts. With much of that business taken away it's hard for a traditional auto parts store to make a profit. The same thisn has happened with suppliers of plumbing and electrical hardware.

A couple of guys I know owned and operated a speed shop for thirty years. About 10 years ago they closed. They had been around so long they had direct accounts with many manufacturers, no warehouse in between getting a mark-up. In spite of that, with places like Summit selling for about the same as they could buy for, there wasn't much profit left in their business. A customer would frequently buy a carb/intake/fuel pump/distributor/etc from Summit, then come into their shop for just some mounting hardware or a few fittings.

 

Winner's Circle in downtown Joliet, Illinois is my favorite auto parts store in the south west Chicago area. They are knowledgeable and helped me with hard to find brake components, like residual valves and distribution blocks on my Merc, when the local auto parts store had no idea what I was asking about. You might want to ask for Joe. They also have locations in Peoria, IL and East Moline, IL, though I have never been to those locations.

Winner's Circle Speed and Custom
207 North Scott Street, Joliet, IL
(815) 727-6331
www.winnerscircle.com/ContactUs.htm