-
Hi Guest!
If you appreciate British Car Forum and our 25 years of supporting British car enthusiasts with technical and anicdotal information, collected from our thousands of great members, please support us with a low-cost subscription. You can become a supporting member for less than the dues of most car clubs.
There are some perks with a member upgrade!**Upgrade Now**
(PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
but were afraid to ask: 
STOP!! Never post your email address in open forums. Bots can "harvest" your email! If you must share your email use a Private Message or use the 
smilie in place of the real @
Pretty Please - add it to our Events forum(s) and add to the calendar! >> 
True for about any of our LBC's too!
- Thread starter DrEntropy
- Start date
Share this page
Offline
Doesn't always even need to be an import. You run into the same issues working on old Binders.
Offline
One time when I was asked “what car?”, I replied “Triumph”.
The next question I got was “Who makes that?”
The next question I got was “Who makes that?”
Offline
Emm Gee.
OP
Offline
Even asking for four Champion RN9Y plugs will send most counter help into confusion. Then telling them 1966 MGB or such, they can't find the car listed in the database. Look for the oldest counter person and MAYBE there's a chance you won't walk out in disgust.
Oft times I've been tempted to say the car is a Spitzgrummish Agamemnon, 1909. The three cylinder one.
Oft times I've been tempted to say the car is a Spitzgrummish Agamemnon, 1909. The three cylinder one.
Offline
Doc and I were just talking about this the other day. Once when trying to buy a coil for my 52 IH I encountered a woman who insisted she needed to know the make and model in order for me to get the right parts. After an initial bit of balking, I told her, "A 1952 International Harvester L110." She happily went to work on her computer and after a minute, she asks me, "Who makes that? Is it a Ford, or a Chevy?" I say, "International Harvester." She says, "I don't show that we have any parts for that." I try to explain that all I need is a 12v externally resisted coil. She insists that they do not carry any parts for my vehicle. Finally she asks if there is anything she can get me. So I say, "Yeah, I need a coil for a 65 F150 with a 289, it needs to be an externally resisted one." She looked it up walked to the shelf and brought me back a coil, and told me to have a nice day. I have no clue if it ever sunk in for her.
When I was in college I walked into the auto parts store and ask for a thermostat for my 63 MGB. The counterman said “We don’t stock anything like that”. I said,” I bet you have more of those than anything else in the store, are you a betting man?” He said,” yeah”. I said,” OK, if I’m right my thermostat is free.” He agreed. I said,”Next thing on my list is a thermostat for 57 Chevy 283.” He replies,”We have more of those than anything in the store.” He reaches behind him, grabs one and throws it on the counter. I ask,”Now will you cross reference that to my MGB?” After a minute of searching he looks up and says,”Huh, same number.” I grabbed the thermostat, said thank you, and walked out the door.
Offline
A few years ago I was adding an electric fuel pump to a 1950 Packard. I wanted a normally open oil pressure switch to shut off the pump if the engine died. I went to NAPA and asked for the switch. The yute insisted he had to know what car it went on so finally told him. His next question was, "Is that made by Volkswagen?" He finally agreed to just let me search the book of switches myself where I found what I needed.
Offline
Not a part number, but as mentioned elsewhere we are currently driving a rental. As we were driving yesterday in the rain we realized that the wipers were FUBARed - someone had turned on the wipers while they were frozen to the windscreen and they had split - rookie mistake. Called the local NCC-1701 rent a car who told me to go to the local Monroe Auto shop where they woul,ld replace the wipers and bill Enterprise.
Drove over and the guy could not find the car on their computer - tried VIN/ license/ anything he could think of NADA. (OF course it is a car from Canada ) manager walks in, employee explains predicament, manager looks at him says 'replace the wipers, note the part numbers and the next NCC-1701 car that comes in gets billed for a new set of wipers. Brilliant! I told him so, he says, 'that's why I wear the grey shirt.'
Drove over and the guy could not find the car on their computer - tried VIN/ license/ anything he could think of NADA. (OF course it is a car from Canada
) manager walks in, employee explains predicament, manager looks at him says 'replace the wipers, note the part numbers and the next NCC-1701 car that comes in gets billed for a new set of wipers. Brilliant! I told him so, he says, 'that's why I wear the grey shirt.'
Last edited:
Offline
Wait, wait, wait, a Spitzgrummish Agamemnon has three cylinders but four plugs?Even asking for four Champion RN9Y plugs
Oft times I've been tempted to say the car is a Spitzgrummish Agamemnon, 1909. The three cylinder one.
Now even I’m confused. Everyone knows a Agamemnon uses the flux capacitor on cylinder number two!
OP
Offline
Don't ask me where the fourth plug goes...
To allay your confusion, you're thinking of the 1912 model Spitz. Took 'em a couple years to develop a magneto capable of generating 1.21 jig... err... gigawatts.
Offline
Two plugs on cyl 1 and 3 the Flux capacitor on cyl 2. Everyone knows that.
Offline
I had a Nissan Stanza wagon. It was a 4-cylinder that had two plugs/cylinder. It was used to meet emissions.
Offline
I went to Advance Auto Parts and asked for a part for a domestic car. "What is that?" They asked, I left. Went to a family owned parts store of where I had been before. The lady looked at me like, "What?" Customer told her it was made in St. Louis. She never heard of it. A 1964 Plymouth Valiant V200 sedan with 225 Slant Six. Everything has to be ordered on line.
Offline
Great little car and a great engine too!
Offline
She never heard of St. Louis? wow!
A few years ago I went to get a fanbelt for Ms Triss. Guy behind the desk doesn't know MG but together we go behind the counter, find a belt that seems to fit. It doesn't. I take it back and the woman at the counter looks it up on her computer and, sure enough, MG Midget is in the computer and in stock. We were so certain they didn't have it..... never assume.
Offline
I had one of those,but couldn't get insurance on it,Even asking for four Champion RN9Y plugs will send most counter help into confusion. Then telling them 1966 MGB or such, they can't find the car listed in the database. Look for the oldest counter person and MAYBE there's a chance you won't walk out in disgust.
Oft times I've been tempted to say the car is a Spitzgrummish Agamemnon, 1909. The three cylinder one.
as it didn't show up in their computer.
Our local real parts store has just been broken.
All the guys that sat behind the counter with the big stack of parts books along with their computer have been moved to an office where they service phone calls only. If you walk in now you get the parts delivery person trying to help you.
They know where every garage and repair shop in town is but nothing about what parts you are looking for. In desperation they have to sneak into the office and ask the telephone guys.
The last time I went there they said it would be better to call and talk to the online guys that way the part would be waiting.
David
All the guys that sat behind the counter with the big stack of parts books along with their computer have been moved to an office where they service phone calls only. If you walk in now you get the parts delivery person trying to help you.
They know where every garage and repair shop in town is but nothing about what parts you are looking for. In desperation they have to sneak into the office and ask the telephone guys.
The last time I went there they said it would be better to call and talk to the online guys that way the part would be waiting.
David
Offline
When changing insurance a couple of years ago, the swap went smoothly until I gave them the chassis number from my 52 IH. I had to bring the title and the pickup over to show them that it indeed has only has five digits and that they are all numbers.