Where did all the "REAL" parts guys go??

[rixtasan]

I'm sure there's another thread about this on here, but I didn't bother to look. Here's my rant:

So I'm looking for a 1.75" brass freeze plug and I hit the major chain parts stores in my neighborhood...Autozone and O'reilly, and I get the typical questions...make, model, engine size (like any of that matters?!?). It's a FREEZE PLUG!! They probably just have it in a bin on the back shelf!! Nobody has it, by the way, and all offer to sell me the rubber type. I'm not interested in that rubber stuff!

Then I decide to head down the road to the "old standby" places where the "REAL" parts guys work (Car Quest and Napa). Car Quest guy tells me right off the bat that he doesn't think he has it in stock, but checks the warehouse just for S&G. Thankfully, never bothers to ask all the stupid questions, because he knows better. Thank, God! Sure enough, he doesn't have it and offers to sell me the rubber one as well. Geeez!!

Finally, I drive a little further and hit the Napa. Napa has rarely if ever disappointed, but I get the guy that works on Saturday....asking all the stupid questions! WTF?!? Year...Make...Model...followed the insult (he was in the neighborhood)! Is that a Bronco II? NO! Not a Bronco II! Then it's a big Bronco? NO!! It's a "Classic Bronco", "Early Bronco", or "1st Generation Bronco"!! Yeah, I know!! A Bronco II....well that's what I call those small Broncos. Yeah, well that's NOT what they're called!! So I proceed to school this guy and even walk him to the door to see what I'm talking about. You see....NOT a Bronco II!!

This scenario plays out more and more as time passes. I realize that many of the "REAL" parts guys have moved on, retired, or are regrettably gone. Are they just a thing of the past? Does it have to be?? What qualifies someone to work a parts counter? Oh, well....Rant over!!

 

[rixtasan]

BTW....The Napa guy tells me he has my part in stock after I almost knocked his head off!! LOL...It's all I could do!

 

[bax]

I have a great part store. Local guys, not a franchise. Their prices are a little higher but they have what you want 90 percent of the time. i walked in and got a brake switch for a bronco, he had it in stock. He owns a 70 cougar. Same switch. Plus the family is very Ford, so that helps me. I dont even go in the other stores.

 

[bmc69]

I have a great part store. Local guys, not a franchise. Their prices are a little higher but they have what you want 90 percent of the time. i walked in and got a brake switch for a bronco, he had it in stock. He owns a 70 cougar. Same switch. Plus the family is very Ford, so that helps me. I dont even go in the other stores.

Sounds exactly like the store I used to buy from. Been gone for years though.

 

[half cab]

I went into O'Reillys the other day n the person ask what was I driving out there n I said an ole Ford Bronco and he though I said an '04 bronco and so I never told him any different. I just told him I needed to look around n left.;

 

[Slednut10]

Funny you should mention that as I head back to NAPA to return the upper radiator hose that is too short on the radiator side-even with all of the correct info listed on the receipt. Thank gawd the computer age is going to save us!

I'm just glad that I noticed the lack of fan clearance before trying to start this thing...............

 

[CopperRanger]

The same thing happened to me when I went to a muffler shop for a price on a duel exhaust. I told the guy I had a 74 Bronco. They had nothing on anything that old so I said its a first generation Bronco, you know the small ones. He says the Bronco2, I said no its an early Bronco. I told him to look outside, he says yea its a Bronco2. After that he starts arguing with me that its a Bronco2, finally I told him forget it and left.

 

[hotrodtim68]

Real parts stores?

Do you ever pay a major parts bill with cash? You better count your change twice . If it wasn't for the computer, the foreigner behind the counter wouldn't get that right , no less the right parts.%)%)%)%)%)%)%)

 

[savage]

Its all do to the computer age!!!!If its not on there computer then it DOESNOT EXIST!!! that's what's great about the parts store I go to, I'm third generation, my grandfather,dad,and now me still go their plus my wife side.Whats great is if it not on the computer they go to the trustworthy set of BOOKS!!,IF THAT FAILS THEY PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL TO FIND THE PART.I pay a little more on some things but get employees discount on most, now my son uses them. DON'T GET ME STARTED ON THE BRONCO TWO THING!!!!!

 

[1sicbronconut]

Same place real technicians have gone the X gen seems to be to lazy ?:? We 12 Ford technicians in our main shop and only 2 of them are under 40 years old, nobody out there to hire to fill the old guys shoes either.

 

[u10072]

Guys I worked at an O'reillys in college back in the late 90's and the computer was in full force. If there is something that isn't in the computer then ask to see the books. Oreillys does have books to look at and their warehouse is pretty stout.

 

[00gyrhed]

funny, I live very close to a major NAPA warehouse and not far either from and O'Riely hub store and about 20 minutes from the O'Riely warehouse. NAPA is always a last resort, and usaully then only on Sunday when I cant get odd stuff out of the O'Riely Warehouse.. Long lines, stupid people and even worse counter people. Ditto on the O'Riely books. Several times I just walk in wave and go get the book I need and stay out of their way until I find what I need. There was young kid at my O'riely that was in to old fords so I got good treatment from him and that good will just carried over because I was always in their. I do not bother with any other stores in my area. The AutoZone is a complete joke.

I have started getting on Rock Auto and digging out part numbers that Oriely carries or will easily cross. I do that late at night when I cant do anything else but sleep, and then order it first thing in the morning and pick it up on my way home from work. Seems to work better than wasting the counter guys time.

 

[blubuckaroo]

There are three levels of auto parts stores:
* Wax and oil shops like Orileys, Autozone, & Pep Boys.
** Full service part stores like Car Quest, and Napa.
***The dealer
They all have their merits.
The issue in question though is the parts counter person. A good counter person is a good friend to have. In my experience, they tend to be arrogant and crabby. Heck, he can afford to be since he's the one who know the books and is tired of helping all the other lazy employees.

 

[bigcountry]

i have a pretty good NAPA store. the only draw back is that it closed about 8 years ago and when the current owner opened it back up he had to restock and all of the old parts where replaced with newer stuff. But, he is very knowledgable about Fords and usually can get me what want.

 

[TN1776]

It has gotten very bad. I fortunately have an old school parts store in town; they have computerized and will step you through the year, make, model, 4x4, etc questions but they also still have the real books and don't hesitate to call their vendors for you.

When I first bought my Bronco in 2006 and had no real plan for what I was going to do with it, I drove it down to the local Kragen (now O'Reilly) to pick up some normal maintenance parts for it. The "parts guy" there had seen me pull up in my Bronco and when I started asking for various parts for (my 1970 Bronco), he glanced outside and said "you mean that one out there?". When I replied yes, he said "that's no 70, not with those round headlights it's not". I schooled him a bit and left.

I asked an Autozone clerk for a Taurus 3G alternator (specified the year from known sources online). When asking if I needed other parts for my Taurus I explained that I was retrofitting it onto an early Bronco. He looked at me like I was from Mars and said "I don't know why you people do this kind of thing, don't you know that original parts are just as good?". When I explained the amperage output difference, etc, it was a waste of breath and flew right over his head.

We in the car hobby are doomed. Thank God for places like Summit, Wild Horses, etc...

 

[bax]

The shop I go to the owners ( 3 brothers) work the counters. One guy knows part numbers for like everything. I can go in with a part # and he will tell me what it is and the application. Plus his name is Carmine or Car-man.

 

[bmc69]

It has gotten very bad. I fortunately have an old school parts store in town; they have computerized and will step you through the year, make, model, 4x4, etc questions but they also still have the real books and don't hesitate to call their vendors for you.

That is what makes the difference..that and knowing how to use those books. I still maintain a very complete set of paper books in my shop....fancy rack and all. That way I can look my own parts up and then simply order them.

 

[Tom Dummer]

They've gone the way of REAL cars.

 

[englewoodcowboy]

We have a local Napa with an old timer in there who knows his stuff and one kid at Oriellys who does as well. Can't say the same for the others... if they cant look it up by YMM they are useless. Our Napa still has bar stools to sit and chat.

 

[TN1776]

My Napa has a couple of guys who are okay but they stock almost nothing and lead times to get stuff (from within the same state) are totally ridiculous most of the time. I avoid Napa for that reason but I know it's spoken highly of elsewhere.

As for the "real cars" comment... I know what you're saying, but in this day and age with high fuel prices, etc... I love the fact that my daily driver gets 45mpg highway, has about 3 million airbags, antilock brakes and a high safety rating. I drive way too much to even consider driving something old daily - from an economic and safety standpoint.

But I like my Bronco and I'll have it a good long time.