Ah, the good ole Dodge parts department attitude.

[1969chargerrtse]

So after work I run down to my nearest Dodge dealer parts department and walk up to the counter.  Hi, I need a Mopar battery for a 69 Charger please, I say.  The parts guy says I don't think I have a listing for that?  (pause).  Sooo, I can't get a Mopar battery here at the dealership I ask?  (stare/pause) Well I don't have a listing for it, and I don't have one now, he says.  I don't need it right now I reply.  Maybe you can go to another dealer and get the info for it he ask?  I reply, why don't you do that, can you make a call, why do I have to do that?  (stare/pause/stare) I can't he says.   Soooo I can't get a Mopar battery here? (confrontation/stare) No he repies.  O.K thanks I say.  WTF?   I'll call the manager tomorrow and let him know how I'll do business elsewhere.  Is it me, or is that insane?

[Daytona R/T SE]

Find a different dealer. A few years ago when I needed a battery for my '72 Challenger, I trotted on down to my local Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth/Jeep dealer and said Hey Moose! ( Moose was the parts dude there at the time) Gimme a battery for my Challenger! Without missing a beat, Moose strolls to the back, brings out the appropriate MOPAR battery, slides it across the counter and says: "Pay the girls up front"

Done deal.

Later, when I needed parts for my '72 Imperial, I went back to the same dealership, told them what I needed, The parts guy Dusted off the '72 parts BOOK, found the PN's I needed, searched the system AND parts voice.... a couple of days later the parts were mine

[Ghoste]

I once had a counter guy at a Dodge dealer ask me for a cash donation to look up a part for my Charger since he had to do it manually instead of throught the computer.  I told him "just a minute" and then checked with his boss.  Apparently he didn't need a cash donation after all. 

[1969chargerrtse]

I once had a counter guy at a Dodge dealer ask me for a cash donation to look up a part for my Charger since he had to do it manually instead of throught the computer.  I told him "just a minute" and then checked with his boss.  Apparently he didn't need a cash donation after all. 

[AirborneSilva]

I think that was terribly insensitive of you to ask that he do his job, I mean he has to show up in the morning and now you are asking that he find a mopar part for you?

Ok, back to reality - I hope that you do call his boss, let us know what happend 

[TruckDriver]

I once had a counter guy at a Dodge dealer ask me for a cash donation to look up a part for my Charger since he had to do it manually instead of throught the computer.  I told him "just a minute" and then checked with his boss.  Apparently he didn't need a cash donation after all. 

[hemihead]

It's not Mopar , it a very bad Counterman . Find another dealer with someone more competent .He's probably a Chevy guy .

[SRT-440]

You threw him for a loop when you said "69 Charger"..I've learned if your buying stuff for classics it's better to just ask for a part than tell them what it's for. I can promise you he had a Mopar Battery there. Anyways, get ya an Optima yellow top battery it will out last you and the car..LOL..love them things. I've had the same one for 10 years. 

[superduperbee]

So after work I run down to my nearest Dodge dealer parts department and walk up to the counter.  Hi, I need a Mopar battery for a 69 Charger please, I say.  The parts guy says I don't think I have a listing for that?  (pause).  Sooo, I can't get a Mopar battery here at the dealership I ask?  (stare/pause) Well I don't have a listing for it, and I don't have one now, he says.  I don't need it right now I reply.  Maybe you can go to another dealer and get the info for it he ask?  I reply, why don't you do that, can you make a call, why do I have to do that?  (stare/pause/stare) I can't he says.   Soooo I can't get a Mopar battery here? (confrontation/stare) No he repies.  O.K thanks I say.  WTF?   I'll call the manager tomorrow and let him know how I'll do business elsewhere.  Is it me, or is that insane?

Had a similar experience with the Dodge dealership in Eastpointe MI. I found the part I needed in the MP catalog at home, went to the dealership to order it. The buffoon behind the counter was too lazy to look up the part, tells me " we don't stock parts for cars that old". Saw the MP book right there on the counter behind him. I would've told him what a POS he was but had my kids with me at the time. I drive 15 miles further to another dealership for stuff now, the drive is worth it. Ray

[bull]

Some Dodge parts guys will work with you and some won't. They all have access to the same information so it's just a matter of motivation really. What I've discovered is that if you find a dealership that's been around a long time and a parts guy who's worked there for more than 15 years you're good to go because they know how to open a book. But that's not easy to find anymore.

[1969chargerrtse]

O.K O.k here's what happened.  I called in the am and got a service woman, I started to explain and she had heard about it from someone who was in the room when I got blown off.  She said she has a 72 rally charger and a 70 challenger 440 /6 car.  Cool.  Her and her husband don't do shows or the internet but do some cruise nights.  Anyway she connected me to the Parts manager and he was O.k but started to ask dumb questions like" do you have the original battery?"  I said, what?  Who has a 40 year old battery laying around?  The battery I need is a simple rectangular battery I can get anywhere?  Look, I said this is not about the battery, I already have one, this is about the kid at the desk that was to lazy to go any further and blew me off.  Finally he said he would talk to him.  Yea right.  Thats  that.  I bought  a repro series 27 tar top type, maintenance free/ gel bat for 260.00 at Batteries are us on the net.  Costly, but I'm done and It'll look nice.  Thanks for your comments.  Rob.

http://www.batteriesareus.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=144_61&products_id=225&zenid=b0739199a9f91c0f8334bb2ab83c08f5

[69_500]

Just curious, but if you needed the part number for the batter you could have always asked on here. Would have been more than happy to hook you up with the part number. 

Oh and when you ordered that new repro battery, do they offer date stampings on those? Or are they just a generic repro without the date codes? Another side note, met a gentleman recently who was one of those people that did have a 40 year old battery laying around. Actually was the origional battery from his Charger. Kept it all of these years.

[71ChallengeHer]

I'm glad I have friends at the Dodge dealership. My parts guy has a 69 Super Bee. A lot of the guys that work there have classic Mopars. Some have owned them since new or since they were in high school. I've never had a problem getting parts or having them look up something. Plus, gotta love the discount I get.

[1969chargerrtse]

Just curious, but if you needed the part number for the batter you could have always asked on here. Would have been more than happy to hook you up with the part number. 

Oh and when you ordered that new repro battery, do they offer date stampings on those? Or are they just a generic repro without the date codes? Another side note, met a gentleman recently who was one of those people that did have a 40 year old battery laying around. Actually was the original battery from his Charger. Kept it all of these years.

I wouldn't think of having to ask?  I only wanted a 2 pole battery for my car.  I'm sure If I walked into Sears I would of walked out with a Die Hard.  Nothing on the site about date codes and I really don't care.  I draw my lines on going to anal.  Ain't no original Hemi car here.

[hemihead]

I'm glad I have friends at the Dodge dealership. My parts guy has a 69 Super Bee. A lot of the guys that work there have classic Mopars. Some have owned them since new or since they were in high school. I've never had a problem getting parts or having them look up something. Plus, gotta love the discount I get.

Easy if you are a good looking female .  Think I could get that service with my smile and sexy legs ? 

[Khyron]

Easy if you are a good looking female .  Think I could get that service with my smile and sexy legs ? 

I don't know...post up a pic 

[70charginglizard]

turbo start has them for $229-

https://www.turbostart.com//product.aspx?id=411&cid=14

[C_stripes]

Its not only at Dodge Dealers. It happens at all dealers. The parts guys are lazy. Even the techs hate them. I have seen the parts guys at the dealer I work at answer the phone and tell the customer that it will take a second for them to look it up. Then they sit there and BS with who ever is there with them do nothing as far as looking up the part. Pick the phone back up and say. "We can't get that part anymore" or "I'm not finding it, Can you bring your car in" or my favorite. Disconnected. Parts guys are in-competent. No offence if we have parts guys in here.  But they are all lazy.

[1969chargerrtse]

turbo start has them for $229-

https://www.turbostart.com//product.aspx?id=411&cid=14

Oh of course, I only searched on the net for over an hour. 

[Dodge Don]

Depends on the staff. I bought a ton of MP stuff from the local dealer and the parts guy was a seasoned veteran and when he learned it was for a 70 Charger he gave me a 15% discount 

Went back months later for something else and he was gone.......the young rube who took his place was a lazy moron who insisted they did not have any parts for "old" cars. Had to go to another dealer 

[Chatt69chgr]

Generally speaking, most of these dealers can't look for a part in the Chrysler parts system below 1984 with just a verbal description of the part.  They can look for a actual part number.  The way it was explained to me, they had to refer to some printed parts catalogs to look up the older stuff.  And most of the dealers didn't want their guys looking up these older parts, so, they make their guys throw the books away.  Nobody in my area within 100 miles has the books at the dealer.  Someone has at least one of the sets because I tried to get it and it mysteriously disappeared.  Now if they look for the actual old part number, they may not find it.  Sometimes a part is superceded and the system doesn't list the new number.  Sometimes it does.  So it helps to do some research on your own to try to find out the old part number.  With this new bunch running Chrysler, I really wouldn't be surprised if they just tossed all of the old stuff in the trash and took it off their taxes.  I think car companies are only legally required to have parts available for 11 years.  An interesting way that a lot of the parts stuff is being handled now is making you buy an entire subassembly when you only need one part of the subassembly.  Reduces part count.  I have noticed that where I used to get 35-38% discount from most of the dealers in the past, this has dropped to about 25% (except our local Chrysler dealer who has decided to charge above retail).  The dealers are not selling as many cars now and they are looking to make it up in the parts dept.

[FastbackJon]

Had it happen to me too at the local Dodge dealership. The guys don't even look in the books, they just tell you they don't have it, even though you bought the same exact item there a few months ago. Older guy used to work there, he was awesome, had like a parts book in his head, I used to meander around the parts room waiting until I could get him but he passed a couple years ago.

I've also been at Napa where they tell me they don't have something and I ask for the book and find it myself.

And I've been at Shucks/Checker/Kragen where I ask for a part for a Barracuda and the counter guy asks if that is a Chevy.

Then just wait until you get a poly 318, whose last year was 1966, and the computers only go back to 1967, so when asking for parts the counter jockies decide to assume that '66 is the same as '67 so they don't have to open the book, thus grabbing the wrong part from the computer for an LA engine. Then you have to explain to them... no... do your job... open the book... get me the correct part....

[Polygon]

If I had the part number, the Dodge dealer would order a part, no problem.

Mopar Action (techberg) would put the part numbers in his answer column.

Got funny looks when I ordered the EGR block off plate!

[71superbee]

I guess it's time for a parts guy to pipe in. I have been a Mopar parts guy for a long time,  I left to go to a Honda dealer almost 2 years ago. I always tried to help ANYONE and EVERYONE with their parts needs. Especially those with older Mopars. I realize that parts for the older Mopars are hard enough to find on your own and any help is appreciated. The local Dodge dealer still refers their older Mopar customers to me for assistance. And yes,I could have grabbed a battery of the shelf and not sent you away shaking your head.

[twenty mike mike]

But they are all lazy.

Oh, there's a brilliant statement. You've met every single parts pusher at every single dealer? Obviously not.

I've had great experience with lots of parts guys at many dealerships, Dodge and otherwise. Most of the people I've dealt with are very helpful and many have spent lots of time looking up obscure parts, then gave me a discount to boot. Of course there are lazy ones, just as there are lazy employees in any line of business.

Guess you just bring out the worst in people.   

[694spdRT]

There are some good parts guys out there. The one I deal with works at a Chrysler/GM dealership and always helps me out. He gets me a free MP catalog whenever I ask and has searched and printed off more parts diagrams than I care to think about over the years. Most of the time I already know what part #'s I need because he does not have any older parts books available as the dealer is only about 15 years old.     

[71ChallengeHer]

I'm glad I have friends at the Dodge dealership. My parts guy has a 69 Super Bee. A lot of the guys that work there have classic Mopars. Some have owned them since new or since they were in high school. I've never had a problem getting parts or having them look up something. Plus, gotta love the discount I get.

Easy if you are a good looking female .  Think I could get that service with my smile and sexy legs ? 

[1969chargerrtse]

turbo start has them for $229-

https://www.turbostart.com//product.aspx?id=411&cid=14

I called the place I got my battery from.  He said absolutely, positively their battery is not the same as Turbo start.  He said they are differnet molds and different batteries.  He went on to say how Turbo start had  already went out of business once screwing many customers, and on and on.  I felt very confident with the one I bought, but as always thanks for your comments and help.

[mikesbbody]

I'm glad I have friends at the Dodge dealership. My parts guy has a 69 Super Bee. A lot of the guys that work there have classic Mopars. Some have owned them since new or since they were in high school. I've never had a problem getting parts or having them look up something. Plus, gotta love the discount I get.

Easy if you are a good looking female .  Think I could get that service with my smile and sexy legs ? 

I was just about to say the same thing  seriously though its cool you have such a good dealership to buy your parts from 

[rav440]

I bought  a repro series 27 tar top type, maintenance free/ gel bat for 260.00 at Batteries are us on the net.  Costly, but I'm done and It'll look nice.  Thanks for your comments.  Rob.

http://www.batteriesareus.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=144_61&products_id=225&zenid=b0739199a9f91c0f8334bb2ab83c08f5

what do they mean by

We ship the battery to you painted exactly the same as OEM design: unpainted

[472 R/T SE]

My Mom's been a comptroller at Chrysler dealerships' for about 20 years now.  Her current dealership has 40 service bays and they sell on average 500 rigs a month.  I've had nothing but pleasant experiences with the parts jockeys to go along with employee discounts.  Sure, some of them didn't know squat but a few sentences out of their mouth would usually convince me to deal with someone else or if all else fails, ask for the parts dept. manager.
I've always found it helps to know ahead of time what part number the item you're after is to help deal with any incompetence. 
Gonna hate it when she retires.

But they are all lazy.

Funny you say that.  My little brother who's been a parts man forever says the same thing about Porters'. 

[71ChallengeHer]

I'm glad I have friends at the Dodge dealership. My parts guy has a 69 Super Bee. A lot of the guys that work there have classic Mopars. Some have owned them since new or since they were in high school. I've never had a problem getting parts or having them look up something. Plus, gotta love the discount I get.

Easy if you are a good looking female .  Think I could get that service with my smile and sexy legs ? 

I was just about to say the same thing  seriously though its cool you have such a good dealership to buy your parts from 

Mike, If you ever need anything let me know. This dealership still has all the old books and the micro fische. I love sitting back in parts and looking thru the old stuff.  It gives me something to do when I'm getting the cars worked on. This place treats all their customers great.

[mikesbbody]

thanks jackie 

[1969chargerrtse]

I bought  a repro series 27 tar top type, maintenance free/ gel bat for 260.00 at Batteries are us on the net.  Costly, but I'm done and It'll look nice.  Thanks for your comments.  Rob.

http://www.batteriesareus.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=144_61&products_id=225&zenid=b0739199a9f91c0f8334bb2ab83c08f5

what do they mean by

We ship the battery to you painted exactly the same as OEM design: unpainted

 

Beginning statement, then they add what  color, which is "unpainted"  Made me think there for a minute. 

[hemihead]

Being that I have been on both sides of this fence I can tell you that some parts guys don't know squat and are lazy . But those are the college kids who are hired because they work cheap . And then there are the car guys who own Mopars and love them . On the other side , you have the hobbyist customer who knows nothing about a car ,  how it works , or how it is put together . Comes in , asks for a part that by the name he uses the Counterman has no idea  where in the book to even start looking for it . And some people are still under the impression that every part is still available and on stock waiting for them . A lot of stuff goes NS1 3 years after production and most parts have been NS1 since 79 for these cars .
I guess it's easier to blame the partsman than it is to blame yourself for lack of research or knowledge . This was not directed at anyone personally.

[69_500]

Well here is how they came origionally.

[Brock Samson]

i was looking to install a few 300 M Special parts on my M a few years back , when they were still on the showrrom floor, so i went into my local dealers' parts counter and asked for the 300 M special headlights, door mirrors and dual rear exhaust prices and the guy behind the counter asked me for the parts number... 
then he wanted the VIN to a 300 M special... i gave him my vin off a special parked in the showroom next door,.. then said he didn't show any 300 M Special Parts in his computer...
I haven't been back since.
If chysler goes down it's gonna be because of this kinda' crap.

[1969chargerrtse]

Well here is how they came origionally.

Wow. 

[Steve P.]

I just came across this thread and read the first few posts. At that point I had to stop as I get SOOOOOOOOO  PISSED when ANYONE just won't do THEIR JOB. I run into this crap EVERY time I go to buy a part. Even on later model stuff. If it is not in the computer the jerky kid behind the counter gets one of those "SORRY DUDE", looks on his face. What's worse is when THEY ARE the MANAGER of the store!!!

A long time ago I managed a parts store and made damn sure every one of my people knew exactly how to use the books. If they could not find something and I was not there to help they all had my number to call me at home. Also had a sign in the back room telling everyone that if I ever heard that someone didn't do their job I would replace them with someone that would...

This is not just in the auto parts industry. I see this in just about everything these days. I think it all boils down to parents not kicking the crap out of their LAZY kids anymore. This DROPPING THE BALL crap has got to end. There is NO EXCUSE for this at all.

Sorry for the rant, but this is my 

[1969chargerrtse]

The place has no idea that little " sorry can't help you" attitude rolls over to the first person looking to buy a new car there.  My comment will be, don't go there, their service sucks.