Back in the 1980s, during a period of actually living in town, I went into a random parts store on the way to work and asked for a length of defroster hose. Some young "smart" lady (they were just starting to hire women in parts stores about then) told me there was "no such thing" and that they were all molded plastic. Well, no - not on a 1965 Chevy pickup; it looks sort of like vacuum cleaner hose. I think I stomped out and finally found some at another store.
Another time a few years before that I had done a valve job on my 305 V-6 and wanted to replace the little connecting hose between the water pump housing and intake manifold while I had it apart. So I went into the parts store right across from the grocery store (not where I usually went) and asked for a few inches of 2" radiator hose. Again, this "smart" young lady demanded the make/model/year and said there was no such thing and that I was "jury rigging"
