I just found out the last local auto parts store is closing. It's not easy to find and has mainly catered to the race teams around here but had good prices and was locally owned. His last day will be next Saturday. The owner is retiring and it's just to hard to stay in business. Between online stores like Amazon and Summit, and local national chains like AutoZone and the others, The race teams have been buying online with next day shipping. Near my house, AutoZone, O'Rielly's and Advance all have stores in a few blocks on one street. I've noticed also that the national chains are raising prices now. Case in point, the water pump on my 2004 Impala with the 3.8 engine blew a water pump. I ended up buying one off Ebay for $21. At Autozone, a water pump will run $40 to $140. None in stock though. The 3.8 was used for years and there are a blue million on the road. Recently the CB radio we use at work died. I had an old one I was going to take into work. It needed a power plug for the cigarette lighter. I popped into all three stores to pick one up. No luck. AutoZone and O'Rielly's don't carry them any more. Advance had a place on the shelf, but it was empty and the clerk said the company wasn't replenishing stock.
I've always tried to buy local, even if it costs a little more both to keep the local places in business and for returns if there was a problem. It looks like Ebay is my new store. The pump was ordered Wednesday and got here today. For a spare car, that's plenty fast.
Last edited by grouch; 07-21-2019 at 11:48 AM. Reason: I kant spel wurth a durn.
Honk if you love Jesus.
Text if you want to meet him.
Hey, Grouch. I've not had a lot to do with motor factors
since I packed up my sideline business. I've just had a
look in our local 'Lincoln UK' area, about a ten mile radius,
and found nine. This seems to be roughly on a par with
way back then. Things do seem to be a bit more 'Don't
try to repair it, just fit a new assembly' these days
though. I used to do a couple engine rebuilds a month
now it seems to be 'fit a new engine'.
Ken.
Die dulci fruimini!
Ken.
Wolds Bikers, Lincolnshire, England.
Originally Posted by Ken
About 45 miles from my house in Jasper Indiana is a company called Jasper Manufacturing. They used to do engines and transmissions but now do a lot of other things. I've got a Jasper engine in my Cadillac Escalade. The local parts stores are mostly wanting to sell major components and custom accessories. They are more concerned with under car lights and actual repair parts are just a side line now. They will sell me a Jasper engine or transmission but not a rebuild kit. When a common engine water pump is out of stock, why go there? I'll still buy oil, light bulbs and such, but unless they are competitive on parts and actually have them in stock, they lost my business.
I've even had clerks argue with me over how to work on vehicles. 50+ years doing it but they know better. When I wanted to get a cigarette light plug, they showed me the sockets. I said I wanted the part to plug in for power and the clerk held up a lighter. Then they said they had the power plugs and showed me the cell phone chargers. It took 20 minutes to find out they didn't have anything.
Honk if you love Jesus.
Text if you want to meet him.
Yep, they are just counter hands. I bet most of them have never actually worked on a car.
Sigh!
Ken.
Die dulci fruimini!
Ken.
Wolds Bikers, Lincolnshire, England.
Oh, I know a couple who have. I've had to repair what they messed up. One told me keeping finger prints off a headlight bulb was an old wives tale. Yeah right, I've seen them blow within minutes with a finger print.
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