This thread is nearly ten years old...
Two of the old guys that I used to use and depend on have passed away...
Another old guy retired...
I ended up divorced, then wound up dating the chick that kept getting asked to install wiper blades on the 4x4 with 44" tires... that didn't work out... maybe I should of had her install some wiper blades
My dad actually had a job for a year or so at Auto Zone delivering parts... He said that he was asked a series of mechanical knowledge questions during his interview. My dad had worked as a mechanic back in the 70s-80s, but hadn't done anything like that for a living since then. The manager that interviewed him said my dad seemed to know more about working on cars than the guys who were doing it for a living today.
Parts stores can still be frustrating...