Good ol Kragen...

There's a reason I shudder a little when I think about going to Kragen auto parts but sometimes its necessary when the 'real' auto parts places are closed. Seems like each time I either get a kid behind the counter who only knows how to punch years and makes into the computer or someone that has an attitude.

Today was no exception.

I went up to the Kragen (for you guys out 'O the US, the Kragen family of auto supply stores is just a nationwide chain, mostly carring bolt-on performance accessories and a limited number of COMMON engine parts) a few miles away from me about an hour or so ago to pick up some gasket sealant and an AC belt for my '54. Okay no problem on the sealant, and finding the belt was not really a big hassle either, other than the long wait I endured while the 'parts guy' who was a 1950s greaser wannabe with big plugs in his pierced earlobes and a slick pompadour, standing about 6'5" (a big boy!) moved about very slowly meaaaasssuuurrring the belt and waaaalllkkking to the back to get the new one. This wasn't really a big deal for me because I'm a pretty patient guy, but when checkout time came he looked out the front at my car and said, 'What year?'

"54," I said.

"Ah. It's too high." he says nonchalantly.

".....what, the suspension?"

"Yea..." he says, "What have you done to it?"

"Not a lot of modifications, I've restored it but aside from the tinted windows and 12v electrical it's bone stock."

"You need to lower it. There are so many things I'd do that *thing* if I owned it."

I say, "I bought the car from a guy who was going to slam the suspension. chop the top, drop a 350 in it and weld up the rear doors, so I saved it from that fate."

He looks outside at it again while sloooowly ringing up my purchase.... "So you think you saved it huh? Yeah the rear end needs to be a little bit lower and you need some wider whites."

(I'm getting a little put off at this point but am amused at how he only saw things "his way"... there's an element to the 'tone' he used and the general 'attitude' he had that I can't convey properly here)

"Fair enough" I say, "I agree with you on the wide whites, that would be cool" I maintain my composure; it would have been unreasonable for me to take any of his opinions "personally" as he had every right to his own feeling of style; though I was a little irked at how I felt he stepped over the line with no regard for my own sense of style and how I felt he was 'overriding' in his viewpoints, and further I have no problem with ratrods or customs of any kind at all I just don't approve of taking a nice *original* car and, in my opinion, butchering it.

So now the purchase has been made and I go outside, glad to get out of there and hoping to never have to deal with that guy again. I put the key in the ignition..........

*click click cl........*

Ah, cruel fate how I rue thee!

Damn. The car started up just fine when I left the house. Now what? Up goes the hood and I clean the battery connections. Same problem. I checked the battery cable going to the starter, and the nut was backed off making a bad connection!

"Ah, easy fix!" So I tighten the connection with a pair of pliers, get back in the car and turn the key.

*Rrr rrr rrr click click click........*

Now I have no choice. I have to go back in.

Long story short, I get the guy to (slowly) come out and do a load check on my batt and it won't pass the load check. Out comes the battery to go on their hi-tech tester inside, and it says that it needs a charge, well when we put it onto charge a bad reak of sulfer started filling the air.

"Looks like you'll need a new battery man, if I try to charge this one it's gonna 'splode," he says in his uncaring nonchalance.

I bought the battery put it in and I was on my way $90 later.

I tell ya, Kragen (or schucks or checker depending on what part of the country you're from) is like a swirling vortex of cheap air fresheners, seat covers, car wash sponges and high school kids. I can't blame them since they seem to have a high-employee turnover rate; I'd wager its a fair entry-level job for many.

They're great if you already know what you need and can get it yourself!

On the plus side, I'm glad the battery failed in their parking lot instead one of the many remote places I usually putz around to!

Wonderful fate, how I love thee!

Lame attitude though.