I went to pick up a water pump for a 85 Dodge Small Block. They said. THATS SPECIAL ORDER. What is going on in the world ???
Most of my local parts stores lack counter help who have any brains. If it ain't in the computer than they don't have it or it don't exist. No one seem to know what a cross reference book is any more, and God forbid if they had to look something up in a paper back reference bood. There are still a few good parts houses around with some energetic old timers, who will go the extra step to help you out.
I miss going to parts houses like my dad used to take me to when I was a kid. They had the Pepsi machine where you had to open the door and pull the bottle out, they had a counter with stools and youd get your soda and shoot the shit with the parts guy, and play with the box thing that you turned by hand and it showed you how the oil stuck to the gears. OHHH ...How many of you guys remember when Napa used to give out the little magazines that had jokes and the Parts Pup ( Topless girl) picture? ohhh those where the days
I'm not sure if this thread was startede as a serious one or sarcastic, but I hope.. sarcastic. You really expect a chain store to have 50 year old parts? How many would they sell? 1 every 6 months? It is not worth thier shelf space. It is a business, pure and simple, They are there to make a profit. I don't expect chain part stores to carry much of anything for my older cars and consider it good luck when they actually do. I hate to sound negative, but the percentage of people going into autozone. or whatever, looking for 50 year old parts is miniscule.
I deal with National auto supply in feasterville Pa . The manager always goes the extra mile for me.Their computers go down to 63.He has gotten me earlier stuff.Whats great is he use to be a mechanic. Knows alot
i have acually bought model a parts from oriellys...and we have a store here called anders auto supply..old timey building that goes on forever..alot of model a and t type stuff still stocked in the back...
I do deliveries for our local Napa store--it's a Saturday-only thing.I gotta say, they stock tons of stuff.We get most of the hot rod / restorer guys in the store--even a couple pro builders.What they don't have ,they get in a day or two,but I can't believe some of the stuff they pull out of the back. As it is, I give back almost all of my check to pay off my parts bill--last ticket was over $200.00 list price--cost me about $80.00 employee cost--I can't afford to quit!!!
All good corner parts store's I remember as a kid are all gone, and I am not that old. The best is over the years all the parts store's that are left the so called "chain store's " stock wonderful junk part's made in China. Very sad. CBB
I chewed out a local parts store calling them worse than Nazis for throwing away all their books. This was after the pimpley kid at the desk told me that Dodge didnt make vans back in 1965. I wanted to drag him to the parking lot and show him. Our local mom n pop closed the doors after the town gave a huge tax break for a pepboys-checkerwhatever the chain is. The owner of the mom n pop was in bisnuess for over 50 years, he never got a tax break only grief from the town go figure. Even napa has let me down lately, they dont even have chevy 350 plugs wires n cap! had to order them! couldnt find a canister oil filter for my 318 poly, or a carburator rebuild kit for a 2 bl holly! wound up getting it at autozone.
You guys gotta evolve...learn to work with the system. If I use non-stock parts on a car I'll keep a notebook full of part numbers and applications (make/model) so any parts shop can find a replacement if I break down on the road. We can't force the parts stores to cater to our demands; the best thing to do is spend your money elsewhere when you can.
yeah, and the wrecking yards are getting just as bad. i called 1 the other day and told them i need a posi rearend that was 62" wide. he wanted to know what it was out of and i said doesnt matter im puttin it in a 57 truck. his exact words were "if you dont know what you want how the hell am i supposed to know?" thats customer service! if u cant look it up on a computer nobody will take time to help you find an obsolete or obscure part.
I tried every parts store within 35 miles of here looking for the intake sleeves I needed for my 53 235 Chevy,Was told they did not exist by all the local stores.Ended up waiting 17 days and paying $19.00 for 6 sleeves from a place in Arkansas.
The burden for being able to get the parts we want is falling back on us. Looking up part numbers on the internet before I go to Advance/Pep/Zone has become a necessity because having a teenager yell "Year, Make, and Model?" at you just doesn't cut it sometimes. I did carburator work on the side for while and my local Advance store got to the point of just letting me go behind the counter to the cataloges (Yes they still have them, but they are hidden and disorganized) and look up my own part numbers. We can't expect these new box stores to stock parts for cars like ours, they get a pre-canned inventory of import and late model parts based on what the bean counters tell them they will need. Having to order parts is going to be a fact of life from here out. The counter people don't make it any easier either, but if the kids are interested in cars enough to work a parts counter our only hope is they will learn a few things and maybe decide to do some real work and not just install stickers and radios. Maybe a campain to do smokey burn-outs in the parking lots of every chain parts store will spark some interest in counter lackies!
there r 3 good store igo to none really close but. if u live anywhere near youngstown the napa on midlotion or toms in girard is almost worth it, and the best by far is 1 hour from me and where i usally go is carquest in sandylake pa. my panhead broke down in the parking lot there and the guy know about the chevy interchange had me points from a chevy in 5 min never even looked in the book just straight to them. same thing most of the time i say i need a water pump for a sbc/bbc/olds 403 he goes in the back comes walking out with the part rarely uses the book never goes near the computer. they r the shit . there should be a thread on good parts store locations around the us!!!!
Hey, the point is: support the businesses that support our hobby. If you still have a good parts house in your neighborhood buy your stuff there. I've got a good NAPA store a mile from here. These guys have helped me by looking through the books to put replacement parts for my Riv and f250 brakes. Don't just buy parts, buy a can of oil, wax, tools. Tell your buddies and tell the guys behind the counter that you appreciate their help. Their parts are usually much better quality than discount chains so of course they cost more. I worked in a big Northern Cal chain in the 70's and I remember how we had to package up returned starters, alternators, carbs after a big sale. Piles of them!
A real parts store are getting hard to find . Auto Zone is a joke and it is getting worse by the day. Stop last night looking for a trans cool for my 40 p/u. I told him that I need a universal trans cool his reply was they do not sell them. Walking to my car I noticed that there was a sign on the door stating saver you trans and install a trans cool. Both employees Did not know what a Trans cooler was or what it was for. If they had someone that had some knowledge it would be amazing what they sell. Support your local parts store.
For anybody that can get online, as someone has already said, get the part number, check the price then call the parts store. Saves a lot of time. I go to AutoZone website, find the item and the part number. Then go (wherever) to buy it. I Google almost everything with excellent results. In almost all cases a Google search will also bring up the item that's currently listed on ebay.
Nice to see someone rational weighing in on this post. These parts stores would not stay in business wasting shelf space for 1962 Rambler distributor caps and 1954 Hudson brake parts. Let's be realistic, 95% of the cars on the road have been made within the last 20 years.
Im going to be bummed out and screwed when my local Mom and Pop store closes. I have been going to this family owned auto parts store since i first learned to drive. over 31 years ago..they have been in Business for over 50 years. I have the ablity, and privledge to look thru all their parts shelves for whatever i need. So far they have been able to find just about anything I have ever needed in the way of replacement parts. Hop- up and rare parts are the exception, but sometimes they surprise me. They are the old style auto parts guys..books, and knowledge. they did just recently get some computers..but they still know how to use their brains and the books
It's a different world folks....the old Auto Parts store is going the way of the old Art Supply store and the old Camera Store.....the old what ever store....internet has sunk them all....hell after 50 years in the Pasadena area....we only have one old Hardware Store, that always has what you want and THE EMPLOYEES KNOW WHAT THE FUCK THEIR SELLING!...Berg Hardware....and Don's an.......old Hot Rodder!
Screw the chain joints. I have to go to a little local outfit to find any quality part made in the USA. Not really a bad thing though, I'm just sayin' Most places carry chinese crap!
Working in a parts store I have alot of experience from the other side of the spectrum. Amazing how most people drive thier new cars for 10 or so years. Or whatever the case may be. But for the life of them DO NOT know what color it is. I could go on and on. But for me being a "young'un" I still remember hanging out at the parts stores with my dad, shelves of CherryBombs and SB intakes and rows of carbs. None anymore..fuel injection anyone? They carry little if anything speed related around here unless your into nitrous. As a matter of fact, a discussion between my boss and I led us to the conclusion to thinking about bringing a true "Speed" shop around here. Cater to us vintage guys and maybe stock parts for older cars and trucks. I know I'd be there every day.
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