A waste of time

[igotta40]

At Auto Zone borrowing a steering wheel puller, so I can clean my horn contacts.

employee: year?
make? model? 2wheel drive or four wheel drive?

me: there is no two wheel drive Land Cruiser

employee: yes there is, it’s right here on my computer

 

[JohnnyC]

There was a 2wd 40 series... fj42 came 2wd ... rare ... and not here

 

[JohnnyC]

Some pics here:

2wd fj40?

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[GA Architect]

At Auto Zone borrowing a steering wheel puller, so I can clean my horn contacts.

employee: year?
make? model? 2wheel drive or four wheel drive?

me: there is no two wheel drive Land Cruiser

employee: yes there is, it’s right here on my computer

For anyone needing a steering wheel puller and has a few M8 bolts & washers of different sizes, check out post #97 -> click here <-

 

[SonofSonof40]

I feel ya. It's hard to walk into an auto parts store and expect the kids to understand anything. Nothing torques me out more than asking a question and watching them start googling something I was hoping for a professional opinion on. Oh the kids today. Then again, that's what they said about me just 2 short decades ago...

 

[C6H12O6]

It chaps me, because I used to be one of those kids at the LPS. I worked at Kragen through college, and busted my ass to learn about cars. I listened to the old timers, I went to trainings to get certified in the parts and learn how it all worked, and I knew my way around all the paper catalogs we had, even after we went to the computers. It seems that none of those things are happening at the big chains now. I tend to go to the local Napa store because the average age of the counter people is probably 55+, and even then it's getting harder and harder to support them. I can do the research and find the parts myself, and get a significantly better price online. Even at Toyota, there is ONE guy in the Portland area that knows his way around the parts counter and gets me the right thing the first time. I give him my money whenever he's even close to the online discount Toyota sites, but damn, it's getting tough.

 

[igotta40]

The employee looked to be in his sixties. I hate it when they go to their own website and do a search, I’m like, what are you doing? It’s the same at Home Depot, Walmart etc.

Normally I’ll do my own search and come in and ask for the SKU, but it was a tool I needed.

 

[Tancruiser]

Duh

 

[TCEd]

In the the age of on line internet search engines we have a small chain of family owner auto shops in our community,Thirlby Automotive - Company History . There is no online parts lookup. They have their inventory online at the store but they still use old paper catalogs also. There is a row of catalogs about ten feet long on the back counter. It's amazing you walk in with a part and the counter guy identifies it or it becomes a game with all the counter guys to identify it with out looking in their system or catalogs. Three years ago Auto zone built a store across from their main store but the Auto Zone always seems empty. Ed

 

[dunebeigefj40]

yeah I went in to get a v-belt for my power steering setup and asked for a 36 inch v-belt
or course they asked me year, make and model and I said it doesn't matter, just need the 36 inch belt
but noooo, he said he had to put it into the computer, so I said ok, it's a 74 Toyota landcruiser with an 85 impala pump on a homemade mount using a 74 gremlin pulley...what's it say?
he said "I think a 36 inch belt should do it" and finally went and got one

 

[smtdvm]

Called one of the local chain stores yesterday, asking if they had any K2 epoxy primer. Oh yes, he said. I drive all the way down there and........
It is hopeless.

 

[igotta40]

yeah I went in to get a v-belt for my power steering setup and asked for a 36 inch v-belt
or course they asked me year, make and model and I said it doesn't matter, just need the 36 inch belt
but noooo, he said he had to put it into the computer, so I said ok, it's a 74 Toyota landcruiser with an 85 impala pump on a homemade mount using a 74 gremlin pulley...what's it say?
he said "I think a 36 inch belt should do it" and finally went and got one

 

[igotta40]

Called one of the local chain stores yesterday, asking if they had any K2 epoxy primer. Oh yes, he said. I drive all the way down there and........
It is hopeless.

They don’t know K2 from KY .......

 

[Camper Dave]

Last year I restored a 68 El Camino, when the starter went out I went to the local Oreilly's to get a replacement for a stock 350 motor. It had no problem starting the car, but when you stopped at store or gas station 10 minutes later it would not re start. I attempted to explain the process of "heat soak" to the manager and asked for store credit. He refused stating " well it starts your car the first time so it must be good, you most likely have modified your motor". I offered to open the hood and prove it was completely stock, down to the carb and exhaust, again he refused to look stating "no such thing as heat soak or over heated starter solenoid". So I proceeded to flip my lid and walked out with store credit. I don't care that he had never heard of it, but his complete arrogance and unwillingness to listen to logic was over the top. I offered my phone for him to GOOGLE it......it was not appreciated. LOL High torque mini starter solved the problem!

Most of the crew down there is more than helpful. I prefer igotta40's method of searching the SKU myself.

 

[smtdvm]

Yesterday I headed into town to pick up a few things to fulfill the honey do list. I decided I could get everything I needed at the closest and locally owned building supply and hardware store. Lucky for me, a couple of guys with real experience happened to come by while I was perusing products and working toward a decision. (Doesn’t really matter what I was looking for.) These two smart guys ask if they could help me and I said “sure”. So, one guy authoritatively points to a half quart of clear fluid on the shelf right in front of my face and says “this is the stuff, right here”. No, it’s not. Before I could reiterate my need for 10 gallons or so and restate my purpose, the other guy, clearly training the first, says “you can’t do that, it just won’t work and there’s no such product”.
At that point, with the product description still on the screen of my phone, they importantly walked off. So did I, but I had a few other things to grab and as I stood there with the items in my hands, I started to think. I set the other stuff down and walked out the door. I went elsewhere and kept running into other geniuses where ever I went. Later on, when my wife asks if I found everything we needed, it was all I could do to be civil. It seems like everyone is an expert but no one knows squat. It seems like no matter how hard I try to support the local economy, the businesses do their very best to make it easier, cleaner and less costly to just go to Amazon or call someone in another town and pay the freight.

 

[65swb45]

My personal favorite happened with a local chain store almost 30 years ago. I bought an aftermarket brake master cylinder for a customer with a’75 Landcruiser. I gave the customer the option of OE, but not only was the aftermarket cheaper, it had a lifetime warranty.

I installed it and had the customer stop by to pump the pedal while I bled the brakes. He and his wife were on their way to a nice dinner and were dressed up. I said it would only be a few minutes. 15 minutes later I’ve got no pedal, and have more than used up their patience. I’m also a little worried about losing my credibility over something that should be so simple. I said“Give me 5 more minutes, I want to try something.”

One of my friends had just converted his ‘75 to disc brakes, had bought a new master cylinder, and had given me his old one. I pulled it off the shelf and bolted it into my customers truck.

I had pedal in two minutes.

I returned the aftermarket cylinder to the store the next day but before I could explain the process I went through, the store manager got on a proverbial soapbox and told me how tired he was of dealing with stupid mechanics that don’t know how to work on brakes! He literally spent 3 minutes on this tirade.

Once he was finally winded, I just politely said “If I’m so stupid, how is it that I could put a used master cylinder on and make it work, but not this one.”

Without physically moving an inch, I had managed to kick the soapbox out from under him. I got an apology, a new master cylinder, and some first class treatment from that store after that.

 

[mtquivr]

We have a lot around here that think they know better. When I made a hard left with my ATV trailer, the jack handle would hit my bumper and bend. I went home and did some measurements and determined that an 18" inch one would work. Looked online at JC Whitney and they had them. Went to the local trailer supply and told the guy what I needed. He said they don't make them that long. I told him I just saw them online and he OK and walked out the door.