Ditto on O'Reillys, lots of locations around here and they price match with anyone.

 

Stealership for my Hondas(employee discount)Internet for my Toyotas. Cant beat factory quality.WallyWorld (Walmart) for oils and assorted small items.

 

i like autozone and then advanced. autozone has to chill on the marketing though. the one near me is VERY helpful, but like someone earlier said, their commercials try to appeal to the ricer crowd. and i HIGHLY doubt that jesse james makes too many trips to autozone.

 

I go to small local stores for misc. stuff such as oil, cleaners, etc. If it is going to be a part that is going on my vehicle I ussually will only go to the stealership for the genuine Toyota parts. I have had way to many parts break or not work right, on other vehicles that I have owned, from AutoZone, Checker, Advance, etc.

 

i go to autozone, but dont particularly like their service. luckily the one closest to me has a new hire who owns a HUGELY LIFTED landcruiser with an ARB, 33's, etc.

its absolutely sick.

 

I hate em all.

They sit around and do this

Makes me want to do this

 

Same reason I go to Kragen. These people 95% of the time don't know too much and if you go in there unsure of what you need you WILL walk out with the wrong part.

The place I will never go is Pep-Boys. Their customer service is absolutely horrible. I stopped visiting them about 5 years ago.

 

for non critical stuff i go to autozone...there's one about 1/4 mile from my house. as for more important things, i go to carquest(formerly napa here, though everything is exactly the same).

i had a bad experience with schmucks last year when i had to replace my alternator. they sold me one that didn't even work! so after i spent 2 hours pulling it back out again, i took it back. they pulled out a different one, i told them to test it. it didn't work either! i went to napa and they gave me one that actually looked like the one i pulled outta my truck, more expensive but it actually worked

 

This is my favorite story from the local Checker store. Happened to me about a year ago when I need a new supercharger belt for my truck:

Me: I need a 6-rib serpentine belt, 45.5" long.
Parts Monkey: What's it fit?
Me: I don't know.
PM: What are you putting it on?
Me: '84 Toyota 4wd truck.
PM: What engine?
Me: 283 V8
PM: (confused) They only came with 4 cylinders.
Me: I have eight.
PM: You sure?
Me: Yes, I put the engine in there myself.
PM: Oh, OK. What did the engine come from?
Me: '64 Chevrolt Impala.
PM: What belt do you need?
Me: The supercharger belt, a 6-rib serpentine belt 45.5" long.
PM: They didn't use serpentine belts back then.
Me: I have one.
PM: ?????

I ended up walking back to their belts and just grabbing what I needed. Most quality parts stores will give you what you ask for in such a circumstance but not the discount stores. They believe everything is in their precious little computer and rely on them way too much sometimes.

 

i go to autozone, pepboys, or advanced. that's all we have here, and whichever is closer(at the time i remember i need something) I go to.

Indianapolis got a 4wheel parts, but I would NEVER go there since they ruined my friend's jeep during gear/locker installs, and wouldn't take the blame for it. He ended up having to sell it just 3 weeks after he had it up on 35's, and locked fr/r. He grenaded his rear axle because they forgot to put gaskets on the diff, and water seeped in and toasted this axle. They did the install, but STILL wouldn't take credit for not installing the gaskets.

 

The best autopart stores are all but gone! Give me a ma and pa store that they know what you are talking about. They may cost more but in the long run they are cheaper.

 

4 Wheel Parts is a bunch of morons. The only thing I would consider buying from them anymore is tires, but I'd have someone else mount them up.

 

It's not the store, it's the guy at the parts counter that matters. A good parts man is worth their weight in gold to you as a customer.

 

I buy my parts from my local NAPA store. Tne local one is an independant shop (not a company store), has long time employees that know their schtuff. Also, being the last parts store before a mountain pass, they have an amazing large inventory.
They remember my 71 Landcruiser has the optional fuel injected 327.

Of course, I have been to the NAPA regonal warehouse, and looked up my own parts, because the counter "person" couldn't even find the right cataloge to look in. Totally brainless, minimum wage type workers.

 

Schucks aka Kragen, they are a cool store being for our area and all. i think I would enjoy Pep Boys or Autozone better though if they were here. Ive been doing Ebay more than anything lately though.

 

Another vote for O'Reily's, but back in PA my all time favorite is A&A Auto Parts.

 

(2) Kragens/Checkers

I have lifetime replacement CV shafts from Checker, and they only cost 30 bucks a piece

The checker I go to has parts for everything since they are the warehouse distributor for other stores in the surrounding area...

They even had the head gaskets, oil filter. and clutch slave cylinder for a 1963 GMC Shoolbus with a big block 305 V-6 (not a misprint...) If they have parts for that IN STOCK, that's good enough reason for me to use them.

BUT, if it's late at night I go to the 24hr AutoZone, the only 24hr auto parts here...

 

KNECHT'S AUTO PARTS - Scattered across Oregon. They have more variety in stock than the chains, comparable prices, employees who actually can help you, and still do business they way they did when the Knecht's actually worked the counters.

 

we also have action auto here. probably one of the better stores, parts are CHEAP! only problem is that they have a nasty habit of not marking prices on everything.

they usually have nice knowledgable people there(as they run a machine shop in the back) but they hire some idiot clueless kids as well. go figure, as an unemployed gearhead like me can't even find a job around here *shrug*

 

I guess I'm the only one, but I go to the dealer. My side buisness partner is a Toy mechanic, so I get what I need at his cost (dealer cost - 10%). For my other vehicles, if he can't get the parts through his dealer chain, I go to Advanced or Autozone. They are right across the street from one another.