Most partspeeps will not pass out part numbers to the general public, especially on older vehicles, because experience has taught them not to.

For years, customers with "old rolling piles of misery" have gone to Ford parts counters with lists that could contain as many as "20 wants."

Partspeeps had to take the time to look up all these part numbers and see if they were available, then gave the info to the customers.

How many parts did these customers buy? NEXT TO NONE!

So, the partspeeps wasted time waiting on customers that only wanted the part numbers/availability.

Today, most partspeeps will say OBSOLETE the second the owners of old rolling piles of misery mention the year. Doesn't make a damn bit of difference if the parts are obsolete...or not.

Most partspeeps don't want to bother, because experience has taught them not to. Most partspeeps in today's world know nothing about these old piles, so most just "shine the customers on."

And, most partspeeps in today's world are really computer certified techs. In today's world, when the vehicles specific VIN is typed in the system, ALL the part numbers appear on the screen.

This jazz doesn't work on older vehicles and since most partspeeps don't have to look up much of anything anymore, they cannot help customers with older piles, because...

They have no clue how to look up part numbers for vehicles they know nothing about...I kid you not!

 

Yeah, the situation is very frustrating and as a customer it makes you work to spend your money, which is insane really in today's economy.

That one dealer that had that tailgate on it's shelf was very happy to see the back end of it and probably sold it at cost. If the other dealer didn't shine on the customer, they could have made some money on it as well.

It's a vicious cycle, the more they shine on the customer that it's obsolete when it's not or unavaliable, the less parts Ford sells, then parts that don't sell get obsoleted for real.

It makes you wonder if the older parts are getting obsoleted due to low demand, or if it's the lack of interest of the employee to sell the parts creating low sales.

 

Both situations apply.

Consider: Most parts personnel draw a miniscule monthly salary because they are on commission. The monthly commission check could be as much as 5 figures.

So...why would they want to waste time waiting on peeps that have no intention of buying anything? Most of these peeps are so cheap, they wouldn't pay a nickel to watch an ant eat a bale of hay!

All they really want are the part numbers so they can shop around.

Meanwhile, there are other customers waiting in person and on the phone that have to spend buckaroo's for the parts they require.

When I was working, when customers like this came into the dealership, I usually got stuck waiting on them.

I worked the back (shop) counter, but the front counter clucks didn't wanna bother and were aware that I knew this jazz like the back of my hand, so they got me involved.

I took their lists, said I'd call 'em back with the info...when I had time. Very few walked out, because they realized pretty damn qwik, that they had found a "sucker for punishment."

This same "sucker for punishment" is now doing the same jazz here on FTE, but for free! Take advantage while you can...kiddo's, cuz I'm 67 years old, so...I won't be around forever.

 

The dealer that told me the parts were obsolete has a two or three man parts department, the place looked like a ghost town at 3:00PM. No cars in the shop, no techs at the counter, no phones ringing.
I bought the plugs I needed at a local parts store, had to settle for another brand since no one carried Motorcraft.
I've always preferred to buy local over buying online but lately its been real hard to do so. I've lived in various parts of the country and NJ is the worst I've seen when it comes to finding parts for anything, be it car, truck, boat, or anything mechanical.
There used to be a dealer about 15 miles from me that would order anything, if they didn't have it, they would find it, the one parts guy there was top notch but that dealer is gone and the parts guy they had didn't stay in the business.
The dealer used to stock everything, I even found a set of fenders in stock there for a 71 Mustang back in 1999. They stocked millions in body parts alone.
These dealers today have nothing in stock, and I'd venture to guess they wouldn't have a tailgate in stock for a new truck either, at best it would be a special order.
They do seem to keep a good selection of current electrical parts, brakes, and oil filters for daily shop work but not much more.

I went there looking for a shift **** for my one truck and a set of lug nuts for a Ranger and they had to special order both for the next day. They got the shift **** in but never came up with the lug nuts, I had to go to NAPA for those.

A buddy that works at another dealer about 30 miles from here said they use mostly aftermarket parts for daily repairs unless its warranty. It's easier to just order from NAPA than to stock the parts I guess.

The bad part is that I've been in the market for a new truck, and from what I'm seeing with the local dealers, I'm not sure I care to deal with them at this point.

I did find the tailgate insert listed online with a few dealers and one retailer but the shipping was four times the cost of the $4 part. It seems they all insist on using only UPS for shipping vs. the Post Office.
I'm having a tough time swallowing $12.81 shipping on a part that weighs less than three ounces.

 

UPS visits every dealership on a daily basis, the dealers have charge accounts with UPS, so they don't need to come up with cash to pay the driver.

Meanwhile, the post office could be miles away, so...someone from the parts dept would have to draw petty cash from the office (usually a PITA rigamarole!), then drive to the post office with the package.

And, they're hoping it won't cost more than what they "guesstimated" the shipping costs are, exceeding the amount of petty cash they had to draw from the typical ol' biddy battleaxe of an office manager.

So, what would you do if you were in this biz? Use UPS because it's convenient, or waste time dealing with the battleaxe and driving to the post office...that might be nearby, might not be?

 

I deal with the post office 5 days a week for smaller items, they pick up on call and save me thousands of dollars over UPS every year.
I gave up on UPS after the ratio of delivered to damaged packages became an issue. I use FedEx on larger items, they can pickup or I drop off larger items on occasion.
I'd guess that a hinge bushing would ship for under $2 First Class mail and it would get delivered days ahead of UPS. I've had First Class envelopes beat Priority Mail packages to their destinations.

From a business stand point or not, would you want to pay $12.81 shipping on a 3 ounce part that costs $4?

Also, the parts guys here are on a union scale, they get hourly parts counterman rate plus 5% commission. When I last checked, the local parts rates ranged from $12 to $18 per hour plus commission. That was over 10 years ago. I turned down a chance to go to work at a Ford dealer back then since there was not much chance of advancement over the hired rate. Your rate was determined by both ASE certification and Ford Parts Certification. None of that seems to exist today? One dealer locally is advertising for a counterman at a $15.85 starting pay per hour plus commission. Which with benefits don't seem all that bad considering that a flat rate tech is only making $18-21 per hour and he has tools and uniforms to pay for. I'm sure the parts guy makes more in the end.
I'm not a professional tech and I spend more than $8K every year on the Snap On truck.

The average parts guy these days in a dealership don't seem to know parts or the vehicles they fit. The dealers don't seem to care whether they do or not, they just want cheap help with a computer degree.
The computer system the dealers use here isn't anything very modern, its no different than what was around in the late 90's. I'd venture to guess they haven't even upgraded the terminal yet. One dealer still had to go to the microfiche machine to look up the part. Their computer system don't go back that far.
My guess is that the guy that told me '99' meant obsolete may well have been flipping burgers last week at his old job. It seems that's the level of help they seem to hire these days.

The part that gets me most is that I buy a lot from that dealer, over the years I've bought 12 vehicles new, four used, and thousands of dollars in parts there.
The way I see it, they just threw any future sales away over a $4 bushing.
I find it hard to believe, whether its obsolete or not, that they couldn't locate one for me. If someone on here can find more than one listed, why can't the local dealer?

 

Good points.

Give the Parts Manager at that dealer the URL to this thread and ask him/her.

 

Someone on here has nothin' better to do, has plenty of time on his hands, cuz he's retired.

Is sitting on his backside in his family room at a 1900 Mission oak table with every 1928 thru 2001 Ford parts catalog on microfiche, CD's and bound paper close at hand. Has access to two parts locator sites.

Meanwhile, parts clucks in dealerships are waiting on customers, answering phone calls, haven't the time to search for obsolete parts that a person...that once they learn the prices...may not want to buy.

So, take advantage...while you can, of the someone that will take the time, because he cares about old rolling piles of misery, has owned over 300 of 'em, has 35 years of Ford parts experience, been in this hobby since 1956.

 

I'd buy the part about some parts cluck in the dealership if the phones were ringing or if there was anyone else in the place but me at the time, the shop was empty, the phones were silent, and the parts manager and counter guy were sitting there discussing football. I don't think it's a matter of money, its more likely a case of a parts staff that don't care if they sell parts or not.
They know me, they know I spend money there. I didn't tell him to look up the part and give me a price, I asked for the part, if he didn't have it, could he find it, the answer was "NO, its an obsolete number", and "Not a single dealer shows one". Several other dealers I called with the number that dealer gave me went no farther than saying that they didn't have it and it's no longer available. Since the local dealer don't have it, the next closest is an hour away or more. After that I have to search into PA and DE. I'm about an hour from Philadelphia here, two hours from the dealer in Reading that shows it. Too far to be within parts driver range for a local dealer to grab one if they would look and find it.

Since that insert also fits Ranger trucks from the 80's, its even harder to figure why the part got obsoleted, there's a ton of those still on the road too, maybe even more than there are F series from '85-'86.

 

Make copies of posts #7 .. #9 and #11, then take them to the Ford Dealer, show them to that lying sack of s**t parts cluck and to the parts manager.

I wish I could be there...to see what their reactions and excuses will be.

 

I totally understand that viewpoint. I wouldn't want to buy a new vehicle from a place that had employees that I preceived that they were lying to me either.

Lack of sales of the part. For a possible reason look at post #16, 17 and 18.

Granted that this part doesn't really need to be replaced often, unless you buy a new tailgate, (the old ones are impossible to remove without some type of damage to it).

Even telling you that 99 in that part number was lie or a case of incompetence.

I agree with Chris and Bill, and if you go down to your dealer to confront them, I'd take this part number with you as ammunition against that 99 being obsolete claim. 2008-2012 superduty tailgate: 8C3Z-9940700-A

 

Take a coupla more Styleside taligate part numbers along, just for sheets and giggles, that'll frost their tallywackers!

C4TZ-9940700A ~ 1964/66 F100/250 2WD, 1966 F100 4WD / C7TZ-9940700-A ~ 1967/72 F100/350 / D3TZ-9940700-A ~ 1973/79 F100/350.

 

Hey Thanks NumberDummy,
I just called the Cain Ford dealer in Cornelia, GA. He said he still had the tailgate in stock and I could have it for $250. I gave him my name and phone number, and he said he would hold it for me. I told him it would be about two weeks until I could get up there to get it. He said that would not be a problem. I asked my wife some time ago about replacing the tailgate, which has a dent and some rust issues. She said she did not want one without the "FORD" written on the back of it. I told her it would be about double the price, and she said that she would rather have one that said "FORD". I just told her about this one and she said we could get it. My truck is in the shop waiting on parts to get an alignment right now. When I get it out of the shop, I will take a day off and go get me a new tailgate for my "85 F150. Thanks again NumberDummy, you do an awesome job on here.

 

Don't forget the hinge insert E3TZ-99430B22-B as it will be needed for the new gate if you cant get the old one out of your old tailgate in one piece.

 

I was thinking of doing just that, but their closed today, its a holiday for the parts and service dept. there.

I'll do one better and send them to the owner of the dealer including a note as to why I'll be buying the next truck elsewhere this summer.