What's your favorite and your best?

[Gregski]

NAPA is my favorite, if you are trying to get something done on the weekend and buy parts from them on a Saturday and they don't have all of them, they will tell you they will ship them over from the other store and you can pick them up tomorrow. So the next day you go back over to pick them up and they tell you, oh yeah, forgot to tell you we don't run the parts shuttle on Sundays, I think that type of service is the best!

so what's your favorite and your best?

[1976gmc20]

I buy a lot of stuff at O'Reilly's just because they have the only parts store in our county.

But I've learned to call the day before (at least!) and see if they have what I need so they can order it. "Oh, we can have it by 2 pm" but I don't want to hang around town all day nor even go to town two days in a row.

[Palf70Step]

I have used Oreilly's the most for the last 10 years or so since they are the closest to me. AutoZone seems to have stepped up their game lately (at least here) and have had good stuff more so than Oreillys. Long time ago I used advanced Auto as it was the closest. The Oreillys and the AutoZone close to me seem to have very good staff also, which by hearing some folks is a rarity.

[Troy Sr]

I use a local East Bay store mostly in Contra Costa Country "Monument Car Parts". They've been around since I was a kid. Used to be the best with the most knowledgeable people, now I'm noticing they have a lot of young people who don't know crap!! I've also been using rock auto and Summit if I don't need it right this minute.

[Boog]

We have 2 O'Reillys, 1 Auto Zone, 1 Advance in town. A small Napa is 20 miles away. Of all these I usually use #1 O'Reillys due to having a long time friend owning the store. Not always the best price or best parts but always willing to help me find something.

[lux]

I would go to any parts house who had folks who know about cars, like it used to be in the old days. I'm sure it's a pay level thing. Now it's just someone behind the desk who has a basic idea of how to look things up on the store computer based on year and model. " What year is it?" " well it's a 1967 through 2010". That answer usually confuses the hell out of them.
Now I'm better off looking up what I need at home and shopping to see if a local parts house has it. Then I just bring them a part number and double check what they bring to the counter.

[LONGHAIR]

Back in the 80s to early 90s, when I worked in the 4x4 shop, we almost exclusively used NAPA. This was mostly for two reasons, they actually were parts guys, and they delivered. Back then though, "regular guys" didn't buy from them because they were the most expensive....by far. They discounted to repair shops, sometimes quite heavily, but the retail price was high.
Over the years though, they began to try to compete in the retail arena. As the old dudes were retiring or just from expansion, newer people came in and it went downhill.
There were other retailers, but not as many as there are now, not even counting the internet.
As of right now, there are three of the most common stores about a mile from me, all within eyesight of each other. Advance Auto has been there the longest and that's were I went for years. Then about a quarter of a mile north came the AutoZone. I tried it a few times and really didn't have a preference. After a few years O'Reily plopped down right between them. They were new to this area. I had never been in one before. That's were I go now.
For the last several years, I have driven new vehicles and haven't had any kind of project, so my needs are simple.

[LT7A]

Originally Posted by Gregski

NAPA is my favorite, if you are trying to get something done on the weekend and buy parts from them on a Saturday and they don't have all of them, they will tell you they will ship them over from the other store and you can pick them up tomorrow. So the next day you go back over to pick them up and they tell you, oh yeah, forgot to tell you we don't run the parts shuttle on Sundays, I think that type of service is the best!

so what's your favorite and your best?

So if I understand correctly, you didn't get your parts 2 days in a row. So who is your actual favorite and best? or did Napa just go from Head of the class to last place?

[67ChevyRedneck]

I have enough cars now I order crap online and drive something else to work. Almost anything I need, when I need it, has to be ordered anyway.

For vintage mustang stuff, I'm 100% NDP.

Most other crap I swap between summit and jegs.

My new GM stuff is either from GMpartsdirect.com or I search the PN and only buy the OEM version.

I've replaced enough off brand parts two days to a couple months later to pay up for the better stuff now.

[LS short box]

NAPA gets about 90% of my parts business. Oreilys get the other 10%. I can buy at repair shop rates because the company I used to work for has an account at NAPA. Even though I'm retired from the company NAPA honors the discount. Nothing against Oreillys. They have a nice tool loan program and a veterans discount.

[special-K]

In my town I have three options, NAPA, Advance, and Car Quest. Car Quest was always Mt. Airy Auto Parts until Advance bought them. They still answer the phone "Mt. Airy Auto Parts". Anyway, Napa was always my go to parts place in town until last year when they put a new manager in there. I won't go on about it, but there is no longer any reason fgor me to favor NAPA over the others. I like to deal with local businesses, so Advance is my last resort. The Car Quest is my place now. I didn't go before because they seemed halfassed compared to NAPA. Now that I'm giving them a shot I am glad I switched. It's the same guys for a long time (NAPA was), it's right in town in the same old building, the counter guy is on the ball and friendly, quality parts, and I hate to say it but they are backed by Advance. So my NAPA had their hub store 20 minutes away they could get an early or late run from for the parts they never had in stock. Now Car Quest can do that through Car Quest OR Advance. And Advance is at the top of the hill.

[GOPAPA]

I use Napa mainly because there is an old guy there like me and he knows more about my old car than the young-ins

[Steeveedee]

I shop mostly at NAPA. When I go in there asking for parts that aren't in the computer they let me look for them in their old paper catalogs. Paper catalogs are what I used when I worked in a parts store in the late '70s. I always get my part, too, even though it may take a day or two.

[dave6672]

I was a teenager in the 80's when I had my first car (66 Impala), and my town had two auto parts stores, NAPA and a place we all called "Kentucky Motors". The Kentucky motors store was really called KOI (Kentucky Ohio Indiana) Auto parts, but whatever. They always had 4 or 5 counter guys working and there was always a line. I was just learning about cars and trucks at the time so I was always impressed how they knew the parts without looking them up in the books. I would just say, "I need points for a 66 Impala with a 283" and they'd grab them off the shelf.

Back then our NAPA was an old dimly lit building that was run by one old guy who seemed pretty grumpy so I didn't go there as much at first. Once I got to know him a bit I realized how much knowledge he had and he would give me advice on how to repair a certain problem. I always appreciated that.

Our town still has the Kentucky Motors store (not too busy anymore), the NAPA (now remodeled and pretty good) as well as Advanced Auto, AutoZone, and O'Reilly's. Five parts stores for a town of 4000. I don't know how they all stay in business.

[truckster]

These days I buy a lot of my parts on RockAuto.com. The ones I buy locally I usually get from O'Reillys, mostly out of habit, because the former manager there was a really good guy but he got promoted to regional manager...

My local NAPA is about my last choice. They don't seem to know too much about the vehicles their parts go on. For example, I went there to get spark plugs for my van. The guy behind the counter asked me if it was gas or diesel. On another trip I asked for a rear cover gasket for my Chevy 12 bolt. After struggling in the book for a while, the gal behind the counter brought out a gasket, proclaiming she thought it was the right one. I told her it wasn't, but she insisted I go out and get under my truck and see if it matched up. Just to humor her I walked outside and pretended to check, and then walked in and counted out the bolt holes for her... 14 of them in all. That, plus the fact that if you're not a corporate customer they don't want to give you the time of day.

[1976gmc20]

"I need points for a 66 Impala with a 283" and they'd grab them off the shelf.

A lot of that stuff was pretty standard. Like probably every V8 Chevy (or at least small blocks) used the exact same points for a few decades. When I worked at the service station, probably 75% of cars used one of two oil filters and air filters (basically GM and ford). Of course there weren't so many imports back in those days.

When my friend in CO was replacing the clutch in their 1946 Chevy dump truck, it was the same disc as used in the then current 1980's trucks

[dagnabbitt]

I generally take the advice of the board for individual pieces but if you are in western Canada I recommend WSI (Warehouse Services Incorporated), they can get you anything and they stand by what they get you.

[FleetsidePaul]

I go to Autozone here. The guys there have been more than fair with me. And I appreciate that. And there's still an old guy there that knows his stuff.

I buy parts for my Packard online. I have to. They can be tough to find. I am lucky to find them online. Sometimes I can't find them at all. Kanter is a good resource. These days a lot of people don't even know what a Packard is.

[Steeveedee]

Originally Posted by 1976gmc20

A lot of that stuff was pretty standard. Like probably every V8 Chevy (or at least small blocks) used the exact same points for a few decades. When I worked at the service station, probably 75% of cars used one of two oil filters and air filters (basically GM and ford). Of course there weren't so many imports back in those days.

When my friend in CO was replacing the clutch in their 1946 Chevy dump truck, it was the same disc as used in the then current 1980's trucks

From '57 to '69, any GM V-8 without electronic ignition used the same points, condenser, cap and rotor. Older guys would come in for tune-up parts for one of those cars, and we'd just go pull them, but looked up the plugs, of course. Some would complain that we couldn't possibly know what those parts were without looking. So, we'd open a catalog to a random page, nod wisely, and head back for the parts. That always worked.

[1976gmc20]

Originally Posted by Steeveedee

From '57 to '69, any GM V-8 without electronic ignition used the same points, condenser, cap and rotor. Older guys would come in for tune-up parts for one of those cars, and we'd just go pull them, but looked up the plugs, of course. Some would complain that we couldn't possibly know what those parts were without looking. So, we'd open a catalog to a random page, nod wisely, and head back for the parts. That always worked.

I'm surprised they changed in 1970?

[1slo64]

I only use Advance Auto because they always have a coupon code that is active. So I just order online and do in store pickup. They are also generally cheaper and have larger parts availability than any of parts stores around here.

[Steeveedee]

Originally Posted by 1976gmc20

I'm surprised they changed in 1970?

They went to "Uni-Points"- the points and condenser were attached together as a unit. It might have been '71 for that change, it's been awhile.

[bnorth]

Won't mean much to the guys on here but Lordco in Western Canada is great. Good stock or usually in next day which is rare up here. I get great pricing through a friend's account and I don't remember the last time they got me a wrong part.

[1976gmc20]

Originally Posted by Steeveedee

They went to "Uni-Points"- the points and condenser were attached together as a unit. It might have been '71 for that change, it's been awhile.

I had a 71 and a 73 and don't remember that, but it's been a long time.

The 71 wouldn't start after camping on the beach in Texas but I had a spare set of points and put them in and guess-gapped them in the blowing salt and sand. The salt air really gets after stuff if it's not nearly new to begin with. Not long after that we sold it and got a 77 Suburban with HEI.

[LONGHAIR]

I used to keep stuff like that in my head. Driveshaft u joints and axle joint part numbers, etc. People look at you like you're some kind of freak.

Harley Davidson has always had a "code" to their part numbers. They all ended with a dash ( - ) and the last 2 digits of the year that part was first produced.
I haven't messed with any of the newer stuff, but I know that the Evolution series engines still had little internal parts like Woodruff keys with part numbers from the 1930s.