Stovebolt.com Forums The Front Office The Greasy Spoon FLAPS Rant

Way back in a previous life (1970-1980) I was involved in the Automotive Industry in one form or another. In the beginning I worked for a large automotive parts company in downtown OKC. Auto Parts and Machine Company had a retail counter and a large several thousand square foot warehouse. In addition a very well respected Machine Shop putting out 100+ crankshafts per week. They supplied every parts store in the western half of Oklahoma. I worked in the warehouse and had to learn how to use the hundreds of Parts Books lining two large desks. Very rarely did we have to tell a customer we didn’t have a part in stock. We had a 50’X5’X2’ expanded metal cage full of spark plugs. On hundreds of feet of shelving was every conceivable bearing and seal, rings, pistons, rods, cams. Ring gears, pinions, shims, yokes and u-joints. Hanging from the ceiling joists were hundreds of exhaust pipes and thousands of mufflers stacked on shelves underneath. You name it and they had it.
The last 3 times I have gone to the national chain parts store, I have had to come back after the truck arrives at noon to get what I needed. Yesterday they didn’t even have a full set of 6 spark plugs. Twice the time and fuel to get simple parts. Getting very aggravating. Time to get my coffee and go out to turn some wrenches.🛠

Nail on the head. I usually call first nowadays. It saves extra trips to town.

I find it very frustrating when needing something simple like wiper blades. They look into their computer screen and ask, what motor does it have in it?

John

If they stocked any real parts there wouldn't be room on the shelves for all the floor mats, window decals, high speed chrome lug nuts, and obnoxiously loud mufflers the "high performance" crowd wants for their 4 cylinder rice rockets! They probably make several times the profit on useless bling than they do on actual repair parts.
Jerry

John, smile and tell them “it’s electric and you turn it on with a switch on the steering column “. The look on their face is priceless!

My pet peeve is asking the kid at the counter for a part by the manufacturer's part number, like "Give me a Gates 7350 belt" only to be asked, "What's it off of?"

When I reply with what it really goes on, the answer is usually, "Oh, we wouldn't have those."

The worst was getting intercepted on the way to the inline fuel filter display with the question "What are you looking for?" An inline fuel filter with 1/4" hose barbs." "What's it off of?" "A 1957 Asplund wood chipper." "Oh, we wouldn't have that." Sigh, "It's a generic part, I know where they are."

Jim

Guess I am lucky. We have an old school Napa in town.
Sure they go to the computer first.
But when I go in and ask for a fuel pump for a 67 GMC 637 ci engine.
They get the greasy books out from under the counter and look it up.
The old books said they don't even make them anymore.
BTW, it mounts on top of the engine and the arm is about a foot long to reach the cam.

Take any old bearing in, off lets say, a log splitter, they clean it to get the numbers and then cross reference it.

Don

Don't be harsh. When I went in to a FLAPS and needed a part for my 54 3100 back in 1983 they had it or could get it. Yes when I told them what I had i would get a far away look especially if the part was for the 1979 AMC Pacer IFS. I worked for Auto Zone for 10 years just a couple of years ago I as a way to fill my retirement years. BTW they don't pay very well for counter help. The worst when a guy sends his wife in for a part but does not tell what is for and of course she knows nothing about the car. Or a guys tell they are all the same for a 350 Chevy anf the engine is out of a boat or has been modified. I could go on and on but why, you all have been there.

Here now I just give number plate number and all information comes up on computer screen about my vehicle Been pretty helpful for engine related items but not much else for the 57 chev

Here in the US, that would be seen as an invasion of privacy in some circles.
When I go in to get anything for my daily driver, I just lie and tell them it's a 2000 F350 (it's actually a '99 F250), that way they don't ask me if it's a SuperDuty, as there was apparently an F250 wannabe in '99, at least in their computer.