Parts guys...

[inkjunkie]

the good ones. Was in the NAPA I deal with yesterday. Rich has been a parts guy for decades. He is one of those guys that is always thinking. Asked him for a NGK plug....he stood there looking at me, brain processing things....why do you wan that heat range plug, it is awfully hot? That's what was in it...Disappears to the back only to reappear with 3 plugs in his hands. And an apology...Went on to explain to me that NGK plugs are numbered the opposite of all the others...as far as heat ranges go...And the guy has a memory like a sponge....told him about my oil leak last summer....asked me if I ever got it fixed....Bit of a drive, about 40 miles, but well worth it. He is not afraid to look thru the books....When new ones come out he stashes the old ones....just in case something got accidentally removed from the new one. Parts guys like Rich are a dying breed....

 

[DNasty777]

So true, I have become friends with one guy at the advanced down the street from me. If anyone is working the counter other than him I don't bother.

 

[Vitamin c]

Here in town, Napa is coming back around to be one of the better stores again. We do have an Auto value that's not bad, but you do see a little of the "shitty counter guy" starting there. I made the HUGE mistake of going to Vato-Zone with the girlfriend to get her wiper blades, and they just about had to take me out in a straight jacket! I found myself having to apologize to her in the car and explain why I was so pissed. That store is absolutely worthless with worthless employees that car nothing about you, the sale, or the store. Example, they have no book anymore hanging by the wiper blades to look up you part number, so off to the counter I go. With relief of getting the older guy to look up the part #, he, of course, has to ask what engine I have in the car to get through the computer. he then points back at the wiper blade isle and says any 20'' blade will do and walks away. Of course that was not the case and i had to make a second trip to return the incorrect blades

 

[Roadcuda]

My friend needed brake springs and self adjuster parts for his '68 Road Runner. We went to his local NAPA store where they had some of the parts in stock and the rest were ordered and delivered the next day. So it appears they do still have parts available for these cars. And we got no funny looks from the guys there. They even let us behind the counter to view the screen to make sure we got the right parts!!! So there are some of these places that want to serve the customer.

 

[inkjunkie]

Here in town, Napa is coming back around to be one of the better stores again. We do have an Auto value that's not bad, but you do see a little of the "shitty counter guy" starting there. I made the HUGE mistake of going to Vato-Zone with the girlfriend to get her wiper blades, and they just about had to take me out in a straight jacket! I found myself having to apologize to her in the car and explain why I was so pissed. That store is absolutely worthless with worthless employees that car nothing about you, the sale, or the store. Example, they have no book anymore hanging by the wiper blades to look up you part number, so off to the counter I go. With relief of getting the older guy to look up the part #, he, of course, has to ask what engine I have in the car to get through the computer. he then points back at the wiper blade isle and says any 20'' blade will do and walks away. Of course that was not the case and i had to make a second trip to return the incorrect blades

Only time I have ever been into any of the "discount" auto parts stores was to dump oil, before I found out that the county has a drum on the route I take to town. I did buy some Seafoam from one of the Vato-Zones, ended up paying damn near double for it compared to what Rich charges me for it....some frigging discount store....

 

[grimreaper]

NAPA is by far the best here. OReilly and AutoZone must have a requirement that in order to apply you must never have opened a hood on a car but have a bit of a smart guy attitude and can run a keyboard. I seldom go in those anymore but when I do I never see a face I've seen before. NAPA has a few folks who have been behind the counter for several years and have built up a fair amount of knowledge.

 

[Hemioutlaw]

If you find someone that knows the difference between a bolt and a nut it's a good start. The problem with the New Xtra Greedy Corporate America is that they want to hire folks at slightly above minimum wage with no benefits and what you get is employee's that don't know the difference between their *** and a hole in the wall and the employee that's been doing something for more then 10 years and is knowledgeable expects to be compensated as they should. This will ultimately lead to the downfall of America and the Fat Cats could care less so long as they get their Golden Parachute !!!

Personally in my area we have no less then 15 Auto parts houses in a 20 mile radius and all companies are represented with Two each of O' Reillys and Auto Zone. I practically dread talking to any of the complete imbeciles at any of the stores but it's a necessary evil that ain't gonna get any better.

 

[barbee6043]

If you find someone that knows the difference between a bolt and a nut it's a good start. The problem with the New Xtra Greedy Corporate America is that they want to hire folks at slightly above minimum wage with no benefits and what you get is employee's that don't know the difference between their *** and a hole in the wall and the employee that's been doing something for more then 10 years and is knowledgeable expects to be compensated as they should. This will ultimately lead to the downfall of America and the Fat Cats could care less so long as they get their Golden Parachute !!!Personally in my area we have no less then 15 Auto parts houses in a 20 mile radius and all companies are represented with Two each of O' Reillys and Auto Zone. I practically dread talking to any of the complete imbeciles at any of the stores but it's a necessary evil that ain't gonna get any better.

the store is only as good as their employees!???? like you, the markup on this stuff!!! corp greed!!!!!! no dobt their employees ARE screwed just like their customer!!????
rock auto???? went to order 2 starter relays and 2 volt reg. they would come from 2 different warehouses. shippin from each was luke $15-17!!! could be send in small box for what $5!????? I cancelled the whole damn thing! LOL
after a parts buyinn trip to the local parts natzi, I consider selling ALL cars and moving further west and use the horses TOTALLY!???? LOL NO really!!!!!!!!

 

[65cuda360]

After autozone, pep boys, etc., came to town, lots of the customers at my family's parts store flocked there to reap the benefits of their cheaper prices. Once they got burned a few times by poor service, incorrect parts, and junk parts, they returned.

 

[67Dart273]

NAPA here varies with the guy you get, and unfortunately it's a WIDE grey line Part of the problem is the dumbing down of catalog look up. We need to GET BACK TO the days, either paper or online, where we had several tools 1......More than one application catalog. I worked in a large independent. We had catalogs for Raybestos, Wagner, Bendix, and Airtex at the very least. This is an example, just in brake lines

2.....Small parts, the hardware and back room stuff you never think about. We used to have the "big" Wagner catalog which broke down !!!!!! master cylinders and wheel cylinders to the individual internal parts!!!!!

3....Interchanges. Most these guys have no idea what an interchange is (Any of you know what an IBI is?)

4....Pictorial / illustrated guides. These are indispensible for some things, especially the type of swap stuff that goes on here. In some stores very little of this seems to be available

 

[ramenth]

Guess I'm about to become one those parts guys.

Sat down tonight with the manager at the local Advance. The formal offer will be made tomorrow on me becoming his assistant.

 

[67cudafb]

There is a Carquest a couple miles down the the road that used to be a Napa. The same parts guys are still working there and they kept all the parts catalogs.One guy is sharp and willing to help you find what you need. Parts stores like that are real rare any more.

 

[67Dart273]

The big joint I worked for in the 80's had all the old catalogs. They had copies of bearing, seals, engine parts, etc, clear back into WWII and the 30's in some cases. If someone had a good carb or distributor no. I'd rather look it up that way than by application

We had an old guy named "Nick." That company had started I think in 31, and Nick had started work for them in the second year. We used to accuse him of crapping some parts We had all kinds of stuff back then, and had the reputation for having or being able to get anything.

In this town nowadays, there's nothing approaching it. You can't get shimstock, shim washers, and you can barely get keystock, certainly not rectangular keystock.

We had industrial sheaves (pullies) and belts and drives, and roller chain and sprockets. Nothing like that now We made hydraulic hoses, I myself have made hundreds. Turned brake drums and rotors, and relined brake bands for winch drums and so on, and truck shoes.

We had black pipe fittings along with lots of hydraulic (JIC) adapters, and a huge line of industrial janitorial stuff We had a completely separate welding store which also did some repairs, and before I left the boss started a good fasteners store, separate.

One time a guy had brought in a big Miller gasoline powered welder that would not "weld." He'd bought it at auction, and it had been down one of the deep rock mines which flooded. The "kid" couldn't fix it and asked me. We pulled all the big diodes (six just like a car alternator) and I tested them on a load tester I'd built. They were all good. It would not work, and would arc when switching ranges. I finally pulled the diodes back out and finally found the cause It had 4 diodes of one polarity and 2 of another instead of 3 of each!!!! Put the proper rectifiers in it and it would really go!!

 

[Abodybomber]

Carquest, was bought by Advance a while back. Was a Carquest commercial sales rep,& and a Napa store manager. Either of those two stores usually still use paper catalogs, with online electronic catalogs. Del's dead on about paper catalogs/ interchanges/illustrated guides. The local Napa,and a small independent have the best parts guys, now. The independent parts store,everyone has hands on hot rodding/motorsports knowledge. A rare thing,nowadays.