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Forward Look Technical Discussions -> The Exhaust Pipe - Modification & Performance | Message format |
GaryS |
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Expert Posts: 1207 Location: Ponder, TX | The world is passing me by! This morning I stopped at NAPA to buy a gasket for the ’66 Poly I’m putting in my '56 Plymouth. Even though I bought the best Felpro gasket set, the gasket I needed wasn’t included. The counter guy who helped me was in his mid-thirties, not fresh from high school with a hat on backward. Confident that he would understand what I needed, I hit him with my best shot. Me: “Mopar 318. I need a gasket for the oil pressure relief valve plate.” Him: “Year, make and model?” First clue he’s not a Mopar guy, but no biggie. I won't confuse him and say it's a '66 engine going in a '56, and he might not know Plymouth was ever made. Me: “ ‘66 Dodge V8…318.” He searches…and searches…and searches…and….. Me: “It’s a 318.” Him” “Is that the part number you need?” Me: “No, that’s the engine size.” Searching…searching….searching…. Me: “No listing?” Him: “I can’t seem to find it….oh, wait, it’s a Chrysler engine!” Me: “Yes!!!” Him: “Here it is…it’s an oil filter gasket. Looks like an O-ring.” Me: “Not exactly, it’s about 4 or 5 inches in diameter, flat, and it goes between the block and a plate that the filter attaches to.” Searching….searching…. Him: “Is this it? Come around the counter and take a look.” Me: (Walking around counter) “Yep, that’s it!” Him: “I don’t stock it…$2.89 and three to five days to order. That’s a long wait for $2.89!” Me: (Deep sigh) “Yes, it is…thank you…I’ll do something different.” Rock Auto catalog…$1.73 and it will be here day after tomorrow. Yes, I have to pay shipping, but it’s still cheaper than making another special trip to NAPA, and not nearly as painful. Edited by GaryS 2016-01-19 9:53 PM | ||
Timmo |
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Veteran Posts: 111 Location: Egg Harbor Township, NJ | This came with the instructions for a pulley I recently ordered. These are from a well known company and not a custom ordered pulley. Not sure how to insert a picture into the message!!! See attached... Attachments ---------------- belt info.jpeg (41KB - 267 downloads) | ||
ronbo97 |
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Expert Posts: 4034 Location: Connecticut | And then there's this... Went to a local NAPA auto parts store today. Ron: I need a couple of 210 bulbs for my 55 Desoto. It's a 6V system. Parts Counter Guy: Hmmm...let me look. Oh, yes. here they are (pulls out a dusty old box) Ron: Those look kinda old. Are you sure they're still good ? Parts Guy: Well we can hook them up to a 6V battery and test 'em out. (Which is what we did. And they were all good.) Ron: Excellent. Now, would you have a bypass hose for the same car ? Parts Guy: Hmmm...nothing in the computer. (He goes over to a shelf and pulls out a NAPA book from 1975) OK. Here's the part number. Let me check the computer using this number. Parts Guy: Yes, I can still get that. It's at the warehouse.
Ron
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GaryS |
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Expert Posts: 1207 Location: Ponder, TX | Yes, Ron, there are still a few left, but they are a dying breed. The parts guy at the C-P dealership where I worked back in the sixties had almost every part memorized and seldom even looked at a book. But, to be fair, the number of car brands and models was miniscule when compared to today. | ||
Timmo |
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Veteran Posts: 111 Location: Egg Harbor Township, NJ | Facebook delivers again! see attached pic.... (picccc.jpg) Attachments ---------------- picccc.jpg (55KB - 208 downloads) | ||
Timmo |
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Veteran Posts: 111 Location: Egg Harbor Township, NJ | Also, about 15 years ago, I walked into my local parts store and asked for a set of front brake shoes for a 1957 Desoto Firesweep. They showed up from the warehouse two hours later in a box that was being held together with some masking tape. I switched over to the disc brakes before I ever got around to installing them. Still have them new in the box! Unfortunately, that store was bought out, but the guys working there could get anything and were willing to help me with any problems I had. I mean, really went out of there way sometimes. This was HUGE and meant a lot to me, especially looking back on it. I was 17, still learning mechanical stuff, and the Desoto was my only car throughout my high school years. | ||
Powerflite |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9604 Location: So. Cal | I am more concerned by the statement in those instructions that all their alternator pulleys are 6 rib, and all their power steering pulleys are 5 rib. Does that mean you can't have power steering AND an alternator? Sounds dumb. I end up going to Rockauto almost exclusively now because all the local shops have suddenly increased the prices on the older parts rather dramatically. They used to be about the same price with shipping. Not anymore. Now Rockauto is the only place that still sells these things for a reasonable price. Edit: The reason why you couldn't post the pic was because of the .jpeg file name. It has to be .jpg to post here. Edited by Powerflite 2016-01-31 11:41 AM | ||
Timmo |
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Veteran Posts: 111 Location: Egg Harbor Township, NJ | I only learned of Rockauto a few months ago. Wish I'd known sooner. Yeah. Not sure about the different # of ribs. I noticed that one too. | ||
wayfarer |
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Elite Veteran Posts: 888 Location: Peoples Republic of Oregon | ...with regards to the 'counter-person' warning on the instruction sheet... I had occasion to go to the local Ford-Lincoln dealer to get a new oil pan drain plug for a O/T (4.0 v-6) repair. The 'girl' (in her 50's) asked for the vin number, said there was no way to get the plug without it..... | ||
Powerflite |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9604 Location: So. Cal | Yeah, that VIN number thing gets real annoying since it makes it really difficult to get parts for a random transmission or motor on a swap. Even though those components have a partial VIN on them, it is impossible to re-create the entire VIN from it and most computer systems or counter people won't accept a partial VIN. Just really annoying. | ||
wizard |
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Board Moderator & Exner Expert 10K+ Posts: 13042 Location: Southern Sweden - Sturkö island | I had a email conversation with RockAuto customer service and was asked to inform them about the VIN on my Chrysler 300C Touring. I ent them the number and they informed me that that was absolutely no VIN. So, I thought I made a mistake, Went out with my camera and took a Picture - it was exactly the same number as I sent to RockAuto Before, so I sent them the Picture. Their answer was, sorry, but those parts will not fit your vehicle A couple of days later I ordered exactly those parts and the parts are now mounted on my car - the tragic thing was that the part numbers matched the documentation, so I knew that they would fit. | ||
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