There's a handful of Indy outlets left on my Island
The kind I remember standing in line with dad as a kid to get 10w40 GTX and a Fram orange filter
I can still taste the burnt hog wash coffee while sitting with him in the '96 Crown Vic cab car he had
The Nascar Mr.Goodwrench clock on the wall, those old dingy chairs that haven't had any padding or duck tape since Reagan was in office, the unmistakable scent of Marlboros or De nobili cigars, inappropriate Snap On or Hooters calendar displayed proudly, and the dot matrix receipt printer who's pages would fade out right around the time you needed them for reference
The people behind the counter were often old, staid, and prejudiced against anything new enough to not have points, but they'd eventually get you what you needed at a price that was probably too high
As a child it was interesting, as I got older it stopped being fun, and they all somehow got less competent and more miserable to do business with as the years went by
I want to support my local small business, but you gotta meet me half way on services or attitude or price or inventory
I've been reduced to RockAuto and in store pickup at Advance
The less interaction with people, the smoother the whole process goes these days
Sad, but true
I do know of a few boutique specialists that are fun to drop in on and talk to, I've got a place on Queens Blvd that will cater to your Lada or Trabants every need, 6 volt points and condenser is off the shelf, he restores former USSR and eastern european vehicles
There's a guy in Middle Village that has all old NOS V.A.G parts for the K-Jetronic era cars, there's always a Vanagon Westfalia or 5000 on the lift
There was a Saab savant on Atlantic Ave, he always had the DIS coil cassette in stock you needed
I think Ramsey Peugeot in Jersey finally shut it's doors, but maybe he'll reopen now that Peugeot will be back in 2023?
The kind I remember standing in line with dad as a kid to get 10w40 GTX and a Fram orange filter
I can still taste the burnt hog wash coffee while sitting with him in the '96 Crown Vic cab car he had
The Nascar Mr.Goodwrench clock on the wall, those old dingy chairs that haven't had any padding or duck tape since Reagan was in office, the unmistakable scent of Marlboros or De nobili cigars, inappropriate Snap On or Hooters calendar displayed proudly, and the dot matrix receipt printer who's pages would fade out right around the time you needed them for reference
The people behind the counter were often old, staid, and prejudiced against anything new enough to not have points, but they'd eventually get you what you needed at a price that was probably too high
As a child it was interesting, as I got older it stopped being fun, and they all somehow got less competent and more miserable to do business with as the years went by
I want to support my local small business, but you gotta meet me half way on services or attitude or price or inventory
I've been reduced to RockAuto and in store pickup at Advance
The less interaction with people, the smoother the whole process goes these days
Sad, but true
I do know of a few boutique specialists that are fun to drop in on and talk to, I've got a place on Queens Blvd that will cater to your Lada or Trabants every need, 6 volt points and condenser is off the shelf, he restores former USSR and eastern european vehicles
There's a guy in Middle Village that has all old NOS V.A.G parts for the K-Jetronic era cars, there's always a Vanagon Westfalia or 5000 on the lift
There was a Saab savant on Atlantic Ave, he always had the DIS coil cassette in stock you needed
I think Ramsey Peugeot in Jersey finally shut it's doors, but maybe he'll reopen now that Peugeot will be back in 2023?
