[Fordication]

I was so close to finishing the front end job on my car this evening. Autozone had given me the one correct upper ball joint and one incorrect ball joint. So this morning I got up early and drove 50 miles to autozone in Houston because they claimed to have the correct ball joint. I got home and got all of the other parts on the newly repainted control arm and was about to install the ball joint when I found that the grease fitting was too the front and not the side of the ball. So now I am going on week #3 trying to get my car finished and unable to complete it once again because of autozone. From now on I order everything over the internet and all of you chain stored can go straight to hell.

 

[70sportsroof]

This is why I take the old part with me and pull out the new part and compare. I've had good luck with autozone, although for suspension I go to NAPA and purchase MOOG parts if I can. Having almost died in the 70 from bad steering and suspension parts, I try to pay more and get quality parts in those areas.

I feel your pain. Hang in there. It's always tuff at the end of a job.

 

[napaguy]

Wow go to hell huh??? Way to bunch us all together. Do you really think that everything is perfect when you order over the net? Wait till' you get the wrong parts from your internet outfit. You only think 50 miles is a long time. Send me a pm and I will not only get you the correct part but I will give it to you at store cost. I may even pay the shipping unless you tell me to go to hell

 

[VictorII]

I was so close to finishing the front end job on my car this evening. Autozone had given me the one correct upper ball joint and one incorrect ball joint. So this morning I got up early and drove 50 miles to autozone in Houston because they claimed to have the correct ball joint. I got home and got all of the other parts on the newly repainted control arm and was about to install the ball joint when I found that the grease fitting was too the front and not the side of the ball. So now I am going on week #3 trying to get my car finished and unable to complete it once again because of autozone. From now on I order everything over the internet and all of you chain stored can go straight to hell.

Been there -- but try to remember that many counter people were not even born when our cars were made and many of the parts books are plain wrong. They simply don't know the cars as well as we do. As was said above, it is really a good idea to take the dead part with you so you are sure. I've been as frustrasted as you are now; that's how I learned to take the part with me and even double check everything. I think I mentioned once having had an argument with the manager of the local Napa (sorry, Napaguy) about brake drums I ordered. She got four lug units for my V8 and I clearly had her double check prior to her ordering. Her response was that the wrong part was on the car, and that I clearly had a problem with women..... Uhhh, no. I asked her to show me the book because "she could be right" and she found she had made a mistake. End of problem and the next day the correct part was delivered to my house. She learned to slow down a little and I got excellent service. My experience with internet stuff is worse than with parts houses, so beware; you can't hold the part in your hand. I still order some things over the net but they are Mustang specific and from reputable dealers. Things like you had happen will likely still happen to a degree. Still a pisser, but we do own classics and it's gonna happen wherever we go unless we are careful....my $.02.

 

[Robert65FB]

I feel your pain, but the folks at the AZ I go to have been great to me. However, they do have an issue with their computer database as it applies to 65 mustang brake drums of the V8 flavor. Guy looks it up a set for rear drums and tells me 12.99 and I'm all over that like a monkey in a poop fight order'em! Come in two days later and as soon as the guy sets them on the counter I know their the wrong ones. The boxes looked like MS Smith pies. He gets in the computer and all they show for a 65 is four lug 6 cylinder drums, he's a smart dude and he checks for a 67 and bingo they have them. They returned my money no biggy. I worked an autoparts store in Dallas many years ago and had no idea about most of the stuff I was looking up in the computer, and unless the customer knew for sure there was always a chance that I could sell them the wrong part. Sorry this worked out for you, I feel your pain going on week three and no cruzin, and the weather today was just awsome.

 

[lunchmeat5000]

I have had good/bad luck with ALL the parts stores here. It all depends on if the person you're asking knows anything about cars. I get frustrated when I end up with someone who can only look up parts on a computer and can't speak english. The only 2 stores I've had any luck with are NAPA and one Oreilly's. Both of them have people who know what they're talking about.

 

[joe69]

I never rely on the counter person to know as much as or more than I do, it's just a fact of life. I do a lot of business with the local Napa, and the guys there are very helpful but I know they and the books make mistakes. It's up to us to double check everything. I usually know before I leave the store if I got the wrong part.

Joe

 

[crustycurmudgeon]

There's a local store that I go to that's staffed by real car guys. Never a problem with them. Find one of those and you'll be good. Maybe you can find some online ratings of local parts stores to help you.

Frank

 

[OfnaJoe]

My local AZ has a early Mustang guy there, haven't had a problem.But I always have old part with me,and double check the new one just t be sure.

 

[Laurie_S]

What's really fun is going into the store when you need something for a modified car. The conversation goes something like this, "I need some brake part for my Mustang. Okay, what year and engine? It's a 68, but I have 67 brakes on it. It came with a 289, but now it has a 390 in it." Blank stare......

 

[donovanjamesl]

I feel your pain. Every local autopart store seems to have their strong and weak suits. In Houston I have had much better luck with O'Reilly and the Advance Auto Parts that are moving in all over town.

A new AutoZone just opened near my house. I have been there 4-5 times and have said it is the last time I go in that place. I went in the other day with a stripped castle nut off the P/S ram, and the guys in there had never seen anything like it? These guys were old enough to be my dad, so I figured they had seen alot in their day. I am sure there was probably one in the store, but these guys had no clue where to look (except for with the Dorman bolts). I had to go back to my
trusty OReilly to actually get what I needed.

I can only imagine how frustrating it is to deal with that when you are driving more than 5 minutes and wasting your gas for nothing.

 

[AMR66]

The guys at the auto parts are doing their job; whether its a 66 Mustang or a 2005 Toyota. Whether
its Autozone, Napa, Advance or anyone on line. Its
up to YOU to get the right parts. If it was something that important you should have taken the
old part with you!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Laurie_S]

That's pretty hard to do when there isn't an old part, which has been my case many times. It's a no brainer, however, when there is.

 

[30YEARDREAM]

lol and on the counter person forum they are talking about bad customers. lol

i used to work a parts counter and knew when to go to the books vs computer. and for the most part if i got some 0ff the wall part number or part i would dig a little deeper and get the right part.

 

[donovanjamesl]

I did take it with me (I always do, because this is a regular thing). That is why I said "they had never SEEN anything like it".

 

[Hiker]

Internet ha...That's a joke.

I ordered my lowering kit last week.. Comes in friday. Install Sat. Well well well...One u-Bolt is missing one nut. How freakin stupid can someone be to pack a kit missing a nut. Of cause it has to be a fine thread 7/16 flanged nut..and of course Ace that carries 1,000,000,000 different nuts/bolts and everything else, doesn't carry this type of nut. I drive all the way over to the Mustang Shoppe and after rumaging thru a nut can I find one. It's a locker type. So after an hour and a half I decide to use the old nuts from the old u-bolts. Another 30 minutes polishing them up. I wasted over 2 hours because some moron forget one nut on my kit I BOUGHT OVER THE NET.
Whether it's AZ, Checkers, Napa, etc... they all have good days and bad. Goes with the territory(sp).

 

[TJFASTBACK66]

Internet ha...That's a joke.

...... I wasted over 2 hours because some moron forget one nut on my kit I BOUGHT OVER THE NET.
Whether it's AZ, Checkers, Napa, etc... they all have good days and bad. Goes with the territory(sp).

Yah and they are laughing back in China at your post..LOL!!

 

[Hiker]

Internet ha...That's a joke.

...... I wasted over 2 hours because some moron forget one nut on my kit I BOUGHT OVER THE NET.
Whether it's AZ, Checkers, Napa, etc... they all have good days and bad. Goes with the territory(sp).

Yah and they are laughing back in China at your post..LOL!!

NS

 

[Fordication]

No, you guys do not understand. I mean the autozone ordered the correct part and the part came in the correct part numbered box. Here is what I got the first time. The first one was spot on with a grease fitting hole on the side. The second one had a grease fitting but did not have any hole to put it in and it was the american made version of the part. The 3rd one had a hole and a grease fitting but the hole was in the front and not on the side and all 3 had the exact same part number and all 3 were made for my car. Now you can say what you want but that is just plain bad parts from autozone. As for Orielly they are the ones that sold me the rubber bushings that had to be pressed into the control arm versus screw on bushings. Then they got pissed when I returned them since they were special order. Not to mention when I ordered my filter/gasket kit for the FMX transmission all I got was the gasket and an apology for thier failure to send me the entire kit. Sorry but I will be buying from online stores. As for Napa I have never given them a chance but everything I have needed so far they told me they had to order. I do not have time to wait for parts that I have already been waiting for. No patience for this crap.

 

[Fordication]

one other thing. Take the part with me. What for? They do not have anything in stock and have to order everything based on a picture the does not match the item you get.