Parts people around here are from Mars...(or is it ME?)

[Buick From Hell]

It's bad enough trying to get the right parts for the TR, but for an SBC???

Typical phone calls saturday:

me I need valve seals for an '84 Corvette, 350, crossfire.
parts person VALVE seals?? (in the same tone as if I'd asked for elephant hooves)
me yeah, you know, guide & stem seals for the valves?
parts person umm...


I finally find some at the NAPA warehouse. In fairness, THAT guy knew what I wanted. But when I get there, another guy helps me. And he can't figure out what I want. Then the guy I talked to comes over, and sez "I have that on 'save', just call it up". When he does, he scratches his head, and asks why I need 3 different items? Geez, I've never even CHANGED valve seals before, but I STILL know why I need 3 different items!! So he heads for the storeroom, mumbling all the way...and he returns with 2 boxes of o-rings, and a box each of exhaust and intake guide seals. Other than ONE box of o-rings was enough, it was what I needed. Only he didn't think I was getting the right stuff...<sigh>

And upon changing the seals, I had to remove the throttle bodies from the intake, and the gaskets were toast. And I promptly found out ANOTHER item nobody carries! Except NAPA--and of course, ONLY at the warehouse. However, I don't want to drive all the way into town, so I have the parts girl at the store close to home order a pair of gaskets to be brought in--emphasis on PAIR...I don't know HOW many times I told her I needed TWO, because it has TWO throttle bodies, yes I need TWO gaskets please, TWO...
...any guesses how many gaskets came in?

so now I can't finish up tonight! ARRGGHH!!!!

 

[salvageV6]

Was she good lookin'?

 

[John Larkin]

So you didn't buy the Mark?

 

[EightSecV6]

Kind of not related but....I had an 84 Xfire Vette a LONG time ago, ran 12.70's at 108, I dont think I have ever seen another one in the 13's. 84s have a bad reputation for electronics, mine went 160,000 miles before I sold it and never had any grief!

 

[U1ARUNIT]

Back when I had a Vette(Mine was a '89) we used to call the '84 motors "Mis-fire". LOL

 

[Quick6'n'-K.C.]

That sucks, i feel the pain..

next time tell the chick you need it for a 83 vette with x fire and need some touch up paint for the delorean, if she actually spends more than 5 seconds, DEMAND to speak to someone with more than half a brain

im lucky cause 2 turbo buick guys work at the local NAPA here in KC, call em up and ask for something, no questions asked...
they even laugh at the oldest joke.. water pump for a 70 VW BUG, every... single... time

BW

 

[KEVINS]

I TRULY feel youir PAIN!
I have a customer whom I am "engineering" the rear suspension for and I did some calculations (given the shocks, spring length, car weight, etc) and I tell him that he is going to need 14"/120lb rear springs. QA1 keeps telling him that he needs 165's so this is what he is going to use for now! This means that his 14" spring is only going to collapse about 3"! QA1 sales people are DUMB ASSES!
I even tried to get coil bind information for their springs last week so I can do some other calculations for another customer and they have NO IDEA what their own friggen springs coil bind at! This is the 2nd time I have run into this with them. You go to Strange Engineering and they list all these specs on their web site!
...aarrgg...

 

[Mease Performance]

dude

funny you brought this up because every time any of us here have to go to advance, pep boys, abc (sorry herb lol), napa etc.....none of these guys know WTF they're talking about....

BUT if you ask them if they have a maf pipe for a DSM they know exactly what you're talking about thumbs up dude! LOL!!!!!

makes you wonder......they should not be getting paid to work there BUT SHOULD BE PAYING THE STORE (hell or even their customers) for being there...because they might actually LEARN SOMETHING!!!

whats a SBC? the world will never know

good luck man, find a guy that understands, doesnt bulls*it about his 18, i mean 9 second honda, and that you can trust to get you the correct parts...

hell every time I go in one of those parts stores I end up having them hand over the keyboard and flip the monitor 180 degrees

 

[Buick From Hell]

Salvage--not a clue, but she SOUNDED pretty ugly!

John, yes I DID buy The Mark! What a ride! So far, no complaints! (well, except for the 12 candlepower headlights, the CORNERING lamps shine more light on the friggin' road!) The salesman wanted a week to think about the Vette--10 days went by without a word, so I decided to fix it up a bit and get a few more bucks out of it...IF I can find the few PARTS I need!!

(and WTF is a DSM???)

 

[Donald McMullin]

What is all the white stuff on the ground??

Never seen that in Phoenix before, unless you live near a cotton gin.

Time to start working on the Sporster.

Deep Enough
Donald

 

[Buick From Hell]

That white stuff is something we've had precious too LITTLE of the last 5 years, we'll take all we can get!!

and--

AARRRRGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!! ---not even NAPA "the company" has their head on straight! Just went to pick up my TB gaskets...and gee, this gasket has TWO throttle bore holes and 4 mounting holes, whereas what I NEED is ONE throttle bore and 3 mounting holes! What dumbass ever thought these would fit under a crossfire throttle body?? Part number on the package matches the catalog, and the catalog expressly states "1982-84 crossfire injection"...

And I guess the only way GET a TB gasket (even from the friggin DEALER ) is to order a "seal kit" at $25 a pop!!! (Like I want to spend $50 on gaskets, I only spent $21 on all the valve seals!)

SO--I'll be making my own, and I guess that'll make me the ONLY supplier of "just" crossfire TB gaskets!

(and speaking of crossfires, THANKS BILL! Guess that makes only you and ME who thinks crossfires are "ok"...I haven't had a moment's problem either! )

 

[Turbo T/A 1543]

If it's any help, Felpro shows a P.N.60797 fitting '82 & '84 only Cease-Fire Corvettes. HTH

 

[U1ARUNIT]

DSM = Diamond Star Motors (Mitsubishi)

 

[8UWITH6]

Parts Stores

Despite what some of you may think, we dont have every part for every car ever made. There are just some parts we carry that are totally wrong for the application. Example: TR EGR gasket isnt even close! But hey, I just work there man.........and believe it or not, I do have automotive knowledge.