i work at a parts store

Epic post res but read through the whole thing. Loving it!

I sold some ignition parts today to an old guy with a genuine 1968 Z/28 with the DZ302!

Grr. I was plumbing the hard brake lines on the new race car this weekend and needed a couple fittings. Since it was a Sunday, the only choice I had was O'Reilly which doesn't pay enough to attract decent talent. When I went in, I saw a grey haired guy, so I was hopeful.

Me: I need a couple of brake fittings. A tee and a coupler, both 3/16 inverted flare.
Him:Blank stare Umm, what is it for?
Me: It really isn't for anything, I'm doing custom lines on a race car.
Him: I don't think we have any brake fittings.
Me: Do you have a section with any brass fittings at all?
Him:Points Maybe in that rack back there.
Me: OK, thanks, I will go have a look.

I long for the days when parts stores payed a decent enough wage to keep car guys around.

When I need brass fittings, I just walk in and ask for the brass fittings box/rack. They're usually more than happy to leave me with them.

Yeah, during the conversation I also asked if they had a bulk fittings area in the back that I could take a look at. I'm not sure if it was the truth or if he just didn't want me looking around, but he told me they didn't keep any fittings in the warehouse area.

At least around me oreillys has by far the best help and the best brass fittings selection

I go to the closest one ALOT. Like know everyone by name , except scary tattoo girl. Now I just mid as I come In and go back to the back are for whatever I'm looking for. Since the only thing I buy parts for are my kids mini dune buggies and the frankenfiat they know to just let me poke around .

One day I walk in and nod and head back to try to find a radiator hose and a I hear "excuse me sir, can I help you". I look and there's some new kid there. The manager walks out and laughs and tells the kid to leave me alone"tha guy will give you nightmares if you try to look up his parts in the computer"

I even talked the manager to come out and autox his new focus st.

Guy comes in this morning and says he needs an idle air control valve for his truck, then starts asking me if it'll fix his truck. I ask if it's dieing at idle or has an erratic idle or an abnormal idle speed. He replies that it idles great, and it cuts out at freeway speeds. I said it's not the IAC valve that would cause that, as it only controls the idle speed, you know, hence the name 'idle air control'.

He says in an irritated manner "that's not what my mechanic says it is!"

Well, good sir, if you've already had a mechanic look at it, why are you asking my opinion on it? You doubted him by asking me, then turned around and defended him when my answer didn't match his.

It just irritates me that he asked for help, then argues the response.

That sounds like conversations with my wife.

I once told her: "You don't want my opinion, you want YOUR opinion in a deeper voice!"

Trans_Maro wrote: That sounds like conversations with my wife. I once told her: "You don't want my opinion, you want YOUR opinion in a deeper voice!"

That's a whole different thread

Trans_Maro wrote: That sounds like conversations with my wife. I once told her: "You don't want my opinion, you want YOUR opinion in a deeper voice!"

bet you learned your lesson huh

Yup!

I was almost as epic as my "So that's what we're going to do today? We're gonna have a fight?" response to the "Does this make me look fat?" question.

I actually like sleeping in the camper in the driveway. It's like going camping but I get free wireless internet.

Shawn

I got a call Tuesday from a young guy obviously driving on his cell phone asking about caliper bolts for a Exploder. No problem, those sliders rust up all the time, plenty on the shelf. Kid comes in, just wants the actual outer bolts. His fell out. After informing him that we don't sell those on their own he finally buys the kits, and promptly walks out to the BERKING EXPLODER!!!

(Yes, he drove to a parts store with two calipers not bolted on)

what's the problem here … he made it ok …

I had a guy ask for camber this morning...

noddaz wrote: I had a guy ask for camber this morning...

I got one bottle left. I actually was saving it for myself, but I'll sell it to you 'cause I like ya, $10, no tax, cash only.

noddaz wrote: I had a guy ask for camber this morning...

Sure, looks like we have some on the shelf in the back...

Today's zinger: Mechanic from the second biggest employer in the county comes in, needs a clutch for one of the service trucks, a 75 K5 Blazer 350. No problem, they all used the same one, got it on the shelf. COmes back an hour later, "it doesn't fit". WTF? He whips out a 28-spline clutch tool and says everything is good but the splines. I whip out the big clutch book, look everything up. Apparently the 1978 only K5 Blazer with a 400 uses a 28-spline that's otherwise the same. Great, the warehouse has one, we get it in and ship it out. Numbnuts comes back at the end of the day, "still doesn't fit, it's got a T-10 swapped in it". Well thanks you berking genius, that kind of information would have been useful!!!

ScottRA21 wrote:

SilverFleet wrote: Quote about customers from "poor countries" that request for the small part inside the part...

Working in a bike shop; been there. I believe it comes down to the simple fact that these guys take grassroots DIY repairs to a whole other level. Where they are from, they'd take anything apart to find the source of the problem, and go find something similar in a junkyard and fix it. Come to North America and the junkyards aren't as accessible, and everything costs $5 to whatever. They know they can fix it with just that one little part, and they know that one little part should only cost them 50 cents or a dollar. I was working at the shop and this guy comes in, middle age fellow, skin as black as burnt tar and with a very, very thick African accent. In his hands, is a bearing race, and a couple of loose balls of odd size. After several minutes of awkward back and forth, calling the boss in, we finally figure out it is the bearing for a SEALED BB CARTRIDGE. These things are designed to never be taken apart. 1 time use. He managed to get it apart without mangling anything apparently, and wanted to fix it. While I totally respect the guy for wanting to fix it, and having a decided dislike of 1 use, disposable items....it gets frustrating when people refuse to accept that you can't sell them that one part that they want.

MA$$hole wrote: We had a guy bring a bicycle into our store yesterday for a tune up. Now I can understand when someone asks if we do oil changes, brakes, etc. but how does one walk into any auto parts store thinking that they do bicycle repairs?

Perhaps Bike shops are giving people bad ideas...? We fixed a lawn mower, a jogging stroller, and an elderly woman's walker...

Man, you joke but in Hungary I could only find alternators in the junk yards (even then it was sketchy). When one went out in my Lada I went to the parts store asking for a new one (and fully expecting to get one). The guy behind the counter probably called everyone he could think of to no avail.

Through the language barrier he made it clear to me that he wanted me to bring the dead alternator in. The dumb SOB replaced the brushes and the voltage regulator right there on the counter and charged me the equivalent of about $10.

In hind sight, I could have done that myself, but I was just so used to replacing the damn things, it never occurred to me.

I put the alternator back in the car, and used it to go pick him up a case of beer. He had my business till I moved back.

not knowing any better .. I did the same thing with my first Honda (1976 Civic) … the alternator went out …

after removing it, I opened it up and saw that the brushes were worn to the backing plate … was actually able to purchase new brushes … soldered them in place, took some emory paper and cleaned the commutator some … reinstalled … all good

I had an older guy in yesterday bitching about new technology in cars and how everything should be like the 60s-70s................................................ He was wearing a Bluetooth ear piece.

Even after reading this thread, and remembering my own years of selling parts, im ztill looking forward to getting out of my career as a clinician and going back to selling parts. Met with O'Reilly on monday and need to meet with the regional prior to getting an offer.

Hell, im already helping other people every time I'm in there. I enjoy it.

Javelin wrote: Today's zinger: Mechanic from the second biggest employer in the county comes in, needs a clutch for one of the service trucks, a 75 K5 Blazer 350. No problem, they all used the same one, got it on the shelf. COmes back an hour later, "it doesn't fit". WTF? He whips out a 28-spline clutch tool and says everything is good but the splines. I whip out the big clutch book, look everything up. Apparently the 1978 only K5 Blazer with a 400 uses a 28-spline that's otherwise the same. Great, the warehouse has one, we get it in and ship it out. Numbnuts comes back at the end of the day, "still doesn't fit, it's got a T-10 swapped in it". Well thanks you berking genius, that kind of information would have been useful!!!

I may have already told this story in this thread, but if I've forgotten then maybe someone else has as well

I had a customer call up, he'd just installed a set of our springs and the car was sitting high in the front. I went through all the usual debugging questions and could not figure out what was going on. Then he asked "does it matter if the engine's out of the car?"

Well, yes. It does.

Keith Tanner wrote:

Javelin wrote: Today's zinger: Mechanic from the second biggest employer in the county comes in, needs a clutch for one of the service trucks, a 75 K5 Blazer 350. No problem, they all used the same one, got it on the shelf. COmes back an hour later, "it doesn't fit". WTF? He whips out a 28-spline clutch tool and says everything is good but the splines. I whip out the big clutch book, look everything up. Apparently the 1978 only K5 Blazer with a 400 uses a 28-spline that's otherwise the same. Great, the warehouse has one, we get it in and ship it out. Numbnuts comes back at the end of the day, "still doesn't fit, it's got a T-10 swapped in it". Well thanks you berking genius, that kind of information would have been useful!!!

I may have already told this story in this thread, but if I've forgotten then maybe someone else has as well I had a customer call up, he'd just installed a set of our springs and the car was sitting high in the front. I went through all the usual debugging questions and could not figure out what was going on. Then he asked "does it matter if the engine's out of the car?" Well, yes. It does.

Last week I had a guy call in rebuilding a Vortec head SBC. No problem, rings and bearings are in stock. He comes in and makes the offhand comment of "man, this is going to run great in my boat!". Wait a minute there dude, did you say boat? Yep. As in it's originally a boat motor with water-cooled exhaust manifolds and all that? Uh, yeah, but all Chevy's are the same. The pistons and rings aren't you dumbass! He's trying to buy $64 8:1 truck rings instead of 11:1 flat-top piston boat rings, which are $170 and special order. WTF man?!? Do people really think that stuff is the same, or do they think they can just substitute whatever and it will still run?

I quite like the O'Reillys down the road. Good selection, 3 miles away, good counter guys, and open until 10.

Javelin wrote:

Keith Tanner wrote:

Javelin wrote: Today's zinger: Mechanic from the second biggest employer in the county comes in, needs a clutch for one of the service trucks, a 75 K5 Blazer 350. No problem, they all used the same one, got it on the shelf. COmes back an hour later, "it doesn't fit". WTF? He whips out a 28-spline clutch tool and says everything is good but the splines. I whip out the big clutch book, look everything up. Apparently the 1978 only K5 Blazer with a 400 uses a 28-spline that's otherwise the same. Great, the warehouse has one, we get it in and ship it out. Numbnuts comes back at the end of the day, "still doesn't fit, it's got a T-10 swapped in it". Well thanks you berking genius, that kind of information would have been useful!!!

I may have already told this story in this thread, but if I've forgotten then maybe someone else has as well I had a customer call up, he'd just installed a set of our springs and the car was sitting high in the front. I went through all the usual debugging questions and could not figure out what was going on. Then he asked "does it matter if the engine's out of the car?" Well, yes. It does.

Last week I had a guy call in rebuilding a Vortec head SBC. No problem, rings and bearings are in stock. He comes in and makes the offhand comment of "man, this is going to run great in my boat!". Wait a minute there dude, did you say boat? Yep. As in it's originally a boat motor with water-cooled exhaust manifolds and all that? Uh, yeah, but all Chevy's are the same. The pistons and rings aren't you dumbass! He's trying to buy $64 8:1 truck rings instead of 11:1 flat-top piston boat rings, which are $170 and special order. WTF man?!? Do people really think that stuff is the same, or do they think they can just substitute whatever and it will still run?

Well, yes, they do. All SBC's are the same, remember? If you ask my Dad, he'll tell you that he would get the same part for his boat at a fraction of the price from the auto parts store versus the "marine" version from the marina. Personally, I don't know, but maybe that's why he was pulling the engine so often he finally got sick of it and sold the boat. That, and he owned it with his neighbor, another stubborn SOB. Not a good formula for working on a boat or being good neighbors.