Stories from the Sales Frontlines

fezo

but women? I'll never be able to figure them out.

Good luck on that one!

The one thing that is good about this whole SRX biz is the enormous potential for a nice reverse "I hate this thing! We need to get rid of it immediately" oh about six months after purchase....

jmonroe

A half hour later, he showed up with a cheap rebuilt water pump from the local discount parts house.

Now, you don't put a rebuilt water pump on a Cadillac be we did it.

I don’t know why a rebuilt water pump isn’t good for a Cadillac. Back in the glory days of GM the water pump on a Cadillac or a Buick or a Pontiac with a V8 350 or 400 CID engine was the same. When the OEM water pumps failed on my cars with those engines, and they always did at around 50K miles, I ALWAYS put on a rebuilt. I myself even put one on my neighbors ’74 Cadillac and I know of at least 2 guys where I worked who had Cadillacs that also put on a rebuilt when theirs failed.

Having owned plenty of GM cars with the V8 engines mentioned above, unfortunately, I got to be pretty good at changing the water pumps on ALL of them and the rebuilts were as good in every way as the OEM’s. When you stop and think about it why wouldn’t they be? Other than the bearing and shaft what can go wrong with a water pump? The housing or impeller was never the failure mechanism on the ones I had to replace. It was ALWAYS the bearing and/or shaft.

The auto parts in my area only dealt with remanufacturing shops that supplied rebuilts with new shafts and bearings installed. To be honest, I didn’t think there were any other kinds of rebuild shops.

jmonroe

isellhondas

First of all, the water pumps are NOT the same. A Chevy water pump isn't going to bolt on to a Cadillac engine.

Back in those days, there were three kinds of water pumps. Brand new ones, QUALITY rebuilt ones such as an Airtex, and cheap rebuilt ones.

As a rule of thumb, if the water pumps weren't difficult to change we would usually install one of the quality rebuilt ones. If they were difficult to change, we would reccommend installing a brand new one. I believe the new ones had a double row of bearings and were usually better than the factory ones.

Using the good rebuilt pumps, we had good luck. I can't remember any of these going bad.

The cheap rebuilt unes were sold by a local mom and pop discount parts store known for second rate products that were, well, cheap.

If we were broke, that's where we went and we took our chances.

And, the difference in price between a quality rebuilt pump and a new one wasn't that much so if they were difficult to change it just made sense to put on a new one. The new pumps usually would last the life of the car unlike the factory ones that would fail as you said, around the 50K mark.

The difference in quality between rebuilt starters and alternators could be huge. The cheap rebuilds never lasted long.

sterlingdog

Thanks! I enjoyed reading that article. BTW, it's "Secrets of a Professional Negotiator". He's a slick guy but you understand that Jipster, Graphicguy, and I trained him. (Joke Emotorcon goes here.) Actually, I can see why people would use such a service, if they recoup the service fee and still save some money. So many people don't know how to do a little negotiating. You don't have to grind them to death to get a good deal. If I can knock off a grand or two pretty easily, that's fine. I'm just not going to sit there and argue over $200 or $300. I appreciate you remembering me with this article. It's an interesting concept.

Richard

jmonroe

First of all, the water pumps are NOT the same. A Chevy water pump isn't going to bolt on to a Cadillac engine.

You’ll have to go back and look at post 58896. I never said anything about a Chevy. Chevies didn’t have the same engines as the Cadillac, Buick or Pontiac.

Back in those days, there were three kinds of water pumps. Brand new ones, QUALITY rebuilt ones such as an Airtex, and cheap rebuilt ones.

Airtex are the ones that the parts stores around me sold. There was another brand and they were just as good but I can’t remember the name (I couldn’t remember the Airtex name until you mentioned it). I never had any problems with a QUALITY rebuilt pump either.

And, the difference in price between a quality rebuilt pump and a new one wasn't that much…

Around the Burgh area the difference between new and lets say an Airtex was big. New was about twice the price and if you went to a dealer it was more than twice. But given the OEM’s weren’t that good to begin with I don’t know of any individuals or shops that went to a dealer to get one.

jmonroe

sterlingdog

"...oh about six months after purchase..."

Some days I think that you and I were separated at birth. I've had the same thought. Keep your fingers crossed. I may get my Flex yet.

Richard

jmonroe

The cheap rebuilt unes were sold by a local mom and pop discount parts store known for second rate products that were, well, cheap.

If we were broke, that's where we went and we took our chances.

If you were broke I can almost understand going with what you had to buy to keep your car on the road.

I think you’ll get some amusement out of this:

Back in the 70’s I worked with a guy from out of town who took a job where I worked. I’m pretty sure he was from Wisconsin. He also worked on his cars and couldn’t understand why the guys in the group I worked in went to the auto parts store for our parts because he always went to the junk yard for his parts. Of course the junk yard was cheaper but the rest of us wanted to get good quality parts if we were going to spend our time working on our cars and not have to redo the job because of “cheap” parts.

Honest, this guy also bought a water pump from a junk yard. Although I tried to talk him out of it he wouldn’t listen. For the life of me I don’t know why someone would buy a water pump from a junk yard that had a good chance of having more miles on it than the one that was being replacing. That was one of the points I ask him about and he said, “it’s less than half the price of what you guys are paying at the auto parts and the junk yard will guarantee it for 90 days”. OK, this guy just wouldn’t listen and he bought one from the junk yard and it failed about 2 month after he bought it. He takes it off his car and takes it back and they gave him another one from a junk car and that one leaked as soon as he installed it and started the car up. He takes that one back off and goes back to the junk yard again. Again they give him another one from a junk car. Hooray, this one worked till he got rid of the car in a couple years.

After I heard about him putting a water pump on 3 times I said, “now do you know why the rest of us buy our water pumps at the auto parts store”? His answer was, “I still paid less that the rest of you guys and this one is working fine”? :confuse: I was totally flabbergasted with this come back and I said no more about it.

His name was Bill and one of the guys dubbed him Water Pump Willy. That name caught on and he didn’t like it at all. Every now and then someone would just call him “water pump” and that was worse, especially if a secretary said it.

I’ll bet this is the type of grinder that you look forward to working with. Although, I doubt this guy would ever by a NEW car. The next car he bought was 7 years old because, according to him, that’s the point where you get your best deal on a car. I think he would have used my old drain oil if I offered it to him. :sick:

jmonroe

fezo

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you. If you get the Flex I'll have to come all the way down to NC to check it out....

isellhondas

Hey, a lot of my friends and I were so broke that we bought a lot of things from the junk yards. I never bought a water pump but I remember I did buy a set of brake shoes. We didn't have the right tools so vise grips were used on the return springs.

I remember blowing a rear axle seal on a VW I had once. I replaced the seal but the brake shoes were coated with grease. Instead of replacing them, I soaked them in gasoline. Then I took the shoes into the alley behind my parent's house and lit them on fire.

They smoked so much a neighbor was about to call the Fire Dept.

That little trick actually worked! The brake shoes were fine after that. Good think the lining was rivited and not bonded!

jmonroe

We didn't have the right tools so vise grips were used on the return springs.

That ain’t funny because it brings back a very sore memory.

I think I told this tale before:

My first car was a ’56 Chevy straight 6 that I bought from an uncle in ‘61 when I was in the Navy. I was home on leave and decided to replace the brakes one day. I never did this before but I saw it done a couple times and since I’m mechanically inclined I figured, ‘that isn’t so hard, why should I take it to a garage’? The vice grips slipped off the hardened steel return spring while I was leaning towards the spring so that I could see just how far to pull on it so that I could get it over the anchor pin on the top. I smacked myself in the lip harder that any 6 fights I got into as a young kid.

I finally went upstairs to put some ice on it and my Father was in the kitchen. When he saw me he said, “I thought you were putting brakes on your car…what’s the other guy look like? :mad:

After the swelling went down, a little, I went to the auto parts (heard a wise crack there too) and bought the tool to remove and install return springs. I still have that tool and every time I went to use it, when my cars had drum brakes, I remembered how I came by that tool. That may have been the best $4 I ever spent.

jmonroe

sterlingdog

Not to worry. If I get a Flex, I'll drive to NJ and show it to you. BTW, this is off topic but I have been wanting to ask you something. A friend sent me pictures of A Tear Drop Memorial located in Bayonne, NJ in remembrance of 9/11. It's located across the harbor from the Statue of Liberty and the location of the Twin Towers. It is a beautiful memorial sent to the U.S. and installed by the Russians. Have you seen it? Is it for real? I just can't imagine why I never saw it on the news. It's taking so long to complete the memorial at Ground Zero, and this one was supposedly completed by 2006. Let me know if you have any knowledge of it. My wife and I want to see it, plus several friends.

Richard

explorerx4

What car was that?
BTW, we have guinea pig twins name Jake and Elwood.

sterlingdog

You and Isell are two of the most ingenious posters that I know. It's not just that you can replace brakes, it's your willingness to be creative with tools and other resources. Not being mechanically inclined AT ALL, I just marvel at these stories. My father was like you. He could open a hood and work magic with a screw driver or a simple wrench. It just comes so naturally to some people. When I was six years old, Santa put a tool kit under the tree for me. I broke my thumb with the hammer and cut a finger with the plane bar. Poor Dad. He did try to help me at an early age. At least he instilled in me a love of cars. Lord knows, he took me to every car show that he could find. I may know antique furniture and how to cook, but a machine of any kind is foreign to me. Dad was an excellent cook and taught me many things in the kitchen. At least his efforts weren't a total loss. I did make a bad mistake once. I told Mom that she had the wrong ingredients for a recipe. I can assure you that I never made that mistake again.

Richard

snakeweasel

Back in the 70's when I first started driving and me and all my friends were driving cars from the 60's (maybe early 70's) we all got our parts from the junk yard. Never really had problems with those parts.

sterlingdog

The car was the Grand Marquis. Remember? I was just joking around with Snake.

Richard

fezo

It's there all right. They dedicated it back in 2006 on 9/11. Donated by the people of Russia.

I haven't been there yet. It's in a not so good section of Bayonne but one they are working on. At the moment this is a gem in a dump but things will get better. I've only seen it on TV but word is, and cameras caught this, that as you look through where the trade center was the tear is falling on the Statue of Liberty.

Can't even begin to describe what 9/11 was like here near where it happened. The county just north of us lost more people in the attacks than any other than NYC itself. There were at least a couple of 9/11 obits in the paper ever day for over six months. It felt like that would never end.

explorerx4

I see. I guess being a 'Ford guy'. I can still tell the difference between a Grand marquis and a Crown Vic. Can tell the difference between a regular GM and and Marauder, at a distance too. 'smiley emotorcon'.

isellhondas

I've still got all of my brake tools too. Can't bear to throw them away even though I know I'll probably never use them again.

It was amazing what you could do with a pair of Vise Grips. I still have those too!

explorerx4

Sorry Isell, I can't get that picture I wanted to take.
I looked out a window of my house and saw 3 Odysseys parked on the street nose to tail. In addition to that, there was another one parked in a driveway 90 degrees in front of the line. Tail pointed to the nose of the 3 in line.
Across the street, was another one in a driveway parked 90 degrees tail to tail with end of the 3 in a row.
Dang camera. 'Frown'.

tjc78

Can tell the difference between a regular GM and and Marauder, at a distance too. 'smiley emotorcon'.

Well... no regular GM has dual chrome exhaust tips peeking out the back!

stickguy

poking out of the garage too!

jayrider

Remember the old days. All brake jobs included a thorough dusting with an air hose. Of course the dust was asbestos -- lot of dudes who specialized and did them 40 hours a week, ended up with mesothelioma. Some carried it home on their clothes to infect family members. Sad but true. I watched them do it at my uncles dealership.

explorerx4

Yes, and I can recognize one when it is behind me too.
Cougar in the garage, too.

jmonroe

It was amazing what you could do with a pair of Vise Grips.

Yeah, and I found something you don't want to do with them too. That puffed up lip negatively impacted a date I had the following night. :mad:

jmonroe

snakeweasel

I've still got all of my brake tools too.

Hey I still have my timing light.

tjc78

Cougar in the garage, too.


I bet the owner of the Charger is the blacksheep of the family!

houdini1

Here is a brake story for you guys.

Back in the mid sixties when I was dating my future wife, I was visiting with her and her parents at their lake house. Remember that I am worse than Richard when it comes to working on cars, and the brakes were messed up on my 63 Dodge Dart. I jacked it up under a shade tree, took the left front wheel off and brake parts fell out on the ground.

I had no idea how to put them back together so I took off the right front wheel to see how all the parts fit together and somehow was able to put the darn thing back together so it would work.

Years later my FIL told me that he was so impressed by the way I solved that problem that he knew I would make his daughter a good husband. So, in a way, that brake repair is partly responsible for our marriage of 43 years !!

imidazol97

>under a shade tree, took the left front wheel off and brake parts fell out on the ground.

I've often taken things apart intending to fix them. I've had things fall apart, but I've not always been able to get them back together. Congratulations!!!

venture

Richard,

Here are some details: http://www.bayonnelra.com/honor1.htm

More on Google.

sterlingdog

Thanks for the link. It's just wonderful and deserves more publicity. What a great gesture by the Russians. We've come along way since the Cold War.

Richard

sterlingdog

Thanks for the info. We do want to see it. Two obits from 9/11 each day for six months? I can't begin to imagine that much sadness.

Richard

sterlingdog

That's a great little story. It did remind me of something. I did learn how to change a flat, and did quite a number of them. I probably couldn't do it now. I haven't had a flat in 25 years or more. I see that we were married the same year. Hard to believe that it has been that long.

Richard

jwilliams2

Flats were pretty common back then. And so was marriage I guess. Same year for me. Unfortunately (well, sort of) mine only lasted 23 years. But I haven't had a flat for the last 20 years.

isellhondas

About three years ago, I was sitting in the local watering hole and the subject of Jury Duty came up. I told the people I was with that I had NEVER been called for Jury Duty.

Guess what was waiting for me in the mailbox that same day?

Then about a year ago when a crotchety older customer griped about the lack of a full size spare, I asked him " When did you last have a flat?"

Our CRV had one the next morning.

jmonroe

I see that we were married the same year.

Me too (July for us).

Hard to believe that it has been that long.

I can believe it. I’m reminded everyday that I haven’t changed in 43 years and for no reason some of those days. :surprise:

jmonroe

isellhondas

Man, you guys are OLD!

Only 41 years for me! Gasp!

fezo

25 years for us - regular newlyweds.

Just so you don't think that county just north of us must be a terrible place to live we do get things like this happening as well.

graphicguy

Up until my early 20s, the car junk yard seemed to be a regular stop every weekend. I wrenched many a radiator, axle, exhaust, water pump, alternator, etc from junkers so I could re-wrench them into my own junker to keep it on the road.

Speaking of service...my "change oil" reminder just came on last night. Honda/Acura urges NOT to change the oil before the reminder comes on (gotta love an honest car manufacturer) as unnecessary. Plus, they must have a lot of faith in their "oil minder" scheme. I'll have them do a tire rotation, too. My iPhone is being persnickety playing through the stereo, so I'll have them look at that, also.

Service writer said, "Mr GG, bring it in Thursday a.m. and we'll have a loaner waiting for you to use while we complete the service."

Now that's the way it's supposed to go.

Richard....why do I get the sneaky suspicion that the FLEX is more than just a "maybe" as far as your new future vehicle? (don't know if emotorcons work here....but picture a "winky" in this space).

imidazol97

>I haven't had a flat in 25 years or more.

Don't say things like that. If I do that, I'll have a flat tomorrow. Never brag on a car.

tallman1

Honda/Acura urges NOT to change the oil before the reminder comes on (gotta love an honest car manufacturer) as unnecessary.

GG-- Honda/Acura puts an additive (the name of which escapes me... starts with an "m") in the oil that is supposed to help collect the small metal shavings in the new engine. They want to make sure owners keep that factory oil in there for at least 5k miles.

Someone in the Honda forums sent off his oil to be analyzed a couple of years ago and sure enough, the stuff was there.

verdugo

Regarding the Jeep employees caught drinking and smoking pot recently, Chrysler moved quickly to take action:

It has been determined that 13 employees engaged in behavior that violated the Company’s Standards of Conduct and these 13 employees were discharged today. Two remaining employees will receive a one month disciplinary layoff without pay.

Maybe the two who were suspended didn't inhale? :P

They also talk about how they have multiple checks to make sure one employee's mistakes don't affect the car.

early warranty results indicate that the quality performance from the launch of the new Grand Cherokee may be the best launch in the history of Chrysler for vehicle reliability.

Let's hope that it's true and they continue getting better.

deltheking

Well, if it was a [non-permissible content removed]/Korean company-- the executives or the head would also be under fire. Kia`s executive resigned over a quality control issue that prompted a recall. And to think-- these guys at jeep-were building the brand new Jeep GC.. :lemon:

Key word--"Maybe" the best launch-- GM and C have had decades history of over promising and under-delivering.. And that wont change anytime soon especially with BK.. A good thing in that Jeep fiasco-- atleast those guys did not have se* with hoo**rs in the back of their car or in the deserted backside alleys... :sick:

snakeweasel

Its coming up on 14 years for me. I must still be on my honeymoon.

But then again I married at the backside of my 30's.

snakeweasel

Honda/Acura puts an additive (the name of which escapes me... starts with an "m") in the oil that is supposed to help collect the small metal shavings in the new engine.

IIRC it's called a magnet and it isn't in the oil just somewhere in the engine that will collect the shavings.

explorerx4

I think it's called Moly. It clings to parts better than regular oil during the break in period.

fezo

I was 34 when I got married.

Hmmm begins with an m.... Marvel Mystery Oil!

explorerx4

Do you want to serve? Last time I got called for jury duty, I was the only person who was able to bring their cell phone into the court building because it didn't have a camera feature.
Last 2 times I got called, I got dismissed.
First time, it was a medical malpractice case. Pretty informal Voir Dire. Told them my brother in law was a doctor at the same hospital, so I could not be impartial.
Personally, I would not have given the people anything, but I saw it got settled for $8 million. :surprise:
The next time, it a child molestation case. Had to sit through the lawyers presenting their cases in the court room. Another brother in law had started as an officer of the court by then, so that was my out on that one.

fezo

Try this one - "I can tell if they're guilty just by looking at 'em!"....

imidazol97

Molybdenum disulfide. Reduces friction between moving parts.

explorerx4

I'm running with the 'Officer of the Court' as long as it will work.
Maybe when i retire, if ever, I will consider sitting for a trial.
I will just have to show up in my new 'Power Chair' to get preferred parking and an elevator ride.