Getting parts for old cars, Was: RE: IML: radiator hoses

["Dick Benjamin" <dickb@xxxxxxxxx>]

Dan, since this question keeps coming up, I think I'll post the answer to
the whole list in hopes I can help a few more people- I hope you don't mind.

Dick Benjamin'

>>>>>>>>>>-----ORIGINAL MESSAGE-----
FROM: DANSGARAGE@xxxxxxxxxxxx 10:59 PM
TO: DICK BENJAMIN
SUBJECT: RE: RADIATOR HOSES

HI DICK...I WAS WONDERING IF YOU HAPPENED TO KNOW OF ANYPLACE IN OUR AREA
THAT I CASN GET A LOWER RADIATOR HOSE FOR MY '66 LEBARON . ACTUALLY I'D LIKE
TO GET MORE THAN ONE SO I'D HAVE ONE FOR THE '66 CONVERTIBLE AS WELL AND
MAYBE EVEN ONE THAT CAN BE A 'SPARE' FOR SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE (I'D PUT THE
'SPARE' IN A SEALED PLASTIC ZIP-LOCK AND HOPE THAT IT WILL BE OK WHEN I NEED
IT.
THE NAPA STORE I USED TO DEAL WITH BACK IN NEW JERSEY WAS A GREAT PLACE AND
THE OWNER HAD CONTACTS AND WAREHOUSES ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY HE COULD CHECK
THROUIGH FOR ANY PART I NEEDED FOR MY '66 CONVERTIBLE. THE NAPA STORE HERE
IN BEAUMONT IS A JOKE!!!! THEY HAVE NOTHING AT ALL FOR CARS EARLIER THAN
1970 OR SO AND THE GUYS BEHIND THE COUNTER WEREN'T SURE THAT A 440 MOTOR WAS
EITHER A 6 CYLINDER OR A V8 (AND THESE GUYS WORK THERE!). AUTOZONE AND
KRAGEN ARE ORDERING ME A LOWERE RADIATOR HOSE BUT WHO KNOWS WHAT IT WILL
REALLY LOOK LIKE WHEN (AND IF)IT ARRIVES! MY NEXT STEP IS TO CHECK THE ADS
IN HEMMINGS AND SEE IF I CAN FIND A FEW UPPER AS WELL AS LOWER HOSES (SINCE
I HAVE THE TWO '66'S NOW).
ANY SUGGESTIONS OF A GOOD SOURCE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>DAN MELNIK

I've had no trouble getting hoses from NAPA. 

Just for the Halibut, I just went fishing on the NAPA site - they DO list
the hoses for your cars - I thought you were getting the runaround.   They
list their #7342 for the lower hose, and one of the following for the upper
hose, depending on whether the car has AC, Heavy Duty Cooling package or any
combination thereof.  
The normal hose for a car with AC is their 7674.  
No AC and standard cooling is 7054.  
For AC and heavy duty cooling package, use 7096, and for 
no AC and standard cooling use 7196.  

So, unless you are certain what is on your car, take in the old hose and
match them up to the various numbers they have in stock to find the best
match.  

On the lower hose, it has to be trimmed slightly to fit - just copy the old
hose.  The thing to watch out for is the clearance from the belts.  Make
sure you transfer the spring out of the old lower hose if the new one isn't
so equipped - it probably won't be as it is also stocked for use on some
lesser car as an upper hose, so it won't come with a spring, most likely.

To find parts for our cars, I have 4 tricks I use.

In order of trouble, they are:

1.  Go to www.napaonline.com, put in your vehicle info, and then enter the
keyword for the part you are looking for "radiator hose" for instance.  This
works about 10% of the time. 

2.  Look up the Mopar part number in the parts book.   Get on the NAPA site
(www.napaonline.com), leave the "vehicle" section blank because most of the
time they never heard of it.  Enter the Mopar part number in the "non-NAPA"
part number field, and tell it to search for it.   In about 30% of the
cases, you'll get a list of hits - just scroll down the list until you find
the right part by description.  You can click on the listing and it will
show you a picture of the part, in some cases.

3.  Go to www.autozone.com, put in your vehicle info, then click on
"shopping", follow the thread to the part you want, and make a note of the
part number they give you.  Then go back to the NAPA site as in #1, and
enter the AutoZone part number in the "Non-NAPA" part number field.   When
they search on that number, they often find the part, even though they
couldn't find it through steps #1 or #2. I prefer NAPA quality, but AutoZone
lists more parts for old cars by number, even though they may not have the
parts.  This works about 90% of the time.

4.  If the above 3 steps fail, take the old part in to your NAPA store with
(an unloaded!) 357 Magnum sticking out of your shoulder holster, and carry a
bag of fresh donuts.   Inquire politely if you might possibly get permission
to stroll through their vast (or in a smaller store, Half-Vast) stock of
whatever parts you are looking for, and match them up. Bring dial calipers
to check dimensions, and a good flashlight.  This almost always works - but
you have to be fast about it as the cashier has probably hit the alarm
button, and the cops are on their way.  Leave the bag of donuts on the
sidewalk outside the front door as you leave, to distract them so you can
make your getaway.

Dick






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