NAPA vs Other parts stores.

[soopernaut]

Seems like the consensus is that having experienced, knowledgeable guys/gals behind the counter, and not 17 yr olds who only think they know it all, is money in the bank.

Unless, of course, more money is made on pine tree air "freshners" and car wax.

The old guys won't be around forever. Do you really expect a 17 year old working in an auto parts store to know anything about Sweptline parts? I'd say most of them have never even seen a Sweptline. We are a minority here driving these trucks. I would say do your homework first and get the part number if you can find it, also bring in the old part if possible. If you really have a problem with the younger people working in the store not being able to find a nearly obsolete 40 year old part it is probably that they don't get asked for this part on a regular basis and they have not been TRAINED on finding this part if it is not in the computer. Proper training goes a long way. Now if it is a bad attitude that is a different situation.

I don't really have much experience dealing with parts stores so I can't comment on how they compare. I did see the Napa parts delivery guy driving a Toyota Yaris. That is one thing I look at too, what brand of delivery vehicles does the parts store use and do these vehicles support the US economy or some foreign economy. They might not have as much control over where the parts they supply are manufactured but they do have control over the vehicles they buy.

[712edf]

I don't knock the youth for being ignorant about 40yr old trucks, I don't know anything about flatheads or any of the pre WWII stuff. If their atitude is good, I'm likely to return unless the part turns out to be junk.

Bucky

[nfury8]

I agree with Bucky, one of the Advances I go to has a young guy that is really into rice rockets and
last gen Firebirds. He knows nothing about Mopars, he has some wild ideas, many are just wrong.
But he will dig and let me dig. He is at least a gear head. The guys I tend to have trouble with simply
aren't gear heads. None of the parts stores I frequent have employees that know Mopars, of any
body or era. The good ones at least understand I need the part and that it probably is out there,
somewhere, it just needs found. I don't expect the guys to know everything about every vehicle,
but I do expect them to passionate about some aspect of automobiles and put in a good effort.
The O'Reilly I frequent the most has a guy that has his own private collection of manufacturers parts
books and connections. The other employees don't touch his books! I had to get his permission
and promise to leave them as I found them to access them! He will call and dig and find me stuff
in places that O'Reilly doesn't normally buy from.

The people make a big difference, the dealers are a prime example. Some Dodge dealers still have
the old paper books, other don't. The one dealer in my area that didn't close, was my least favorite.
Their main counter kid would run me through year, make, model, color BS for a 727 pan gasket!
Same gasket number for over 30 yrs! Luckily the commercial guy from my favorite dealer came over
after the closings. Brent really knows his stuff, I have bought several things from him directly and
been to his house a couple times. Unfortunately he his usually busy. Last time I was there while the
kid was pecking the computer I heard Brent holler from the back, "Wait, I got it". And pull the part
off the shelf and bring it up, just based on me saying 727 pan gasket.

For those that don't know, the Mopar 727 pan gasket is the best available hands down, and isn't that
expensive! It still uses the original 1960's part number! They kept the number, but have refined
the design several times over the years. It is also reusable.

[Hewy]

Hay we were all young at one time. I think what we are saying here. Not that these guys are younger and have never seen our trucks, it's their attitude. Do some digging please, I am a customer come on.
The counter man I deal with at my Napa store is young, a whole lot younger than me. He thinks and asks me intelligent car related questions. Never got a dear in the headlight stare!
Now what's this I hear about Wix ????

[behindthebadge]

I have moved around within Arkansas a few times and I've had a few old cars before and I find that NAPA generally has more parts available for the older stuff. Example, twenty plus years ago I owned a 1950 Packard - the NAPA guy had at least heard of the brand and could get some parts for the car. Other stores, when you go in and talk to the pimple-faced kid at the counter and tell him you have a Packard, he thinks you are talking about a computer.

The '67 Ford I had and totally rebuilt, all the parts came from NAPA. They were not the cheapest, but they had it all - or could get in in a few days and it just seemed like better quality stuff.

My current project is a '67 Dodge D100. When I start buying things such as hoses, belts, etc. I am going to give my local NAPA first crack at it, although this local store is not the most friendly atmosphere.

Randall
Ozark, AR

[kksmamma]

for me the nearest napa is 40 miles away where as the others are 2 blocks away.But did order my heater valve from napa had best price and since it was something i didnt need right away.

[mopardwh]

I wanted to stop at Napa yesterday only to find they had closed the doors for good. No more Napa here.

[cudaboy]

Personally, sometimes I miss the old parts houses, and I always miss the old parts men. Wait,.....that didn't sound right ! LOL You walked into a not so flashy, block building, told the guy behind the counter what you were working on, and he knew , without looking, exactly what you needed. He didn't have a computer, so he didn't have to ask you a bunch of questions like what color your car is, to know what part number you needed. He had some books on the counter. But he'd done this so long that he didn't have to go to it very often.

[712edf]

Personally, sometimes I miss the old parts houses, and I always miss the old parts men. Wait,.....that didn't sound right ! LOL You walked into a not so flashy, block building, told the guy behind the counter what you were working on, and he knew , without looking, exactly what you needed. He didn't have a computer, so he didn't have to ask you a bunch of questions like what color your car is, to know what part number you needed. He had some books on the counter. But he'd done this so long that he didn't have to go to it very often.

I liked the fat guy behind the counter who hadn't had a haircut (or bath maybe) in quite a while, usually he had a phone receiver on each shoulder & pencil above his ear, possibly burnt cigar hanging from his lips. He knew more about your part than you did before it hit the countertop, could identify it visually as easily as a momma spotting her child on a basketball court. Often never touched the parts book, just walked back there in (heaven) somewhere & emerged with exactly what you need. And if you didnt have your old broke part with you, he could take your vague pitiful description & come up with its new counterpart within moments, w/o all the useless interrogations.

Bucky

[carnuck]

Corporate napa seems to want to swallow up the Mom and Pop stores where they make money, then get frustrated when they can't make money the corporate way. I worked for them quite a while and discovered that who rings up the sale is what counted and not the service behind the sale (finding out what the customer needed the first time rather than just play cashier, even when you knew they were barking up the wrong tree, and going the extra mile to find the right part) Some employees even went so far as to void other's big sales so they could rebill them under accounts. I often wonder if they pocketed the difference too. Totally dog eat dog.
Now I work at a non-corporate store and they appreciate that when the computer says the wrong thing fits or there isn't a listing, I can grab the part and eyeball it for a match or even spot an OEM part number to cross reference. I think it was dumb to take away the "report a missing part or incorrect number" link in the system. So many older parts are coming up obsolete now and they don't link to the replacement number or a similar part. They are relying too heavily on the automatic reordering system and it doesn't know to look for similar items. Sales were lost many times when regular everyday items would be sold out and not restocked for several weeks or months.
Many of the "Help!" rack items go away with no replacement. If there was a "cloud" of parts suggestions, especially from customers and long time employees of items that would and stuff that wouldn't sell (like the $50 "I'd rather be golfing" license plate frame) And the warehouse not running out of everyday items (antifreeze and snow chains before winter hits or popular wash and wax stuff half the summer)
It seems more than half the special (not in stock) items end up coming from warehouses on the far side of the country (c'mon! How many Fargos are left in Maine anyways?) or outside suppliers for less than the cost from our warehouse?

[cudaboy]

Dang Bucky ! I think we're talkin' about the same guy !!!!

[sweatybetty]

i used to deal with napa quite often. a couple of knowledgeable guys that would bend over backwards for you, and usually had what you needed on the spot. last time i was in there, (3+ years now) i needed a foglight relay. told the guy what i was doing and what i wanted. no problem he says and finds the relay, and he is positive its the right one. seems it was $30-35. turned out it wasnt right, and he wouldnt exchange it. so, no more napa for me. now i use carquest. some stuff takes them overnite to get, but i have never had a wrong part or problems just returning something.

[Hobcobble]

i used to deal with napa quite often. a couple of knowledgeable guys that would bend over backwards for you, and usually had what you needed on the spot. last time i was in there, (3+ years now) i needed a foglight relay. told the guy what i was doing and what i wanted. no problem he says and finds the relay, and he is positive its the right one. seems it was $30-35. turned out it wasnt right, and he wouldnt exchange it. so, no more napa for me. now i use carquest. some stuff takes them overnite to get, but i have never had a wrong part or problems just returning something.

Find the name of the district manager. This person would likely rectify
the situation.
John

[MrMopar]

I tend to go to the NAPA first simply because they do not need to know the year make model engine trans... just to get wiper blades (refills).
The local NAPA is Mopar friendly and doesn't say "who make that" when I say 67 Barracuda or 69 Polara.
Last time I was in there I needed a thermostat gasket, he just went upstairs and got one, didn't even need to look it up.

One thing I wish all places would do is have a database of your vehicle profiles, they already know who you are by your phone number either for special orders or warenty items.
Basicaly it could rember that you have a 67 Barracuda with 73 disc brakes and a 5.7 Hemi (not that I have that, my Barracuda is Stock, all 67, 273-4).

Alan

[Seff]

I tend to go to the NAPA first simply because they do not need to know the year make model engine trans... just to get wiper blades (refills).
The local NAPA is Mopar friendly and doesn't say "who make that" when I say 67 Barracuda or 69 Polara.
Last time I was in there I needed a thermostat gasket, he just went upstairs and got one, didn't even need to look it up.

One thing I wish all places would do is have a database of your vehicle profiles, they already know who you are by your phone number either for special orders or warenty items.
Basicaly it could rember that you have a 67 Barracuda with 73 disc brakes and a 5.7 Hemi (not that I have that, my Barracuda is Stock, all 67, 273-4).

Alan

oreilly's is pretty good if you go there often. the one i go to has a few guys that are pretty good with cars. but most of all, i like the life time warranties, those are a life saver.

[Cris]

One more thing about the 'kiddies' working in stores these days, not just auto parts stores.
Some of them couldn't even find the remote starter relay for my truck in their database....
Kept pulling up photos of the ignition tumblers and mumbling 'this it'.??
Ummm, no it's not.

[chilort]

It is so store specific it isn't even funny. The NAPA stores where I am are flat out terrible. We even have a regional distributor (this is Atlanta afterall) and they can't find their rear end with both hands and a map. The NAPA in my home town is wonderful. Even the young guys behind the counter know what they are talking about. It seems more like you have to go to a store where the people in the area/community are actually WORKING on stuff and not just sending it to the local shop to have it all done.

Many of my local "other parts stores" aren't very good either. If it isn't wiper blades or a quart of oil they just don't know what to do. I used to go to one of the local stores nearly daily while I was trying to keep my '86 Daytona on the road long enough for me to finish college. I would see the same store manager every time and he was wonderful. He'd let me dig through the boxes and all kinds of stuff to find what I needed. Then one of his parents got ill and he moved to be near them (he was already an older gentleman so I can only imagine the age of his parents). With the new store manager it didn't matter how much I came into the store he was just always worthless. He often worked the checkout too so I saw him nearly every day. I got so tired of telling him "no, I don't need fuel system cleaner" every time I checked out I started going to a different store (same company though). The hard sell on the fuel system cleaner, hand towels, hand cleaner, etc just never stopped. And it only seems like it is that specific store. I went in there the other day for the first time in about a year (it was on my way to somewhere else) and it was the same story.

RockAuto.com these days for the parts I can find there. Otherwise I head to one of those other stores and pray.