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Location: NJ | I needed a 6 vt battery and my brother in law sourced one at auto zone. he arranged for me to make the pickup.
I went there and was greeted as I got in the door and they had the battery waiting for me. then I asked for some ether (corrected it to starting fluid for the 20 something) and ran in the back for a tube of grease.
when I was finished I wen to the counter where a goth dressed twentysomething was next to a register with a head in a magazine. I excused myself and said to the chunkster that it was my battery and I would like to pay for it.
she then explained she did not work there and called on of the guys to the front. mind you she was AT THE FREAKING REGISTER reading a magazine.
I joked saying something like "if you have to hang out here for fun you really need a life"
she obviously did not take it in a joking manner. she snapped at me to look outside at her "show truck" (some 10 year old import something or other with blacked out windows" and that hanging out there was her life and her hobby and it was what she wanted to do.
then she stormed to the rear of the store, still behind the counter mind you, to complain to the guy that was probably her boy friend or whatever. So now I have 3 twentysomethings staring me down because I pissed off one of the chunksters.
I told the guy that rang me up that I guess I made her mad and I was not concerned abou it.
so? talk to the manager? he was ringing me up.
call corporate? looked on the website and there is no phone number.
so I did all I could do which was write an e mail complaint.
is it just me? or is the quality of service just something that should not be expected any more.
I knew we were doomed 10 years ago when I had to show the kid how to cross referece a ngk spark plug for my line trimmer but come on!!!!
is it too much to expect that someone that is behind the counter works there?
is it too much to expect to be treated with courtesy and not be given attitude by someone that DOES NOT EVEN WORK THERE?
someone just shoot me. |
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Location: South of most, North of few | Al, to them, you are an old fart. Just remember that and everything will be OK. It doesn't matter to them that you may have defended their freedom or have more experience in just about everything than they do. To them, their world revolves around a 3000.00 primer'ed vehicle. In 100 years, it won't make a difference. |
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Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Get outta the city, man.
But don't bring your city ways with you..... |
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Posts: 486
Location: North Carolina | Forget it. The cha-ching kids have already. If it suits you to return there, do so. The losers you met will probably be gone by then and if they're not, so what? Ignore them, even if they attempt a stare-down. Ever do any method acting Al? Walk in like you're a cop or a Mafia soldier. The attitude will show through.
If you call corporate to complain, you become an unpaid consultant. Your time is more valuable than that. I never complain. I go back if is to my advantage, or elsewhere if it isn't. What I don't do is give myself ulcers over a confrontation with non-entities. |
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Posts: 4394
Location: East Tennessee | A couple of years ago I went to Auto Zone for a timing belt for my wife's Honda. Young kid a t the register, he looked up the part number and i paid for the belt. My neighbor was changing it for me and noticed it didn't look right so he counted the teeth and it was three too many. I took it back and got the correct belt. When I told the same kid that it was wrong and would have caused irreparable damage to the vehicle he just shrugged his shoulders and said it must be wrong in the computer and he would see it got changed,(yeah right), then he went on to the next customer. I wrote them but never heard back.
Customer Service is a thing of the past but it does make us "Old Farts" mad. :mad: |
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Posts: 7307
Location: South of most, North of few | Originally posted by Gospel Guitar Guy:
.
Customer Service is a thing of the past but it does make us "Old Farts" mad. :mad: ....except, at Ovation! ;) |
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Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Al,
Is it worth bothering..?..let her misbehaviour be her problem,and, appearances can be deceiving,I know of a cabby in Stockholm,who had to pick up a WorldFamous Swedish photomodel,who bossed him about,complained about him being slow while putting her luggage in the back(in the rain),got him to carry it into the hotel lobby,again blah blah...and No Tip..!!..
Vic
..You`re too Good to bother about it.. |
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Posts: 4903
Location: Phoenix AZ | Al, If I read your post correctly, YOU started it. Why pick on the youth of America? The well being of our golden years will rest upon their shoulders. Relax old man and take solice in the fact that appearently she could at least READ. 30 years ago that was you and me, and most others of us. Like a flare up of herpes, this too shall pass. And come back again. Dave |
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Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | What's a chunkster? ... So you're surrounded by three short fat people dressed like goths angsting about empty lives in an auto zone ... That's like a scene from the Big Lebowski!
It would have been funny to ask them if they were nihilists. |
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Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Dave,if I read your post correctly,than you`re joining the fore,and that`s allright buddy,get the clothing,look the part,and send me all your guitars,Ovations,Martins,Takamines,I do n`t discriminate,free yourself..get rid of those conventional burdens... :)
Vic
..a Man in transit is a Woman`s Prey.. |
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Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | chunky + Youngster
equals
chunkster |
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Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Please remember... You were young and stupid once.
Take heart in the knowledge that their petty problems will fade when they get a life and real problems.
And just tell them, "Hey! I'm Old! I ain't got that much time left to be screwing around here! Next time I'll go to Pep Boys!"
Be a jerk! That way, they will remember you. Next time they will serve you quickly... to get rid of you!
Whatever works.... |
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Posts: 7224
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | It's stories like these that make me glad I moved from the East Coast, and specifially to where I am in Washington.
My last experience at the local "Schucks" which is the local version of PepBoys/Autozone etc.. I needed a PCV Valve. I wasn't using it in a car, but as a breather on a motorcycle crankcase. I needed one with a reed valve vs a ball valve. I figured I was in for a fun afternoon.
The girl who met me at the counter could have passed for the sister of the lab girl on NCIS. I tell her what I need and what it's going to be used for and that I didn't have a part number as it wasn't going to be used for its normal purpose etc..
She walked off, and a few minutes later came back with a PCV valve attached to a small piece of hose she "assumed" (correctly) that I would need.
That's pretty typical of the service around here. In fact today I went to Lowes looking for a solution that is too long to describe here, but when the guy asked if he could help, I let him and he did.
The thing that surprises me most, is that for the most part, especially if you go to a larger Mall or such around here, it feels like that Star Trek show where no one was older than 25. And it seems like everyone knows exactly what is in their store, and where it is, and if they don't have it, they know who does.
Frankly I don't know how I survived on the east coast without literally killing someone. |
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Posts: 1330
Location: ms | I worked in a auto parts store a few years and after that was a parts and service manager at a Pontiac/ GMC dealer. Back then you could go to a parts store and the guy behind the counter usually knew more than you about car repair. Now days its fast food auto parts. |
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Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | My nephew worked at both Auto Zone and Schucks. They aren't bad kids, but like most, have spent all of their spare time on the computer. They don't spend much time under the hood and if it's not on the computer they don't know what to do. I learned about cars so I could keep mine running. Most of them haven't had to learn. My nephew had rebuilt a few cars before he was 19 and owned more cars than I had at 50. Learning something by doing it is better than learning it on the computer, so this next generation is at a loss. |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Yeah Mark... I, and my Family, liked Chevy's with the 350 engine cuz they were easy to fix, the parts were common from year-to-year, and cheap to buy rebuilt or new. Nowadays you cannot set the timing on anything newer that 20 years-old without a computer. The days of twisting the distributor around til it sounds right are long gone.
You can't fix your car with a 'Leatherman' and a rock anymore :rolleyes:
Oh, and Miles, stay with Lowe's... I go to Home Depot frequently, and alot of my time is spent telling other people where to find stuff...
Cuz the employees don't know where the stuff is, or how to use it if they found it. |
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Posts: 7307
Location: South of most, North of few | Originally posted by Tupperware:
Al, If I read your post correctly, YOU started it. Why pick on the youth of America? The well being of our golden years will rest upon their shoulders. Relax old man and take solice in the fact that appearently she could at least READ. 30 years ago that was you and me, and most others of us. Like a flare up of herpes, this too shall pass. And come back again. Dave I'm gettin' to really like you, Dave!
Getting back to what Mark said about having to fix your cars. I think we all went through that. Back then you had points to fiddle with (whats dwell?) and a real carb to mess with. Now cars are like bic lighters, when they're used up, you throw them away and get a new one. |
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Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | I miss the local parts stores. they all have been swallowed up by the big name places.
one of my best friends dad was a ford dealership parts man. He could not only tell you all the part numbers you needed but how to fix your problem and what special tools or issues you may have.
my best experience was when I was putting a new thermostat on a slant six. I needed a gasket, went to the counter told the guy what I wanted. no book, no computer no nothing, he turned around pulled it off the wall and handed it to me and said "get out of here".
for those of you making this a generational thing, you are wrong dead wrong. It is about being treated in a professional manner in a retail situation.
Sue often tells me not to speak unless I am spoken to. |
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Posts: 7307
Location: South of most, North of few | I remember being able to go to a junk yard (not recycled parts house as they are known now) and just walk through with a few tools looking for what you needed. You could pull the part yourself, take it up front, and the guy would charge you what he thought it was worth to him, not what the computer says is half new price. Ah, the good old days.
Al, I agree with you about the "being treated in a professional manner" thing, but I'm afraid that has slipped away right with the morality that people used to have. I used to travel the neighborhood when I was about 6 yrs old and be gone all day without my parents worrying where I was. Now, I have a boy thats about to turn 10, and I make sure he has his walky talky when he leaves to be with his friends, so I know where he is. It's a different world. |
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Posts: 5563
Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | I miss the local parts stores. they all have been swallowed up by the big name places.
Yeah local music stores are becoming a thing of the past....what, we're not talking music? Well isn't it the same thing...
Auto Zone = Musicians Friend? |
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Posts: 608
Location: Caribou, ME | I have a good working relationship with the 2 auto parts stores I patronize, so I don't have much trouble. Thankfully one of them employs an older gentleman that used to work at an International dealership, and since I have a 1942 K-5 truck, a 1943 Farmall H and a 1961 International school bus, he is my IHC maven.
My daily driver is an '82 Ford pickup complete with Farmall Red brushed on paint. I, indeed, CAN fix that with a Leatherman and a rock.
My wife's is a '94 Explorer I bought for $650 and so far hasn't cost me Dime One.
My oldest daughter has our hand-me-down '93 Tempo that I bought 4 years ago for $600. So far this year it's cost me an exhaust pipe and a starter. Big whoop.
I have much MUCH more trouble with the local small engine place. The past few years I've picked junk lawnmowers out of the junk yard and used them. A recoil went bad on one and they wanted $45 or so for a replacement. Recoils are dime a dozen you say? Yeah, maybe 20+ years ago. They're made out of plastic that wouldn't hold a six pack together. And Briggs & Stratton change them every four hours so nothing fits unless it lines up with your serial number.
A new push mower is $139, so most of the time you're better off pitching the old one and buying a new one. Bic Lighter mindset strikes again.
Meanwhile I bought a 1988 Ariens 12 hp lawn tractor for $100. The couple moved and the inlaws sold it for them (they already had a 20 hp). I could NOT believe the difference between that machine and WalMart/Lowes/Sears garbage. It actually has grease fittings! I can actually maintain it and hope to get a few years out of it. Last year I sold a 1990 Walmart/Lowes/Sears 14 hp tractor on the front lawn for $50 because the deck had disintegrated and the steering was downright freakin' dangerous. Lesson learned the hard way, you get what you pay for. And don't ever go back to Sears for a part; you'll get just as much satisfaction by sitting on the sidewalk beating your genitals with a piece of car antenna. |
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Location: south east Michigan | you'll get just as much satisfaction by sitting on the sidewalk beating your genitals with a piece of car antenna. I love this place. |
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April 2004
Posts: 234
Location: Phoenix, AZ | And to think I clicked on this because I thought Al signed up AutoZone as his O retailers. I thought I could just drive to AutoZone and pick up an AlPep O without having to wait for shipping. Sigh. Back to relying on UPS/FedEx.
Oh well, at least there's no sales tax to pay when buying from Al. |
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March 2007
Posts: 841
Location: CA | At Pep Boys, their computer was down one day, forcing them to actually figure out the tax. Even with a calculator, cashier girl tried several times but couldn't get it right. Trying to be helpful, I gave simple instructions (anyone who's ever worked retail in pre-computer days can do tax in their head), but I think she thought I was somehow trying to screw the store. Another guy came over to 'help' and he couldn't do it right either. When they finally settled on a final incorrect price, I just kept my mouth shut and paid the few bucks too much just to get out of there.
Having not quite learned my lesson, I returned to the same store, this time to take advantage of a sale on shocks. Turns out they didn't have any of the shocks advertised in the flyer. I mean, the flyer right in my hand that I picked up at the front door. Two counter guys had no idea how to find it in their computer (obvious — "No? try tires. Not there? Uh, try wheels. Hmmmm. . ."), and so told me they were "out". When I asked if they could order them and how long it would take, no, some gobbledegook about closeouts or overstocks or warehouses or something, the gist being every one of these types of shocks was gone from the face of the earth. So I went down the street and bought the same thing from Kragen, which they had tons of, for a price within a buck or two of Pep's 'sale' price. Only thing I've bought from Pep Boys since is wipers and oil.
And don't even get me started on Target or K-Mart. |
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July 2003
Posts: 3111
Location: Nashville TN. | I attempted to buy tires at walmart
The backs can in 4 days. Everything was fine.
The I order the fronts.......
I ordered 6 days before I needed them.
On 7th day they showed up.
But they could only find one
6 phone calls and 7 phone calls latter.
They figure the shipped one correct tire and one wrong tire. Then they tell me replace the order via the net. I tried to get an answer when it would ship. No one could tell me. Some said
sept 12th. This had started Aug 24th.
Weds the 5th I get a call saying says my tires had arrived. I asked if they had both, Oh yes both are here. I get there and there 1 tire.
I ask to speak to a manager.
After 5 pages and 1.5 hours I left.
Drove around the corner and bought two tires
from Pep Boys costing $50 more.
I get home send a email canciling the tire order.
I get an email telling the pool I ordered had arrived. I never ordered a pool.
Then I got a call from store on Thursday saying both my tires had a arrived.
Worst retail expirence I ever had |
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Posts: 3111
Location: Nashville TN. | 6 Volt battery ???
Old Sports car?? |
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Posts: 7307
Location: South of most, North of few | BTW, My wife is the parts manager at the local Lincoln Mercury dealer. I don't have any problems with parts. |
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December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | Originally posted by PEZ:
6 Volt battery ???
Old Sports car?? I wish maybe a gull wing mercedes? or 58 vette?
nope just a 55 ford pickup.
bought new by my grandfather and a rust bucket now. my grandfather cracked it up a few months after new and it was repaired by old man had 3 accidents all in a row 3 years in a row all on thanksgiving day in the late seventies. the truck never really recovered.
I used it up until the mid 90's and well life kinda got in the way and now that the borough is on my butt about it I am in the process of getting it back on the road.
but .........
the cop that cited me told me the truck was not registered. well historic registration in NJ is a one time thing and they sorta send me renewals etc. plus he said it was registered to my old man. impossible since he died in 83 obviously it is an old clerical error from the 80's on the dmv's part but these bozons (bozo + moron = bozon) just don't want to hear it.
so off to the DMV.....they told me I am trying to do something illegal, the truck is NOT mine I am NOT the owner even though I do have a title with my name on it.....
how does it get resolved?
a day trip to trenton and then hold my breath! |
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Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Al here is the problem in a nut shell.
America doesn't manufacture anything anymore (certainly no where near enough)
In the old days, when we were brilliant and young, all these chunksters would have factory jobs. Only the ones able, would deal with the public. It was a step above factory work.
There are no more factory jobs so all these loosers now go for the service jobs and get to deal with the public. Fun, ain't it? |
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December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | Originally posted by Mauvais Beal (cwk2):
Al here is the problem in a nut shell.
America doesn't manufacture anything anymore (certainly no where near enough)
In the old days, when we were brilliant and young, all these chunksters would have factory jobs. Only the ones able, would deal with the public. It was a step above factory work.
There are no more factory jobs so all these loosers now go for the service jobs and get to deal with the public. Fun, ain't it? absolutely correct.
except some of these folks would be SWEEPING up in the factory they would not have any of the skilled labor jobs. |
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Posts: 4049
Location: Utah | Originally posted by alpep:
so off to the DMV.....they told me I am trying to do something illegal, the truck is NOT mine I am NOT the owner even though I do have a title with my name on it.....
how does it get resolved?
a day trip to trenton and then hold my breath! [/QB] I had a similar snafu with NY state over insurance, which resulted in an arrest warrant issued for me twelve years later. Oh yeah, I didn't live in NY state or have a NY drivers license. Some clerk mistyped something and it eventually went into a national data base. Made my life complicated for a while, but enough paperwork eventually solves all DMV snafus. |
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April 2003
Posts: 608
Location: Caribou, ME | Stopped into the hardware store today. Locally owned since 1844 (seriously). Even though they are mucky-mucks that practically own the town and the sister of the two brothers currently at the reins is a US Senator that fought to keep Lowes out of here, I still try to buy locally. If a small store HAS it, I'll do my best to buy it within reason.
Having said that, I was perusing the tools and lusted over some of the bar clamps. Every one I picked up said Made in China. In fact I had a hard time finding anything that was made in the US. The utility blades maybe.
I then strolled over to the lawn & garden section in the vain hope of finding a scythe. No way. A scythe? Of course not. I knew better than to ask the guy behind the counter because he wouldn't know what one WAS.
Most (if not all) of the rakes, shovels, etc were made in China.
Fast forward, I found a small company here in Maine that custom makes European style scythes custom fitted to the buyer, complete with accessories and lots of tutoring if needed. I guess that was encouraging, a small company that makes their own stuff and follows through afterwards! |
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Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | I seldom mess with my own cars anymore. I open the hood and don't recognize a thing. Plus, living in the city where we drive less than 5,000 miles a year, and owning relatively reliable vehicles (she Lexus, me Acura MDX), car repairs are a thing of the past. I'd rather spend my time and money in the bandroom. |
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September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | I listen to the hedge-fund stock-report business-news on the radio... And get dismayed.
They say that we have become a "service-based" economy Like It's A GOOD THING!
Everyone works at McDonald's so they can shop at Wal-Mart.
You never have to worry about our own government becoming "Protectionist" cuz we make NOTHING here!
Even our tomatoes are grown in Guatemala. Most of the parts of anything that is made here is imported.
The big post-war (WWII) economy was based on manufacturing. That was what made America Great!
We also were the Breadbasket of the world, sending food to China, Russia, and anyone else in need.
Now we import most of our food.
Now our economy is based on Speculation. Trading pieces of paper that you cannot EAT!
Screw Terrorism! Our real concern should be that all the countries that we owe money to might cut-off our credit!
Piss the rest of the world off so that they won't trade with us until we pay our bills! |
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Posts: 1792
Location: Rego Park, NY, | Al,
A few years agoI went to Staples for school supplies for my kids. I paid for my items and was waiting for the cashier to staple the bag closed. She tries to staple the bag closed numerous times. Then I realized something funny and I said to her " You work at STAPLES and ran out of staples. :p " I thought it was funny but she gave me a your an asshole look. I think she was just pissed because she was near the end of her shift and there were not extra staples at her register. |
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Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | Phil, I think it's funny.
At lunch I went to PEP boys to get some materials to repair a car bumper. I went to the counter and asked for help on what were the correct materials, and the Bozon Goth Chunkster (though this one was skinny) said he did not know. I asked if anyone in this auto supply store knew, and he said no, that I should go down the street to an auto repair shop. You're kidding me right, I said. He said no, I'm really sorry mister, no one knows. His sincerity was nice, but also disappointing. |
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Posts: 1180
Location: Vermont USA | Your money is as good as everyone else. So if it were me they would never see my shiny white a?? in there store again.
The End Pauly |
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Posts: 4903
Location: Phoenix AZ | Originally posted by alpep:
chunky + Youngster equals chunkster Just dawned on me that Chunky + Oldster also equals Chunkster.
Dave |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Have a client who is a woman (of somewhat diminutive stature) whom NOBODY likes.
. . . usually refer to her as "The Shunt". |
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April 2003
Posts: 608
Location: Caribou, ME | I was in one of the local parts stores today and there is a woman about 45 that works there. Her father owned a parts store and she grew up in that whole dynamic. She is one of the best parts people I've ever known.
She's also gay.
Which has nothing to do with it except today there was a guy talking to her at the counter. He was selling ad space in a semi-local magazine and he asked her to fill out a short questionnaire. Apparently one of the questions was marital status. He was reading her responses as she checked them off. He said, "So you never got married, huh? Never found the right man?"
If I had been drinking coffee I would have done a spit take. She just smiled and said, "Nope! Never found the right man."
At this point he's getting flirtatious.
"Still lookin'?"
At this point I'm cringing, my toes are curling, and I'm thinking, oh, god, SHUT UP dude....
She just responded with something like, "Oh, I'm so busy here at work I'd never find the time..."
So I guess the lesson learned is that it sometimes ain't no picnic on the OTHER side of the counter! |
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Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | My father worked as a partsman at Ford dealerships most of his working life. He memorized 99% of the part numbers of every Ford car and truck from the 1950's through the 1980's. If he lost his job at one dealership, he'd make a few phone calls and be hired by another that same day. Knowledgeable Ford partsmen back then in Southern California were valued for their knowledge. They all knew and respected one another. He finally washed out of the business as the old school owners sold to newer generations who were more interested in selling cars than keeping them running. Try and find a dealership that still has its own in-house body shop these days. |
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Posts: 1380
Location: Central Oregon | Originally posted by an4340:
Phil, I think it's funny.
At lunch I went to PEP boys to get some materials to repair a car bumper. I went to the counter and asked for help on what were the correct materials, and the Bozon Goth Chunkster (though this one was skinny) said he did not know. I asked if anyone in this auto supply store knew, and he said no, that I should go down the street to an auto repair shop. You're kidding me right, I said. He said no, I'm really sorry mister, no one knows. His sincerity was nice, but also disappointing. If you are repairing a plastic bumper cover I think you went to the wrong kind of auto supply store. You need to go to any "autobody supply" store, they should have what you need & they should be able to tell you how to use the materials. Even a well stocked auto supply store probably wouldn't have the stuff you need, although some do, generally smaller places like we have here.
I guess I'm really lucky. I have had an account at the same place (Madras Auto Supply) for 35 years. George finally retired & now his son Cory runs the place. When I met Cory he was still in school but he worked at the store on weekends. I know all the people that work there & the machinist in the back room is one of my best friends.
Way back when a guy could actually work on a car engine, if we needed a part we'd just go unlock the store & get it & write it on the pad. I could still do that but I don't work on any running gear anymore. Not even at work at the body shop (38 years), we farm that greasy stuff out.
At this point my idea of "working on the rig" is plugging in the Predator under the dash of my Ford diesel & programming it to give me however much power I want (up to 425 hp), how hard & when I want it to shift, whether I want mileage or go fast, yada yada, & I can turn off the 100mph governor if I want. (Which I don't anymore, my wife would get a HUGE ticket, she's a real leadfoot.) All by re-programming the computer with a little hand-held gizmo. It's amazing.
The thing really works great. At the "economy" setting, which changed the mileage from 15-16mpg to 17-18mpg, it's making 390 hp & 910 ft-lbs of torque. Instant Hot Rod. Kinda tough on tires if you aren't careful but it's sporty to drive, especially for a 3/4 ton 4WD truck.
But I can't fix anything under the hood. It doesn't even have a throttle linkage, it's all done through the injectors via the computer, from what I'm told. |
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September 2007
Posts: 18
| Well its not the youngsters problem they dont know any better, most of them act like that because their paretns didnt teach them any manners or they did but under the influence of other kids who havent been tought proper manners they neglect them just to be "cool", if in company of others, otherwise they'll probably act right, so I say its "what you bring from home", sort of say...
if that makes any sense... :rolleyes: |
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Joined:
May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | The chunkster I encountered was perfectly polite, just had no knowledge, nor did anyone in the store. I did find what I thought I needed but the knowledge department there was empty.
Anyway I'm going to do what I always do when dealing with plastic, just put on fiberglass. It's not the bumper that's broken, it's the fascia (sp?). |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 1380
Location: Central Oregon | Originally posted by an4340:
The chunkster I encountered was perfectly polite, just had no knowledge, nor did anyone in the store. I did find what I thought I needed but the knowledge department there was empty.
Anyway I'm going to do what I always do when dealing with plastic, just put on fiberglass. It's not the bumper that's broken, it's the fascia (sp?). You'll be wasting your time, fiberglass will NOT stick to a plastic bumper cover. |
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Joined:
March 2006
Posts: 482
Location: enid, ok | ...sitting on the sidewalk beating yo-what?! |
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Joined:
May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | Nils,
I did it. And it's sticking. I followed the directions from Popular Mechanics.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/how_to_central/automotive/2763656.h...
I've also used fiberglass to repair old ovation cases.
I'm curious why you say it won't work. I think the secret is surface preparation. What material would you recommend to repair a bumper? (Besides replacing it) |
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Joined:
May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | I used this, though not in a kit form.
http://www.amazon.com/Fiberglass-Resin-Jelly-Repair-Kit/dp/B000BOHK... |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 1380
Location: Central Oregon | Originally posted by an4340:
Nils,
I did it. And it's sticking. I followed the directions from Popular Mechanics.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/how_to_central/automotive/2763656.h...
I've also used fiberglass to repair old ovation cases.
I'm curious why you say it won't work. I think the secret is surface preparation. What material would you recommend to repair a bumper? (Besides replacing it)
Oh yeah, O cases are rigid plastic that doesn't flex much so the poor bond from the fiberglass resin has a fighting chance to stay stuck. However, if it gets whacked in the same spot again there is an excellent chance that the glass will pop out in one piece.
Good luck. |
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Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | I'm gonna buy a battery for my truck today.
Wish me luck. |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Go to Sears . . . |
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Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | I normally would.
I have at least 3 Auto Zone type store right on the way home.
Sears is 15 miles in the wrong direction. |
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Joined:
May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | Nils,
I wish I was in Central Oregon where people know about bumper repair. I'll wait for the fiberglass to fall off (I hope the jelly type I used won't ... ) and when it does I'll find some of that glue.
Thanks for the tip.
Rick |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Rick, . . y'live in Brooklyn.
Be thankful y'still HAVE a bumper!! . . . |
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Joined:
May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | I shoulda used this
bumper repar from bondo
http://www.automotivetouchup.com/store/bumper_and_body_repair/bumpe...
or this
http://www.automotivetouchup.com/store/bumper_and_body_repair/bumpe...
I long ago gave up having a pristine looking car. I look at dents as character. If I worried about all the dents, I'd have died from a heart attack long ago. And yes, I'm thankful to still have a bumper! |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | A friend had her Porsche bumper cover repaired at a local shop. It showed cracks shortly thereafter. The same shop wanted to replace my front bumper cover to repair a small hole because they couldn't get the patches to stick well. I told the doctor who backed into me that I thought that was not reasonable and volunteered to shop around. His insurance company just sent me a check and I had the car repaired by another shop for 1/5 of the first estimate. It still looks perfect 5 years later. It helps to know what to use or if you don't, it helps to know who to use. |
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auto zoned