Fry your brain in one easy lesson
Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2005 8:39 pm
Parts for Piazza's
I don't know what it is like in OZ but in NZ it goes like this. If you want anything for one of these desirable cars you can trot along to the local Holden dealer and ask them nicely to assist. Once the sniggering and snide comments have died down and you make your request you get the following response. Year? Turbo or non-turbo? chassis number? Engine type? Colour, Is it the one with the left handed widget or the overhead chrome wotsit? plus a number of other inane questions. Being smarter than the average parts man I have all this information ready and fire it at him like Clint Eastwood in a dirty harry movie. That only phases them for a few seconds before the standard reply comes winging back, followed by another bout of sniggering. "We will have to back order from japan and it will take 4-6 weeks. Cost will be about a bazillion bucks plus freight and tax" Pricks!
I have taken to dealing with aftermarket outfits instead, they usually know what they are talking about and almost never laugh at me. For instance Camelot brand parts available through Supercheap and others, make tie rod ends and rack ends and the price is so cheap it makes you feel like a robber when you leave the shop. However I do advise avoiding Repco where possible after a recent experience. I needed a repair kit for my Clutch master cylinder and knowing it would be a ball ache to get I settled for just the piston seal and re using the rest. So I pop into repco and ask for a 5/8" master cylinder ring seal. Yep you guessed it...What car is it for sir? Not wanting to confuse the little boy I said he probably wouldn't have it listed so just gimme a ring seal like wot I asked. Made of sterner stuff he insisted on knowing the vehicle so after having to spell it for him three times and suggesting he try both Isuzu and Holden catagories he eventually finds a Piazza listed under Isuzu ( I had to spell that as well!)
You may have guessed what came next, Year? Chassis etc. etc. etc. So I played his silly game for a few minutes and I won because he ran out of questions and I still had some answers left which pissed him off, especially as I made him aware of all the questions he had forgotten to ask. He got his own back by saying those parts were no longer available!
I gritted my teeth so hard other customers thought there was static on the $1200 stereo playing in the background. I hissed quietly and menacingly through these ever decreasing incisors that he should wander off out the back and return with a 5/8" ring seal pronto before I ripped his head off and crapped down his raw bleeding neck!!! This was obviously the approach I should have used in the first place as the helpful young chap returned faster than a speeding bullet with aforementioned ring seal for the princely sum of $2.00. All was well, I left happy and he was happy I left.
Everytime I depress the clutch pedal I get a vision of his pimply stubborn face flashing through my brain. Now I go to places that employ people who are at least 35-40 years old who say things like " Nice car, always wanted one, can I have a look at it, does it go well? I know the bits you want and we don't have them but such and such from a thingamybob will fit and we have heaps in stock for nearly no money. If you come across one of these guys shake his hand, if you come across one of the others do us all a favour and send him back to cartoon world for another trip on the magic roundabout.
I don't know what it is like in OZ but in NZ it goes like this. If you want anything for one of these desirable cars you can trot along to the local Holden dealer and ask them nicely to assist. Once the sniggering and snide comments have died down and you make your request you get the following response. Year? Turbo or non-turbo? chassis number? Engine type? Colour, Is it the one with the left handed widget or the overhead chrome wotsit? plus a number of other inane questions. Being smarter than the average parts man I have all this information ready and fire it at him like Clint Eastwood in a dirty harry movie. That only phases them for a few seconds before the standard reply comes winging back, followed by another bout of sniggering. "We will have to back order from japan and it will take 4-6 weeks. Cost will be about a bazillion bucks plus freight and tax" Pricks!
I have taken to dealing with aftermarket outfits instead, they usually know what they are talking about and almost never laugh at me. For instance Camelot brand parts available through Supercheap and others, make tie rod ends and rack ends and the price is so cheap it makes you feel like a robber when you leave the shop. However I do advise avoiding Repco where possible after a recent experience. I needed a repair kit for my Clutch master cylinder and knowing it would be a ball ache to get I settled for just the piston seal and re using the rest. So I pop into repco and ask for a 5/8" master cylinder ring seal. Yep you guessed it...What car is it for sir? Not wanting to confuse the little boy I said he probably wouldn't have it listed so just gimme a ring seal like wot I asked. Made of sterner stuff he insisted on knowing the vehicle so after having to spell it for him three times and suggesting he try both Isuzu and Holden catagories he eventually finds a Piazza listed under Isuzu ( I had to spell that as well!)
You may have guessed what came next, Year? Chassis etc. etc. etc. So I played his silly game for a few minutes and I won because he ran out of questions and I still had some answers left which pissed him off, especially as I made him aware of all the questions he had forgotten to ask. He got his own back by saying those parts were no longer available!
I gritted my teeth so hard other customers thought there was static on the $1200 stereo playing in the background. I hissed quietly and menacingly through these ever decreasing incisors that he should wander off out the back and return with a 5/8" ring seal pronto before I ripped his head off and crapped down his raw bleeding neck!!! This was obviously the approach I should have used in the first place as the helpful young chap returned faster than a speeding bullet with aforementioned ring seal for the princely sum of $2.00. All was well, I left happy and he was happy I left.
Everytime I depress the clutch pedal I get a vision of his pimply stubborn face flashing through my brain. Now I go to places that employ people who are at least 35-40 years old who say things like " Nice car, always wanted one, can I have a look at it, does it go well? I know the bits you want and we don't have them but such and such from a thingamybob will fit and we have heaps in stock for nearly no money. If you come across one of these guys shake his hand, if you come across one of the others do us all a favour and send him back to cartoon world for another trip on the magic roundabout.
Stuff putting Holden badges on an Isuzu! I'm keeping them for when I put the car into an all Holden day show n shine though 
