Slick 60's

I called our local Oreily Auto Parts today and said I needed some parts for my Buick Wildcat. Here is the the jist conversation.

Kid: hello, how can I help you?

Me: hi, I need a distributor cap and rotor for my 63 Buick wildcat.

Kid: ok, we have two options for the cap and they are in stock.

Me: great, how about the rotor?

Kid, let me check. Um, we are only showing drum parts for your car, no rotors.

Me: yes, right, but I need a distributor rotor, to go with the cap.

Kid: oh........, right............, let me look that up........



Really an honest mistake, Just thought it was a little funny.




J

I am just impressed he could go that far back in his computer .



Rick

We called an autozone once asking for a 1947 dodge transmission belt. We asked specifically for the 72" model with 13 teeth. They put us on hold and after about 10 min and several more questions regarding the transmission being a manual or automatic and the motor being a six or eight cylinder, they gave up

On the Orielly's one- Cant really blame the kid. Thats what the retail auto parts companies are hiring now and @ 8 to 8.50 and hour I wouldn't expect to much, I know I have worked for the competitor of the 2 mentioned for 22 years . Its all about the $$$$$$$$$ and not knowledge! Its sad and frustrating

On the second one ask for a water pump or thermostat for a 69 Chevy Corvair ??

I'm starting to think O'reillys is a little more vintage vehicle friendly. I got rear spring bushings there a while back no problem and they actually have some "made in USA" tools on the shelf. I was impressed..

i do not care if they do have computers or automatic butt wipers. in order to work in a parts store its good to know somthing about cars also. and not any i use around here but most ive been in are full of kids with stupid looking hair cuts and most dont even know how to check oil.

*motor*mount* wrote:... and most dont even know how to check oil.

Oh, you mean the 710 cap.

That is great that you found that cap for your 63 Buick at orielys. I went there a couple of months ago to get a water pump for my 65 slick and the guy told me they had no parts for my truck that went back to 65. What what what...? So we sat and went through the years till we found one for an fe block. 70 something. The guy told me they stopped carrying parts for the older models. Which is fine as long as you know the later years that have same parts. Parts stores certainly aren't what they used to be.

[/quote]
Oh, you mean the 710 cap.[/quote]

I shop at an autozone 90% of the time
I try to buy USA made... Though not always possible
Main reason I go there is the guy that runs the place
He drives a 59 shabby he totally restored himself back to bone stock
Yea...
He knows his stuff

Any one of you want to work for $10 an hour?

To get good help they will have to pay $20+ an hour, then the cost of the parts will double.

Its a PITA, but I do my research before I go in there and then walk the guy through the process.

I had some girl tell me that cars do not have drum brakes on the front and everyone knows that.

Another guy says to me that the computer is wrong, it says 4x4 has a different wheel cylinder than a 4x2 and he knows for a fact that they are the same.

Then I had some guy speaking e-bonics and I couldnt understand a word he said. All I heard was yabba-dabba-doo.

We either have to deal with them, or buy a new truck and trade every 2 years.

bmcgc wrote:Any one of you want to work for $10 an hour?

if it was offered to me i would.
its an inside job with very limited manual labor.
im out of slick parts to sell and almost out of $.

Well, your going to have to do something about your appearence. You look like a bigfoot.

I have the best luck locally with the NAPA stores. The guys behind the counter all have grey hair or wide parts, plus they still have the "books". There's one just about a 1/2 mile from my new place so I can make their lives miserable now.

My son has been an asst. manager at the FLAPS (Advance Auto) for a few years now. Comes home just cussing and shaking his head some days. He has customers who will wait in line for him rather than use some of the help. Told him when he first started to learn and use the books.

every part i have ever bought over the counter at auto zone when it was auto shack had to be returned because the part was poor made crap or remanufactord and neither lasted any time at all. the men behind the counter at the napa store know me and my family and one of them used to deliver the news paper to my granparents house when he was a kid. i have never had to return a napa part. and ive had a running slick since 1986. lets all at one time say it. auto zone sucks. sorry if i steped on toes. but i am never going to give them a chance agin. i have installd too many hard to find parts on too many other old vehicals of other pepoles and a few on my 63 and 73 that soon after i put them on i had to replase the part or if i could repair the part. so auto sh*t lost my buisness in 1987.