what's ur opinion...

[ToyGirl]

do u guys/gals go to napa for parts? hows the service and prices compared to other places?

[dsquared]

hmmm only been there to pick up minor things...tie straps, connectors, wire taps, etc....place i went to was empty when i went in so they were totally helpful...not sure if that helps but that's my experience with them ;)

[matrixguy707]

Hmmm interesting question.

You know about 2 years ago, Napa and CarQuest pretty much dominated the Hawaii market. These people actually hurt businesses like Ron's and RedLine when they came down. Ron's actually only has one location when they had 3 or so before.

Now that Checker has come down it has really hurt Car Quest and Napa. I can see it because Napa and CarQuest have closed more than a few shops around Oahu.

I can remember back when i was about 20 there were a handful of places to buy stuff from... one of them was Gem's. I bought a lot of stuff there. But Walmart and KMart have also taken a chunk of the market as well. As soon as Walmart opened I was saved because they were open 24 hours. If i was working on my car stereo and ran out of butt-end connectors, all i have to do now is drive on down to Mililani or Kunia and pick some up.

The other reason that people may argue that places like Ron's or Redline are having a hard time is that the Import scene has really taken off and these shops just dont cater to that market.

But to answer your question...
I have bought quite a few things from Napa in the past and present. I think their customer service used to be better. I used to always buy automotive paint when I used to paint guitars and stuff. I would buy solvents, compounds and wetsanding /color sanding paper from Larry's Auto Napa. Nowdays some of the people working there dont really know or understand what you need. As for prices... i think they are a bit on the high side, but some stuff you can only get from them like a spray bottle of Cut-In-Clear acrylic which I use to spray clear finishes on all my guitars that I built or to do touch up work on my ex's Yamaha R6.

[QWKsilvr808]

I'm no fan of Checkers. Their employees are in desperate need of more training, altho selection seems to be good.

I like the quality of CarQuest oil filters above that of Napa or Fram... but the location I used to go to where my friends used to work closed down, like Scott was saying.

There is ONE Napa with EXCELLENT service located in Waipio Gentry by Foodland. The owners there have always gone the extra mile to get me what I need, even if they don't stock it. Several of our drivers have gone over there with car problems, and the guys there always fix the cars for free just to help 'em out. Even if there are parts involved. To me, that's what makes the store, no matter what the title is above the door.

Walmart no doubt has the cheapest prices for oil/filters, etc tho. They simply CANNOT be beat. They also have a lot of goodies to look at (that most of us wouldn't buy), and being open 24hrs is a nice thing.