Grumpy Dodge parts department - funny conversation...but still no positive battery cable.

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MRGTX

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I just called my local Dodge parts department, asking if they might be able to get a positive battery cable for my '73. They're just not super friendly...I just don't know why it's so hard to find people who at least act like they want to help the customer.

Anyway, being a common part that was used for many years, I had hope that the part might be available....but the first guy I talked to just threw up his hands and said that he had "no way of looking up a part that old." That seems unlikely...this dealership has been around since the 60s so they very well may have the books on the shelf and if not, they sure have an internet connection...not a big deal. I can do it myself.

Through google and an expenditure of 45 seconds, I came up with "2770662." I should have done that before I called

So I called back and spoke to someone else who immediately dismissed the number as not being a Chrysler part number! Like the first guy, he really sounded like he couldn't be bothered.

I asked that he give it a shot and what do you know? It came up! So...it was in the computer system after all. Hmmm...thanks for your help, first guy.

Unfortunately, it's also discontinued and not available anywhere in their network. Just as well as the price was $204 which seems a bit excessive for two cables and 6 connectors and some heat insulation.

It looks like Year-One has them for $150 or so...still more than I expected. Is there any other source for these parts? Preferably one that has people who like their job answering the phone?

Yes, I know I can make one myself but time is slightly more scarce than money at the moment.
 
Why not have them made?We make custom battery cables at work all the time. We make all the way up to 0 Ga.
 
Try Dale's Cuda web site. I've good luck there with cables.

Thanks.
I may have to give them a call. They only list the negative cables.

Why not have them made?We make custom battery cables at work all the time. We make all the way up to 0 Ga.

I will go this route if I have to but by the time I measure the cable gauges, lengths, identify and spec out the connectors, find appropriate heat shielding sheath, I could probably do it myself but my hope is that someone just makes the dang part. :D
 
Restoration Performance offers a very inexpenve harness for B-Bodies. Would these be significantly longer? The battery tray can't be that much farther away, right?
 
Why not have them made?We make custom battery cables at work all the time. We make all the way up to 0 Ga.


Tell ya. "I" know how to make battery cables and YOU know how. But I'm not sure I would trust that latest "I'uz 'ha parz person" 16 year old been there for a week. I recently left NAPA rather than have them make a cable
 
Call M&H fabricators in CA. That's where I got my new pos and neg cables for my 73 Swinger....excellent quality... pricey? a little but buy it once and you are done. Good Luck,
Greg
 
Hell, unless you need an nos and/or your doing a balls out resto you can make your own wicked easy!
 
Call M&H fabricators in CA.

They did a cable for my 65 Dart and it was spot on. They also did one for Ulf (@65dartcharger) for his award winning 65 DartCharger! True, not as cheap as making your own but correct and will probably outlast your ownership of the car.
 
My parts guys were looking for a hub/spindle the other day for a 1969 Camaro... We called the GM dealer & they said "we don't have a listing for anything past 1976" My parts guys said "its a '69 Camaro... Is anything any more generic than that?" They could not help us. It was a mind blower.

We called Summit & ordered right out of their catalog. Got it the next day. Gotta agree that most of the time if a dealer cant find it on the 1st try in their computer ~ they are done "helping" from there on out.
 
I stopped at the dealership a few days back and asked for a transmission cooler hose/tube for my 2009 Ram 1500. The kid behind the counter stopped his texting long enough to say that they do not sell those to individuals as it requires a qualified service person to change it with special tools. WOW! I went to the dealership 90 miles away, was passing through anyway, and the older gentleman just went to the shelving and brought it to me. He didn't even have to look it up. He said they only come as a set with both hoses but at least I was able to buy parts from a parts department.
 
I stopped at the dealership a few days back and asked for a transmission cooler hose/tube for my 2009 Ram 1500. The kid behind the counter stopped his texting long enough to say that they do not sell those to individuals as it requires a qualified service person to change it with special tools. WOW! I went to the dealership 90 miles away, was passing through anyway, and the older gentleman just went to the shelving and brought it to me. He didn't even have to look it up. He said they only come as a set with both hoses but at least I was able to buy parts from a parts department.
 
My local dealer has a bunch of new kids doing that job and one gave me a shitty answer on a part that I already looked up on there own system and knew they had it in stock. I told the general manager who is a friend of mine about it and he had ball enough to tell me thats all they can find now a days. I told him they just lost a transmission sale along with the cooler lines because the kid was to lazy to do his job and I bought of the dealer thats about 20 miles away. I spend between 15000 and 18000.00 a year there plus do there machine work and they just don't give a flying F about lost business
 
I have been a Chrysler Parts manager since 1984. I live for the day when someone comes in or calls with and old(Pre 1980) car. I do not have all the books but have a few.
 
I have been a Chrysler Parts manager since 1984. I live for the day when someone comes in or calls with and old(Pre 1980) car. I do not have all the books but have a few.
I went to the biggest Chrysler -dodge dealer in Tulsa a couple of moths ago looking for an oil pump to block gasket and o-ring, for a big block. We all know that 383`s-400-413-426-440-and 426 hemi will take the same gasket, the parts guy was close to my age, he didn`t know jack sh---, and couldn`t find it in the comp., he did find pics of it in a book, but said they didn`t have one in stock and would have to order it. With that many engines and all that were made for all those yrs., "probly getting close to sbc numbers" , I cant believe I had to order one from summit , Just totally unbelieveable to me !
 
I have been a Chrysler Parts manager since 1984. I live for the day when someone comes in or calls with and old(Pre 1980) car. I do not have all the books but have a few.
I have dealt with a Chrysler parts man that felt the same way. I asked for parts for my 70 Dart, he got a big smile on his face and said "I love working with these older cars" this was about 10 years ago. Unfortunately, that Dealership closed about 8 years ago...:(
 
Next generation kids will have antennas imbedded in there F. heads will not be able to wipe there
own *** without an app.
Man, hope their smart phone doesn't experience a "brown out" when the batteries get low....................................
 
I went to a dealership and bought a little EGR hose for the minivan and asked if they could order two replacement pushrods for my 273. "no, thats hot rod stuff" says the fat *** behind the terminal. I also heard stories of someone ordering 2 "S" badges with just the part number, and someone actually had some in stock!
I went to a Mazda Dealership and tried to order some BS smog parts: a carb servo valve and anti-backfire valve for an 82 B2000, no luck. One dealership didnt have the '82 microfiche, and another found the pic of what I needed and the part number but they couldn't input the number into the computer because it was not an 86 or newer as 'that's all the computer went back to'. I asked where I could get it as its a smog device that they are supposed to support and he told me Ebay. A guy overheard me and pulled me aside and told me to look up U-haul as a seller on Ebay. Seems U-Haul had and maintained a fleet of Ford Courier trucks (same truck if it had a 2.0 motor) and had loads of service parts they were selling off (probably the idea of one of the warehouse guys kids) and I got an NOS anti-backfire valve for $36 when all the other ones online were >$260! I never bought the carb servo as it was only a damper for the throttle linkage. F dealerships for parts! (sorry Partsman1965...) Rockauto and Ebay. There is an evap control valve on the minivan back by the fuel tank that throws a code when the thing springs a pinhole leak. They are like $120 from the dealership...they are $12 on Ebay, and its an OEM factory part!
 
B-Body cables are available everywhere...and cheap. What gives?
What's different about the A-Body cables?

IIRC, starter relay on the Bs is on the firewall where ours is on the fender, correct?
 
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