Whats your favorite auto parts store?

Whats your favorite auto parts store? Now days it's "NA,NA,NA,NAPA" know how for me.

And does it match up with the one you grew up with? Hell no!!!

Why not? Come-on, there will never be another KENS AUTO PARTS!

 

there is a little independent parts store less than an 1/8 of a mile from my house. been in business for 30 years. The guy loves old cars, has 99% of all the stuff I need and if he doesnt it comes in the day after no questions asked and for no extra cost. I spent an hour there today just BSing with him about life. I spend my money at the local ones rather than the big name ones. Keep your local economy alive first is what I say.

 

O'Rileys bought out a local store and kept most of the staff. They take pretty good care of me. As long as the old timers are there that is where I will go.

When I need a part I generally find it on the internet and go in to the store with a part number in hand.

 

my favorite is the one that is closest to the shop, or where i break down that has the part i need... carquest is my first choice

 

I spend my money at the local ones rather than the big name ones. Keep your local economy alive first is what I say.[/QUOTE]

agreed

 

NAPA (No Auto Parts Available) thats just humor to wind up the counter staff..

There is an excellent NAPA store in Norwalk, Ohio, excellent service....plus they have access to older product for us fellers...

 

We have a CarQuest that's independently owned. Parts store up front, machine shop in the back. Owned by a guy who's been a friend for over 40 years. The owner sponsors his grandson's drag car. Couldn't ask for more!

 

Discount Steel, my local steel wharehouse.
Little Dearborn, antique Ford parts.

 

NAPA for me. The guys at my store at least give a sh## and will help find something. At the other "national" brand stores, if your car is not in the computer, they cannot help, and really don't care to go out of their way.....not many 1936 models in the computer

 

My favorite? It's a small town independent that's been owned and operated by the same man since it opened in 1950. He prides himself in having never returned anything to his suppliers. Anything he bought to stock, he kept.
He lets me have the run of his huge warehouse to find old parts that I need for my Pontiacs. At the end of each chain operated, incandescent bulb-lit aisle are old parts catalogs. I swear, it's like stepping back in time. It also used to serve as the local machine shop, so there is a healthy stock of internals, rows and rows of cranks, cams, etc.
A pretty cool place to spend a Saturday......

 

I'll never shop O'Rileys again. Their parts are screwed up. When the power steering pump died on my truck i went there because they had it in stock. Spent most of the day changing it. It poured fluid out soon as i started truck. exchanged it and the next one whined badly for a week. Swapped it 4 times in 2 weeks. Finally said give me my money back. Went to autozone and it worked the first time! Oh and i broke oil pressure sensor while swapping pump 1st time. Took a special tool. I had to modify the sensor to fit in the tool and plug into my harness! Why did i instead of taking it back? because i had to get my truck on the road before work the next day. No more O' Rileys for me. The zone matches prices. I'll stick to them. NAPA once in awhile.

 

if there is one thing i miss about the cities, its discount steel...

 

for me its burbank auto! its local and they have everything and can make you whatever lines you need from a/c to brake. and no stupid guys or kids behind the counter! been open since the 40's!

 

Ive always praised NAPA like most folks here until Wednesday this past week. I needed some 3/8" shrink tubing, the guy shows me the NAPA package. Inside is 6 strips approx. 4" long, the price............................................................................................................................................................ $8.99. I was born at night, but it wasn't last night.

 

That is a great question because every store has it's strong points. Can't limit yourself to just one. Our local Parts Plus is the best for brass fittings and electrical supplies. O'reillys is best for over the counter replacement parts, fluids, and batteries.
and Gainesville Auto parts is the choice for vintage rebuild kits, parts and advice (they've been there forever) AutoZone employees wouldn't know a freeze plug from a spark plug!!!! And thats the way it is in our little Texas town.

 

I would rather gouge my eyes out, and poke sticks in my ears than see and hear those damn NAPA know how adds. That is some tasteless crap. I do like NAPA, Autozone locally, they are good, as well as Rock Auto

 

Gotta go with The NAPA guys. From Flathead to Westcoaster scooter parts they come through.

 

Got no NAPA here.

 

When I need old parts I drive about 45 mintues from my house to a mom and pop parts store, he still has the old books, gets hard to find parts in for me in about 2 days. When I need newer stuff I hit Advance.

 

Exactly why NAPA is my last choice. They are almost always over priced. But sometimes its worth it.

 

A store where they have brand name parts and a counter guy that knows what he is doing (with out the computer) and understands what I am looking for.

 

The ones without idiots behind the counter and with good prices...

That leaves the Carquest in Jefferson- prices are okay and the guys are pretty knowlegeable. All others pale in comparison.

 

i have colvins automotive across from my shop,,old school ,one man owns it,,the six people behind the counter know wt you need as you walk in theres a complete machine shop thats run by racers,,they cut drums on sunday,,it dwayne is there at mid nite he will open up for you,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,its so old that its haunted,,,,,,,,,,,,,they also mix paint

 

I used to like Advance, you could browse them online. Get name brand parts and not bother with the guys at the counter. Online you could also have it sent to the store and not get a shipping charge.

Lately when I've tried going through them online it seems they want to compete with autozone more. They seem to be carrying less and less variety and only carrying the cheapest parts availabl

I like Napa because they carry parts for my Lincoln but you seem to have to find the part# yourself. The online catalog is useless and you may or may not get help at the store.

 

Haps Auto Parts
Lakewood, CA

its always a joy walking in and hearing the flipping of pages rather than the clicking of computer keys. that and when i say i need a rotor for a 1958 Oldsmobile they dont ask if I need pads too

 

Any store that has Nuts & Bolts in BULK! Not in those cheesy little (4-pks.) I wanna dig around through bolt "Bins". That's about all I buy locally anymore. The big stuff I'll just order online and wait for the UPS man.

 

I try to stay away from all of them . NAPA....

 

In my town if you want junk parts cheap to to autozone. If you want the wrong parts, go to oreilly. Advance has good parts at a good price and most of the counter people are good. For oddballs and way high prices you have carquest and napa

 

NAPA? For me it is NAPA No How, No Way! Recently NAPA had a free ball cap promotion for a Martin Truex NASCAR hat. A nice looking hat BTW. The closest store to me was 25 miles away. So, I decide to take the wifey to dinner in that town and kill two birds by gettin' me a hat. Since it was some distance, I call ahead to make sure they have the hat. The store immediatly put me on hold, For over 14 MINUTES!! They get on the line, finally,"sure we have them". We get there and 4 employees, not a soul customer around, and they acted too busy to wait on me or the wife. Finally, grab an item to purchase and upon paying ask for hat. "I don't think we have any", was reply. I was thinking about asking where they kept their cans of woop ass, 'cause I was going to open one up, but another employee butts in and tells the one waiting on me that the hats are on the top shelf of a rack (hidden,I guess for their buddies). The other employee retrieves a hat and out of the store I go. My wife goes up right after me and buys something so she too can have a hat. The idiots already had put the box back up on the high shelf and the girl who waited on the wife has to get same guy to get box down again. This may have been an isolated incident, but I will not go back to that NAPA again...well,maybe for another promotion. Why does every business these days seem to not want your business and make your shopping experience such an aggravation? Sorry about the rant. In my town there is a CarQuest store that reminds you of the old time parts store 'cause they have everthing packed in there and what they don't they have the next day. They set you up with an account and bill you each month. Annually, they have a dinner and oil/filter sale in the late winter and raffles regularly(I won a case of oil). Now that is my favorite store. BTW it is Seip's Auto in Georgetown,Ohio

 

wow all that for a hat? must be a cool hat? pics?