That True Value is the best!!! I have an Ace Hardware within 1/4 mile of the house. They're OK and pretty friendly, but if I need anything special or out of the ordinary I go to the True Value!
I also shop at that independent butcher shop. They have some of the best Carne Adovada and home made tortillas around!

Bobby

 

Same here, the last Mom and Pop (actually 2 brothers) is owned by Bumper to Bumper now. Kind of a bummer.

 

Even around here there are still a few hold outs........Baums auto supply in mission viejo, El Toro meat market in lake forest, no real family hardware stores.....the one thing I REALLY miss is my old locksmith guy, now I have to learn how to re key or repair cylinders on 30's-40's cars/trucks because I don't trust anyone.

 

My story a few years ago was when I went looking for radiator hoses to fit my truck. I made up wire forms of what I needed and checked first my one remaining independent and then carquest going through their hose section, no luck, then I thought I should try the Advance Auto nearby. I went to the counter and holding up the wire forms asked if I could go through what they had in the back. The young counter guy asked, what does it fit? I responded that I really needed to go through what he had. With hands poised at the keyboard, he repeated, what does it fit? I responded this time with "49 Ford truck, 383 sbc and 75 Dodge truck radiator", what have you got? At that point he said, let me take you to the back. In the end they had the best selection and had what I needed.
However, for the future I asked what does it fit. In this modern computer age he was not able to look backwards given his part number to determine application, amazing!

 

I did the same thing with my upper hose. When I finally answered the kid asking the "what does it fit" question he had no idea where to begin when I answered 49 Ford Truck, Dodge radiator, Caddy engine.....LOL. Thankfully the manager was close by and let me have the run of the racks. I even spent some extra time putting all the mistocked hoses back in the right bins.

Bobby

 

Wow, same here. When i built franken hose for the top radiator hose the local NAPA store up by the shop just said come on back and let me know if you find what you need. They were great to work with.

I guess it is just a hit or miss kind of thing when you go in for parts. Once I find a good place I stay there as much as I can as i want them to know me. It helps for service. I was back at my regular parts place and one of the guys turned and said you again? i told him to check the time cards. Knowing the manager doesn't hurt.
jim

 

Bobby,
After your post I decided to do an online application check given the part number on the upper hose which was (D)71428. It came up as a 1999-2000 Cadillac Escalade with a 350. Should be right for you with your Cadillac power!

 

Another story of a dumazz guy at the parts store.
So after I get off work at 6 am my.... !!!gulp!!!..wife tells me that she is going to Las Vegas to do some shopping with her girl friend and the kids and asks me if I need anything.
I forgot to ask her to buy a Ballast Resistor for my truck so after she left I sent her a text asking if she could pick a ballast resistor for a 350 gm engine,I told her that it was a little square with 2 electrical ends for some cables.
When she gets back to town she hands me a little box with a rubber gasket and 4 screws so I asked her what the heck she ask for.
She said she didnt know how to pronounce the part so she showed the text message to the IDIOT behind the counter,a young guy.
He told her that he knew what part it was but they were out of stock.
He also said that I didnt write the part name correctly,so she asked him if he could print the part number and picture so she could get it a another location.
She went to another autozone and handed the sheet and the guy behind the counter handed the part.
The IDIOT gave her the number for a "COIL RESISTOR"...

 

I think it'd be a good idea to keep a log of the part numbers you use for future reference. Next time you can ask for a hose for a 2000 Escalade & avoid confusing the little guy behind the counter. I had to laugh at the amazed look on the faces of the guys at O'Reilly's when I asked for an oil filter for my 1955 Ford tractor. I had the filter number & they had it in their computer. I don't think any of the guys had ever seen a cartridge oil filter.

 

Hate to say it, but a Ballast Resistor really is a Coil Resistor; but I don't understand how she ended up with a "little box with a rubber gasket and 4 screws" ???

 

ok i might be the one messing up.but i ended up wit a brush set.

 

Ok, so I'm dragging up a old thread..... BUT I found out something very important on these parts counter places the other day.

Every time I go to a place like this for something "common" (this time it was a thermostat), I say 1948... they say "uh computer says we have NOTHING, we have no parts for your truck sir, sorry". And then I'm either down to knowing the part number myself (as many of you have taken to) or hoping to find a knowledgeable type who knows Ford used the same part in '48 and in '72 and will dig a little.

I had a 17 yr old kid help me the other day and this is what he relayed. (This kid paid attention during orientation)

Some bean counter drew the line at 1964 - anything before that and the cross reference was not loaded into the computer. But by franchise rules the stores have to have the BOOKS (those musty things made of paper).

Pull out the paper book, 1 minute lookin, bam here's the thermostat you need - I have 9 in stock, fits Ford from 1916-1996. (no typo, 1996)


So if you go to (pretty much any chain) and they can't find it in the computer, ask em to bring out the book - ole hardback... The info is there, they have the part, they are just trained to use the computer.

Napa seems to be one exception, they have a ton more loaded into the computer - but there are things not loaded into their computer I've found...
Oreilly, Autozone, Advanced Auto.. I've found this to be true at every parts place I have gone since.
Anyhow, 1 sentence synopsis: "Skip the computer, have the part jockey get the paper book out."

 

When I went in to a chain auto parts store looking for a radiator cap the first thing they asked was "what car is it out of?" I explained that my F1 is a hot-rod, so knowing the vehicle doesn't really work. I told him it's a 1951 Ford F1, the engine is a 1973 Chevy 307, and the radiator is from an old Mopar truck. I showed him the cap and asked him to look up the part number of the old stant cap. He said they didn't make it anymore and he couldn't help me. Ten minutes later I called him with the replacement stant part number (that took me two minutes to cross reference on the web) and he said he could order one. If it isn't in their computer under a specific make, model, and year, they usually can't find what you need. What I think is worse though, is the replacement mentality of todays "auto technicians". I was told at the dealer that I needed a new harness for my rear tail lights (on my daily driver) because one of the brake lamps didn't work. ($55. part plus labor)... I passed on the offer and found a similar socket from an old motorcycle tail light I had in a parts box in the back of the garage, took the old one apart and soldered the new one in place. Twenty minutes and zero dollars later it was fixed... not replaced.

Wally

1951 F1 - "Lucille"

 

NAPA is not immune, there's one counter guy at my local NAPA who won't get off his big butt to look in a book. If he can't see it on his computer he won't go find it anywhere else. I can avoid him if I go into the store in person. I make a bee line toward man looking girl behind the counter, she has dragged out dusty parts catalogs to try to match parts for my trucks and car. I can't avoid the lard butt if I call to see if they have the part. The last time I called about spring shackle bolts for my F-2 I told him the NAPA web site said they had the parts at their warehouse but I had to call the store to verify. It took him half a second to tell me the web site was wrong all of the time and if he had to order them they would cost more for shipping than the cost of the parts. I knew who I was talking to so I just said "Fine" and hung up. I ended up ordering them Classic Haulers in OH and had them in a couple of days. I like to buy local whenever possible but if I can get better service three states over I'll go there.

 

Far as chain auto parts stores go i use O'RALLYS they are cheaper by at least 10 bucks on costly items. They all have people working in there that was working at burger king last month. Calling these guys is a waste of your phone mins. Heck i take the bad parts with me when i can, so they get a mental pic. I'm lucky cause the small town i live in ain't big enough to have a chain store so the local parts store has stayed in business[OLD SCHOOL NAPA] but he don't stay open late or sundays .