there are also clueless parts counter people out there.. i found 2 of them within a 5 minute time frame last summer when i was trying to find a store that had a filter and pan gasket for the stock 200-4r overdrive trans in my 84 Regal T Type.. in both cases, they asked what engine i had- i say fuel injected 3.8 turbo. both times, they said that wasn't a stock option.. fine, whatever, i just say 231 V6.. then they ask if i've got the TH200 or the TH350.. i say it's a TH200-4r overdrive. they both say that's impossible and that trans would never fit in that car, let alone be a factory option.
in neither case did i hear the sound of keys being pushed on the computer that they have on the desk- these guys both thought they knew it all.
the third place i called the guy knew exactly what i needed, and asked if it was a GN or a T Type. they had it in stock, and when i picked it up about 1/2 hour later he asked me about the car and if i knew that they only made a couple thousand of them in that year..
then there was the one all knowing parts guy that i was talking to way back when i was gathering parts to put C4 Corvette brakes on the front of my 71 Nova about 10 years ago.. i made the mistake of having a conversation about my car and telling him what i was doing. i asked him to look up brake calipers, brackets, rotors, and pads for a 94 Corvette, and he tells me that he needs to look it up as a 71 Nova to get the right parts. he couldn't grasp why that wasn't the proper way to go about it. .and this wasn't some 16 year old kid- he was at least in his late 20's and had been working at that store for a few years at that point. i honestly think i could have had him searching for hours if i asked him for a water pump for a 65 VW Beetle..
