Too "old school" for the auto parts stores?

There were idiots back then, too. In 1975, I remember some jerk-off INSISTING my '69 Camaro SS396 was a small block, because a 400 Chevy was a small block and 396 is a smaller engine than a 400......

 

Not in this city,you'll pay 20-30% more than any other store in the tri-cities,
our other local store(checkers,advance,autozone)usually keep small block stuff on hand since they're in everything today.

 

Sounds like a bunch of lazy assed parts people.

 

Don't tell him him why!!! As far as the parts that were needed goes, they probably had them, the counter guy either did'nt have the "right" info, or "how" to "find" it. Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

NAPA has everything. Those dusty books under the counter has the part number listed. Now, if the counter guy would only look your in business....
Our local store still has a guy who can find parts and actually knows what your are talking about.

 

The problem I'm starting to have with the old reliable parts house that I have done business with ever sense I started driving is the old timers have retired and out of the 3 guys that took their place 30 years ago 2 have died in the past 2 years,,one was a fellow club member that passed away this month.

They have moved a young delivery guy up to the counter and the poor kid is struggling,,he's trying but he doesn't have his heart in it,,the other guys loved cars and worked hard to build customer confidence. HRP

 

Lucky here hillsboro auto parts has it all lol...I hate going to all the other auto parts stores......

 

...Really?! I swear i read this post with the same answers earlier this week... Titled i got laughed at at the parts store, or something similar... Long story short get a good parts store and stick with it. Personally i hate napa since they never wanna order anything for me where all i work on is old cars... Mostly we just gotta face that for the cars we have we wont usually be able to walk into a parts store and out with what we need. Its kinda one of the fun parts of this hobby...

 

All of the parts stores here have all of those parts on
the shelf.

 

I have a Studebaker with an sbc, so maybe so.

BUT

When I need parts it becomes a 87 Camaro

 

You have to go with the local store if you have one. I went into my local parts place for a complete gasket set for my 8ba flattie with no part number. The counter person immediately went over to the old cat section (I told her she wasn't old enough to know how to use them -got a smile) got the p/n went to the computer and said the warehouse had 4 in stock and I had them later that afternoon. The trick is to stay away from the chain stores, you'll do nothing but raise your blood pressure.

 

yeah but if you ask for tire shine they got lots of it

 

My boss went to auto zone and asked for some chrome valve covers for a Ford 302. The guy asked what he would look that up under. My boss said, "Chevrolet" and walked out.

 

Girls, we gotta make it easy ourselves...here's my MO -
1) Use RockAuto for a p/n, get an idea of a price.
2) CALL your favorite store, ask for your favorite counterguy. If he's closed, go down the list - ask for a STOCK CHECK AND PRICE. If they have it, ask to put it in WILL CALL. Ask for the name of that counterperson.
3) Hop in driver to store, ask for said counterperson and part. Pay up and split back to work.

Make a list of stores with their phone #'s, hours ect. An ex-GF did that for me of the stores in her area - saved me a TON of time and hassle!!!

- Tim

 

I think all parts stores should good looking girls scantily clad dressed. Then I would not mind wasting time watching them look up part numbers. A local liquor store owner had some nice looking daughters with pleasant personalities. The owner died and the family sold the store. The store has changed hands several times and nobody can seem to make a profit. I use to stop and just buy a candy bar or a pack of gum just to see the daughters.The original owner with the good looking daughters bought a new car every year and lived pretty high on the hog.

 

I agree on a couple of things that people said and one is to find a parts person you can work with and always go to that person when you go in the store or ask for that person if you call. Young, old, male, female or ?? it doesn't matter as long as you can find one you can work with and they see you as "their" customer. My best friend who is fairly well known to rodders in the PNW worked a Napa counter for close to 20 years and I've seen guys stand in line for 30 minutes to wait for him to wait on them.

If you go to an O'Reilly's you can find the parts online confirm that they are in the store and pay for them on line and they normally are pulled and waiting for you when you get there. Sign the slip, show your card you paid for them with and out the door you go.

As much as I like Napa parts the store closest to where I work will not give a walk in customer a break on prices. It's full list or goodby as far as they are concerned. Needless to say, they seldom get any of my business and I'll wait until my day off and drive 20 miles the other way from home and hit the Napa where my bud used to work where I can get a decent discount.

 

what is this bluetooth that you speak of?

 

I'm still busy working on my aluminum egg.

 

Come to Raytowen and I wll get you your parts. Small bloock chevy parts are just small block chevy parts.

By the way in the Zone the computer goes all the way back to the early '60s that I know of.

 

Remember when having attractive young women running the check out stands was a Home Depot company policy? Remember what happened? They got sued by some fat Linda in flannel for something akin to sexual exploitation... Pisses me off to this day!

I had always read these threads with a bit of a jaundiced eye, 'cause here in the desert, normal people still drive say, 30 year old cars as normal transportation. It never seems to be a problem to just get what you need, even if you have to wait an hour or two. So I never quite "got" the whole hub bub about this... Then, last summer I stayed in St.Paul MN. with my uncle, who's '79 Elcamino was cammed up a bit and not real happy. I simple HEI recurve kit and a dial back timing light, a few more degree initial timing would solve that. Long story short, I went to 8 different auto parts stores in the area and Not one of them knew what in hell I was talking about! More or less what an HEI was!!! Really?!

A couple weeks later I walked into my local O'Riely's and into the H.P. section and put my hands on one for 4.99. Later that day I went into So-Cal Phoenix and walked around the corner and the same kit fell off it's hook in front of me for 5.99! AJS had two versions of the kit with different tension springs, and Loper's would sell me just the springs for like .75 a piece! This is all within a two mile radius of my home/shop... I feel for you guys out there!

 

I'm tired of these threads.

 

Yes, it would.

Yeah, but what if you really need oversize bearings?

There's your answer...big block bearings! For big bearing blocks.

 

I agree. Seems like there is a new one every day. Let me sum all of them up...

1) part person does not have compete total knowlege of a 50+ yr old engine or car.
2) they do not have the parts in stock.
3) the guy that started the thread is pissed off that they don't have the parts.

 

I started this thread and to address your points: 3.) I am not pissed off. 2.) I just wondered why simple parts used on so many motors are not kept in stock anymore. 1.) It was not a referendum on the parts people or their knowledge.

I just wonder if the SBC is now becoming too old school. Is it starting to go the way of the flathead, where you can't walk in and buy parts for it at just any parts store.

 

I know NAPA stores can vary quite a bit in what they carry and know about. Got a good one in a nearby town. Car guy running it and mostly car guys/gals working it. They actually have paper catalogs in addition to computers.

Now the closest Jiffy Lube is a different story. Carry only zero or 5 weight oils for new cars.

Had to go to one near the NAPA store to get 10/40. This town also has a lot of antiques stores. Wonder if there is a connection.

 

matter of fact, obsolescence IS killing off the traditional engine parts. crank fire ignition, coil on plug, etc etc.... Filko, Sorenson,etc, lost to time. i think Echlin (Napa) and Standard are the only two domestic lines left for ignition parts.
anyway, Federal Mogul has an excellent website/online catalog to determine your part numbers for Felpro gaskets, Carter fuel pumps, Moog chassis..... print out your numbers and call around for the best price and availability. we have one of the best stocked stores in our chain and we STILL have to get "common" parts from the warehouse all day long.....

 

They might not keep them in stock (they probably do they just dont k ow how to look them up) or be familiar with them because the average life span of a car these days is about 10-11 years.

SBCs as this board knows them basically died off in the late 90s.

I work for a group of dealers, we wholesale over 100 trades a month. Less than 5% of the car we appraise are older than 2000.

I just scanned our trades... We've taken in 3 cars with SBCs since January! 2 90s GM pickups and a 94 Camaro.

 

It's not even that. First, combination of metallurgy, precision machining and lubricants means cars don't break down nearly as much as they used to, at 50k miles back in traditional times a car was often ready for rings. I own an OT car with just shy of 200k and the bearings are like new and the leak down is 7% on the weak cylinder, the others are around 6%. Original starter, water pump and alternator, original clutch IS starting to slip a bit tho.

Plus car needs a LOT less servicing than they used to. Tune ups are basically a thing of the past and cars overall are much more reliable.

Hence why the old school parts stores are dying off and becoming AutoZones house of air fresheners, wax and chrome plate frames.

 

I always took it for granted that small block chevy parts would be readily available. But since you are right about there being less and less 1980's or earlier cars being driven out there, then it stands to reason that the parts stores won't stock the parts for them anymore. I guess I never thought of it that way before.

I joked about using a Kia engine in my hotrod, but just think, someday that may become the rule and not the exception. I wonder what the next available "affordable and popular" hotrod engine will be?

 

Honestly, I find it hard to believe those items weren't available at those stores, in what I would consider a large metropolitan area. Doesn't make sense.