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With three cars in the 200k club i spend more time in parts shops than i care to mention. I cannot come to a conclusion that one is better than the other. anyone have any in the north dallas area they prefer?
Been to vatozone, pep boy's, oreillys. I need to replace a radiator this weekend so i was thinking of hitting up a Napa for old times sakes...
www.Rockauto.com is one of my personal favorites. YMMV
I rarely am able to find anything I need in stock anywhere local. I usually compare RockAuto and advanceautoparts.com. With all the coupon codes Advanced has out there, they usually get about 75% of my business. They have always shipped fast and I have not had any problems with any of the parts I have gotten from them.
i do use them for mail order, but sometimes i just caint wait!
I go to Napa (and ask for the shop discount :)) mostly because when I ask for something (anything, a bolt, bulb, hose, belt, mechanical part, etc.) they don't look at me crosseyed and have me peck through their computer. They know cars and parts. This is all the way from the Vette, to the Evo to the Miata and the BMW and Jeep. I'm in and out quickly with what I need.
I think it ultimately comes down to the staff. I've had good and bad service from all the major parts stores. I have the most luck with O'Reilly's overall. CarQuest in my experience is the worst when it comes to Miata parts availability. The Napa by our shop has the rudest employees and AutoZone seems to have the least knowledgeable staff. No Pep Boys near me but they seem great if your looking for blue light up thingys for your interior. :p
In Arlington, I drive past O'Rarely, Vatozone, and Peepboys on my way to NAPA most times. Basically for the reasons goofygrin explained. Peepboys is my second choice, if it is more bling-bling.
I was looking for donations to a charity event a couple of years ago and O'Rarely was the only one to turn me down. Their excuse was tough times. I suggested that a little community spirit would help them get through those tough times, but they weren't receptive.
NAPA in McKinney is awesome. Great customer service from Eric and Mark. I have been using the NAPA online "shop and reserve parts" then pick up the next day with GREAT local shop discount (as mentioned above). NB foglights, rear hubs, fuel system stuff, coils, etc.--no problem!
Paul
I use my local OReilley's often, but they know me well and are willing to get what I need and/or let me go in the back and hunt for it myself. That's not something you find often anymore, so I stick with them (they've even let me turn my own rotors in the past).
For parts that are specialized, hard-to-find or simply need to be the best, I go to NAPA.
If the NAPA was closer and/or had better hours, I would have always gone there. My OR is 6 blocks away.
The only reason I'd ever set foot into my local VatoZone is to buy fluids/garage supplies that are on sale. Even then, I find the staff kinda pathetic. "Um...the computer says the part you have in your hand that you took off your own car isn't the right one...let me call our hotline...please walk 10 extra steps from this computer to another one that has money...oops, I'm not on this drawer, let me find one of the 6 employees in the back who can ring you up..."
I use the NAPA on Forrest near Plano Dr. regularly. Definitely ask for a discount. Our shop also uses O'Riley for a lot of parts, but we always buy their premium version. We also use their First Call service - discounts and free delivery.
NAPA is #1 because those guys do know what they are talking about. The O'Reilly's in Lewisville on 121 is pretty good too.