Gotta love Auto Zone

[mustang13]

Re: Gotta love Auto Zone

I'm blessed with friends all over town that work at Parts stores/ Dealers/ Auto Recyclers, so I don't have anything to complain about.

I use Carquest of Binghamton for most of my needs at work, and home. All the gang there are gearheads, and have been in the biz along time. It's nice to not have to explain why the year/make/model may not be important because you are using the part on something different, and not get a "well that won't work" from behind the counter. That, and they still keep parts books on hand.

[Loren]

Re: Gotta love Auto Zone

Seems we yak/gripe about the AutoZone every now and then. But...there they are, and they may have the stuff you need. Go or don't.

I usually go to another store but a short while back I needed an air chuck to fill my truck tires with, and AutoZone was right there so I dropped in. I bought one of those chucks that works with dually tires, and a set of air connectors so I could plug it in to the supply. These parts all had the "OEM" brand name and came from the landlord...i.e. China, the country we owe a trillion-some dollars to now.

First of all I opened the packages and tried to fit a male connector (4 in the package) into the female connector (1 supplied) and it wouldn't go. The second wouldn't either, the third barely fit in. So I got out an old vernier calipers to check sizes.


The above fitting, which didn't fit, measured around .317". I checked the next one, it was bigger at .325



The ones that fit measured .295 by-the-way. So anyhow, there was a .030" difference in these parts which all came in the same package. Junk.

So, I found an old fitting from my "stock" , took the air chuck out of it's package and screwed it together. After connecting it to an air supply I attempted to put some air in my tire.

Nope, the air chuck wouldn't fit the valve stem. So, back out with the measuring calipers.

Here's what a valve stem measures...about .301"


And here is what the chuck sized in at, about .290". More junk.


A closer look at the air chuck shows some pretty sloppy manufacturing, with thick casting flash hanging out into the hole.


So now I need air in a tire and have gone to the store and bought the tools to do it with, but they are all useless. Guess I won't be putting any air in my tires then.

A few days later when I had the time I went back into the AutoZone to return it all and get my money back. The guy behind the counter looked at the stuff with the same spite I felt and gave me a slip to sign, and then my money. It took about 20 minutes, on top of the 15 it took me to buy the stuff in the first place. Good thing I tried it all in town and didn't wait to get out into the desert or something and be depending on it.

I don't actually blame AutoZone, everybody handles this crap. People buy "cheap", so they supply "cheap". Nobody loading shipping containers in China gives a rip if the product works or not.

When the Mac truck swings by the body shop next door I'll wander over and pony up for a decent air chuck I guess.

[Brad54]

Re: Gotta love Auto Zone

I'll stick with my Car Quest.

I want quality...

My local Car Quest guys get me everything I need for my '62 Suburban... drums, wheel cylinders and heater fan motor were all on the shelf.

They know me by name--it's better than Cheers! Hell, they've even delivered to my house for me!

-Brad

[Monk]

Re: Gotta love Auto Zone

Haven't been to the local Auto Zone in three years.

[dieselgeek]

Re: Gotta love Auto Zone

Brad54's killing me with the "never trust a parts store with a glass wall or no stools at the counter" :D


So, the story on Autozone is this: they are the WalMart of auto parts stores. By that, I do not mean "EVERYTHING IS CHINESE JUNK" - but, they are simply amazing at their ability to purchase at the absolute cheapest prices by squeezing out the middle men and putting their vendors/mfgrs balls in a vise. They do it with such science, it would blow your mind!

If you are an Autozone supplier (god help you!), you are hooked into their inventory system and they place orders with you that way, and only that way. It costs you some bucks to get set up on this system. You DO NOT MAKE MONEy. you are very, very lucky to break even if you sell parts to AZ. What you DO get out of the deal, though, is lots of volume that allows you to (in theory) negotiate better terms with YOUR manufacturers/suppliers. That's their logic anyways.

If you sell to Autozone, expect to rotate sales execs at a regular interval. They will send even the hardest core sales exec home crying like a baby. The guy at Spectre, who handled the AZ accounts, is like a saint (Chad knows him) in that he's been able to stay on top of that account for some time.

There are benefits, you get to use their system to run your own reports and help suggest new sales strategies, and watch how certain part numbers are doing in different markets with good demographic data - this helps you with your OTHER sales outlets (Warehouse Distributors, Mom & Pop stores, etc.).

Autozone is so badass that they plan out the counter layouts, spend lots of mone studying what you may or may not buy and making sure it's in the "right place" for you to see it, etc. It's mindboggling how crazy thorough these guys are. Like Walmart.


However, the downside, is what Loren is pointing out. In the effort to squeeze suppliers to the absolute edge of sanity (notice I didn't say "insanity), you end up pushing quality limits as well. That being said, they try very hard to keep quality - they WILL return anything that you ship them that they catch as being junk (I bet Loren could have gotten replacement chucks for free until he found one that was the right size)... they track your quality and too many returns will get you the boot... but... sometimes when you ride the limit, you cross the line sometimes.

Think of Advance Auto Parts as the "AutoZone wannabe, following closely in their footsteps"

Pep Boys, is next in line but a little more quality focused. From what I see, they mark up their products a lot more than Autozone (based on shopping). I was in New Orleans all last week, did some work on a car there, and used the local Pep Boys for parts. They were definitley higher priced on everything I bought (Thermostat and gaskets, bag of oil-dry, and a bunch of cleaning supplies) than Autozone is.

Napa seems to almost NOT care about how the stores work, or if the customer sees the little keychain tire pressure gauges 9 times before he reaches the checkout counter. Around here, they carry quality parts and a BUNCH of stuff you will never find at any other parts store: pushrods for a 1947 Case tractor? IN STOCK.

[Scott Liggett]

Re: Gotta love Auto Zone

I haven't had any issues with any parts I bought from Autozone. I also never had an issue with their rental tools. I liked a few so much, I didn't return them. A friend, Brian Rock, got a non functioning alternator when we were in Las Vegas. The replacement we back for worked fine. He may still have it.

My Parts Plus store became a Napa. So far, not happy at all. First of all, stuff they used to stock, they cannot even get anymore. Much of what I've bought was made in China. As with the new filter/dryer I just bought.

[Mr4Speed]

Re: Gotta love Auto Zone

Napa seems to almost NOT care about how the stores work, or if the customer sees the little keychain tire pressure gauges 9 times before he reaches the checkout counter. Around here, they carry quality parts and a BUNCH of stuff you will never find at any other parts store: pushrods for a 1947 Case tractor? IN STOCK.

Same here-I'm pretty sure they leave it up to the store managers to stock and lay out the stores. I've learned to just ask them for anything I could possibly be looking for no matter how hopeless or ridiculous it sounds-and they almost always seem to have it or can get it. My local Napa has great people that know what they're doing, with real paper catalogs if they need them, and they treat me like a king. There's a Napa distribution center here in town so most anything is same day, and they seem to do better than most about the Chinese junk and far more concerned with getting good parts than saving a few pennies. I don't go anywhere else-I couldn't care less if the O'reilly next door has it cheaper. Their tools are pretty nice too-and a good deal.

[Brian Lohnes]

Re: Gotta love Auto Zone

My local Napa guys are kinda jerky. They do the huff deal when you tell them that you looking for wheel cylinders for a 1944 Ford truck (they fit the tractor) or other older stuff.

I go to a local, independant place called EB Ladd's. Dudes smoking behind the counter, stools, books, the computers are like Tandy 1000 or some ancient model. Old brick building.....hell, I should do a blog item on the place.

Those guys got me a carb kit for the truck....rebuild story runs tomorrow!

[Scott Liggett]

Re: Gotta love Auto Zone

I've got two indie guys that I go to for older stuff. Ones really good for suspension and brakes. The other can handle many things.

[JOES66FURY]

Re: Gotta love Auto Zone

i try to buy stuff at Carquest and a chain here called Merels A+ auto parts...they are by far the best around....there is Don's Hot Rod...I go to Autozone when I am short on cash or the other places dont have what I need...or when I need my computer code read.

[CTX-SLPR]

Re: Gotta love Auto Zone

I like the O'Rielly's for the mass produced stuff, Autozone is a close second as they can get almost anything if you know how to ask. I use Napa for anything electrical or oddball like EFI hose clamps or a brake hose for the Riviera. I enjoy having an Autozone open when I've run out of something and the rest are closed but O'Rielly's has simular hours and friendlier dudes that let me wander through the back. The local Pepboys has paper catelogs and a good selection but the people are clueless most of the time and its not close to anything I normally go to.

[Monk]

Re: Gotta love Auto Zone

My last trip into local Auto Zone I needed
a horn relay for the '70 Nova

Ask the counter guy for the horn relay....he asks 'what size engine'

I say.....'pick one'

[FIREBALLMONZA]

Re: Gotta love Auto Zone


EB Ladd is definitely an old school parts store. Not that this is related but did you know his kid is a Pro Skateboard. He graduated here with my brother. http://www.pj-ladd.com/ its a cool old building too that I guess once was a bowling alley. Where the karate place is now PJ had a small indoor skatepark where he and his buddies would hang between parts runs for the store



Some good guys in there been going there as long as i can remember. I can say much about AZ they do have a fair share of people that don't have a clue, but most people I know and myself included go into a parts store knowing exactly what your looking for. AZ and other chain stores have bailed me out many times later at night when the other places are closed

My local Napa guys are kinda jerky. They do the huff deal when you tell them that you looking for wheel cylinders for a 1944 Ford truck (they fit the tractor) or other older stuff.

I go to a local, independant place called EB Ladd's. Dudes smoking behind the counter, stools, books, the computers are like Tandy 1000 or some ancient model. Old brick building.....hell, I should do a blog item on the place.

Those guys got me a carb kit for the truck....rebuild story runs tomorrow!

[Brian Lohnes]

Re: Gotta love Auto Zone

Man, that's cool as hell about the skateboarding!

The old man was there when I picked up my carb kit. He looks me in the eye and says, "Son, are you qualified to do this?"

I said, "F$%k no"

He burst out laughing.

[TheSilverBuick]

Re: Gotta love Auto Zone

Man, that's cool as hell about the skateboarding!

The old man was there when I picked up my carb kit. He looks me in the eye and says, "Son, are you qualified to do this?"

I said, "F$%k no"

He burst out laughing.

Brian, that is the perfect answer to that question! hahaha.