Parts Vendors Don't Always Know What They're Selling

by Andrea L. Algar
Motorheads Performance

"I'm sick of dealing with parts vendors who don't know what their s--- goes to," exclaims Guy Algar! "Customers have no idea what we have to do to get in correct parts for their classic car or muscle car. Even specialty shops, having been given exact part numbers have sent me the incorrect part. Just today, I received a transmission dust cover (which covers the transmission for a Turbo Hydromatic 400 and 350) that this company was selling specifically for Pontiacs. Problem was that what I received is designed to fit Chevy vehicles!

"Pontiac starters are on the left (driver's) side of the engine. The dust covers that the company was selling for Pontiac has the starter cutout on the opposite side, which is the way they're configured for Chevy. The only rare case where you've got that this will work on a Pontiac are the few TransAms that had factory installed Chevy engines in them in the late 1970's. When I called the company, because I'm a dealer for them, the rep went over to ask where the parts department got the part from and they explained that they took it from the Camaro bin. Firebird and Camaro, while sister cars, are not identical twins. They have different parts.

"Now, even though the transmissions for the Pontiac and the Chevrolet share similar bolt patterns (real emphasis on similar), they do not share the identical bolt patterns on the back of the engine. The top center bolt on a Pontiac does not exist. It does exist on a Chevrolet. Hence, when you use a Chevy engine with a Pontiac transmission, or vice-versa, you need to use an adaptor plate. You simply can't skip over the bolt, yet I've actually seen this done!"

This is just one of the things that you need to know in order to be a good technician and project planner for a customer who has a classic car, muscle car, old car or truck. It's the detail in the knowledge that can make all the difference in having your project put together correctly. The first step in ensuring that you get the right part is to know what the right part is! If you're uncertain, take the time to do the appropriate research. Don't just throw in any old bolt that looks like it'll fit, for example, make sure it's a bolt intended for that purpose, has the right strength, the right head, the right thread, and the right length!

Guy continues, "Just this week, I was working on a project which had been started by another shop. I've been busy recording a list of things which we've found wrong, and the list is growing incredibly long. The car was to be restored to factory spec, with the exception of a few performance items. The work was being done by a shop which claimed to know how to restore a muscle car. I got the car because the shop owner abandoned the project and left it sitting for over a year without the customer knowing he had literally packed up and left town! In addition to problems we've seen with the body and paint, there are glaring things wrong with how the engine, wiring and suspension were being put together." In this case, it's pretty obvious that the work was being done by a body guy. He knows very little about engines, and he wasn't that good with the body work, as he filled a 3" hole in the body with household caulking before painting, sprayed right over dirt and grime in some spots, used an engine bolt in one of the hood hinges, and didn't use washers with the lug nuts (where the lug nuts were used at all) on the custom rims. These among even greater sins committed with work on the drive train! Read more about this in my article, "What's Wrong With These People?"

Problems with parts don't just happen when you purchase from an on-line specialty shop, ebay or Craigslist. It can happen when you walk into your local part store. Why? Most of the time the guys behind the counter in the parts store are younger than the vehicle and parts you're looking for! They often have no idea what is correct for your vehicle. They have to rely on a database which is often incorrect. The databases are often set up by people who have no car experience, much less classic car or muscle car experience, and parts are put in by data entry clerks.

We live in a world now where everyone believes what he/she reads. There are those who wouldn't question selling a part that didn't look right if the label said it was what they were looking for. Not everyone remembers what it's like to use the knowledge gathered over the years to help ferret out the information we need. We want the short-cut, the easy, fast way to get what we need. Part of this is fueled by the ease in which we get information from the Internet. The problem is that the information found there is sometimes not accurate.

We like to give our customers the option of finding and purchasing their own parts for their project. Some customers actually enjoy this process, others do it because they think they'll save money doing so. In our case, customers usually end up spending a bit more money doing it themselves because of our billing policy for parts (we do not mark up our parts because we sell them to our customers at our often discounted prices), but it can make sense when dealing with shops that typically mark up parts anywhere from 30-200% over their cost. The problem here is that mistakes do happen, and they happen all the time! It's very rare that we have a job that has not involved at least one or more items returned for having the wrong part sent from the vendor. This is costly, not only in terms of return shipping costs, etc., but in time we need to wait for the correct part to arrive. These time delays can devastate our tight scheduling.

Guy advises, "There are a few part stores out there that don't rely solely on the parts database or catalogue. They have retained the original parts books that go back to the 1950's, 60's and 70's, and if you happen to have one of these parts stores in your neighborhood, get down on your knees and thank the maker! If you're lucky enough today, the man you're talking to who stands behind the parts counter was alive during the 50's, 60's and 70's and actually worked on these cars, like I have done. If they're savvy enough with a computer and can decipher the old parts books and cross reference numbers, you're in luck because the parts still exist, they're just not always in the new databases. Make this person your friend, and adopt him as a member of your family! He will help you find the parts your project needs, and it will work and/or fit the first time."

REFERENCES:
Classic Car News - What's Wrong With These People?
Motorheads Performance - How to Purchase Parts

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andrea L. Algar is co-owner of a classic car performance and restoration design shop in Leesville, Texas. Motorheads Performance specializes in repairs, maintenance, performance upgrades and restorative work on cars and trucks from the 1920’s through 1970’s. Her husband Guy L. Algar is a Mechanical Engineer with over 25 years experience. He holds 5 ASE Certifications from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and has been working on old cars and trucks for over 37 years. Together they share their passion for old cars and trucks with other enthusiasts from around the country.