Gm dealership a frustration
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,597
Likes: 3
From: READING PA
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10
Gm dealership a frustration
I went to our local Chevy Dealer for some misc parts I will be using with for my build. Well it went like this and I thought with the enormous amount
of cabinets & shelves he would be able to take care of me.
1. I asked for Valve Cover gaskets he said we dont carry those but we can special order.
2. I asked about water pump Gaskets same response.
3. Asked about Head Gaskets same response.
4. Asked about Spark Plugs same response.
I asked What do you have here ? He said many things its just that what you want there is no demand for.
Thats why I purchased my 07 Vette at a smaller place 50 miles away
and they rolled out the red Carpet for me. Nothing changes around here.
Out of curiosity I got some prices on this stuff and a example would be
6.99 per Water Pump Gasket and 3.99 at the GM warehouse.
They dont want the business even though they were sponsoring our Corvette Club
Frustrating, but I guess the GOV is helping ??
Does anybody remember the name of the GM Parts guy on our Forum.
Was it Gene cullen ?
of cabinets & shelves he would be able to take care of me.
1. I asked for Valve Cover gaskets he said we dont carry those but we can special order.
2. I asked about water pump Gaskets same response.
3. Asked about Head Gaskets same response.
4. Asked about Spark Plugs same response.
I asked What do you have here ? He said many things its just that what you want there is no demand for.
Thats why I purchased my 07 Vette at a smaller place 50 miles away
and they rolled out the red Carpet for me. Nothing changes around here.
Out of curiosity I got some prices on this stuff and a example would be
6.99 per Water Pump Gasket and 3.99 at the GM warehouse.
They dont want the business even though they were sponsoring our Corvette Club
Frustrating, but I guess the GOV is helping ??
Does anybody remember the name of the GM Parts guy on our Forum.
Was it Gene cullen ?
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 27,254
Likes: 136
From: Short Hills, NJ
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 5,578
Likes: 61
From: Austin TX
Can't say I blame them. The items you wanted are rarely replaced, it's not like the old days when people were replacing water pumps and plugs on a regular basis. These new engines are designed to last several hundred thousand miles without that kind of service, so there is no reason for the dealer to hold onto those kind of parts in inventory.
Also, most GM parts departments will at least price match if ask them too.
Also, most GM parts departments will at least price match if ask them too.
Former Vendor
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 9,615
Likes: 13
From: Burlington NC
Can't say I blame them. The items you wanted are rarely replaced, it's not like the old days when people were replacing water pumps and plugs on a regular basis. These new engines are designed to last several hundred thousand miles without that kind of service, so there is no reason for the dealer to hold onto those kind of parts in inventory.
Also, most GM parts departments will at least price match if ask them too.
Also, most GM parts departments will at least price match if ask them too.
Randy
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 14,553
Likes: 1,549
From: Supporting the Corvette Community at Abel Chevrolet in Rio Vista, CA 707-374-6317 Ext.123
St. Jude Donor '08
We stock everything that is popular on C5's and C6's and many of the local shops purchase GM stuff from me. Give me a ring or shoot me a PM and I can get you taken care of.
RICH
RICH
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,597
Likes: 3
From: READING PA
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10
Can't say I blame them. The items you wanted are rarely replaced, it's not like the old days when people were replacing water pumps and plugs on a regular basis. These new engines are designed to last several hundred thousand miles without that kind of service, so there is no reason for the dealer to hold onto those kind of parts in inventory.
Also, most GM parts departments will at least price match if ask them too.
Also, most GM parts departments will at least price match if ask them too.
Mechanic or Tech can just call in what they need and have it delivered.
I just hope I dont ever have to take my Car there for Service.
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 4,157
Likes: 37
From: North Carolina
St. Jude Donor '07-'08-'09-'11-'12
Leon, Gene Culley is practically in your backyard.
933 East Philadelphia Avenue
Boyertown , PA 19512
484-949-2099
933 East Philadelphia Avenue
Boyertown , PA 19512
484-949-2099
Last edited by Craigster05; Apr 5, 2010 at 08:29 PM.
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Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 41,055
Likes: 9,817
From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
Usually they can have those kinds of parts delivered within two days so why stock them where there isn't any demand. What they will have in stock is parts they require for maintaining most of the cars they sell. Even then for parts not called for very often they will order them instead of stocking them. Nobody wants to tie money up by letting things sit on a shelf on the off chance somebody might want to buy it sometime.
About the only thing a generic parts store might have is the spark plugs. Just not many engine gaskets and seals purchased any more. If I ask for something for one of my 3 cars the answer I usually get is "That is a dealer item".
Bill
About the only thing a generic parts store might have is the spark plugs. Just not many engine gaskets and seals purchased any more. If I ask for something for one of my 3 cars the answer I usually get is "That is a dealer item".
Bill
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,597
Likes: 3
From: READING PA
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 14,657
Likes: 3
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
In the happy days of old, if you wanted GM service parts like gaskets and the like the only dealer even remotely close to your neck of the woods that would stock those was Strohl Chevy in "downtown" Fogelsville.
They closed their GM franchise last year.
Sad, since they actually stocked some GM performance engine stuff and unlike nearly all other operations they were open on a Saturday morning. Small but efficient they were!
Luckily just about everything for the big 3 and their chap counterparts is a next day delivery for their parts counters so if you order it one afternoon it's there at the dealer the next morning.
They closed their GM franchise last year.
Sad, since they actually stocked some GM performance engine stuff and unlike nearly all other operations they were open on a Saturday morning. Small but efficient they were!
Luckily just about everything for the big 3 and their chap counterparts is a next day delivery for their parts counters so if you order it one afternoon it's there at the dealer the next morning.
I went to our local Chevy Dealer for some misc parts I will be using with for my build. Well it went like this and I thought with the enormous amount
of cabinets & shelves he would be able to take care of me.
1. I asked for Valve Cover gaskets he said we dont carry those but we can special order.
2. I asked about water pump Gaskets same response.
3. Asked about Head Gaskets same response.
4. Asked about Spark Plugs same response.
I asked What do you have here ? He said many things its just that what you want there is no demand for.
Thats why I purchased my 07 Vette at a smaller place 50 miles away
and they rolled out the red Carpet for me. Nothing changes around here.
Out of curiosity I got some prices on this stuff and a example would be
6.99 per Water Pump Gasket and 3.99 at the GM warehouse.
They dont want the business even though they were sponsoring our Corvette Club
Frustrating, but I guess the GOV is helping ??
Does anybody remember the name of the GM Parts guy on our Forum.
Was it Gene cullen ?
of cabinets & shelves he would be able to take care of me.
1. I asked for Valve Cover gaskets he said we dont carry those but we can special order.
2. I asked about water pump Gaskets same response.
3. Asked about Head Gaskets same response.
4. Asked about Spark Plugs same response.
I asked What do you have here ? He said many things its just that what you want there is no demand for.
Thats why I purchased my 07 Vette at a smaller place 50 miles away
and they rolled out the red Carpet for me. Nothing changes around here.
Out of curiosity I got some prices on this stuff and a example would be
6.99 per Water Pump Gasket and 3.99 at the GM warehouse.
They dont want the business even though they were sponsoring our Corvette Club
Frustrating, but I guess the GOV is helping ??
Does anybody remember the name of the GM Parts guy on our Forum.
Was it Gene cullen ?
Racer
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 286
Likes: 1
From: Midland Texas
We have a big chevy dealer here and they never have anything in stock either. Every time I need to order parts for our work trucks if I'm lucky they can have it the following day, but rarely have it in stock.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,690
Likes: 1
From: Northern Calif