Midwest Guys---Poll?

If you could order directly from a place like Speedway or a local shop, even the next state over, that provides the same product for the same price, what would you do? Would you rather deal with a small speed shop or a giant corporate entity? Personal service or speed and convience? Thanks for any help guys.

 

subscribing

 

Small local shop...keeps them in business...if there is no other advantage to using Speedway or some other conglomerate...and don't forget ship time...and cost...

R-

 

local shop, even when it costs a little more. To me, customer service is what I'm paying for - give me good, knowledgeable service, a parts guy who tinkers with cars instead of an punk-asshole high-school kid who is working only because daddy will take away his $30,000 truck unless he has a job...

small shop - that's good, any day, at almost any price. Gouging won't be tolerated, but a few bucks for a good experience and part-in-hand is worth it to me anytime.

 

Don't assume Speedway is the fastert, I've waited a month for parts before, or wasted time returning the wrong parts they've sent me...to me, the small shop always wins, local or not...

 

small shop
anyplace that doesnt sell wings for a 98 vw jetta 4 door
its all about the customer service

 

One of the problems I see in dealing with small shops is the markup, there is only one small shop somewhat near here that caters to rodders, and they seem in general to be at least 30% higher on parts than speedway. I used to work in the auto parts biz, and thats pretty much the standard markup each time a part changes hands.

 

Many of us DO NOT have a local place that is worth a damn. So, we have to order. I would preferr someone like Vaphead over Speedway.

 

We use Minnesota Hot Rod Hardware... Tim and his crew always come through when we need a part here. Small shop atmosphere with great service..
CheaterJack

 

There really isn't anything "local" for me. I prefer to support small businesses when at all possible. I've bought a bunch from Vaphead and will continue to go to him and other alliance vendors first (which reminds me I need to re-up my membership ). But I will still buy from Speedway if they have something I need and have aconsiderably lower price.

 

small shops, no matter local or not...I try support small shops like ours. Sometimes its just not possible, but I try to.

 

We used to have a small shop here untill around mid 1990s. They had great service and a hell of a good manager. They would cater to us kids in the early 70s who only could spend our 30 bucks a week at a time. This was in Lincoln,Nebraska. Home of Speedway Motors! Needless to say stereos overtook hot rods and the speed shop went out of business. Now Speedway is the only place in town, but at least we have them. Service and atmosphere not even close to an old fashioned speed shop. Not even like Speedway had pre 1970s. Dont get me wrong, I sure as hell like having them around as they weathered the hands of time for us rodders.

 

Join the HAMB Alliance. Support the people who support you.

 

same for me , i get everything from them..even the stuff i want from Speedway

http://www.hotrodhardware.com/

 

Sorry but the small shops will almost always win my biz!! I have Summit Racing 45 minutes away and Jegs about 1 1/2 hours away....I will go to the local shop first then try Jegs and then Summit last. (had bad service from Summit) Always get great service at the local "FLAPS" store

 

They have been great to me also. The first time I used them I needed a part right away and they got it to me overnight.Pretty knowledgable parts counter too.

 

I hear you. I'm tired of dealing with punks on the parts counters who know nothing and won't hand you over to another guy you know is there who knows his shit. I always try to do business locally.It may cost you more but I find that building the relationship is worth it.Theres always a time when your screwed and you need something fast and the local boys will go out of their way for you. Also tired of people thinking I'm crazy for complaining about quality when I paid top dollar.Had to send two sets of 650 dollar chrome headers back to Sanderson. First one because there was about 40 slag balls they chromed over, felt like sandpaper. The second because the turnouts were an inch off from each other.She said they ended up selling the first one to someone else who did'nt complain. I eventually gave up on her after I don't know how many calls and got her brother on the phone(during her lunch hour).He talked me out of the chrome and made me a set of ceramic coated headers because he could control quality.They came out good but took 5 months.

 

if i need a lot of parts at the same time i go to summit racing. My reason is I don't like paying the state sales tax. I have found them fast and dependble and have not had any trouble with exchanges. I can order online or phone and there here in two days. we have no hotrod shops close in outstate MN

 

What he said...........I can order parts cheaper than speedway and heck they are 3 hours north of me.

 

Donna (pretty sure that is right) is a total bitch on the phone! Sanderson ALWAYS gave me issues when I was ordering for customers.

 

I try to support the small shop and local business, but I am bias as I am a one man furniture making shop.

Jim H

 

When we became a dealer for Speedway, I just thought it would help us and that most people would just order direct. We have quite a few that come in and order stuff. It's awesome.

 

I wish I had a local shop to buy from, when I was in high school working on my cars we had a Winners Circle for spped parts, but it moved an hour away, it it down sized a ton. We don't even really have a good parts store, I do have a local O'Rielly stoe that has one good kid out of six workers, he is a redneck stock car guy that will look stuff up and find odd stuff...and most everything I work on is odd to a parts store..
My paint comes from an almost hour away...but they will still deliver!!
Most of my hot rod and speed stuff come from Michigan warehouse(Motorstate) that I get most stuff in a day. I am set up direct on some good companies, or I will order from Yogis...they are the best mail order by far I have ever dealt with in any type of company hands down, I have been buying stuff from them off and on for around 18 years!

 

Best of both worlds. I don't have a local speed shop around, but I do try to support family owned autobody shop that I hang out at. I try to order through their atech (sp) account for Summit so they can make a buck and get credit for using it.
I live 30 min from summit and love the clearance corner though!

 

Local guys offer more than another sticker than each order.
They can help you make the best decision, and can advise on whats junk and whats not.

The friendships and experiances that come from dealing with local guys make it worth paying a little more for it.

Speedway Bill is cool , but he won't hop in his truck and bring parts and advice when I need him.

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SPEED SHOP

 

I ALWAYS try to support the little guys, even if it costs more. Sometimes there is stuff they cant compete on or get a good deal for ya. I needed a Ford Racing aluminum Driveshaft for my mustang, and their price was $100 more than everybody elses, so of course I bought that elsewhere. I do have a local place who has good deals, but wont let you pick anything up. THAT pisses me off. I work 2 minutes away and they tried to make me pay for shipping. But, i will always at least TRY my damndest to support the littel guys, or they will dissapear. I fucking hate autozone and murrays with their 17 year old girls working for them who dont know a drag link from and exhaust hanger. It really pisses me off when you go in one of thos places with the damn part number of what you need, and they feed you some bullshit about needing to know what year, make and model car it is for. It is a brand you carry, here is the part number, just give me the damn part. Or they try and tell you that the truck you need the belt for didnt come with a 5.7L that year. Um, yeah it did jerkoff, it is right outside. I go to the oldskool parts store a bit further away, where they still use BOOKS to look shit up and actually know WTF they are talking about......

James

 

I buy stuff from whomever treats me right, gives me the right part the first time, and has reasonable prices. Sometimes that means I drive 45 minutes to get to Nightprowlers, sometimes it means I drive 15 minutes to go to NAPA, and sometimes it means I order from Speedway or Summit. When I was building my '53 I bought stuff at the local O'Reilly auto parts about 3 times a week, and ordered from a national about once a month. I have never walked into a local place that had anywhere near the selection that places like Summit and Speedway have. (And that includes Summit, back when it was a little shop in the back of a strip of buildings just off of 76 and my high school buddies worked there!).

 

I buy local unless they are asshats.

 

So, what you're telling us is that you are a proponent of tax evasion?

Actually, although I hate sales tax, I point that finger at the state, not the business. Besides, who wants to pay shipping and wait for the parts that can be had in-hand? Most of the stuff I do is trying parts for an application other than what they are designed for... having a local shop that thinks its funny and is always willing to work with me is much better than 1-800-gofuckyourself customer service offered by the catalogs in my book.

The other things that scares me about theories like yours is when enough people choose to order out-of-state to avoid tax, the tax laws will just be changed. Of course, by that time, the local will all be closed and out of business, or switched over to "tuner" supply shops, and it won't matter to guys like us anyway.

Just a thought

 

Indie Always beats Chain.

Rather buy local & support the guys around here, as opposed to to handing a credit card to the giant chain...