Auto parts stores

[rficalora]

So, I go to my local parts place this morning to get a feeler gauge set...

Me:  "Where do y'all have your feeler gauges?"

Sales guy:  "Feeler gauges?  What are those?"

[Charles]

Rob, at least he did not ask "what car does it fit" or "whatja goina feel"?

I love it, we are doomed.

[kstevusa]

Rob, that is like the Auto Insurance commercial, You picked the wrong auto parts store :-)

[rficalora]

Maybe Kelly...  But I fear they're all getting to be that way.

[britcars]

Rob:
A friend has a Spitfire with the GT6 engine conversion.  This spring he got a set of adapters and 15" wheels.  One tire shop wouldn't sell him tires because the computer stated that the car had 13" wheels.

[rficalora]

LOL... Literally!

[HealeyRick]

Imagine what would have happened if you asked for a set of points?

[MGBV8]

I ran points in my Buick 215 15 years ago & they couldn't handle it then.  I said just give me a set of small block Chevy points.  They still wanted a year & model Chevy.

[Anarchy99]

I either end up walking into the store with the make and model info on the car that the part I'm trying to get came from or I bring the part number. Occasionally you'll run into someone with at least some sense of what your trying to do. It's rare.

[BlownMGB-V8]

It's just a different way of dealing with it, you get used to it. But think about it, wasn't it always that way? You had to say it was for a Chevy, Ford, whatever. There's just more cars now and more parts. Most stores will still let you go through the boxes if it comes to that. I'm not sure it has changed all that much.

Jim

[Oldbloke]

My latest was trying to find a non-pressurized radiator cap for a universal recovery system...."whats the year and model on that...?"   Duhhh!

[BAD-DOG]

To further complicate the situation, our local O'Reilly (pronounced as Oh-Really), consistently has errors listed in their computer that will tell the sales person that their part is a direct replacement part.  

Case and point:  Friday this week, O'Reilly sold my son an edelbrock carb as a direct replacement for a QuadraJet E4ME electronically controlled carb for his 1986 Camaro...to their credit, it will fit if you change the ECM and the Distributor and install an adapter plate, manual choke cable, and there was still something about the transmission not shifting right as well ... I was just a little hot over the whole deal.