Yep, a decent catalog collection is damned good reference material. Quite often, if it is a store that still uses paper catalogs you can get the last years catalogs when they change over or have them get the ones you need for you. One other thing that I use a lot is http://www.oreillyauto.com You need a bit of imagination but for that combination plugging in something like a 1975 Chev C-10 with a 350 will probably bring up several clutch selections. http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/SAC0/NFW1007.oap?pt=02271&ppt=C0338 Gives one flywheel selection. If you click on the top one and click "compatibility" you will see that it fits about 1200 combinations of Chevy vehicles. It is also a dual pattern flywheel for either 12 or 11 inch clutches but I have no experience with that brand. The thing is that by poking around a bit you can pretty well figure out what you are hunting for. And usually at most any parts house, unless you find parts man who is a racer, hot rodder or off roader they quite often don't have a lot of imagination as far as parts swapping goes. And the new breed who is either hired because they are computer functional or in a work retraining program don't have any concept that anyone would want to mix and match parts.
I went to get plugs and roter for the 57 fairlane I told him what I needed he said what year car ok lets play 57 ok v-8 or v-6 wtf ok v-8 4.6 liter no its a 5.0 air ? yes its 4-75 ? whats that its 4 windows at 75 MPH Oh ! My computer dont show that option I walked out at that point.
went to autozone a few minutes ago looking for a header collector, they sell gaskets but no collectors anymore. thew idiot kid behind the counter wanted to know the make and model it would go on, I told him it was a universal part and he gave me a blank stare.
the best parts guy here in Fremont is a girl. she's been selling parts as long as I've been buying them. Kragens is now O'Rileys here and the last few times I went in they seemed to be a bit more on the ball. perhaps not all the knowledge like a real parts store guy, but they did actually come out from behind the counter and helped me buy a battery for my 61 Dodge. Perhaps management has remined them that thier job is to help people not just show up at the right time and hang out til it's time to go.
Can't be done?? When is this ACTUALLY true? I see people pull off the "impossible" everyday, especially here. That's not a lack of knowledge from this guy, it's an overload of ego. Some folks don't think they are cabable of being proven wrong.
At least he didnt try to look up "universal" in the computer under brands like the kid did on my last visit to the O'Reilleys parts counter
I work in a parts store. I laugh at these kinda posts. I go outa my way to help people that want help. Come in my store and cop an attiude and you won't get a seconds worth of help from me. To the dude looking for a 6V coil for his Honda, really, its an AUTO parts store not a MOTORCYCLE parts store go to your local Honda dealer. Next time you have a problem in your local parts store go back outside and look in your rearview mirror, you might just be look'in at the problem.
Here's one for ya......back in the late 70's in Milwaukee, when I was in high school. Went to the local Whitlock High Performance Center!.. I asked at the parts counter. "Got a set of thick valve cover gaskets for a small block Chevy". Pimply younger parts kid ask's "what size engine?"............
Asked the Autozoned Kid behind the counter for a solonoid the other day for my 32. a what okay I'm in the south... a silinoid "what year?"...... 32 ford.... my computer doesnt go back that far... 84 Ford f150 what engine? god almighty..... 5.0 Then he had to call his supervisor over to help... should have looked up number before I went...
I try to go to the Nappa when I can, it's an older store, but I don't think it's always the people coming in, there are just a lot of people working behind the counter who don't belong there, If you were in my town, I would guarantee I would be buying my parts from you, just because you made a real effort to help . That's all I ask for.
I just spit coke on my keyboard!! hahahahahahaha!! I had this same experience, I was looking for an oil filter for the Lincoln, Nappa was already closed, told the kid I needed an oil filter for a 90 Lincoln, Kid- Um we don't stock Lincoln parts!! , me- give me one for a 5.0 Ford, kid-I need the year,make and model, does it have air conditioning, what type of transmission, how many doors, me- It's a 1990 Lincoln towncar!! - kid- you said a Ford, we don't stock Lincoln parts!! me- forget it!!! Went to Nappa, me-need an oil filter for the Lincoln, it's the 5.0 , parts guy disappears in a whoosh of air, is back in about 20 seconds with my filter. and it's a WIX like I wanted
Here in Ft Worth is an old school parts store called S and S that is the real deal. The men and woman that work there know thier stuff and nobody in this entire city can compete with them. Hell they even pressed the bearings onto my 9" axles.
lol lack of imagination.. and therein lies the problem.. you would proboally give me the "we don't have it" auto answer.. remember those cars and trucks with 3 holes on top of the battery? well unless its a 6v diesel its gonna have a 6v coil.. you should quit and sell oranges on the freeway...
Thanks for that. In regards to having access to a real parts store, yes I do know how lucky I am. I went into S and S recently for a cam. Guy grabbed a piece of paper and started writing down all the grinds they had in stock. Bought cam, lifters, gaskets etc. He never touched the computer. Then he commenced to educating me on oils and ZDDP and that I best use it in my motor of the cam could be damged. Not a service youll get at the chains. I have and will walk out of any parts store that has an asshole behind the counter.
LOL how true. I'm a civil engineer by trade rodder by birth had to have a second job when the kids were young so I became an ASE certified parts specialist. After the kids grew I didn't have enough sense to quit my second job but, after dealing with to many people blaming me because I couldn't find parts for their "blue" car I chucked it all. Don't need the grief.
If what you say is true then you are the exception to what has become the norm today. Soon you will be the only one in your town. Ill also tell you That if what you say is true, soon you will tire of working with these idiots. Ill go out on a limb and also say that you'll find another career or manage these parts store idiots. Since this is a thread about silly parts guys on a hot rod site you should start a thread About good parts men. You will see that they are praised and respected because they are EXTREMELY RARE. Three local chain stores, 6 -10 guys each, only one good one that knows his shit and certainly worth more than he's getting paid. As far as helping goes, I once saw a monkey try to remove lugnuts with a screw driver. He gave it everything he had and spared nothing going out of his way in an effort to help.
"...cop an attitude..." is RIGHT! I'm also a former parts manager at a Ford dealership. And how many times - I can't recollect - when somebody would come in with a chip on their shoulder about how "...the f***in' parts store can't find my parts and I don't suppose you can either." BINGO! Attitudes work both ways. I worked with a few really good parts guys/gals and I think most of us tried most of the time to help customers. The pay wasn't all that great - it's why I left the place. But I've always held the belief that - you gotta wanta, if you know what I mean. I liked that job! Lots of kids have jobs in those places cuz it pays the bills and McD's ain't hiring. Soon as they find something else that pays more, they're gone. No dedication and many of 'em just don't 'gotta wanta' do it. Sad.
I worked for NAPA for a long time. Just retired. I wasn't behind the counter. Somthing I'm grateful for. I'm not sure I could put up with some of the idiots that come in for parts and not having a clue what they want. Then get mad at the counterman because he doesn't know what they want. What has to be realised is ALL the parts companies are in the business of selling parts. Parts for ordinary run of the mill cars. I worked in the distribution center and we had a retail store attached. The DC carried approx. 250,000 different parts. You can't expect a minimum wage pizza faced kid to know all the parts. The parts companies also have everything on computers. If it doesn't show on the computer then the mwpf kid is likely to say he doesn't have it. Not really his fault. Its the way he was trained. If you want to experience frustration try looking for parts for an LSR sidecar. Motorcycle parts stores are exactly the same. I go to my local shop and the first thing I get asked is make, model, year. I got so tired of that I bring a photo of my sidecar. When asked make, model, year I simply show'em the photo. I get a laugh out of some of the blank stares. I did find one old guy who knows what I'm doing and he is a treasure. [/IMG]
Like a couple of guys have said, ask if YOU can look at the books. nine times out of ten the info is there if you take the time to look for it. The counter guy is not always willing (or able) to spend an hour looking through catalogs for a part that might fit. In the local parts places around my area, when the counter guys see me coming through the door they just tell me "you know where the catalogs are". less effort on their part to let me look it up on my own. That also frees them up to get brakes & such for cavaliers & hyundai's like the "normal" people drive. With that being said, we have the agreement that if they special order me a part that I picked out of the catalog and it does not fit, I am on the hook for it no matter what. one other thing, ask them if/when they get new catalogs. most places get new ones every couple of years & the old ones seem to sit on a shelf until somebody does a clean up & they they end up in the dumpster. I have several shelves full of catalogs that were mine for the asking. Who cares if they only go up to the mid 90's or early 00's. I dont own anything that new anyway.
Here in Indy at a Auto Zone close to my house was a kid who did have some smarts about cars always tried to help me for off the wall parts, if he didn't know he would tell me come around here and find anything you think might work. He was there about a year and getting to know about what us hot rodder guys wanted, he would listen to what you told him, and try to find it, went in one saturday looking for him kid at counter said they fired him on tuesday, I said for what the other older man said the manager was afraid of him taking his job as he was liked by about everybody that came in, ask if they knew where he went nobody knows, now if I want parts I have to drive about 30 mintues to the other side of town, as the big three parts stores around close to me suck for counter help if it ani't in the computer they can't find it.
Why would you tell the kid it's a 32 Ford when you know damn well they never had solenoids like that when they were new? You have to give the kid a chance even though it makes you feel cool by saying "32 Ford". Next time say "76 Granada", you won't feel Fonzie cool in front of the "dumb" kid, but you might have a better chance of getting your silinoid...
We are really lucky here in town as we have a mom and pop parts store that has been in the family since 32. They know their stuff and will take the time to look up parts and or find a part they don't have. The guys behind the counter aren't what I would call car guys, but they do know their job and how to look up parts. When I started dealing there I told them I wasn't interested in cheap discount or offshore parts, what I want are parts that are quality rebuilds that last. Don't sell me crap. Has worked fine for over 12 years. Can't ask for anything more. Pat.
This is not a new thing. It was early 1957 when I walked into the Chevy Parts dept and said I wanted one of those new Duntov Cams. The parts mans answer "We don't deal in that Hot Rod stuff." I finally got him to let me use the big parts book. When I said I want one of these his answer was "Well, Is that a Chevy part? I'll be damned I didn't know Chevy made such a thing." Side note: I was first in southwest Missouri to have a Duntov Cam and also the first to find you had to have notched pistons to run a Duntov in a stock 55 Chevy. Lots of bent push-rods and valves, a real mess. And you wouldn't believe the noises that engine made when we started it. bill
ive been a parts man for over 30years first for motorcycles, then forlifts. now i work for a kenworth dealership. first they are not all the same. when i worked in the m/c shops the clowns would come in and want a part for a 750 kawaski, you know they are all the same. my answer was is it a 2-3-4 cyl bike 2 or 4 stroke, upright twin upright triple upright 4 cyl. maybe a 2 cyl v twin or v4 engine. air oil or watercooled. chain, shaft or belt drive mag or spoke wheels, drum or disc brakes hyd or cable clutch cables kick or electric start. i could go on for a bit . you try to read the mind of the idiot on the other side of counter. dont match wits with a moron you will lose. after this drill about a 1000 times you will cope a bit of a attitude back. help us try to get your parts. this is held true with every type of machine i have looked parts up for. yes i ask for serial number before i even start. bit of a rant but walk in our shoes once and you will want to buy a set of boxing gloves to
The Jalopy Journal
