Remember, only CAT Parts......

Yea, those sayings used to be true, sad how things have changed. Used to walk into a dealership and there would be all kinds of support items on shelves for customers to purchase, our dealership is like a McDonalds or a funeral parlor, sliding doors, walk up to the counter {tekke bar] place your order, hope it's right or if they even have the part, walk to will call nobody there push the button for service somebody walks up says, who are you with?????? All they have in the parts area is shirts hats and toys. But it's all new and modern, whatever.

  [attachment=71448]Cat Book 001.jpg[/attachment]

Rome: We had a tool man that would stop by each week at a customers; he had plenty of snacks to sell and few tools in his wagon; If you needed anything besides a screwdriver or sledgamatic, you had to order it and hope he either showed up with it next week or didn't sell it along the way to someone else that wanted it worse.
I miss the days of being able to walk into any dealership and getting what was needed from their inventory. They have all become glorified mail order houses. JM

Yep! you got that right.

I remember in the 70s in Stockton going to the parts counter telling them what I wanted and about half the time they didn’t even look at the parts book just go back to the bin and bring my parts out and!! It was the parts man himself that pulled the part not some parts puller that will pull out of a bin with the right bin number but the WRONG part. I knew some of the parts people they were nice easy to deal and was a pleasure. In the last year I have had a hell of a time trying to get the right parts and I am talking oil filters and fan belts easy stuff. I have got some other parts suppliers that have quality parts who I now call first instead of Cat. What a sad state we have sunk too

its not just CAT but all parts houses, the good guys all have retired and most dont care

Rome: We had a tool man that would stop by each week at a customers; he had plenty of snacks to sell and few tools in his wagon; If you needed anything besides a screwdriver or sledgamatic, you had to order it and hope he either showed up with it next week or didn't sell it along the way to someone else that wanted it worse.
I miss the days of being able to walk into any dealership and getting what was needed from their inventory. They have all become glorified mail order houses. JM

[quote="juiceman post=246337 userid=2307"]Rome: We had a tool man that would stop by each week at a customers; he had plenty of snacks to sell and few tools in his wagon; If you needed anything besides a screwdriver or sledgamatic, you had to order it and hope he either showed up with it next week or didn't sell it along the way to someone else that wanted it worse.
I miss the days of being able to walk into any dealership and getting what was needed from their inventory. They have all become glorified mail order houses. JM
 
Oh yes the Snappy guy.
I have a Snappy 1/2" drive ratchet GL715A  that I've had for close to 40yrs. Still works perfect except the little aluminum lever that shifts it from righty tighty to lefty loosey  broke off.
There's an auto service place down the hill that we do welding for that has one of those trucks stopping by on Fridays so I gave the owner my ratchet to see if it could be rebuilt since the last time I needed that service they would only rebuild your tool not give you a new one.
Well, after three weeks one of the young mechanics brought my ratchet back to my shop and told me the Snappy guy couldn't rebuild it and he was holding a brand new plastic rubber handled ratchet that he was supposed to give me a trade in and keep my old ratchet. I refused took my old one back and I'll just fix it myself. 
So, I'm in the market for a rebuild kit or just the tiny reverse lever to fix my old ratchet. 
I wouldn't be a bit surprised that the salesman was going to take my old ratchet and sell it on Ebay for $100 or so.
I remember my salesman trying to sell me at the time in the 1980's a $15000 toolbox. I replied no, I have Stanley Vidmar cabinets and they hold much more and cost much less.

Now I am reminded why I don't buy anything off those trucks anymore.
 [/quote]

[quote="juiceman post=246337 userid=2307"]Rome: We had a tool man that would stop by each week at a customers; he had plenty of snacks to sell and few tools in his wagon; If you needed anything besides a screwdriver or sledgamatic, you had to order it and hope he either showed up with it next week or didn't sell it along the way to someone else that wanted it worse.
I miss the days of being able to walk into any dealership and getting what was needed from their inventory. They have all become glorified mail order houses. JM
 
Oh yes the Snappy guy.
I have a Snappy 1/2" drive ratchet GL715A  that I've had for close to 40yrs. Still works perfect except the little aluminum lever that shifts it from righty tighty to lefty loosey  broke off.
There's an auto service place down the hill that we do welding for that has one of those trucks stopping by on Fridays so I gave the owner my ratchet to see if it could be rebuilt since the last time I needed that service they would only rebuild your tool not give you a new one.
Well, after three weeks one of the young mechanics brought my ratchet back to my shop and told me the Snappy guy couldn't rebuild it and he was holding a brand new plastic rubber handled ratchet that he was supposed to give me a trade in and keep my old ratchet. I refused took my old one back and I'll just fix it myself. 
So, I'm in the market for a rebuild kit or just the tiny reverse lever to fix my old ratchet. 
I wouldn't be a bit surprised that the salesman was going to take my old ratchet and sell it on Ebay for $100 or so.
I remember my salesman trying to sell me at the time in the 1980's a $15000 toolbox. I replied no, I have Stanley Vidmar cabinets and they hold much more and cost much less.

Now I am reminded why I don't buy anything off those trucks anymore.
 [/quote]