I spend a lot of time and money at parts stores...and to be honest, it's mainly autozone. The autozone we have here is fantastic...I've been to others that I didn't like as much. They always have the parts I need in stock (including odd-*****), they always have the supplies I need, and they havn't failed me yet. Their employees are great, fairly knowledgeable, always willing to help me, and I never walk out with the wrong parts.

While I agree that autozone has some crappy parts - I am just selective in what I buy there. I won't buy an alternator or starter or similar part like that. I'll buy a hose or a belt, spark plugs, gaskets, oil filters, etc...

While Napa on the other hand bothers me. I would say that on average they have more quality parts, but 9 times outta 10 they have to order them and I can't stand that either. I go into the store looking to walk out with part in hand, its the way I am. Interestingly enough, more napa parts have failed me than autozone parts...and I buy way more autozone parts. I bought motor mounts from Napa to replace the bad ones - within a year they were ripped apart and needed replacement, junk. They don't have as large of a selection of everyday type stuff either, autozone stores are much larger.

I have to say that I'm not a huge fan of Napa...

 

Have a Pep Boys, Auto Zone and O'Reillys within 5 minutes of the house......i drive 15 minutes to go to the closest Napa.Pep boys is fine for oil (on sale) and car wash stuff, Oreilly's about the same. Auto Zone is usless..except if you want to geegaw up your ride. None of the aforementioned have anyone behind the counter that has a clue, period. Ran out of throttle plate cleaner, and hit all three by the house, Pep boys .....blank stare, Oreilly's.....regular berryman.......Auto Zone......Regular berryman and a wire brush

The quality issue is another matter. Pep and Napa have Borg warner, Pb has b/w boxes , napa..echlin. Brakes, most of it is BPI, Pb, raybestos, Napa, United.....Napa has the buying power to demand NAPA packaging...the others choose not to.
Guess the bottom line is , do a little homework, and develop a relationship with your parts guys....and things should go well
Soap box away, rant off

 

Napa has definitely gone down in quality lately. I avoid buying stuff there at all costs, except for maybe antifreeze and oil.

The junk they sell at pepboys and autozone is about 10 times worse in quality. Anybody who puts that crap on their car is NUTS as far as I'm concerned.

 

Sometimes I wonder about what the real differnece is between "standard" and "premium" on rebuilt parts at any major parts store. Seems sometimes the "premium" rebuilt part is actually the same as the "standard" rebuilt part with just a better warranty and a bigger price tag and maybe a fancier box. And warranties are only as good as the fine print, assuming you can still remember what you did with the paper work a year or two later.

JD

 

quality has gone down but customer service hasnt. i bought a carb rebuild kit from them and the power valve was short by about a thread or two and wouldent seat right. took it down there with the metering block showed them and they pulled one off the shelf and handed it to me and i had even forgotten the receipt.

 

from what i understand....standard means they go in & fix what broke & stop, Premium means they fix what broke, replace all "wear items" new regulator / diodes ets. Also...from one of the reps(who shall remain nameless) the Premium units get the better looking cases & castings

 

There's a lot of choice out there. I used to go to NAPA regularly, but since they're sticking with that idiot Michael Waltrip, I go to the competition.

 

and to think.....they did sponsor Tim Wilkerson in an alcohol funny, and let him get away. Ran into him again at the Napa suite at the nationals again....what a class guy. Oh well guess Mikey needs that 8 mil or so, now that he is not with DEI

 

Well from what everyone says it seems like its like the old conversations of witch is better FORD,chevy,dodge,etc.some people have better luck with one and not the other.the good thing is at least we have a choice.THANK GOD FOR AMERICA.

Happy New Year

 

I know in the past,some people have told me to stick with napa.I bought their best starter for my truck and it seemed it crapped out every year almost to the day. After three years I guess my warranty was up,so I bought one off ebay. I haven't had a problem since.Sometimes they will have the oddball part you need when the others don't.Other than that,I don't waste my time.

 

Yea it seems we all have different experiences. I cant stand autozone, I wonder if the people in there know what a voltage regulator is...but im sure there are better autozones out there.

I went to school with a guy that works at advanced auto, he knows everything about anything that has to do with Fords, so I go there sometimes.

Napa always seems to have the parts I need in stock, and the guy whose always working kinda knows me, and he was a mechanic for 15 years before he got tired of turning wrenches. Good customer service too, the guys at the autozone seem in miserable moods all the time.

 

NAPA's premium grade is many times better than the standard, not only in initial core choice(if necessary), but in fit, finish and materials. I used to buy the standard inner tie rod ends for my 86 EXP, and would replace them every 20K miles. When I got tired of this I bought the preium tie rod ends and got over 60K out of them. There is a difference, both in price and quality. I bought a $25.00 starter from AutoZone for my 86 F-150, and whenever it's hot, the starter barely turns the engine over, and sometimes won't turn it over at all. I should have bought the $48.00 starter.

 

my take on this is that most of the old time autoparts stores are gone, now all you have are these big chains like napa that hire kids who just last week were flipping burgers, if the computer says that part fits then end of story, goes something like this " this is the wrong u-joint" click click click ?(sound of keys on computer being pushed) " nope computer says this is it. back in the day the guys behind the counter would actually know something about cars and would off the top of their heads give you the correct part, and yes the part quaility now is terrible as all the parts are made in china!

 

I think your analysis is dead-on correct about the abilities of many who these types of stores sometimes hire. And, unfortunately, it doesn't just stop at autoparts stores. There was a young kid that used to live next to me. I helped him a few times work on his car. I found he had almost zero knowledge of anything about vehicle repair or even basic vehicle maint for that matter. He told me one day he had finally landed a job. It was working on cars at one of the big car lube chains. I could hardly believe it. Another reason to do my own maint and repairs.

JD

 

I remember when the crowd running the autoparts, used the books, instead of the computers. Because they didn't understand them or want to know how to use them. There are knowledgable, good, and bad sales people. I had one that had worked for Montgomery Wards, and when that closed he went to the auto parts store, then I've had kids, who don't know wether there are muffler bearings for your model, they are just working for the discount for stuff, to make their ricer, hipper. I've had parts stores send me the wrong part, because I gave them the right info, but they thought both models used the same parts, (two different engine choices), had them not know how to figure out something, when it is NOT a factory car (hot rod), I've even had a DEALERSHIP parts dept, continually send me the wrong part, due to "that's what the book says". We ended up emailing an image to someone up in corporate, and they had to modify ALL the dealers books, due to a misprint, and send the part from down under (Subaru). I am not a know it all, and realize I am still learning, but the thing that I hate, is when someone helping you, claims to know, just because admitting they don't know is too hard.