Favorite Auto Parts Store?

[Bingster]

I was wondering what are your "go-to" parts stores.  Best prices?  Best in-stock. Best quality. Fastest part ordering? Best knowledge? We have an O'Reilly's, Napa, and Advance near me.  Two local independents went out out of business in the past three years. I have a wavering bias toward Napa, but I think that's from the "old days" when I was younger and there wasn't as large a selection of brands.

 

 

[Sam Buchanan]

15 minutes ago, Bingster said:

I was wondering what are your "go-to" parts stores.  Best prices?  Best in-stock. Best quality. Fastest part ordering? Best knowledge? We have an O'Reilly's, Napa, and Advance near me.  Two local independents went out out of business in the past three years. I have a wavering bias toward Napa, but I think that's from the "old days" when I was younger and there wasn't as large a selection of brands.

 

 

 

I think that is going to depend on the particular parts you need and how your local stores are staffed. Don't expect them to have anything other than the most common maintenance items. But of the ones you mentioned I've found NAPA to be most likely to have the best selection of old stuff and often from mainstream manufacturers. It doesn't hurt that my local NAPA is family owned and staffed by guys who grew up in the business.

 

You will probably find Rock Auto will have a larger selection of our parts than any of the big box stores.

[Curt Lee]

When I was a teen, the local stores we liked were all family run joints. The bigger stores hadn't invaded our podunk town yet. The biggest one was Fisher's and they started out in Staunton VA, branched out all over VA and I worked for them for several years. Prided ourselves on catalog knowledge, because computers hadn't started changing the landscape of auto parts yet. Even my first year at Advance Auto, we had nothing but paper catalogs for lookup. Computers were the cashier's realm. 

Rock Auto would be my source of choice today. You can look at the part before you order it, it usually arrives in a couple of days, they have a good return policy, and you can waste all day looking at the "catalog" without buying anything.

[Doug&Deb]

I agree about Rock Auto. Much bigger selection than I expected.

[Hickory]

I hate napa, their prices are high and electrical sucks. Just my opinion, but around here they have smarter people behind the counter. I like all pro. They do me right. But as said before rock auto will surprise you and the shipping has been quick lately.

[Sniper]

I go to NAPA, in person  Unless it's a Sunday and I have to have it. 

 

I use Rock Auto when it's not time critical and I am shopping for best prices.

 

I use Autozone for used oil.  Lol.  Actually, I tend to buy my Chemicals there,

 

[Plymouthy Adams]

you can shop the movie house parking lot if you know you can get the part off before the movie is over......it's a joke guys, laugh a little.  

 

As most parts are now from just a handful of offshore makers...price is often the deciding factor on where I buy.  I do have an account at Advance for ordering in parts not in stock and NOT have to stop what I am doing to pay for the order in advance.  I get the same service from O'Reilly's.  I do not do much at AutoZone as they have no location as near me to the others.  Rock has some nice prices, if as Sniper says time will allow, the only down side to them is the return is complicated and ties your hand for finishing a job...whereas the few dollars more for a local seller and a not quite up to par part is handled very quickly....that of course means a lot to me when time is not on my side. 

[Los_Control]

In town I have 2 parts stores, they are both family owned but one is a parts+ the other is a carquest.

 

parts+ is good service by knowledgeable people, they are really limited by what they can get .... I have left several times empty handed.

For example brake lines, the warehouse does not stock them and Charlie cant order them ... go kick rocks.

 

carquest is good service and they seem to have a better selection.

 

Rockauto is my usual go to place.

[TodFitch]

There are two close by auto supply stores, one an O’Reilly the other an AutoZone. O‘Reilly is slightly closer so that is usually my first try. I much prefer to buy at a “brick & mortar” local to me as I think having local businesses is a good thing and the way to keep them in business is to give them business.

 

For my normal maintenance items I give them a call in the morning and they can usually have the parts available for pick up that afternoon. It helps that I have built up a cross reference list so I know the part numbers to order as they definitely won’t be listings for a 90 year old car in their computer.

[Dave72dt]

I have an O'reilly's and an Advance and 2 hardware stores in one direction, a Napa and a Bumper to Bumper and 2 hardware stores in the opposite direction.  I've used them all.  I tend to use the Advance more since I used to work at it prior to retiring and it gives me a chance to catch up with old coworkers.  I generally try to combine parts runs with household needs and that usually determines which direction I go.  If just parts and needed immediately a phone call ahead to find out if it's in stock.

 

I just recently needed a part that no one had in stock (Factory only) except the dealership, an $850 +tax price.  I purchased from Rock Auto w/tax/shipping for $450, factory part, factory boxing.  I could afford to wait the 4 days it took to get delivered.  I don't use them often, shipping costs become a factor. 

[slatgrille]

I'll shop wherever I can find the 'damn' part...all places mentioned above. I was about to get a voltage regulator from Rockauto for $97, when lo-and-behold....I found one at Auto-Zone for $43 and free shipping! Guess I lucked out. No other auto store had them for less than $100. Back in the 80's-90's, NAPA was my go-to for flat fender jeep parts....family owned. Now, as I said above, it's any place that has reasonable prices.

[vintage6t]

1 hour ago, slatgrille said:

I found one at Auto-Zone for $43 and free shipping

In general I often find my local AutoZone stores have the parts I'm looking for in stock and at the best price. I always find the part # on thier website and bring them with me. While not always that knowledgable the counter help seems to always be helpful, even letting in the back room to look at hoses and such.  I can even walk in and buy plasti-gauge of all things.

 

Most every place else can get parts within a day or two. I find NAPA to be the most expensive by far and the store typically doesn't have what I need in stock.

 

Not always but I've also found killer deals for things like master cylinders, starters and so on on Amazon. Prime free shipping and returns.

 

[soth122003]

I've found that Google-ing the part number will yield a list of prices and places that have the the part I am looking for. Then it comes down to price and shipping. If I'm in a hurry, the search let's me know if the part is available locally or not. The nice thing about the search is it will also list parts at places you might not have thought to look or did not know about. 

 

For the generic or everyday items like plugs, oil, filters and such usually get it from Amazon, because it is not time sensitive. Hard to get parts, from Ebay due to their scarcity by not being made any more. Carbs, Genny's etc..  

 

But if I have to have it now, Advanced or O'Rileys is the usual go to. Also a lot of places have free shipping if the order is above a certain $ amount.

 

Joe Lee

[rallyace]

I am in the next town over from Hickory who commented that he does not like NAPA. Our NAPA store is excellent and I seem to always get a discounted price. For other general parts I like Rock Auto as one of their major shipping warehouses is local to us. If I order before noon I almost always get the parts the next day for standard shipping. For unique parts I use Roberts, or Bernbaums. For some of the 6 volt electrical stuff I have found decent quality parts at a fair price from Tractor Supply and Runnings.

Edited September 29, 2023 by rallyace
add info

[Los_Control]

Just now, rallyace said:

I am in the next town over from Hickory who commented that he does not like NAPA. Our NAPA store is excellent and I seem to always get a discounted price.

That is exactly why I'm not a fan of Napa. Of course we get the discount ..... Why are items not simply marked the price they sell for?

 

Helping my Uncle out he loved Napa he would never go anywhere else. Once a year on a certain Friday Uncle would bring down 5 pizza and a couple cases of soda to feed the guys lunch .... he would call down for a price and tell dirty jokes for 15 minute on the phone to them ..... That was Uncle he would never shop anywhere else.

He always bragged about the great discount they gave him.

 

While going there with him and looking around, I could have used a air chuck to fill up tires that had a extension for dual wheel trucks.

I looked at a basic one that should be about $20, they had a price of $50 ..... A slightly better one was marked $100  ..... This is not snap on quality, just basic bs sold at parts stores.

I know when I take it to the counter to pay for it, they will decide what level of discount to give me. If any discount. .... Who decides what discount they will give you?

I understand the need to give different discounts .... A commercial account that does a lot of business gets a set discount ..... but joe blow walking in off the street .... who decides his discount?

 

While I'm not complaining about the prices as much as I'm complaining how they set the prices.

Like Oprah Winfrey  standing on stage, YOU GET A DISCOUNT, THEY GET A DISCOUNT, EVERYBODY GETS A DISCOUNT!

[Plymouthy Adams]

Will find out tomorrow if favorite store or not....just called and was told my parts will be there by 11AM to do the brakes on the 1990 Dodge B250 Barista van...

 

 

[nonstop]

One thing I learned with NAPA - now I order online and ship it to the store.  I can pay when I pick it up and I use the AAA discount which can vary, but many times makes parts cheaper than O’Reilly or AutoZone.  They still have the smartest guys around…

[Sam Buchanan]

1 hour ago, nonstop said:

One thing I learned with NAPA - now I order online and ship it to the store.  I can pay when I pick it up and I use the AAA discount which can vary, but many times makes parts cheaper than O’Reilly or AutoZone.  They still have the smartest guys around…

 

That's what I do, order one evening online and pick it up the next morning....no shipping fees.

[Dave72dt]

I don't even though I could often get some discounts by doing so.  I have no desire to get electronic sales flyers, and emails constantly.  I did that once with Autozone simply because they had the part available when no one else did and it took over two years before the emails stopped.

[iowa51]

Thanks to the internet I can search multiple stores for cost and availability so it depends on that where I purchase. Advance Auto has a limited stock of items for older cars I get a 25% discount if I order online though a work benefit, but no ship to store. O’Reilly’s, better selection, ship to store, but counter people are dumb asses. Auto Zone is 30 miles away but at times they have the part I need. In no hurry? RockAuto surprisingly has a good selection, just make a list and order multiple items from the same warehouse to save on shipping. 
 

As far as discounts, the small chain auto parts store that I did most of my business because it was the closest pulled my discount when a new manager took over because I wasn’t a “legitimate” auto repair business. Jeeze, got 6 old cars plus my daily drivers, I think I did a fair amount of business with them. Not anymore, didn’t burn any bridges telling the manager what I thought but they are now at the bottom of my list.

[Plymouthy Adams]

your absence will speak volumes given they do not have the constant rotation of counter people most stores have these day where as in that case none know you so your business will not be missed.  No mom or pop runs stores in this neck of the woods, been decades since I have seen one.    

 

PS  just returned from getting the parts ordered in, all present and accounted for and I took the '48 out for a run.  Did not realize how long it had been parked I have been so busy on two other builds.  

Edited September 30, 2023 by Plymouthy Adams

[Bingster]

O'Reilley's said the battery I got there was bad. Okay. They ordered in two more for me to pick the best date. They came in and each one looked like they were used. Filthy dusty. I didn't feel good about taking one, got my money back, and went across the street to Arnold's where I got a brand-spanking new clean battery with a good date. Of course, I haven't tried it yet.

[Rodney_Hamon]

It’s the counter guys or gals that determine which store I will go to. There’s some not so experienced folk out there and I guess it’s not their fault. Napa and Carquest were the best around here but then Carquest started disappearing to my dismay. Then my favorite Napa store dumb-downed.  Then I straggled between Autozone and O-Reilly and another Napa further away.   I like RockAuto when I plan ahead.  I guess I spread my love with them all. Ha

[Sniper]

My local NAPA recently moved to a bigger place.  Autozone was the closest parts store with them being a block further away.  The NAPA is now my closest parts store, yay.

 

They are about three blocks from the house.

 

 

[Dan Hiebert]

I always went to Pep Boys when we lived in Brownsville and Horizon City, Texas.  Kind of a big box store, but they were closest to our house, and always had what I needed in stock, even for the older vehicles.  Once an AutoZone was opened a couple blocks from where we lived in Horizon City, that became my go to for general stuff, but Pep Boys still always had a better stock of older parts. 

 

When we lived in Carlsbad, New Mexico, it was NAPA or Carquest, depending on what I needed.  The Carquest folks were actual "car people" who could find what I needed pretty quick, so I went there more often.  NAPA catered to the oil fields and potash mines, so it was sometimes a chore to get car parts from them.  An AutoZone was opened in town a few years before we left that was more convenient to get to, albeit not "closer" and that became the go to for general auto stuff and parts for the newer vehicles. 

 

Port Huron, Michigan was Carquest - closest to the house.  Wheatfield, New York was AutoZone - closest to the house, both were for newer car parts and general supplies.  Once in MI and NY we had discovered the internet and shopping online for old car stuff, but Mac's Auto Parts (vintage Ford) was only 12 miles from the house in NY and we were doing most of our old car work on our daughters Falcon, so we cruised over there on a regular basis.  They pretended to get their undies in a twist when we'd drive up in the good ol' D24.  Excellent counter folks, but once Ecklers bought them out, the good counter people got fed up and left. 

 

Here in Maine, it comes down to convenience and personalities for me.  We've got a NAPA, an O'Reilly, and an Advanced Auto for franchise stores, there are no mom-and-pop auto parts stores.  Houlton is a small town, so none of the stores are "too far", but if I need something now, it's NAPA (except for Saturday afternoon or Sunday) because it's closest.  Has always had good knowledgeable counter people, too.  I quit going to O'Reilly for a year or so because I couldn't get the time of day from the counter people, who have since been replaced, so I'm back to there on occasion.  If I want to spend an hour chatting about cars when I'm just looking for a lug nut, I'll go to Advanced.  Super knowledgeable counter folks that are eager to share what they know.  There's an AutoZone in Presque Isle, 50 miles distant, that I've been to twice only because I knew they'd have something I needed, and I happened to be in town for something else.  I use Rock Auto fairly often if I don't need the part right away, and sometimes they'll have a brand I prefer that the stores in town don't carry.