yourpc48 Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 I went in and got a new oil filter for my P15 this afternoon and when looking under the hood I noticed I had left the radiator cap off the last time I had topped off the coolant. I went back in and asked the guy for a non pressurized radiator cap (mine had an old broken pressurized cap anyway). He gave me a look and I asked if he was OK. He said it had been a rough day. He then asked me how many pounds pressure I wanted. I said 0. He gave me the "Crap you said No Pressure" look and proceeded to find one for me. We both had a good laugh. My NAPA people have been great when I go in buying parts for a 64 year old car. Several at this store I have made crazy since the mid 80s with my first D24. My 55 and 56 Chevys. My 72 Corvette Etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark D Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 NAPA's great. Gents at my local shop here on the east coast never fail me. If they don't got it, they know where to get it, or who can help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andydodge Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 We don't have NAPA here in OZ, I suppose REPCO would be the closest style of store, however they ain't open after Sat Noon, so I usually have to inflict myself on the poor young things at Supercheap, also known as Superchumps.........its fun when you go in there, wander around looking for something approaching a real car part as distinct from car washes, seat covers and doof,doof,doof radios...........then "parts boy" wonders up to you, in his squeakey, non broken voice......."can I help you sir?".........Yes I say............where are the points files?.............lol...................as soon as I heard the words leave my lips I knew I shouldn't have asked parts boy..........all of 16, he would not know a points file if it stuck him in the eye.........lol..........so I try to give him a quick rundown on what its for...........parts boy then has the bright idea to ask me what car its for............lol...........well, I say its for a 1940 Dodge Sedan with a 318 Poly V8 running a twin point Mallory distributor................parts boys eyes have just glazed over............I tell him that I'll bring the car in next time I'll going for a drive, but I think even thats a wasted execise...........still I had a good day.......dunno about parts boy tho'.......lol........regards..andyd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merle Coggins Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 "Parts Boy"... love it... I shocked the "parts boy" at my local AutoZone one day. I had already done the research online and knew that they had, or could get, shocks for my truck. I went over to AutoZone and walked up the the counter and told the kid that I needed shocks for a 1950 Dodge 3/4 ton truck. He replied, "We're not gonna have anything for that." I convinced him to look them up and to his supprise, "WOW, we even have the fronts in stock! I can have the rears in a couple of days." I've also had good luck with my local Napa, but I usually do my research first and just order by part number. My local O'Reilly is pretty good too, for a box store. Merle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_John Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 I'm very lucky, I have a good friend that works at our NAPA main store. I'm headed over this morning to see him and pick up parts. He knows my cars, knows what I need and is always willing to dig a little. My oldest son worked at the local branch store and that was even better, I got to know the owner and everything was great until he sold the place. I still stop there, the counter guys I know give me the "good guy" price, but they always busy with their commercial customers. The new manager doesn't like to give any kind of price break to guys like me, so I don't go in there as much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Coatney Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 A new auto parts store opened a few years back that is close to where I live. I know they hired qualified people as they hired the girl who used to work at the corner gas station/convenience store and I know she had a vast amount of technical automotive experience. I learned just how knowledgeable she was one day when I told her I needed a new petcock. She promptly called the manager and he walked to the shelf, grabbed one, and handed it to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windsor8 Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 The guys at my local NAPA are "car guys" and they don't mind getting a book out and looking up a part for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Manes Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 Here we have had a couple of them in the last ten years, but they don't last. The last one stayed during a critical time on my Desoto, so I was lucky. The senior sales person ordered their old car catalogues. I was able to buy a number of "allegedly" hard to find parts right over the counter. One of the younger lady sales persons had never even heard of "Desoto." I could not believe that she had not seen an old sixties model or at least heard about them! If you can get your local store to get the old car catalogues you'll be in heaven. The gas caps, locking or regular, ran around five dollars. A guy on e-bay was selling them for $20 and up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Neon Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 There are lots of people nowadays that have never heard of a Plymouth much less a DeSoto. I grew up near a community of 1500 people with corn and soybean fields all around and there were kids that had never seen a cow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knighthawk Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 seems like NAPA stores have more resources for older parts compared to Autozone or Orielly's. It really helps to have a 'older' counter person...ie : I got to know this one guy, was a retired auto instructor and race car builder, only working there for the insureance, was really helpful, I could even call him at the store and ask him things, but now he retired for good.. The new guy, not so sure.... I asked for a fan clutch for my '69 Cutlass, said he could find ANY fan parts in the computor ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randroid Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 Folks, Like Merle, I do on-line research before I go and write the parts numbers for the poor little bastages who can't make change for a dollar without using a calculator. The first thing most of them ask me (after I request a specific part) is what year, make, and model of car it is for. Their trained to do that so they don't need to re-stock and I suppose that benefits the company some but when they want to charge me $35 for an "O" ring for the clutch slave cylinder on my SAAB my G-A-S attitude hits the cellar, and all I'll tell them is it's for a car that uses this part. They don't like that and I don't care, and I've never needed to return a part. Besides, for the $7.50/hr. most parts houses are willing to pay the new hires in hopes of giving them the incentive to stay with them for years I think a little OJT such as restocking would do them a world of good. Now, if they could be taught to make change for a dollar without using a calculator, they might be worth what they're getting paid. -Randy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yourpc48 Posted July 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 I too will often look up the part numbers just to keep the parts peoples sanity in check. One prime example: If you look online for a rebuild kit for the wheel cylinders of a 46 Plymouth you will find that they list an upper and lower for the front like they should and the rears. Heres the catch. They are listing the rear part number for one of the front wheel cylinders. Also it says that the rebuild kits for the front require 2 kits per side. NOT TRUE. I ordered one (correct) kit for the front and it came with enough to do both cylinders on that side. Go figure. I sent a message to NAPA about this but it has not been changed. Also shows that they dont have an oil filter available to fit my car. Napa Gold 1010 seems to fit. Its center rubbers are a little tight and makes it hard to put on and get back out but it works just fine. It also has the wrong size gasket for the lid but the old one still seals. Hey anyone know a better part number for that filter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Coatney Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 I have converted my 53 Desoto engine to dual points. What I have found is that when I order a set of points per part number it is not necessary to double up on the order. IPG 3828ZS includes two sets of points as used in an early hemi. First time I doubled the order thinking I neded to. This part number is actually for two sets of points. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plymouthy Adams Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 my local NAPA swears that there is no such thing as a 218 Plymouth..they are all 230 cu in...their answer when Isay otherwise, listen no matter what you say if it is not in our book it does not exist...you are wrong...so I rarely will ever go to NAPA..they are a last resort shop for me..but I will use them when needed..but I alike most here will try to get the part number before I go... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yourpc48 Posted July 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 By the way. I had the box in my car and before I toss it, I thought I would post the number since it seems to be a perfect fit. Napa part number 703-1400 Made for NAPA by Balkamp. Had a made in Mexico sticker but its kinda hard to screw up a piece of stamped steele with a gasket on it. Im happy because I am no longer pushing water out of my waterpump due to a pressurized cap on a non pressurized system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plymouthy Adams Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 stock radiator will not allow pressure build up regardless of the cap installled.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yourpc48 Posted July 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 Good to know. Thanks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Coatney Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 Im happy because I am no longer pushing water out of my waterpump due to a pressurized cap on a non pressurized system. That is pretty hard to do even using a pressureized cap with a radiator that vents pressure on the top of the radiator and not through the cap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yourpc48 Posted July 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 Found that the tube was pinched too. Didnt build up much pressure but a little. Fixed now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TodFitch Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 By the way. I had the box in my car and before I toss it, I thought I would post the number since it seems to be a perfect fit. Napa part number 703-1400 Made for NAPA by Balkamp. Had a made in Mexico sticker but its kinda hard to screw up a piece of stamped steele with a gasket on it. Im happy because I am no longer pushing water out of my waterpump due to a pressurized cap on a non pressurized system. Just to be totally compulsive about confirming things... This is for a P15 per your first post in the thread, right? So the NAPA part you found replaces Chrysler part 837237 found in the parts book under part type code of 7-12-1. Correct? If not, please let me know and I'll correct the database entry I just made based on your cross reference information at http://www.ply33.com/Parts/group7#7-12-01 Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Young Ed Posted July 10, 2011 Report Share Posted July 10, 2011 Napa Gold 1010 seems to fit. Its center rubbers are a little tight and makes it hard to put on and get back out but it works just fine. It also has the wrong size gasket for the lid but the old one still seals. Hey anyone know a better part number for that filter? Try a 1080 filter next time. The filter is quite close to the 1010 and the lid gasket is smaller and wider. I used a lot of 1080s which gasket doesn't fit in my filter housing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yourpc48 Posted July 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2011 Yes my Plymouth is a 47 Special Deluxe. I didnt Cross reference it. I told one of my guys at napa I wanted a non pressure cap and this was one he found in the book. I took it out of the box and put it on the car before I even paid for it. It fit like a glove. When I got home I put a little sil-glyde on the seal so the rubber didnt squeak when I put the thing on or took it off. It looks like the ones Ive seen listed online. Was it an ER-3? Anyway, it looks identical to the ones listed for our cars. I didnt have a chance to look up any of the part numbers listed here on the forum. I just listed the part number because I was thinking about it. I didnt want to miss the opportunity before throwing the box away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yourpc48 Posted July 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2011 Try a 1080 filter next time. The filter is quite close to the 1010 and the lid gasket is smaller and wider. I used a lot of 1080s which gasket doesn't fit in my filter housing. Thanks. Ill try the 1080 next time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TodFitch Posted July 10, 2011 Report Share Posted July 10, 2011 ...I just listed the part number because I was thinking about it. I didnt want to miss the opportunity before throwing the box away. Noting part numbers for future use or use by others is, in my opinion, always a good thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobT-47P15 Posted July 11, 2011 Report Share Posted July 11, 2011 The NAPA non pressurized radiator cap.......only 3 or 4 bucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.