Getting parts has become a major deal.just ranting

[Chris142]

There was a auto parts supply place here.they had everything at great prices...they closed the doors 2 weeks ago.

Now getting parts is a huge fiasco.i end up calling all over to get what i need.

Today i have a thermostat coming from napa,the gasket from pep boys,a belt from autozone,1 radiator fan from coolline and another from 1800radiator, a relay from orileys. Coolline and 1800 are 2 hrs away and if i order after 10. Wont ship till the next day.

All these parts are for 1 car!

 

[Quattro Pete]

Couldn't you get it all from one place like rockauto, for example? Or would it be more expensive?

 

[eljefino]

Rockauto's slower, he's running a shop.

I broke down in "The middle of nowhere" in a 32 year old German car and walked 1/10 mile to a Carquest. They did three or four hub runs a day and had what I needed in two hours. Sadly they're merging into AA.

 

[Bgallagher]

Ouch, that is rough.

 

[Brons2]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Rockauto's slower, he's running a shop.

I broke down in "The middle of nowhere" in a 32 year old German car and walked 1/10 mile to a Carquest. They did three or four hub runs a day and had what I needed in two hours. Sadly they're merging into AA.


Clearly weren't in the middle of nowhere if you were able to walk to a parts store!

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: Brons2


Clearly weren't in the middle of nowhere if you were able to walk to a parts store!


Driving on the interstate, I touch the brake pedal, it falls to the floor as I somehow seized a caliper, didn't feel it, boiled the fluid. An exit was "right there" and I coasted down it and parked on the shoulder. Good luck was with me as CQ was literally the 2nd store on the strip.

Was halfway home between NC and Maine in Northern Virginia where I'd never really been before and didn't know the lay of the land.

So I parked the car in a Lowes parking lot and bought tools there and parts from the CQ, walking back and forth.

And used my smartphone in a BK to read up how to do the job while waiting for the parts to come in. "WhopperWIFI".

That CQ had a ray of sunshine from heaven on it when I first spotted it.

 

[Merkava_4]

What is your zip code at the shop Chris?

 

[chrisri]

Did you consider some road assistance, it pays with 32 year old cars, especially if you travel alot.

 

[spackard]

How about Integrity Auto Parts, in Lucerne Valley?
I ask because my old favorite, Ernie's Auto Parts, seems to be under the same "Bumper to Bumper" business group.

 

[Mr Nice]

Road Assistance is more than the car is worth

 

[4wheeldog]

Originally Posted By: chrisri
Did you consider some road assistance, it pays with 32 year old cars, especially if you travel alot.


Road assistance just gets you to another spot where no one can fix it, 50 miles away.

 

[NHGUY]

They had "great prices"....thats why they closed the doors....you cant give everything away and make money.

 

[Chris142]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
What is your zip code at the shop Chris?
92345

 

[artificialist]

I always found that the difficulty of finding parts greatly depended on the car manufacturer.

Whenever a SAAB came in and needed some suspension work, it was often necessary to order parts from 3 different companies. Volvo, BMW, and Benz were a little easier to deal with. VW was the only European car manufacturer where you could get all your parts at one store.

With more common makes, the service writer could usually get everything from one store, but sometimes calling 2 stores would be needed.

 

[Chris142]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Couldn't you get it all from one place like rockauto, for example? Or would it be more expensive?
I could if I had time. it's usually a family traveling and they are broken down here and destroying my waiting room.

 

[01rangerxl]

What kind of car is this stuff for? Some cars are just a wild goose chase no matter what.

Napa is my main aftermarket source. The store down the street is very commercial customer focused. Usually if they don't have it in the store, the huge distribution center warehouse/store downtown does. Most things I can just order online. O'Reilly is second, with good in stock selection, but slightly slower delivery times. AZ has the worst delivery times by far, but the store closest to us seems understaffed, and it may be because we don't buy very much from them that we don't get the quick service.

Once in a while we use 1800 Radiators, Radiators Inc, or similar distributors, but with Napa having their DC store so close, their same day parts coverage is great. The regional distributors might have a slight edge price wise, but usually time is the biggest factor.

 

[Chris142]

Originally Posted By: spackard
How about Integrity Auto Parts, in Lucerne Valley?
I ask because my old favorite, Ernie's Auto Parts, seems to be under the same "Bumper to Bumper" business group.

They dont deliver. Walk in only.

 

[Pop_Rivit]

Is your shop the only one in the area that needs that level of service? Or does the closing of the auto supply company have the same impact on other automotive repair facilities in your area? Did the auto supply company close because of a business related failure or someone who simply wanted to retire and get out of the business?

A problem like that could be a potential business opportunity.

 

[Rick in PA]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Originally Posted By: Brons2


Clearly weren't in the middle of nowhere if you were able to walk to a parts store!


Driving on the interstate, I touch the brake pedal, it falls to the floor as I somehow seized a caliper, didn't feel it, boiled the fluid. An exit was "right there" and I coasted down it and parked on the shoulder. Good luck was with me as CQ was literally the 2nd store on the strip.

Was halfway home between NC and Maine in Northern Virginia where I'd never really been before and didn't know the lay of the land.

So I parked the car in a Lowes parking lot and bought tools there and parts from the CQ, walking back and forth.

And used my smartphone in a BK to read up how to do the job while waiting for the parts to come in. "WhopperWIFI".

That CQ had a ray of sunshine from heaven on it when I first spotted it.

Funny, as I read the last line, I do believe I "heard" a chorus of angels.

 

[The_Eric]

Chris- you said you had to call several different parts stores to get what you needed... don't they offer online ordering? Heck, even the middle of Iowa and as a small shop, we have online ordering with a NAPA, O'Reilly, a regional parts house, ATD, U.S. Auto Force, and several AG related parts sources. All show stock on hand and also where additional stock is located.