I'm replacing the front left spring on my F-2. The shackle bolts are worn on the one side and I figure if on one side the other side can't be any better.

I wanted to buy local and I figure a spring shackle bolt has to be somewhat generic and wouldn't be a big problem. I called two of the local auto spring businesses in my area. One didn't really seem to care to help the other was kind enough to call back and tell me they could order them for, get this, $42 a piece, just for the bolts. He said they used to stock but they were out of them.

NAPA had them listed on their web site for $16 for a kit, one bolt, bushing, castle nut, Zerk fitting and cotter pin. Not a bad price. The web site said to call the store so I called. The counter guy told me the web site lies and the warehouse doesn't have them and if he ordered them it would cost more for freight than the cost of the part.

When I started looking I found Mac's had the parts. The bolt and castle nut for $5.50, bushing $3.55 each. They have an entire kit for around $80 which consists of all six bolts, four bushings, castle nuts, Zerk fittings and cotter pins. Not a bad price but I only needed the four smaller bolts and bushings. My longer bolts are good, I can reuse the Zerk fittings and I have a box full of new cotter pins. I ordered my parts from Mac's, even with shipping Mac's was the best price. LMC was a little higher and Carpenter was between the two. I do have a local reproduction parts dealer who's about 30 miles away but when I called he didn't seem too interested and I've dealt with him in person, just kind of rubs me the wrong way. If I had him ship the parts he would have charged as much as Mac's.

I usually have pretty good luck finding a local vendor who carries parts for my old trucks and they are usually cheaper, especially if I can drive over and pick the part up and save shipping. I also like the fact that I can have the part that day. But I guess sometimes it's just easier and cheaper to order on line.

 

Fortunately for me Dennis Carpenter is local. Might not always be the cheapest but they are easy to work with and I like the fact I can go pick it up and have it the same day.

 

You're lucky there. I pretty much washed my hands with DC when I was sitting there with a list of my item numbers placing an order with one of those "ladies" and she questioned the number I was giving her. I looked down at the catalog and confirmed it while I said something like "yeah it's there on page 36 of your catalog....". She immediately snapped my head off and almost angrily told me that they didn't have the catalog and could only take item numbers on the toll-free line. I kind of paused and said "Okay, let me get this straight, you are taking catalog orders, but you don't have a copy of the catalog at all?" I just politely thanked her and hung up the phone. Life is too short to deal with rudeness like that. That was over a year ago. Since then, I've learned that places like Classic Haulers, Mid-fifty, Hot Rod's, Early Ford, etc. are much better to deal with.

But I agree with Bob, a little diligence will usually get you the part locally (especially brake parts).

 

For these specific items, I'd bet a (big) truck suspension/spring shop would stock them, but they would have to match them most likely. I'm curious, did you try JobLot? They are usually pretty good.

I'm all for local too, why make UPS rich? Personally, I think it would only be fair if someone collected taxes on all on-line purchases. How else can local guys compete?

 

A lot of the Big parts houses have gone to the call center type operations - The call takers may be servicing 4-5 or more business;s that day - These people have as much knowledge of the product that they are servicing as an ant would
My Stepdaughter was working in one at the age of 15, Yes I signed the papers so that I had to deal with her for fewer hrs per day - She would take a call, punch in a number on the computer and the business information would come up on the screen and Ka-Pow she was an expert. - The one possible good thing was that she spoke english

 

One of the reasons I don't usually deal with my local reproduction parts guy is his attitude, he's kind of condescending with you talk to him face to face, like you're taking up his time. The guy he bought the business from was even worse. There is another vendor about 75 miles away but he's a really nice guy but he's living in the stone age. Doesn't have an internet presence at all, only takes order over the phone and he's difficult to get on the phone. He's pretty much retired and goes to a few swap meets where I'll buy from him. Unfortunately, I need to have my truck up and running by this weekend. The big swap meet is the weekend after.

Ross,

I like Joblot but their web site is very inadequate, no catalog, no way of ordering on line. Not that I wouldn't use them just a lot easier and faster to go to Mac's. I need the parts ASAP.

Dick,

My wife worked in a call center for a mortage company. There were people with real problems with the house they were living in and the majority of the call center reps either didn't know what they were doing or didn't care. My wife was one of the ones who cared. She reallized the call could be life changing for most of the caller. If she didn't have an answer she went out of her way to find it for the caller. Unfortunately, the upper management thought numbers were more important, the number of calls handled in a night. She constantly good reviews but was docked because her numbers weren't up there.

 

I try to buy what I can from Chuck. He's a distributor for Job Lot and sells at their prices. Plus, buying from somebody in the hobby you can commonly get NOS parts instead of repop stuff. Plus you get his technical know how that you won't get from the part timer at the catalog houses. Stu

 

That's good to know!

 

I absolutely do not tolerate that. I do not treat my people that way, and I did not go to school for 23 years to have somebody else treat me that way. I don't care who it is. They should give and receive respect until they prove otherwise. All of us have our little areas of expertise in this world. I can make most anybody feel like a fool with a few 64 dollar words and phrases, and I'm sure they could do the same to me. But it's not needed. To me the definition of a fool is somebody who has attitude trying to sell something.

Now who exactly is "Chuck"? Are you talking about the FTE member?

 

Sorry, Chuck Mantiglia of Chuck's Trucks. Here's his site. Stu

Chucks Trucks LLC., Chuck's Trucks, Chucks Trucks

 

(rant)

I've been dealing with this motorcycle shop here in town for 30+ yrs, used to be run by the father, now run by the son (for the last 25 yrs). They are the only local source for old Triumphs. They have a bike boneyard that would be worth a fortune if they ever bothered to inventory, dismantle, and eBay the stuff. But instead it is just thrown out in the back 40, in the sun and rain and snow. They won't let anyone browse without the owner accompanying you. They are mighty proud of the stuff, too.

The owner is the main mechanic, a real nice guy, and also the only one who knows where any of their NOS parts are squirreled away (the place is a pigsty). But he's generally busy working on bikes. His wife runs the front office, none of which is computerized in any respect. So you call to check on a part, she says "you need to talk to Xxxxx and he's busy". How much is it, if you have it? "Dunno". I'm really not clear what use she is, but she's also pretty "curt", to put it politely. In 25 years she hasn't learned a single part name, or where the stuff is, etc.

The shop is now 20 miles away from me, so not as "local" as it used to be, it takes me 45 minutes to get down there. Their hours are short and not at all useful to people who work for a living. So I've abandoned my support for local business in this case, and order off the internet, if at all possible.

Just as with Bob's local source, some people are just not cut out to be in business.

 

im going to carlisle show on the 29 and wondering if anyone can tell me if any of the parts suppliers offer any good deals if i order parts and pick them up there. Im building a 51 f1 need all the rubber parts and window trim and interior. also looking for vintage air electric wipers and A COMPLETE BOLT kit any suggests would be great thanks I have not been to us for parts so dont know what to expect but i dont like the shipping rates to canada.

 

My experience, and from what I've read from others, most of the dealers are more than happy to bring the parts you want to shows to save you the cost of shipping. Just give them a call ahead of time. You have to give them enough time so they can pull the parts from inventory, remember they are already rushing around trying to organize the items they normally plan to bring with them.

 

I use Mac's exclusively whenever I can't find the part locally cheaper or if I don't need it right away. Last year when I was getting ready to get my 52 back on the road, I made a spreadsheet with all of the parts that I needed. The vendors included Sacramento Vintage Ford, DC, Mac's and LMC. Mac's had the majority of the parts that I needed and was the most cost effective. Sacramento Vintage Ford was the most expensive (even before CA sales tax, which I still had to pay on an internet order since I reside in CA). DC came in as the second most expensive. Although LMC was the cheapest, they only had about 50% of what I needed and I didn't want to order from two separate vendors. My order came in about a week after I placed the order. The Mac's rep even called me when a decal was on backorder and asked me if I wanted them to ship everything available now or wait to ship until everything was ready. The same happened when I ordered a timing chain from them. Since their vendor had the chains on backorder, I ordered one from the local NAPA store at twice the price of Mac's.

 

It's funny, everyone seems to complain about the McParts auto stores with their know nothing counter help. Well, my NAPA store is going down the same sewer. The manager, who is I think must be in his early to mid 50s can tell you the number of almost any part in the store just by listening to what you need or showing him a worn part. He's amazing but unfortunately, he's usually so busy he doesn't tend the counter much. That leaves Jim, he's got to be one of the most uninspired counter people I know. He won't get off his chair to look in an old catalog and his favorite shoot from the hip answer is "We don't have it." Most of the other counter help isn't much better. If I'm lucky I get one of the two girls behind the counter. At least they'll go through a few screens on the computer and if they can't find it that way they'll walk over and grab one of the dinghy paper catalogs. Unfortunately, I seem to always get Jim when I call in. If I go in person I head for anyone else but Jim even if he's the only one open. I'll wait to get some one else.

BTW, my NAPA store usually can get most of the parts for about 10-15% cheaper than places like Macs or my local reproduction parts dealer, that's why I was suprised I couldn't get the bolts from them. I have a sneaky suspicion if I had gone in person and talk to any other counter person than Jim they would have found them for me. Jim was pretty quick in giving me the "We don't have them", answer when I called. Oh well they lost a sale.