quote Originally posted by hyperv6: The part stores are only as good as the one you have near you. They all have good and idiot stores. I have a Autozone here that would try to look up a radiator hose for a Corvair if you would ask them. Part of the price issue is the Franchise NAPA is vs the Corperate stores the Autozones and other are. In fact they are the reason we lost almost all our good independent stores here. We may be able to buy something cheaper but the service and quality is less. I really have some very good NAPA stores here. In fact they saved me $125 over the chain stores. I needed a delay circuit board for a wiper motor. All the chains wanted 150-175 for a complete wiper motor. NAPA got me the board for $18. 15 min and it was fixed. I found it funny how the others can or would not get the part that I needed but NAPA did. I have often found them to be able to get the hard to find things the other will not. Th bottom line is no matter where you go he service is only as good as the counter person you get. Just like UPS. If you local driver sucks the rest of UPS sucks.

I will second this post. They have gotten parts for me that no one else would bother with. Little things like a $15 alternator rebuild kit saved me the expense of buying another $70 alternator. I know this one is properly rebuilt. If I want reliable parts I go to NAPA and sometimes Carquest. If a lower quality/priced part will do then I go to O'Riellys. Autozone comes in as a last resort

quote Originally posted by 2farnorth: I will second this post. They have gotten parts for me that no one else would bother with. Little things like a $15 alternator rebuild kit saved me the expense of buying another $70 alternator. I know this one is properly rebuilt. If I want reliable parts I go to NAPA and sometimes Carquest. If a lower quality/priced part will do then I go to O'Riellys. Autozone comes in as a last resort

Where I work we have many hired people who used to work for many of these stores. The NAPA people usally are the best ones. The Auto Zone people tell of some real scary stories of working there.

i like advance, i look up my own parts on there little computer they give the customers. i love the look i get when i hand them a paper with the part # on it and say i need that. but that being said i try to stay away from there reman stuff. i went threw 5 altenators once before i got one that would charge at 14.7. the rectifier bridge was shot on all of them.

quote Originally posted by lonewolf_305: i like advance, i look up my own parts on there little computer they give the customers. i love the look i get when i hand them a paper with the part # on it and say i need that. but that being said i try to stay away from there reman stuff. i went threw 5 altenators once before i got one that would charge at 14.7. the rectifier bridge was shot on all of them.

They ike it too when you look up the parts.

quote Originally posted by Mickey_Moose: ... But then, it is also hard to beat Rockauto on some parts as well...

Lots of people like Rockauto.

But ever since they sent me a clearly defective part, and then refused to cross-ship on a replacement without re-billing my card, I have refused to do business with them.
Farg 'em.

Just an update...I installed the $40 FR on my Fiero and it works fine....I imagine the $120 NAPA FR would have worked just fine also, but the big difference is I have an extra $80 in my wallet. The one I purchased looked exactly like the stock one I removed, at least externally. Well, it was shiny and new.

The cost saving measures in making parts, or anything abroad is made up in the reduced cost of labor, not necessarily the materials. I personally am not concerned about foreign industry, especially China, since we have a inter-dependent relationship with them. That means if we dont buy they cant make, and if they dont make inexpensive parts we will be paying high prices on many things leading to a reduced quality of life. Our labor force, one that abhors physical labor, does not want to work these jobs anymore, at least not for the wages they will be paid. As the foreign labor markets become more educated and disciplined the quality will come but we will and are setting the standards. Free economies are great, consumers make the choices and they are deciding and starting to understand that high prices dont always mean highest quality, or poor quality for that matter.

The odd thing is you can not judge a part based on price or origin. No matter if it is made here or China you get good and bad. But as the drops the odds of bad do increase.

I work in the auto parts industry where my company and many of my vendors are dealing off shore to get things that just are not made here anymore. It is like rotors. For the most they are made well in China but when they are wrong no one speaks english anymore.

The bottom line is we are a free capital country and we have to take the bad and good. Many complain about Walmart but most shop there. People think with their wallets and if they do they will have to accept what comes along with the cheaper price good or bad.

The truth is China has us by the Family Jewels. Each day they need up less and less as the rest of the world is buying more and more from them. Even their own market now is large enough to support themselves.

The sad fact is we are going the way of the British Empire. We will be part of the world but we will not be any where as strong as we once were. With the third world evolving and many in our own goverment trying to spread the wealth world wide with programs like Carbon Credit selling etc they are already working to lower our standard of life.

I hate to be doom and gloom here but I see much hard times ahead and too often it leads to war. Just look at Korea and Iran they are two countries that have little to lose and have China and Russia backing them. People today really need to study history as we have seen similar times in the past world history.

Well anyway with imported parts they all look good but too often they are like a box of Chocolats. You just never know what you are going to get. You just have to hope if it fails it is not in a bad place to fail and is easy to replace. The bottom line is the $18 chome valve covers look great out of the box but often are the ones that will rust first.

Well, the one thing that we as Americans do make parts for exclusively is our weapons, which are state of the art the best in the world. When an American aircraft carrier pulls up to your shore, and yes I am referencing north korea, you better take notice, since it has enough firepower to bring any of those rogue countries down. Not to turn this into a political discussion but notice how China has called for "emergency" talks. Aside from being still a economic superpower we are, and will remain, a military superpower.

Our defense budget here is large, and I have said before the people that work in the Pentagon are some of the smartest people in the world and know what they are doing. Let China make pizza ovens, toasters, and Fiero parts for all I care since they are not making what counts or will matter. So they have that "technology", while we are pioneers in robotics, computers, and medicine. China, India, and Russia are still fifty years behind America.