O'Rielly's auto parts moron

[SnikPlosskin]

I went to the parts joint to get a header collector gasket since mine fell apart in my hands when I removed them...

I bring one with me, pieced together and told him "I need a couple of collector gaskets for 3" Hooker headers.

He asks "Make and model?"
Me: "uh, it's not going to come up since its not factory..."
Kid: I looked under "exhaust" and don't see anything like that..."
Me: i guess you could look up 1970 Corvette.
Kid: is that for a 5.0 liter?
Me: a 350
Kid: I don't see anything...
Me: how about I go back and find it?
Kid: sure.

I come back about a minute later with the gaskets.

Good grief. Collector gaskets.

[DAB]

If it's not in the computer, it doesn't exist.

[78SA]

Originally Posted by DAB

If it's not in the computer, it doesn't exist.

[RED-85-Z51]

I once had AutoZone tell me that 1998 Ram 1500's didnt come with 360's...and that 93 Grand Cherokees only came with 4.0 I6's...

useless.

[SnikPlosskin]

I thought he was going to ask if it was a six cylinder...

The thing is, I never know what to tell them.

1970 LT1 was offered in Corvettes and Camaro Z28. Only 1488 produced by GM
Car is a 1964 Corvette Convertible.
Transmission is 1965 m-22
Chassis is 1982 Corvette

Etc.

We are a long ways from stock...

[JRD77VET]

Originally Posted by DAB

If it's not in the computer, it doesn't exist.

If it's not within a button push, all you get is the deer in the headlights look.

[Dave]

Originally Posted by SnakePlissken

I thought he was going to ask if it was a six cylinder...

The thing is, I never know what to tell them.

1970 LT1 was offered in Corvettes and Camaro Z28. Only 1488 produced by GM
Car is a 1964 Corvette Convertible.
Transmission is 1965 m-22
Chassis is 1982 Corvette

Etc.

We are a long ways from stock...

Yup. That's usually met with a blank stare.

"I need water pump gaskets for a small block Chevy"
What year?
"It doesn't matter"

[RED-85-Z51]

My favorite one was, I needed a spark plug for an Onan engine, i had 2 old NGK plugs that were fouled to hell, and I wanted 2 new Champion plugs. The clerk, and shift supervisor were unable to produce a X-ref, using all the books and computers they had...because "John Deere 316" and "Onan P218G" didnt come up anywhere. After 30 minutes of watching them scurry around frantically, an old man came up from the back, took one of the plugs...put in the numbers off of it, clicked X=ref...and clicked on Champion.

Voila...simple as that.

[Steve Austin]

The kid misunderstood. When you said Hooker and headers he thought it was sex you were after.

[Entropy]

I don't have high expectations when I go into a parts store, because I know generally who works there (I worked at one for 4 years). You might have a solid motorhead behind the counter, but how long do you think they will last? As soon as something better comes along, the smart ones leave.

If you would have asked me Thrak, I would have asked copper, paper or aluminum, and then had a nice discussion about how much it sucks when they blow out.

Walk them over to the Mr. Gasket/Performance section and teach them something.

[vetteman9368]

Next time visit your local speed shop

[SnikPlosskin]

Originally Posted by Entropy

I don't have high expectations when I go into a parts store, because I know generally who works there (I worked at one for 4 years). You might have a solid motorhead behind the counter, but how long do you think they will last? As soon as something better comes along, the smart ones leave.

If you would have asked me Thrak, I would have asked copper, paper or aluminum, and then had a nice discussion about how much it sucks when they blow out.

Walk them over to the Mr. Gasket/Performance section and teach them something.

Ha! That's exactly where I went. It was right there on the shelf behind the counter. Sheesh. I don't even work there.

[ApexOversteer]

Originally Posted by SnakePlissken

I went to the parts joint to get a header collector gasket since mine fell apart in my hands when I removed them...

I bring one with me, pieced together and told him "I need a couple of collector gaskets for 3" Hooker headers.

He asks "Make and model?"
Me: "uh, it's not going to come up since its not factory..."
Kid: I looked under "exhaust" and don't see anything like that..."
Me: i guess you could look up 1970 Corvette.
Kid: is that for a 5.0 liter?
Me: a 350
Kid: I don't see anything...
Me: how about I go back and find it?
Kid: sure.

I come back about a minute later with the gaskets.

Good grief. Collector gaskets.

You're bitching about an auto parts store clerk that actually went and looked for the item after they couldn't get the computer to spit the number out, instead of throwing up their hands and saying "computer doesn't have it, we don't have it"?

Geeeze. No winning with you, I guess.

[Sea Six]

I have that problem all the time too.

I had a Holley 600 cfm carb on my '76 Vette. I came in asking about a gasket for it and the girl behind the counter pulled up the computer and started the "what year?" series of questions. I told her several times that method wasn't going to lead her anywhere and she wasn't going to listen.

[ConstantChange]

I get it's fun to bitch about the idiot at the auto parts store, but if a person knew all this information about all the different cars on the road, do you think they would be working at a parts store?

The majority of the time I research the part online using the AutoZone or O'Reilly website and come in with the part number I need.

[1911fool]

I took my '80 Chevy to Walmart once for an oil change. The kid came out with his little handheld doohickey. He started punching in the VIN number and it wouldn't work. Then he told me they couldn't change the oil because my truck didn't have enough digits in the VIN. He finally called someone else who told him to add 0's to it. Then the supervisor started my truck, got out and popped the hood. Then he told me that he couldn't change the oil because I didn't have the original engine. I Asked what difference it made. he told me that he could only put the amount of oil in the motor that his computer told him to put.
Then I went home and got my '78 Celica and took it back up there just to see them try to figure out the VIN number again.

[Mike Mercury]

I've had bad luck with O'Really's.

Parts counter "kid" new nothing about cars, only how to work a mouse & keyboard.

The last straw was when I was trying to fit in a brake job on my Avalanche. Precious little time for me to do it; had the front wheels off and noticed the rotors I just bought were wrong. Took everything back; got a refund; stopped by Advanced Auto on the way back home.

[m and t's77]

Originally Posted by vetteman9368

Next time visit your local speed shop

Those are going the way of the Dodo bird to.

[Hoog]

There's usually one guy in there that has his shit together, you just need to figure out who he is. The local Advanced Auto has a couple guys that aren't deathly afraid of the catalog rack. (Hell, I was surprised they even had a catalog rack) When I dropped the front end of my '65 Chevy truck, I wanted to replace a couple tie-rod ends. Same thing....

"What year is the truck?"
That won't get you there...it's got a later model front end under it.
"Huh?"
The front end, motor and tranny are out of a donor truck, best guess I have is early '90's. Check it, but my money says they are all the same from '88 through '96 at least.
"Uhhhhhhh" (stands there staring at the screen)
Do you have a Moog catalog?
"Uhhhhhhhh" (looks over to the catalog rack)

That's when the guy with his shit together walks by, goes to the rack, yanks out a catalog and drops it on the counter..facing me. Thirty seconds later I show the kid what part number I need, and the range of years that number fits.

Kid says, "Wow, that looks easier than using the computer!"

There's hope for you yet....can I have my parts? Thanks...

[Doug28450]

Originally Posted by ApexOversteer

You're bitching about an auto parts store clerk that actually went and looked for the item after they couldn't get the computer to spit the number out, instead of throwing up their hands and saying "computer doesn't have it, we don't have it"?

Geeeze. No winning with you, I guess.

I think you misread that. Pete asked the counter clerk if he could go find the part. The counter clerk told him to have at it. The counter clerk did not find the part, Pete did.