The above is an example of old car owner AND counterperson ignorance (look it up it isn't what you think it is, is it?).

In this case the owner of an old car should have known exactly what he wanted and where to find it at the store. Why? Because bulbs are now displayed out in front rather than in the stockroom, that's why.
There are 2-headlamp systems and 4-headlamp systems on cars after 1940 (when sealed beams were government mandated for automobiles and trucks).
The 2 headlamp system ROUND sealed beam bulbs are all the same size, have high and low beam, and are larger than the 4-headlamp system bulbs. They are available in standard, halogen, long-life and other "styles".
The 4-headlamp system ROUND sealed beam bulbs are all the same size BUT there are two distinct bulbs here. The outside, or low beam, bulbs have both low and high beams. The inside, or high beam, bulbs have high beam only. That is why only two bulbs are lit when the low beam circuit is on and all four bulbs are lit when the high beam circuit is on.

Any old car owner should have this knowledge BUT not every young counterperson at an auto parts store will. Many young adults today weren't even born when cars and trucks had round headlamp bulbs!

Owning an old car does require a minimal storage bank of knowledge and it is the responsibility of the old car owner to fill that need for themselves. Buy the shop manual for your car, buy the owner's manual, buy a generic service manual if you can't find the specific one for your car. These books are available. Some new, some used, some original, some reprints, but they are available.

So, down from my soapbox I go, and off to take care of the grandkids for the afternoon. Enjoy your old rides.

Even worse is that the 4-lamp systems are pretty much impossible to find at say, Wal-Mart. They don't even have a shelf tag for them. Of course I'll grab what I can when I can, but I'm not trusting eBay for a glass headlight, could be 30 years old, in a molded cardboard box.

Better yet, I might scrap the whole setup, go with the Hella conversion kits. They run $30-$40 each (that's $120-$160 for all 4) and include 60w/55w and 55w H4 style bulbs. Has to be better than $6 stock lights. Now if I want the higher wattage (80-90-100w) bulbs, I'll need to redo ALL the wiring. But those are illegal, right? *snickers and goes off to shop for Silverstar Ultras*

WalMart? Sheesh.

NAPA still have them
#4000 is low beam (3-prong)
#5001 (was 4001) is high beam (2-prong)

Bosch Lighting makes the absolute BEST quartz-halogen conversions for the low beams, IMO. P/N QH532 on page 27 The distinctive pattern cut into the lens directs the light to exactly where you want it to be!

Even the "standard" Osram #64193 55/60W bulbs often require a relay to save your headlight switch, but a set of (shhh) Osram #64194 80/100W "off-road" bulbs will for sure.

This is a great thread!

I have worked a parts counter at the local NAPA, I have built vintage cars, and I have to agree with Pasadenahotrod 100%.

This is the way I see it, if YOU don't know what you want for YOUR vintage or hotrodded mismatched car, how in the heck do you expect your parts counter man who sells oil filters for four year old cars all day long supposed to know?????

It is YOUR car, YOU are the "hot rodder", learn all about it. Learn how to find the parts, and HELP the counterman at the local parts store get it for you.

Showing the parts man how smart you are with stupid comments like "Just give me one for a small block" or "Give me a power steering belt for a small block Ford in a 50 Lincoln" shows YOUR ignorance, not the counter persons.

And if you bought the car not knowing what every part is on the car, get to work and find out!

Brian

sometimes i use the parts store to help me learn info about my car
the biggest thing i have found is when you go to the store it doesnt always matter the age, but the willingness to help and figure out what will work for your "not in the computer" project.
when you find that counter person, remember them, get to know them.
they are often a car enthusiast also
the other people are just there for a pay check

They are like anyone you find doing any job, some care, some don't. I deal with a few dozen parts guys on a regular basis. We buy from 20 different new car dealers, 10 wrecking yards, two aftermarket crash parts suppliers, a paint store, a general parts store, rebuilt headlights, three bumper rebuilders, you get the idea.

Of all of these places, there are a few people that aren't worth a darn. Most are "decent" and a few are outstanding. If you went out to grocery stores, restuarants, or dentists you would find the same thing.

I discovered this years ago, I call it the "80-10-10 rule". That being that 80 percent of workers in every industry go to work for a paycheck and just simply "Do their job". Then 10% rise above that and do an outstanding job. Then that last 10%, they sink below and drag down the others, they don't even deserve their pay check.

I have made it a habit for years to let the managers know about those last 20%. I will do it in person, call them or drop them a letter when I have had the pleasure to be served by the 10% who step it up, or the displeasure of having to deal with the crap that has fallen into the lower 10%. You would be surprised how often you will see things change. You could be the last person that manager is willing to hear complain and fire the doof. Or give someone a promotion. They many times rely on YOU the customer or they would never know.



It has taken us years to come up with the group we currently buy from. And we are still on the lookout for better ones.

Heck, just this past Christmas Eve I called the dealer we do business with for new Honda parts to talk with the manager. I had to hell him how wonderful it had been doing business with him. You see we just changed to his dealership after doing business with the same one for over 20 years! The old one, we liked the parts dept manager, I knew him personally. I had been to his house, I had personally known him from my own shop back in 1982. But between him not helping us like he should and the dealers rules or whom ever fault it was it had came to a point to shop out someone else. This new Honda Dealer is SOOOOOOOO much better! OH MY GOD, it is like NIGHT AND DAY!

At our general parts store we have the same thing, five or six countermen, a couple will go out of their way to help, others stink.

With the Dodge dealer we do business with we had changed from a pain in the ars to someone new. They weren't any better and we told them so. The parts manager made ONE guy work with us, one who I hadn't even heard his name before. This guy is OUTRAGOUS! He is a GREAT parts guy and a super pleasure to do business with.

Some times it takes a little looking, a little work and trail and error to find the right one.

Just like a forum on Hotrodding. This one is the best, period.

Brian

all of these posts helped me out. I am just getting into messing with ford/lincoln and the local chain auto parts stores like mentioned only have kids out of school working and they have no clue what a catalog is. I am rebuilding a stock 430 lincoln from 62 and have run into several issues with the parts house telling me they have the part and it being wrong. I had a parts house I could go to and talk to Jim and he knew what was up but those days are long gone and I would love it if someone could point me in the right direction for manuals on rebuilding this particular engine. Thanks for the help guys and i will post pics in the project journal as i accomplish things. Nothing in there yet but soon

i sell to repair facilities at autozone. i had 67 chevelle wheel cylinders in stock. we have parts that are computer doesn't show in stock. paper is the only reliable source for the right parts. there are "good" parts people out there, but you have to search for them.

i've been into cars my whole life. i managed a performance shop for 8 years, and i have 14 years of regular parts experience. if you need help finding a part number, i'll try to help you. i currently am a commercial sales manager for a z.

where is the best place to find the rubber boot that goes over the fork that holds the throwout bearring in the bell housing

That is an item that I doubt would be found at a "parts store". Though I could see myself saying that when I worked at a parts store and then having a more experianced parts man walk up to be and toss a catalog on the counter with the part staring me in the face. Then the funny part, I go back and I had one on the shelf the whole time! LOL

But the first place I looked was at "Yearone" (yearone.com) and in thirty seconds I found what you needed..
http://www.yearone.com/serverfiles/...+boot&SM=1&SC=6

Brian

I gotta chime in here. When I was in Jr High I worked at a jobber. In high school I worked at another jobber. This was back before computerized look-ups.... I got good at using catalogs. This was in a town of 9K people, there were 4 independent jobbers (or mom-n-pop stores if you like) and 1 chain, a Napa store. Fast forward 25+ years and there are now 2 stores in town, AZO and ORLY. I need a carb kit for my 600 vac Holley, I go to the AZO and the guy asks "whats the application" Me: "Nothing, its a universal Holley 600 vac" Guy: "Whats the number on it?" Me: "01850-3" Guy: "thats not in my system...there has to be another number somewhere" I asks the guy if he has a catalog, he replies "No". After some more discussion I go to ORLY. Guy asks what it is and he starts to get on the computer, then he stops, takes a Holley catalog out from under the counter and looks it up. Voila, we have a winner!
Its been my experience that Napa has an edge over the ORLY when it comes to counter people. ORLY is a close 2nd while AZO is a distant third. Forget Advance, it's like a warmed over AZO.
These are just my opinions.
One final note, I talked to a AZO catalog manager in Memphis once and asked him why AZO prefers electronic data to catalogs, his response "..we hire burger flippers, we want to make it as easy as possible for them to look up parts". No, I'm not kidding.

hey some one got it right

We used to have the parts stores like what the OP mentioned, But they've all gone out of business, sold out to the chain stores, or just plain died, and the heirs sold the stock, and property.
All that's left is Auto Zone, and Advance. When Advance first came to be, they hired Chad, a very knowledgeable parts person. You call and tell him that you want a pressure switch for brake lights, and he'd send you what you need. They fired him. Now, when you ask for a pressure switch for the brake lights, you are asked what make?, "Ford", what year?, "1933", What body?.
"coupe", What engine?, " '93 LT1 350", Front disc? "yes", My computer dosen't show one of those.

Now, It's catch as catch can.

It seems that when all you have to work from is chain stores, and they continue to hire folks who think that a Honda Civic, with 20" wheels constitutes a Hot-Rod, there will be a decline in the ability to get parts over-the-counter, even though they have them in stock. Unless you can come up with a part number that matches the stores part number. And without access to their data base, that has become near impossible.
None of the clerks at the chain stores that I've had contact with, is willing, or has been given the authority, to look at hard copy in the catalog books, (If they even have any).

Typically, esp., at the chain stores, They are the first to get canned.