Need some help

Sandy · Post by **Sandy** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 6:11 am

It's no wonder I stayed in the showroom & in sales. Parts Dept. is definately scary!

Post by **negusm** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 6:15 am

Sandy wrote:It's no wonder I stayed in the showroom & in sales. Parts Dept. is definately scary!

I haven't worked with other parts like Ford's but it seems that people coming from GM and such can't believe how many exceptions to the rule there are when talking about Ford parts and what fits with what and what years work with other years.

-Mike

Sandy · Post by **Sandy** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 1:21 pm

Yes, seemingly thousands of "exceptions" . As far as the CUSTOMER was concerned, I think that they had it better PRE-computer. Example:

In 1977 I located and bought a flawless, coucours, show quality 95 percent "new" Imperial Crown Convertible. It was a perfect jewel. Buy it & "show" it in competition kinda car. It had a deep dent, size of a baseball in the back bumper that was too deep to be fixed. I went to the MOPAR parts dept. The parts guy says "It's discontinued" according to the book. I can't order it. I say.... Lets order it anyhow & see what happens.... he does it for me. 8 days later UPS arrives with my brand new bumper! Know why? ? Because the guy at the parts depot didn't know that it was discontinued, and he went & looked where it was suppossed to be, and guess what? There was one (at least) sitting there. He never knew (the guy who went to fill the order) that it was "discontinued" ~ so he went & looked, & there it was, & I got it.

Fast forward to computer age.... if it says it's discontinued, the computer will NOT allow the entry (part #) into the system. In other words, you can't even try !! No chance!!

The parts guy was so shocked, he began to order parts that were "discontinued" ~ I can't tell you how many parts he got, that prior to my suggestion "to try" he'd never try to order, 'cause the book said "discontinued" ~ That ability died with the advent of the computer.

Post by **negusm** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 2:05 pm

I have to disagree a full 1 billion percent.

To me you were basically saying that you wouldn't own an answering machine because you don't think everyone will like to talk to a machine. So you lose 2 callers because they don't like to leave messages. How about the 100 other callers that did leave a message? How many would have been missed without the answering machine?

Computers (and especially the internet) have made parts information more readily available. I can search dealers accross the country for parts on line and if I walk into (or call) a dealership, they can do even more. I can cross reference many aftermarket parts from Ford's web site to see if they will fit my car or have a motorcraft equivelant.

If we were still back in the dark ages with your paper/phone system I wouldn't have half the parts I have and you wouldn't have gotten your auto bezel part number or the name of that dealer that might have one.

You got lucky on that old bumper. Now imagine if that guy had a computer that could search EVERY depot accross the country and not just the one servicing his dealership? You could probably could have picked up a spare. How about if he could have run a search against EVERY dealership down to the tiniest rinky dink outfit like they do when I walk into Ford? You could have probably found 10 of those bumpers.

-Mike

Sandy · Post by **Sandy** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 2:19 pm

You are right. I didn't think about it on the Grand Scale of things, only my 1 experience.

Post by **negusm** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 2:30 pm

Sandy wrote:You are right. I didn't think about it on the Grand Scale of things, only my 1 experience.

Well, your experience does remind us "software designers" that system flexibility is still very important. It would be nice to slap a part number through the system and have somebody still check the warehouse for the part. Or stay on a "wanted" list for dealerships to look at.

-Mike

Sandy · Post by **Sandy** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 7:56 pm

Yes, system flexability is imporant. Take for example, a guy's wife. Now it sometimes gets boring, 'ya know, working the "system" always the same way!

A little flexability to experiment makes everything more ...ah, ExIcItInG, no ?

phapb · Post by **phapb** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 8:12 pm

Back to the pt#. The seal is availible separatly-D1fz7D351A. Parts voice shows Dennis Carpenter having 2.
Good Luck.
Paul

Post by **negusm** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 8:21 pm

phapb wrote:Back to the pt#. The seal is availible separatly-D1fz7D351A. Parts voice shows Dennis Carpenter having 2.
Good Luck.
Paul

Thats a weird part #. Do you know what the original car it was used on? It starts with D1 so its a 1971 part.

The guys who have tried the 69-73 Mustang seals say that it is far too big. I would be surprised that Ford was using the same shifter and seal from 1971-1986....but with Ford I suppose anything is possible. I know the heat riser tubes for the 83-85 5.0 have a C8 (1968) part number.

-Mike

phapb · Post by **phapb** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 8:35 pm

Difz indicates 71/ Pinto/Bobcat, though I doubt you'll find a good one in the boneyard.

Paul

Post by **negusm** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 8:44 pm

phapb wrote:Difz indicates 71/ Pinto/Bobcat, though I doubt you'll find a good one in the boneyard.

Paul

Now isn't that interesting.

-Mike

Sandy · Post by **Sandy** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 10:02 pm

I tried that site, but it jumps all over the place, and I could find no place to enter a part # forverifacation. He has nothing for the mid 80s, so I doubt he has it.

Post by **negusm** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 10:22 pm

Sandy wrote:I tried that site, but it jumps all over the place, and I could find no place to enter a part # forverifacation. He has nothing for the mid 80s, so I doubt he has it.

Sandy just go to this link:
http://www.partsvoice.com/partsvoice/co ... _part.html

Choose "Ford" and enter in the part number:
D1FZ-7D351-A

DENNIS CARPENTER FORD REPRODUC
CHARLOTTE,NC 800-476-9653

Is the place that pops up with 2. If I had an automatic shifter, I'd drive up there and check it out for you...

-Mike

Sandy · Post by **Sandy** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 10:27 pm

I was calling him, as you posted this. Yes, he has 2. He seemed very nice & well informed. He said that if I needed it for the PRINDL, they were perfect, however, if I was after the rubber seal, that it had turned to a pile of ozzy sticky mush.

and it mine was good, I could transfer it over, assuming that I had cracked my PRNDL. We laughed together when I told him mine was also icky sticky gooey muck. 3 down. Now where ?

Sandy · Post by **Sandy** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 10:55 pm

Just tried Fred Beans in Doylestown Pa Big mega dealer. That place you gave me - i entered the info and it gives me a listing of 100 dealers to go to & fill out the form & submit. Would take me 1 week......

TOMORROW

Tomorrow, the Grey Coupe goes out for the firstr time in 2005 ! Going to my dealer for routine service & check for anti freeze protection. I'll take the "4" # ~ asI believe it's correct. Not sure about the "1" number one. See if they can order it. Brought the coupe home this afternoon & put in garage, kicking out '03 Town Car. She sure looks great. Brandy new.
If I had a video camera I'd take the annual "event" of bringing her in, as the techs all go ga ga. They really like it.

It's a great old tyme old fashioned Ford dealer...small.
Wyman Ford.
http://www.wymanford.com