The Story Behind The Story

What do you do when the time comes when one has to think of retirement?

Spare Parts—Spare Parts—and More Spare Parts.  When someone thinks of Spare Parts, the norm would probably be to think of where to buy your spare parts for your car, and this would be a fair comment as most people do associate the term “ Spare Parts” as being associated with the automotive or car industry. 

The Automotive Spare Parts industry has drastically changed in the past 30 or 40  years or so, as cars and automotive technology has gone through amazing changes even in the past 10 years or so. With the computer age catching up with the Automotive vehicle manufacturers, cars now are much more fuel efficient, engines last much longer, service intervals are much wider, and a whole new industry has emerged to manage and service the cars of today.

Having been in the Spare Parts game for 55 years, I can probably offer comment on the subject of the supply of spare parts going back to the 60”s and 70”s compared to the  present day situation.

I started in the industry in 1963 at the Holden dealership in Nambour on the Sunshine coast, and all the recording of parts sales and workshop parts usage was done manually with a Cardex system which did work ok if the people writing the information on the cards had good handwriting , but mostly it was a nightmare with many different handwritings plus the fact that the information was seldom up to date enough to make good decisions on stock holding quantities.

I can recall that at that time, to keep in stock one of each radiator hoses for every model Holden from 1948 till1963, there was a total of 9 different hoses that needed to be kept.  Compare that with what would be needed today, to be able to supply a radiator hose for every model from 1948 till 2017---I did an approximate count and the figure was over 280—and that was only radiator hoses.

There is no doubt that the computerization of the Parts industry has done wonders to assist in the management and control of the Spare Parts departments, but it has also seen the demise of the often found in earlier days, the bloke behind the Parts counter who could rattle off part numbers like an auctioneer and could maintain an indepth conversation re the workings of almost any part for anything, and could simply go out the back and produce the required part and give it to the customer.

At this point I will dare to make the comment that there is a perception that the “old school “ parts sales people are fast disappearing and it is often the case that “if it is not on the computer, we can”t help you” can be the response when given the challenge of supplying something older or a bit different

In all fairness though, training of Parts people is a mammoth job and it is quite rare to find anyone who is qualified enough to train, and enthusiastic enough to do it , and have the patience to do it as well.  I have been so very fortunate to have 3 daughters who each have had many years behind the Spare parts counter and I am proud to say they can hold their own against anyone in the parts game, and my eldest daughter Shelley is now the director of the business.

Several years ago, the automotive parts section of the business was sold, which has allowed the expansion of the other side of the business, which is Industrial, Agricultural, and Mining spare parts, and this is where product knowledge and super service needs to be at the forefront. It happens often in our situation that an enquiry is received that needs the knowledge and experience of an older—not allowed to say that are we?—it is now “age challenged” parts person.

My role for the past few years has been to fill those shoes plus a bit more, but the time has come –the girls words—when the “OLD FART” has now reached the “Three score years and eleven” and it would be a good time to slow down to a gallop and not go every day into the shop to help out.

So---some time back, like about 5 years ago, I realized that this day would inevitably come, and I would have to find something to do to keep my brain active, and it would have to be something to do with Spare Parts , and I would need to do it from home as both my wife and myself really enjoy a nanny nap after lunch each day.

In a moment of passion, or nostalgia, or maybe simply a sudden urge, I registered a website domain name as I thought maybe I could do something like sell on line  some of the bits and pieces I have accumulated over the past 50 years in my shed. The name I registered is OLD FARTS PARTS.COM.AU-sort of fits my personality, my passion, and definitely what my daughters think describes me.

A long story short, the new website is very close to being launched, and I have totally revamped my shed, complete with a photo booth and walls full of pegs to hang stuff, so I can now find things, take pictures of them, and post them on the website. I can recommend that every 20 years or so, one should have a shed cleanout as I am finding all sorts of things I had forgotten about in the line of older Perkins parts, old Lister, Ford Industrial bits –the list is long, and I am having a great time doing  something I love doing, and maybe help out others by letting them see what I have had hidden away.