Finding That Part For Your Classic Citroen

Yep, this is a rant.

Ever have a classic Citroen that you are working on and go into a modern day auto parts store looking for a set of spark plugs for it?

Here is how it goes, you walk in and let’s say for example you have been working on a 1972 Citroen SM and you want a set of Champion 415 spark plugs? You go to the counter and there sits a 19 year old. His hands are poised over the key pad of the store computer. You ask him: “Do you sell Champion Spark Plugs”? He answers: “Yes we do”

You now ask:” Great, would you have 6, Champion 415 in stock”? To this the store clerk answers: “What kind of car is that for”? To this you answer” What difference does it make I gave you the part number” Now the clerk gets a very strange look on his face and tells you that unless he knows the make and model of the car he will not be able to look it up.

Now here is where it really gets funny in this particular case. You finally tell the clerk that the spark plug that you have given him the part number for is used on a 1972 Citroen SM. He next asks : “How do you spell that”? With your blood pressure slowly rising you spell out C-I-T-R-O-E-N. He then asks: “who makes that, Pontiac, or Oldsmobile”?

At this point you hold your tongue and politely explain that, that is the name of the car company, and would you please just look up and see if you have any Champion 415 plugs in stock? To this he answers that he has never heard of that car and unless he can find a listing for it on his computer he can’t find the plugs for me.

Remember if you can, back in the old days when you went into an auto parts store and 4 guys sat behind the counter on bar stools and each had a set of parts catalogs clamped into a 7 foot long binder in front of him. If you knew the part number for the part you needed he might take a quick glance at a catalog and then get off his stool walk back to the shelves in the back of the store and emerge with your part. It was pretty easy stuff, with very little anxiety.

Now, I was thinking that I need a bottle of Armour-all. No particular one of my cars in mind to use it on. Think it would be safe to say I could get it at my local auto parts store without too many questions?

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