You cant trust these kids working in a Automotive store.

[fastroadster]

When I have time....I like to screw with those kids. Ask him if he has a fuel pump in stock for a Model A Ford. What do you mean?? It has to...I just drove it in here. Are you sure? hahahahahahha

[C26Pinelake]

Originally Posted by fastroadster

When I have time....I like to screw with those kids. Ask him if he has a fuel pump in stock for a Model A Ford. What do you mean?? It has to...I just drove it in here. Are you sure? hahahahahahha

Does anyone benefit from this activity? It adds to the problem instead of helping the young person. How would you like someone wasting your time when you are at work ? So sad! Wayne

[captndan]

The NAPA store here was sold to another franchize and the older ones retired, went to another store, or just plain quit. Two went to O'Reilly's. The others at O'Reilly's are younger farm raised men. Between the employes they can come up with about any part you need. Lucky to live in rural America.

[Tinbasher]

Are you running ethanol based gas? Common problem.

John Poole

[Jeff/Illinois]

Originally Posted by Dick Steinkamp

When I was young, we all had the same interests as our parents and grand parents. We all dressed the same as them and listened to the same music. We were all polite and smart. We knew all the parts for 80+ year old steam engines and didn't need any of those "books" to assist us.

All I can say to the kids of today is....

STAY OFF MY LAWN!!

Dick you mean like..... THIS??? Nothing gets your attention faster than a Garand pointed at your head
https://youtu.be/NelBNtNm8l0

[caboose]

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Originally Posted by fastroadster

When I have time....I like to screw with those kids. Ask him if he has a fuel pump in stock for a Model A Ford. What do you mean?? It has to...I just drove it in here. Are you sure? hahahahahahha

I'll quote a friend, "If you can't trust the pimply faced kid behind the parts counter, who can you trust?"

[Wick]

We have a new orileys. ...best one in there is a young boy that plays with the Honda cars. He can find me anything! Try finding parts for a 52 lincoln or 41 ford tonner and 48 packard.
I showed him how to read a tape measure when cutting fuel hose. Showed him how to match bolt threads up. I found 06 mustang gt rear shocks bolt right on to the lincoln. The guys with experience there won't take the time to look for stuff.
In Autozone I asked for a universal electric fuel pump. ...nobody had a clue what it was!
Well it was hanging on the wall behind the counter. Lmao

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by Wick

We have a new orileys. ...best one in there is a young boy that plays with the Honda cars. He can find me anything! Try finding parts for a 52 lincoln or 41 ford tonner and 48 packard.
I showed him how to read a tape measure when cutting fuel hose. Showed him how to match bolt threads up. I found 06 mustang gt rear shocks bolt right on to the lincoln. The guys with experience there won't take the time to look for stuff.
In Autozone I asked for a universal electric fuel pump. ...nobody had a clue what it was!
Well it was hanging on the wall behind the counter. Lmao

Did you tell him there are 16 inches to the foot?

[Indiana A. Lover]

Amen!

[DougVieyra]

So some of you old farts get cranky sometimes about young brain-less counter persons - get over it.

But even better - is going in (you have to have a straight face to do this) and ask for six gallons of 'Prop Wash'. You tell the young man that you saw their ad in the local paper advertising Six Gallons of Prop Wash for the price of Four, so you know he has it in stock.

The rest you can ad-lib as you go along - however, it is important to stretch out the dialog as long as possible, until the kid collapses.

While serving my first week on the USS Hornet CVS-12, I not only had to fetch a gallon of this stuff from the forward Chain Locker, but it had to be specifically "Goony Bird Special". Prop Wash is hard enough to find, let along a specific brand ! Of course, the wise old sea salt I talked to at the Forward Chain Locker, told me that they moved all the Prop Wash to the after Fan Tail - but, as I was going there anyway, would I "please take these two empty 5 gallon cans back there when you go?"

So I never have any problem of conscience when I now ask the youngster behind the counter - for my six gallons of Prop Wash. The smart ones are the ones you want to deal with. Those that go looking for it, you might want to avoid.

[Drive Shaft Dave]

Originally Posted by MikeK

I had the same problem WITH hose marked "fuel" from the local parts store. Black stuff disintegrated after about a week. Fortunately it was a 6" piece on my lawnmower. E10?

I had the same problem with my modern, last year I replaced a 8 inch section of fuel hose, marked NAPA FUEL , early this summer it split open.

[Drive Shaft Dave]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

Did you tell him there are 16 inches to the foot?

Early this spring I went to Autozone for a wheel cylinder hone , they never heard of one.

[tbirdtbird]

"Early this spring I went to Autozone for a wheel cylinder hone , they never heard of one."

Is it any wonder why eBay and Amazon are doing so well?
I save myself the gas and the time to go shagging parts no one ever heard of, and just bring'em up online in a flash...DONE

[KenCoupe]

Originally Posted by BILL WILLIAMSON

[B]Let's NOT dump ALL the "kids" in ONE BAD category!!! There's some sharp "kids" out there.
Bill W.

I agree with Bill; we can't just dump on all the young people. One of the big problems is that these chains only look at profit margins. They provide no training to their employees. My son worked for a national retailer and got virtually no training. He had to figure out what tires worked on what cars, what shocks were correct, etc. on his own. There are some younger guys (as well as older guys) that are not the "brightest bulbs in the lamp." My son picks things up pretty quickly and self taught himself what was needed to know. When I was young, you got training when starting a new job. You also worked with a guy that knew his stuff and would impart that knowledge to you (the new guy). Doesn't work that way much any more.

[1929]

Originally Posted by KenCoupe

I agree with Bill; we can't just dump on all the young people. One of the big problems is that these chains only look at profit margins. They provide no training to their employees. My son worked for a national retailer and got virtually no training. He had to figure out what tires worked on what cars, what shocks were correct, etc. on his own. There are some younger guys (as well as older guys) that are not the "brightest bulbs in the lamp." My son picks things up pretty quickly and self taught himself what was needed to know. When I was young, you got training when starting a new job. You also worked with a guy that knew his stuff and would impart that knowledge to you (the new guy). Doesn't work that way much any more.

Its true the chains only look for profit margins, and don't pay well. I brought a car in for an alignment and noticed it wasn't done, brought the car back to Mavis and watched them align it this time. I asked the manager why the guy didn't do it the first time, he said can you cant get good workers for $9 an hour.

[captndan]

If they don't know what an electric fuel pump is they also don't know what a Garand is. Sir, do you want that in 30-06 or 308?

[SeaSlugs]

Around me i cant say ive ever had a major issue at any of our auto parts stores, a few times you can tell the guy at the computer is relatively new (young and old mind you) and has trouble looking stuff up but they either A admit to it and apologize but eventually click enough places to find it or B get help/training asap. Now one of our napas has old guys in it and are less than helpful and never seems to have anything in stock(but they can order it for 6X the cost of the other places)...

ive had good luck with autozone and advanced autos fuel line by the foot... maybe its a recent supplier change

[denis4x4]

I refuse to jump on the band wagon here and complain about counter kids at the chain auto accessory stores. Instead, I complain to my local school board for cutting vocational classes. With few exceptions, I'll bet that the vast majority of 'Barners were able to learn about cars at the corner service station or from a mentor. OSHA says you can't let anybody in the service bay anymore. Give the kids a break.

[goodoldvic]

x2 denis4x4

[SeaSlugs]

Originally Posted by denis4x4

I refuse to jump on the band wagon here and complain about counter kids at the chain auto accessory stores. Instead, I complain to my local school board for cutting vocational classes. With few exceptions, I'll bet that the vast majority of 'Barners were able to learn about cars at the corner service station or from a mentor. OSHA says you can't let anybody in the service bay anymore. Give the kids a break.

yea shame really thats the first classes to go when budget cuts are going on.


I was fortunate enough to go to our township high school that had: auto mech (5 bays - 3 lifts), welding (stick and mig), metals (foundry, sheetmetal, milling, lathes), woodshop, electronics, drafting(both by hand and auto cad style - forced to do by hand first to appreciate and understand the terms to do autocad), graphic arts (printing press, photography, dark room, etc) small engines/household wiring, and ag classes.