[AT] OT:Musta been the lightning

Steve W. falcon at telenet.net
Sat Aug 6 07:06:44 PDT 2005


After having run a shop for a few years I can tell you that all the
stores carry good and bad parts "lines" in them. Those are kind of like
quality levels that the parts makers have. For instance say AutoZone has
three different alternators for a vehicle all with different prices. One
might be a "rebuild" from an outfit that just gives them a quick
cleaning and replaces only the failed parts. The next might be a new
aftermarket unit, and the third might be a new factory built one. Or it
could be parts made in the same factory by the same people who make the
ones the factory itself uses. They sell one "line" to the factory and
the other to the aftermarket. The problem is finding out who has which
parts and where they actually came from. About the most consistent parts
quality seems to come from NAPA, next was Advance, Lifetime warrantee
parts. Fisher sells some of the worst crap I have ever seen, BUT they
are OK for exhaust parts since they sell Walkers lines. NAPA sells WIX
filters under the NAPA Gold label as well as WIX themselves. They also
sell AC filters as the Silver line. BIG difference in quality between
them. National Automotive Parts Association has both franchise and
corporate stores. Want to know what your local store is? Look at the
product lines. NAPA corporate stores sell only NAPA branded or sourced
parts and supplies. Franchise stores may have parts and supplies like
Clear tail lights, stereos, aftermarket fluff parts.

Batteries are really fun, Most of the brands in the US are made by 4
companies. The problem is that stores may change suppliers in mid
stream. For some interesting reading on them try

http://www.uuhome.de/william.darden/

Lots of info on who makes what and where.

Steve Williams

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Richard Fink Sr" <nancydick at pennswoods.net>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group"
<at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Saturday, August 06, 2005 8:59 AM
Subject: Re: [AT] OT:Musta been the lightning


> Thanks Steve Carmax is the on i heard, but my mind only allows one
name at
> a time any more. We have both here local + fishers and napa and none
of
> them sell good parts. i think that all of the parts stores figure to
get
> you for life when they sell you a part. Most last till the day after
the
> warranty runs out.  What is the thoughts on Douglas batteries.  I sure
have
> been having a lot of bad luck with them as of late. first wife car 11
> months old now i have one in my truck that keeps going dead 12-15
months
> old. This truck hauls OLD tractors and other things. It appears that
the
> cheaper battery you buy the longer it last. I have heard that only a
few
> companies build battery. True on  not
> R Fink
> PA
> R Fink
>
>
>
> At 08:58 PM 8/5/2005 -0400, you wrote:
> >Auto Zone, ALLDATA, CarMax, are the same company, they also signed a
> >deal to supply the parts for all Midas stores.
> >
> >Advance, Checker, Discount Auto, Kragen, Parts America, and Schuck's
> >auto are all the same company.
> >
> >NAPA is a consortium outfit put together from parts distributors to
> >service dealerships. They then opened stores to the public.
> >
> >Parts Plus are about the same as NAPA in their origins.
> >
> >
> >Steve Williams
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Richard Fink Sr" <nancydick at pennswoods.net>
> >To: "Antique tractor email discussion group"
> ><at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> >Sent: Friday, August 05, 2005 9:48 PM
> >Subject: Re: [AT] OT:Musta been the lightning
> >
> >
> > > Chuck and others, Have you heard that auto zone and one of the
other
> > > national parts stores are owned by the same family. Husband owns
one
> >and
> > > wife owns the other. ?????????????????????
> > > R Fink
> > > PA
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > At 08:12 AM 8/5/2005 -0500, you wrote:
> > > >I too have had problems with Autozone alternators after having my
> >ford
> > > >OEM alternator go out 3 times in 2 days(serviced at Ford first 2
> > > >times) on the road I got one in the rain in Louisville KY from
> > > >Autozone. It lasts about a year on average. I bought a waterpump
from
> > > >Ford for $300 lasted 13 months, Got one at the local auto parts
store
> > > >(O'Reillys) and it has ben on for 3 years now. Don't get me
wrong,
> > > >it's not that I think the auto parts stores have better stuff,
but I
> > > >don't think that the dealer has any better. Everything (of this
> > > >nature) I have bought from the dealer has been rebuilt stuff with
a
> >12
> > > >month warranty. The auto parts stores are going lifetime warranty
on
> > > >most stuff. I do agree that if I could get new OEM stuff I would
be
> > > >more pleased but I can't imagine how much they would charge.
> > > >Chuck Saunders
> > > >Kansas City, MO
> > > >
> > > >On 8/4/05, Thomas O. Mehrkam <tomehrkam at houston.rr.com> wrote:
> > > > > Well I have a Ford F150 and a Chevy Suburban C2500
> > > > >
> > > > > It has yet to fail. If I plan to service the Ford the Chevy
> >craters the
> > > > > day before. I figured it out the Chevy is jealous. It wants
all
> >the
> > > > > attention. It finally got so bad I had to buy a new F250
because I
> >never
> > > > > had time to work on the old Ford. The Chevy wanted all the
> >attention.
> > > > >
> > > > > I am afraid to try to sell the Chevy It would probably throw a
rod
> >if it
> > > > > got wind of that. ;-}
> > > > >
> > > > > To be on topic. The Ford F250 V10 pulls the International H a
> >whole lot
> > > > > better than the 3/4 ton Suburban.
> > > > >
> > > > > I hope you have better luck with Auto zone Alternators than I
had.
> >I had
> > > > > one with a life time warranty. I replaced it seven times on my
old
> > > > > Suburban. They would last about one year. The always failed on
the
> >road.
> > > > > I got real good at changing them out in August in front of the
> >auto
> > > > > parts store.
> > > > >
> > > > > I made a new rule when I replaced the old Suburban. Only
factory
> >parts.
> > > > > They cost three times as much but last six times as long.
Gives me
> >more
> > > > > time to work on old Tractors.
> > > > >
> > > > > HaliganBar at aol.com wrote:
> > > > > > Well, in a very bizarre chain of events, I've had alternator
> >failure on 2
> > > > > > vehicles in the same day. It started when my 4-wheeler
wouldn't
> > > > start...a check
> > > > > > of the battery showed 11.3 volts before starting and 11.0
volts
> >after
> > > > starting.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > > Then about 3 hours later I was coming back from the local
farm
> >store
> > > > and I
> > > > > > noticed the alternator light on my Chevy C2500 was lit up.
So I
> >sent
> > > > the kids to
> > > > > > drop the 4-wheeler at the dealership (the first time I was
glad
> >our
> > > > oldest
> > > > > > daughter had a boyfriend with a pickup) and I grabbed the
"bumpy
> >old
> > > > pickup" and
> > > > > > Kristopher (age 9) to help bale 151 bales of hay we had
down.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > After stacking the hay in the barn I removed the old
alternator
> >and
> > > > my wife
> > > > > > ran off to Autozone to get the new one. I did take the time
to
> >clean
> > > > all the
> > > > > > battery connections (my truck has dual batteries). The first
> >battery
> > > > cleaned up
> > > > > > nicely. However, when I tried to unscrew the sidepost on the
> >other
> > > > battery the
> > > > > > entire positive terminal came right out of the side of the
> >battery.
> > > > Well, I
> > > > > > guess the good news is the cable ends are really
clean..actually
> >so
> > > > is the
> > > > > > positive terminal...unfortunately it's also sitting in my
hand.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > The only thing that kept me calm during the entire ordeal
was
> >the hour of
> > > > > > quality time I spent raking hay with the Farmall 350
(requisite
> > > > antique tractor
> > > > > > reference). I think it's very strange that both should fail
on
> >the
> > > > same day. I
> > > > > > can't think of anything the 2 vehicles had in common that
might
> >explain
> > > > > > it....except..we did have a thunderstorm pass nearby the
night
> > > > before. Maybe
> > > > > > lightning fouls sparkplugs AND wrecks alternators.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Thanks for letting me ramble...
> > > > > > Karl
> > > > > > _______________________________________________
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