NAPA vs Other parts stores.

[712edf]

Yes.That is exactly the problem. Napa also shows the correct 2041filter,but it is the second choice.Which would be better,to be sold a filter that is too short,and never know until the engine is wore out(or until you see dirt inside the houseing) or sell one that fits correctly? I see this as a HUGE PROBLEM, for us Sweptline owners with318s, that needs corrected.I know for a fact that the 2041 is correct for the 1967 ,1968 trucks.I think that the 2020 is for later years or cars.

Thanks for asking,
Doug

I have learned over the years that it is best to be armed to the hilt with knowledge about my vehicle when purchasing parts. The counter guys are usually generalist, meaning they have a certain amount of knowledge about ALL or at least MOST automobiles, which is fine for them and the company they represent. But I am concerned about MY vehicle, so I do the homework before entering the store. I am there to BUY a part that I need. Whether the transaction occurs or not depends mostly on price & availabilty. I am NOT there to get an education or argue with what a damned computer screen says. Nothing pisses me off more than to lay a part on the counter, tell the guy what its from, answer 20 other questions about crap like how many doors my truck has, only to have the idiot tell me there is no such part in existance---the part laying before him doesn't exist and never came on a production vehicle because his little puter can't come up with a part number.

I try to always have BOTH the bad part AND the part number in hand when dealing auto parts stores, and sometimes it's still not enough.

Since I'm the idiot crawling under my ride doing the work I'd just assume do it correctly with the right piece the first time. Counterboy ain't gonna come fix it if I get sent home with the wrong stuff.

Bucky

[RussRoth]

When I lived in central Oregon, I ended up using Shucks or rockauto.com (not my first choice; the counter guys at NAPA were a joke, and Parts Plus had limited hours). r similar reasons.

If you were around Bend when you lived there my cousin has been shop foreman at the Bend NAPA for years. I don't know about the counter guys but I believe he does a very good job running the shop part. I've spent time in it.

[PatS]

The Ma and Pa store I deal with regularly actually ENCOURAGES the counter staff to give out discounts...to friends or anyone else. Car guys usually have car guys as friends and friends like to buy where friends work and car guys friends are very likely to do their own work and buy parts. The store still makes money and the customer will stay even after the parts guy may be gone BECAUSE he gets a discount and feels special.
I get a discount and have for 30 some years, but I don't spend big bucks there.
I WILL drive across town to shop there though.

When you say Ma and Pa store, what is it that you mean exactly?
You don't spend big bucks there, but you have been going there for 30 years? It sounds to me like you have spent plenty of bucks, hence the discount for being a loyal customer I'm guessing. If everyone gets a "discount" then does it remain special?

Small, one location family owned parts store. At one time long ago affiliated with Bumper to Bumper but not anymore.

I don't spend big bucks there, but I've had the discount for over 30 yrs. They know me by name but then they know most of their customers by name.

It's not common knowledge that "everybody" gets the discount. They don't advertise it or talk about it. It's on the invoice for the customer to see.

They do a few things to keep customers coming back. The main one is that the core parts guys have been there for many years. It means alot to me to get the right part the first time.
They have a show n shine every summer, they are very active in the community sponsoring kids sports teams and such.

In a city of a million, EVERYBODY knows the name and where it is...that's an accomplishment.

They have out lasted two NAPA and a PartSource (large Canadian chain) who located close hoping to run the little guy out. Failed miserably

[rjmeuer]

Small, one location family owned parts store. At one time long ago affiliated with Bumper to Bumper but not anymore.

I don't spend big bucks there, but I've had the discount for over 30 yrs. They know me by name but then they know most of their customers by name.

It's not common knowledge that "everybody" gets the discount. They don't advertise it or talk about it. It's on the invoice for the customer to see.

They do a few things to keep customers coming back. The main one is that the core parts guys have been there for many years. It means alot to me to get the right part the first time.
They have a show n shine every summer, they are very active in the community sponsoring kids sports teams and such.

In a city of a million, EVERYBODY knows the name and where it is...that's an accomplishment.

They have out lasted two NAPA and a PartSource (large Canadian chain) who located close hoping to run the little guy out. Failed miserably

Sounds like a good place . And remarkably like us
My wife and I, and the in-laws own our two stores. We all work there every day. We have guys that have been here for 26+ years, and know everyone in town. (Just a side note, one of our managers has never set foot in a Walmart! Now thats dedication to small business!) We had our first annual car show at our store last summer, and have the local school sports teams hold car washes in our parking lot (we donate all the goods). At our tool sales, and other events, we always have BBQ lunch which we sell for a small fee and donate all the proceeds to the local VFW's.

I wish we had a million people in population! Only 17,000 and 7,500 in our towns

Guess what I'm trying to say is that a store doesn't have to be small in order to have all the qualities you seem to be looking for .

They must be affiliated with someone right? Where do they get their parts from?

[EGroscup]

Hey Ryan, it looks like you have it figured out. That is cool that you are the top dog in your area. Could you please come to San Diego county and take over a few stores here? We need someone with your attitude and knowledge. I am still not convinced of the superior quality of all of Napa's products, but most are acceptable. I will say that the Belden plug wires are much better than Carquest's but I will not buy Echlin points. Could you explain how you source your rebuilt stuff? Our store near work has switched suppliers so often it is hard to keep track. I am in a quandry as to where to source filters now that wix is going Chinese. I get a far better deal at Carquest, but I know that they are wix also. Normally I would head over to my Baldwin filter distributor, but they are doing the same thing. Stocking up now might be my best answer. Anybody here know who is building the Amzoil filters? Great thread, Erik

[rjmeuer]

Could you explain how you source your rebuilt stuff? Our store near work has switched suppliers so often it is hard to keep track. I am in a quandry as to where to source filters now that wix is going Chinese. I get a far better deal at Carquest, but I know that they are wix also. Normally I would head over to my Baldwin filter distributor, but they are doing the same thing. Stocking up now might be my best answer. Anybody here know who is building the Amzoil filters? Great thread, Erik

Yeah, the remanufactured starters and alternators did change about 2 years ago from Rayloc (which was a wholly NAPA owned company ran out of Indinnappolis) to BBB Industries (here is link to their web site http://www.bbbind.com/), as well as our new starters and alternators. Also worth noting, BBB just started remaufacturing our heavy duty Wilson Starters and alternators too. The company is still USA owned, but most unfortunately these parts are now manufactured in Mexico. I will say however, that these are a very fine product. In fact I like these much better than the original Rayloc ones because I get far fewer returns than I used to, and they really seem to be a superior product. Like I said, it is still USA owned and the owner comutes to the plant every day from Texas.

Not to turn this political or anything, but unless our government gets our taxes under control, nothing will be made in America anymore. Take this for example; here in Missouri, if I buy a truck for our business, I have to pay for it with dollars that have already been income taxed. Then have to pay sales tax. Then license, registration, title fees (ALL TAXES!). Then every year for the next 10 years have to pay property taxes on it! Is that stupid or what!?!?!?! It's like buying a loaf of bred and paying a tax every time you want to eat a slice.

ok venting done .

On the west coast, you will probably have another option too. The last I remember it had a Nascar on the box, but that was a few years ago. The line code is NAE, like the line code for Echlin is ECH. I just can't remember the name, so that doesnt help as for where they are build. I remember them being a good product, but don't know the details.

As for the filters, a good product is a good product, no matter where it is built. There is way too much stuff made in other countries these days to be worried about the filter on your truck don't you think? I have a hard time finding anything made here in the US anymore. Now this is defiantly a discussions for an entirely different thread, but when you have to pay a Union worker 20-30+ dollars an hour to stand on an assembly line and put filters (or whatever) together, what options do you have?

Get rid of ridiculous lawyers, Unions, and lower the taxes on businesses, and jobs will come back to America. Now I'm sure Iv'e probably offended someone about the whole Union thing, but if you would like to discuss it, start a new thread and we can talk about it.

Guess I wasn't quite done venting

[nfury8]

I buy my Wix filters exclusively from O'Reilly. This isn't based on origin,
but on track record and what they look like when opened up. I will be watching
for future comparisons to see if quality changes with them moving to China.
I am not endorsing this move, but it is possible to build a quality product in
any country these days. It depends on whether the manufacturer decides to
do so and implement sufficient quality control to make it happen.

[63d100sixer]

i shop mainly at autozone because of the rewards card...i bought wipers for my truck, paid cash and that put enough points on my card to get the oil change for free

they opened up a kragens exactly .5 a mile farther from my house then autozone, so even though its a hair farther, i go to kragens for everything...autozone wanted almost $50 dollars for an upper radiator hose for my 72/318..i went to kragens and got it for $9.99...i even got a reman brake master cylinder for $16.99+$5.00 core...good enough to get me by for a few months until I get the money for something better..plus my old highschool buddy works there so I get the military discount


the closest napa is almost 7 miles from my house, and is in downtown riverside...its only 7 miles but is over an hour round trip..autozone and kragens are within walking distance (about 1 mile - 1.5 miles) so if my truck isn't driveable, I can walk there and get what I need for the truck/car..when the water pump went out on the buick, i was able to walk to autozone and buy the waterpump, and still have enough time to R/R, and I wasn't even at my house..they're like flys on shyt here..

as far as Pep boy's, i used to like them, but it seems they are more expensive then everyone else, their electrical parts are crap, and their 40,000 mile tires only last 15,000, even though they are wearing evenly....

there used to be a chiefs and a big A here...my moms 71 coronet used to leak bookoo oil, and she used to send me to chiefs with $1.08 for a quart of oil..that was when I was about 7 or 8. The staff was friendly, and would find any part for my grandpas lincoln, even if it meant calling around, looking in a book (no computers then except for the cash register), or even searching the store

come to think of it, we still have a carb rebuild kit for my grandpas old orange 69 dodge pickup from Big A

if there was a napa within at least a 3 or 4 mile radius that doesn't require an expedition to get to, it would be my store of choice. They have combo switches for the buick turn signal/cruise control, where as autozone/kragens looked at me like i was crazy....The only stuff from napa that is on my truck though, are the alternator, and power steering belts that I bought with a set of pully's that I got from the junkyard they are brand new too lol

but for my source of choice for hard to get parts, anyone in the wildomar/lake elsinore four corners area of california knows longtin's..had a starter for my 64 thunderbird, even though they had to overnight it, they were the only place that could get it for under $100

[rjmeuer]

even though they had to overnight it, they were the only place that could get it for under $100

Hopefully this was before the days of Google because I just put in 1964 Thunderbird starter and found 7 starters under $100 .

[63d100sixer]

even though they had to overnight it, they were the only place that could get it for under $100

Hopefully this was before the days of Google because I just put in 1964 Thunderbird starter and found 7 starters under $100 .

hahahaha nice...I had the car around 2002/2003...im not sure if that is before google or not haha...i think google has been around since ~1999 but IDK


yeah I did a search after reading your post and found one for 52 dollars

i wonder if that includes core charge or not...too lazy to click the link lol

[TedWitt]

I've bought parts from AZone and they are mostly junk. Hi Lo O'riley parts are OK, I always buy lifetime warranty, I don't like buying rebuilt either. For the '01 dodge pickup, I usually go to Dodge. For the '69 and '80 dodges pickups it's more Napa than the others.
Go to the others and ask for a flip socket and hear what they say.............duh, what's a flip socket? dumba##es.

I sent my ex-wife to AZone for a distributor for a 318 and she comes home with a VW distributor, when I walked in the front door of the AZone, I threw the part at the counter, collected my money and went to Napa.

I bought a waterpump from AZone and installed it on my friends TBird, (just helping him out), When I put in water, it ran out the vent hole in the pump, another part sailing across the store and another trip to Napa.


Later

[rjmeuer]

For the '01 dodge pickup, I usually go to Dodge.

This is probably my favorite line to say when it comes to parts. "If your OEM part didn't go bad in the first place, would you be needing another one?"

Why buy the same part that just went bad? If dealer parts are so good, why don't they come with a lifetime warranty? Just general questions, not necessarily directed at you TedWitt

[TedWitt]

So far all the '01 has had to haved is a waterpump.

[EGroscup]

Hey Ryan, I totally understand and agree with you that the tax deal is out of control.We are all getting ripped off. An odd thing with our local store, I distinctly remember seeing Beck-Arnley rebuilt stuff and at least two different after that. We buy new now in the small stuff to avoid problems. I would avoid the Wilson stuff though. We purchased two Leece Neville 160A, one failed within a week, warrantied back for another and neither lasted 18 months. One quit charging, the other one full fielded. I took out the China aftermarket regulator on the overcharging one and replaced it with a factory one made in Mexico and sent it down the road. The regulator was $23.00. I since have found a local rebuilder that uses factory parts and delivers. What is the Napa corporate policy on delivery? I have worked at my current job as a mechanic with the school district here for 20 years and last year is the first time they delivered to us or anybody in our town. They only do it if it is convenient for them. Sometimes this is once a month, we are only about 4 miles away and we buy from them regularly. Carquest from the next town 12 miles over delivers to our area and beyond twice a day. One more thing that really is wrong is that our local store sold us a reman steering box for a bus. Almost $1,000.00 Ross HFB He sourced it on his own from a somewhat local rebuilder that has a very poor reputation as of the last few years. I installed this heavy so and so only to have it blow the soft plug out of the head of the thing on startup. I immediately removed it and returned it. The rebuilder would not warranty it because I did not call them on the phone first and have them magically fix it through the phone. Their excuse is that it was installed incorrectly. The problem here is that it only goes in one way and that includes the plumbing. It is physically impossible to get it wrong. I even drove the vehicle to our local store after installing a box from another vendor to show them this. We only got our core charge back!! This kind of treatment is why I NEVER choose a Napa if at all possible. Are you sure that you don't want to move to Ca. and set these clowns straight? Erik

[Bubb]

The NAPA stores around me used to be Westbay Auto Parts. They were the best around, had the most knowledgeable staff and ALWAYS had parts for my dodges IN STOCK. However, since they changed over to NAPA the quality of staff has gone down. There are more younger kids working the stores that have no clue, and I usually have to order my parts at least a day in advance. The way the new stores are set up it is harder to find things. On certain odds and ends it is much cheaper to get them from Schmucks or Auto Zone cause I can easily find the parts and save money. For major things though I will go to NAPA cause I truely believe I am buying a better quality product. Even if it means I have to wait to talk to the old crusty guy behind the counter instead of the 17 year old high school kid.

[DB69]

My NAPA store is closest to me and there are only two other "mom and pop" stores here in Michigan City plus one "speed shop", and both the "mom and pop" places are Auto Value, then we have the wonderful auto zone and advance auto. I use NAPA for everything I can and only buy elsewhere when they are not open or don't have what I am looking for which isn't often.
I only take my Caliber to the Dodge dealer because of the warranty, however my local Dodge dealer can only be classified as . I don't get parts there either the parts guy is a , just like the owners of the stealership are. They make me want to
The NAPA guys are about my age (57) know their stuff, and always ask me about my old Dodges, the chains have mostly idiots in there
Just my

DB69

[63d100sixer]

The NAPA guys are about my age (57) know their stuff, and always ask me about my old Dodges, the chains have mostly idiots in there
Just my

DB69

that funny you mentioned that the guys ask about the old dodges lol...i had to replace the pushrods on my 72...napa was 2.09 and autozone was 1.49...when I went to pick up valve cover gaskets at my local autozone, the "kid" that was helping me said "hey you drive that red dodge hunh" ..."yeah"..."oh man what happened...I hope you get it fixed, thats a nice truck"


i thought it was funny that just by ordering gaskets, the kid rememberd what i drove, and what the gasket was going on...which brings me to another point..

I had to drive to TWO autozones to get the parts I needed, without having to order them ...napa had to order the pushrods AND valve cover gaskets

[demulsion]

...napa had to order the pushrods AND valve cover gaskets

For a 318? My local NAPA stocks both style v/c gasket. I was just in there tonight for a rubber set.

[TedWitt]

I'm reading all these responses and I'm thing that it all depends on what area you are in as to what kind of parts are in stock. I'm thinking if there is no demand for parts such as sweptline era parts then there will be a small stock of these parts. Some parts of the country have mor sweptlines than others. Mountains have more four wheel drives, cities have more cars. Think about it. You can't knock any of these guys for not stocking parts for a fifty year old truck, you should just feel lucky you can find them.

[PatS]

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.