i work at a parts store

Teh E36 M3 wrote: I always feel bad when I go in, because I have to tell them, well, it's a '69 MG, but I need the clutch from an 89 toyota corolla gts to bolt onto a JDM 20 valve engine with an 83 Corolla transmission, connected to a hybrid toyota/mazda driveshaft that goes to a '94 miata differential with shortened miata axles. Oh, it's got a narrowed 4 core audi 5000 radiator, 86 MR2 rad hoses, an 88 Civic rad fan. It's got 92 miata spindles and brakes all around. Etc Etc. you get the idea. You're going to have to just trust me. I won't yell at you, and I won't screw you. I think there's a Johnny Cash song written about my car.

I think everyone on here has played the mix and match parts game to get exactly what they want in a car.

My 68' Fairlane, which would throw most of them for a loop in and of itself has an engine that wasn't available that year (351 or 5.8L as they might understand) from an 84' bronco. The alternator is from a 94' mustang, but the power steering pump is 88' Grand marquis. The brake rotors are 94' ranger 2wd, with 90' S-10 calipers and pads. The brakes lines? Cadillac. Oh and spark plugs for a 94' Lightning please!

Nitroracer wrote:

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: I don't go to the Toyota dealer anymore for a somewhat similar reason. I needed turbo gaskets for my 1990 MX6 GT. I run a MKiii Supra CT26 turbo. They would not, under ANY circumstances, let me order anything without a VIN. I even offered to pay ahead of time. I could even give them a year, trim, everything. "1991 Toyota Supra Turbo 5spd." No dice. I finally walked out to the parking lot and came back with a VIN from the MX6. "That's not a Toyota VIN." ARRRRRRRGGGGGGGG... I mean, i understand they want a VIN, but i KNOW they can order things without a VIN. Mazda can do it, and Toyota has done it for me in the past. I'm very sorry i don't have a VIN, so i'll give you every piece of information you need, even part numbers, and they still wouldn't order me anything. Jackasses.

If you NEED a vin, go hit up eBay for something remotely close. They'll never know the difference and don't have a clue anyway.

If i'm on Ebay, i'll just order the part from Ebay. I was passing by the dealership anyways and figured i'd buy an OEM gasket to see if it lasted better than what i was using at the time.

just a minute ago a guy came in with an OOOOOOOOOLD aerosol can of silcone lubricant. there was about 25% of the fluid still in the can, but the propellant was all gone. he wanted me give him a new can on the basis of it being defective.

belteshazzar wrote: just a minute ago a guy came in with an OOOOOOOOOLD aerosol can of silcone lubricant. there was about 25% of the fluid still in the can, but the propellant was all gone. he wanted me give him a new can on the basis of he huffed it all

ftfy.

btw, i have to commend you on freely admitting that you work in a parts store. most people on here have at one time or another generalized parts store workers as single digit IQ mouthbreathers. i worked at AZ when i was in college, and for the most part we tried to be as knowledgeable as possible on things, but we were lucky. i knew fords and most trucks in general, we had a couple part time managers that this was their second job when they weren't working for DPS as "real mechanics" and one guy had a drag car that ran single digit 1/4's. a couple of the kids were pretty bad when they first came in, but we set them straight.

it wasn't until i moved to houston that i now understand how frustrating some stores can be. the o'reillys near me has pretty knowledgable guys but the AZ is almost always out of whatever i need and their counter folk have a hard time finding their backside with both hands. usually when i go there looking for a part i just look it up myself, and if its in the back i'll ask someone to get it for me. recently when i've gone in they have had nearly none of what i wanted. we're not talking anything fancy either, just some black RTV and loctite. another time they were totally out of carb cleaner... wtf.

Strizzo wrote: btw, i have to commend you on freely admitting that you work in a parts store.

oh i understand. for quite awhile i would not.

i just don't care anymore.

In reply to Strizzo:

But I bet they had seat covers and fake fender vents...

Bobzilla wrote:

belteshazzar wrote:

BBsGarage wrote:

Teh E36 M3 wrote: I always feel bad when I go in, because I have to tell them, well, it's a '69 MG, but I need the clutch from an 89 toyota corolla gts to bolt onto a JDM 20 valve engine with an 83 Corolla transmission, connected to a hybrid toyota/mazda driveshaft that goes to a '94 miata differential with shortened miata axles. Oh, it's got a narrowed 4 core audi 5000 radiator, 86 MR2 rad hoses, an 88 Civic rad fan. It's got 92 miata spindles and brakes all around. Etc Etc. you get the idea. You're going to have to just trust me. I won't yell at you, and I won't screw you. I think there's a Johnny Cash song written about my car.

I'd love to just see their head explode after you say that.

that's all fine and dandy. where my head explodes is when people want me to do the research for them. for example : "i want to put X motor in Y other car, what # do i need?"

Or my favorite..... when they start speaking alphabet soup. Does ANY parts lookup in ANY place, dealer/aftermarket/online, allow you to look E36 M3 up by alphabet soup engine code? No. They don't. EVERYONE looks E36 M3 up by application. I don't need to know EXACTLY what it came from, but a good idea helps.

I didn't get that at first, but realized that the computers work on year, make, model, and engine. After a couple false starts, I now come pretty much put together with the information coded to match computer application, though sometimes, it's just easier to use the parts store's online purchasing, and just do in-store pickup. They look at me crazy when I ask for parts for 4 or 5 different vehicles at once. Try asking a parts store guy which oil filters have 3/4-16 threads. Once that fails, just as for any Ford or Toyota oil filter. Little tricks that take a damn lifetime to figure out.

Here's the Cash song: One Piece At A Time

I walked into a NAPA with three pieces of bent wire and three radiator hoses. The guy behind the counter looked at the wire and hoses, then looked at me and said, "What car?"

Me, "80 Spitfire..."

Him, starts punching on the computer

Me finishing sentence, "...with a 83 Mazda rotary and a custom aluminum radiator."

Him, "Hoses are upstairs, try to not mix them up."

Smart parts guys FTW.

belteshazzar wrote: i feel like a good portion of the time people are testing me to see how little information they can actually provide and still get the right part, often witholding critical details for an added challenge.

Slightly off topic, but I'm convinced people leave out important info about their cars when they leave them at my shop. "If I don't mention the coolant all over the ground last week after the temp gauge was pinned, maybe it will cost less to replace the head gaskets." Or my other favorite: "It just quit. I'm sure its not anything expensive." No, you hope its not anything expensive. Wishing will not make it so, I'm afraid.

Oh a thread that entails my life.

I'd like to think that I'm the 1% who know what I'm doing, and aren't one of the countless mouth breathers who are the stereotypical parts jockey.

It's not a terrible job, but the customers can make or break it. I've got this one old guy that worked for Ford up north for 30 some years, he's retired and has his retiree discount, whatever it's called, and has a stable full of Ford products.

And complains about them constantly! He says "sonuvabitch" a lot, wears a bucket hat, and I can't help to laugh at him. Fortunately he's humble enough to be fussing at the engineers and not me, he shakes his head, complains some more, and then leaves.

We've got a few commercial accounts who are real douchebags. Basically the same kinda attitudes as what was mentioned before, but where the garage as a whole spends so much, they get special treatment and walk all over us.

My old manager was awesome. He autocrossed, played in a band, played video games, had a great sense of humor and was above all else, fair. I actually enjoyed work when he was there. Then he left, and we got the new guy. Polar freakin' opposite. All uptight, short with customers and is just not a pleasant person. He's already made my best friend, who was the assistant manager, quit. Now the new guy he's got coming in is just as bad as him, some fat putz who has had like four heart attacks, he's a beard shy of being santa claus, the original short fat guy version.

Oh, and he's also a dick.

Looks like it's time for a new career path.

I've played the match the hose game. My Carquest was also good about letting people who knew what they were doing just go into the back and find the part themselves. Real laid-back place.

My favorite story (I have probably told it before) I go to the local parts store and ask the counter kid for some red and green plastigage. He tells me that if they have it it will be on the shelf and points to an isle. I look at him funny and say that it has been kept behind the counter for the last 10 years could he show me. He is now getting pissy with me and cops an attitude about how he has a lot to do (I am the only one in the store). After a couple minutes of keeping me waiting he comes out and goes to an isle and starts fumbling around while I wait by the counter.

Meanwhile the regular counter man comes back from lunch (who I know and have purchased many many parts for motor rebuilds over the years) and asked what I need. I tell him that his country boy is getting the plastigadge for me. I also make mention of the little wise ass's attitude. He reaches under the counter and hands me a coupe red and green plastigage packets and tells me they are on house but could I wait till the kid comes back with the plastigage for me and cracks a huge smile. I nod back and put the plastigadge in my coat pocket. Finally the kid comes back with an auto-meter multi gauge set saying that it was not plastigage but it should be just as good and he hands them to me. The counter guy immediately starts running up and down the kid about how he had just restocked the plastigage out an the shelf before going to lunch and that if they are not there then it must have been lifted while he was at lunch. The kid turns white and scurries back to the isle. The counter guy looks at me and asks if we are good. I smiled, thanked him and left. The kid was not there the next time I came in.

I felt a little bad for the kid but then I think about the attitude he had with me and that feeling goes away. I still get parts from this same guy some 20 years later

belteshazzar wrote: that's all fine and dandy. where my head explodes is when people want me to do the research for them. for example : "i want to put X motor in Y other car, what # do i need?"

Welcome to my life. It's so tempting sometimes to just tell certain callers to close the hood and step away from the vehicle.

As for the local auto parts store - well, they know me. I'll usually just ask for the big books behind the counter so I can flip through dozens of pictures of coolant temp sensors to find the perfect one, or go in the back and play with radiator hoses.

I worked the Canadian Tire parts counter in Red Deer (single handedly is how it felt at the time) for 2 years part time when I was young.

Surprisingly enough, it wasn't too bad. No ridiculously ditzy chicks to deal with, no dumber than dumb dudes.

However, I do have a story that is pretty funny:

It's around the end of January, beginning of February and a guy comes in wanting to buy a pair of tubular stainless running boards/steps for his mom's dakota. Fine, whatever, I can handle that.

For "aftermarket" accessories such as this, we had a web-based ordering system. While clunky, it worked well enough, and after a lot of "year make model blah blah" we had found the style he wanted to buy her. Had to prepay for the special order, no problem. Order should be in ~2 weeks.

Apparently right after Mother's Day, the dude came back in on my day off. And was HE PISSED. Lots of threats, yelling, swearing etc. Basically, the ones that came in were for an extended cab, not a quad cab (1st model year available I believe) and wasn't in the system. He wanted these in time for Mother's day, but they were wrong. My boss said he wanted to punch me right in the face.

To this day, it's kind of like really? You get that upset over that?

There was also the time a guy came in looking for 364 chev industrial/commercial parts. Big facepalm there, no, it's not your regular SBC!

And finally, I once went to help a lady change her spare. Yes, I went while I should have been working, but the store was dead, it was raining, and the lady was stranded about 500 meters from the store. No, she was not hot at all. Just doing my good deed for the day, and berkeley any boss who can't let me take 20 minutes of time to help a customer out.

After my 2nd time in the local autozone having to answer the "what car" question with 1958 Wartburg they just started letting me behind the counter to find my own stuff without even asking.

After I gave them the YMM of my washing machine they don't even ask anymore. Honda upper rad hoses are a dam near perfect replacement for the lower drain hose on most kenmore washing machines.

The Advance near me is full of dicks, but everybody at the Autozone knows me (a few are even old friends from the British Car Club) and reads the magazine, so I can go in the back and just find what I need when I need to. They trust me on returns and core charges, too. I found that as long as you're nice and honest, it's quite easy to endear yourself to the parts people. They also remember all the cars I have, and wear GRM shirts at work.

It's nice having that old-timey parts store experience where you're treated like a mechanic, not like a grandmother and you're allowed to just find what you need and leave. Oh, and I usually get a discount. Of course, that might just mean I buy too many auto parts, but whatever.

Keith wrote: ...or go in the back and play with radiator hoses.

I was able to talk the counter guys at the local Autozone to let me do that when I was looking for the formed hoses that connect the thermal choke on a '79 Spitfire. Maybe it's because I've been there (behind the counter), but I've never had a problem getting the counter guys to let me do what I want.

Tom Suddard wrote: The Advance near me is full of dicks, but everybody at the Autozone knows me (a few are even old friends from the British Car Club) and reads the magazine, so I can go in the back and just find what I need when I need to. They trust me on returns and core charges, too. I found that as long as you're nice and honest, it's quite easy to endear yourself to the parts people. They also remember all the cars I have, and wear GRM shirts at work. It's nice having that old-timey parts store experience where you're treated like a mechanic, not like a grandmother and you're allowed to just find what you need and leave. Oh, and I usually get a discount. Of course, that might just mean I buy too many auto parts, but whatever.

Bolded part for emphasis. I don't mind, and usually enjoy, helping the guys out with teh wierd one-off's or crazy swaps. Hell, we used to search around for the Sterling guys when I first came here. But when you're a douchenozzle and act like you know more than me, and in reality you're clueless you won't get far. Don't tell me "they're all the same" when I know for damn sure the are not.

My fave were when guys would want SBC parts. "I need some VC gaskets for SBC." They would get the "Center bolt, perimeter bolt, LS, cork or rubber?" That usually led to them telling me what the application was.

Nitroracer wrote: If you NEED a vin, go hit up eBay for something remotely close. They'll never know the difference and don't have a clue anyway.

I go to the online scrap sites and pull them off of scrapped cars. My cars are JDM models and never had VINs.

I went to Oakland to pick up a 1986 Merkur Xr4Ti and drove it back to Texas for my old boss from Motion Dynamics (RIP Jim). I got into Coleman, TX (about 30 mins from where I live now and 3 hrs from Austin where I was heading) and filled up with gas. Walked in to get a snack and came out to the car pissing coolant. Upper radiator hose popped a leak. It was near the middle of the hose so I couldn't just cut and move it. Then I realized I was in a podunk town in a weird ass car and KNEW I couldn't find parts for it. Grabbed a screwdriver out of the tool kit I brought with me and popped the hose off. Hitched a ride to the local NAPA.

I walked in and saw an older parts guy who looked like he knew his stuff and told him I was stranded and what I needed.

He said "Ain't seen one of them in years. Got that Ford 2.3 turbo in it right?"

I said "yup" and we were off! He took me back to the hose area and we started trying to match them up. Found one that was damn close but was a little too long and had another bend in it. He pulled out his pocket knife and cut it where it needed to be and handed it to me.

"Looks damaged to me."

I said, "I need to pay you for this, you're a life saver."

He shook his head and said, "Just pay for the coolant and we're good. You need any tools or anything?" I told him I had it under control and again expressed my concern in just taking a hose. "I run this place, been manager here for 20 years, trust me, you're OK."

I thanked him and took off back to fix the car and continue my trip home.

This is my new favorite thread. I've got nothing to add as I've had surprisingly good service from all our local stores. I try not to be a dick so I just give them the info they need and they sell me what I want. The only issue I ever had was with my SN95. for years all the parts books listed the water pump as the same as the previous Fox cars and you just couldn't get the right part or gasket, but that wasn't the stores fault.

So, please keep the stories coming.

I could leave my 32 hours at a grocery store for 40 at AZ. Thank you for reminding me why I won't.

I do my homework in advance. Walk into the parts shoppe (locally known as Knechts) and when the fellow behind the counter says "what can I help you with" I say I need a master cylinder, Centric number XXXXXX. They start the "Year, Make and model" bit and I give them the part number again. When they look up at me I point to the odd little fiat in the parking lot and they usually sigh in relief, smile and walk to the shelf.

I am told by parts counter guys that american muscle car and hot rod guys are the absolute worst to deal with. They just say things like "it's got a chevy rear end, what do you mean I need to know what it is out of to buy new brake shoes"

The last guy told me that british and italian car owners always tended to come in with part numbers and almost never had to return because of the wrong item.