I should have stayed in bed this morning! I went to the local Ford dealership (Conyers, GA) this morning to purchase a couple of rebuild kits for two different Mustang carburetors. I had the carb numbers as well as the actual rebuild kit part numbers so all the guy behind the counter would have to do is punch up the shelf location on his puter, or tell me he would have to order one or both of them. Instead I get this condescending attitude and insults from the parts dude as he is telling me that carbs haven't been installed on Fords since '76 and that they are so obsolete that the rebuild kits probably aren't even available any more. It ain't like this guy was a kid that didn't know what a carb was either. He is older than I am (forty-two). I told him that my '84 Mustang GT350 had a 4V carb on it and he proceeded to tell me that I didn't know the difference between carburetors and throttle body injection! I shut up and refused to participate any further in the so called "discussion". I wanted so much to get into it with him with the M blocks and the Mustangs with carbs all the way to '89. I just bit my tongue, got my carb tag and info back from him and left. He had the nerve to ask if I still wanted the 2V kit that he did have in stock! They had good prices too! It blows that these places around here don't screen their employees any better than they do, especially the ones that are in constant contact with the consumer public. I got home, cooled off and emailed the head nut in charge at the dealership about it. Lot of good that will do. I'll never be a customer there again for anything. Felt the need to blab, especially since I told the GM at the dealership I would! Luck of the draw? I'll bet the other guy behind the counter would have been a breeze to deal with.
Parts department rant
- Thread starter hdgapeach
- Start date
302 coupe
Founding Member
Why in the world would you buy a carb kit from a Ford dealer? I can understand your rant about their service, but you should understand that dealers don't normally carry parts for cars that are 30 or even 20 years old. I was in the parts biz for 7 years so I know how most of it works, and typically the parts personnel at dealerships are sub-standard to say the least. Getting parts from the dealer should be a last resort, carb kits are readily available at all chain stores. And not to be nit-picky or anything, but I'm 99% sure all stangs were injected as of 1986, 85 was the last year for the carbs. Anyway, I hope you get the right kits and get 'em all fixed up.
You need to just learn to deal with the idoits at the dealership or parts house and ignore them, get your parts, and leave and enjoy the rest of your day. The situation is not going to improve. The type of employee you desire would be capable of getting a better and higher paying job so the good parts man these days is the exception. I drive 20 miles each way to a Ford dealer where I get good service and the employees are all helpful and friendly because the one in my area stinks.
i make it a point to know all the good parts guys in town, hell i've worked at about all the parts stores in town, excluding the crappy chains like autozone, advance, etc. of the ford dealers here in town i will usually only buy parts from one of them, but i'll never buy another car from them as long as i live, i'll use the other ford dealer for car purchases and service work. it sucks that one has a great parts department but service and sales suck so bad 
I've worked in the parts dept of this L/M dealer since 1969. I've been MGR. since 1981. I would not put up with an employee like that. We try to help everyone. If my counterman can't figure something out on an older car, they ask me for help. We will look up the parts and even run a locate for you. We will give you the list of who has your part. If you want to get it yourself, you can, or you can pay a mark up and we'll get it for you. As for what my parts countermen make, I don't think 60-70k a year is bad. Maybe the dealers you're dealer with pay peanuts, some do. You get what you pay for. I just had someone from another web site contact me for a power brake booster check valve for a 69 Mercury Marauder. He was told it was obsolete, it's not. Ford had 38 of them in NY. I had it in a day. Retail $6.30, sold it to him for $4.50 plus $4.00 ups shipping. If you guys need help, email or PM me. I'll be glad to help. RAY
This busy server is killing me. Takes ten minutes to reply. Yeah Perogie is high, but he has the stuff. The 69 list a different part number. I don't know the pysical difference. The L/F is C8AZ14529C and the others are C8AZ14529A. Perogie or Dennis Carpenter have the "A'S" but nobody has the "C" Good luck, Ray
2nd Mustang
Founding Member
Try going to an auto parts store and tell them you want shoes, cylinder rebuild kits for a Grand Torino Sta Wagon rear brakes. Then they ask what year car, I told them 67 Mustang coupe.....talk about confusion!
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