Tire Store Said NO !!!

[78 Chevyrado]

I took my '78 Celica to the Arkansas big box store for an oil change. The guy came out with his little hand held thing and started entering the VIN. Then he told me that they couldn't change my oil because there wasn't enough digits in the VIN.
I said "Sure ya can, it's the same procedure as changing the oil on a car that has a 17 digit VIN." He went in and asked and they told him to add 0000 to the VIN in his handheld thing.
So after it was done I decided I would have them change the oil in my '80 truck. I took it up there and another kid with the same handheld and same story. I let him mess with it a few minutes and told him to add 0000 to the VIN. He pulled my truck up to the door and got out. Then him and another guy popped the hood and looked at the motor. The other guy called me over and told me that they couldn't change my oil because that wasn't the original motor. I asked "Why not? This is a 350, it came with a 350." He really didn't have a good answer, then told me that if he changed the oil that he would only be able to put in the amount of oil that his computer or book would tell him. I told him that if his computer told him that he was to use 5 quarts, then I was good with it.

Then I asked for Mobil 1.

That's what happens when grocery baggers get an oil changing job...  I wouldn't wanna go back there either way...

Only reason I don't let any dealer anywhere change the oil in my truck (dealers change the oil in every other vehicle I own) is because they wanna grab my hood at one or the other side and slam it as hard as they can.  Last chevy dealer changed my oil in my truck I saw the guy grab the far corner of my hood and slam if hard...  hood bent a foot or more on one side compared to the next...   I ran my butt out there and the manager came running cuz I was about to create a scene they couldn't imagine...  he gave me my oil change free but I haven't been back...  cannot truck anyone to shut my hood right...  you close it to about 6 inches from shut then close it fast.  it almost clicks shut...  but as ive posted many times on here...  nothing on my property needs to be slammed, so if you slam it ill be irritated...  shut things gently...  no reason to slam it...  and God forbid you should have to shut it twice...

[Greybeard]

...  but as ive posted many times on here...  nothing on my property needs to be slammed, so if you slam it ill be irritated...  shut things gently...  no reason to slam it...  and God forbid you should have to shut it twice...

Hahaha! I used to work with a guy that had very similar feelings... jump in the old 78 welding truck and slam the door and he would chew you a new one. He took great pride in his ability to adjust the doors on a cheby to close perfectly. I didn't blame him, it's a PITA sometimes to get them right.

... Then I asked for Mobil 1.

That's simply mean  yet well deserved.    Those poor confused kids. Hahahaha!

[Engineer]

A local guy told my son it would cost him $25,000.00 for exhaust on his mud truck.

Claimed that is what the fine would be for not having cats on it.

It is for a truck that cats don't matter. Oh well. Son just did it himself.

Draggin this one outa of the grave ...

I have never heard of anything like whats been said in this thread! Is this for real!?? Blazin said they wouldn't put a tire two METRIC sizes bigger on a truck? WOW! There's a lot to be said for living in the country I guess. And nlauffer said wally's wouldn't put on a non standard oil filter? This I can almost understand, the tire thing makes no sense. But folks have been conditioned to not take responsibility for their own actions.  I spose I can't the blame the stores for covering their....lower backs...

BTW-- what's a cat? Mine make meowing type noises and puke everywhere. 
Hehehahaha

"Cat", or "catalytic converter". You know, that thing laying in the corner of your shop that the cat pukes his hair balls on.

It's that thing you had to take off of your truck so it would open up and run right......

[BADAZ chevy guy]

A local guy told my son it would cost him $25,000.00 for exhaust on his mud truck.

Claimed that is what the fine would be for not having cats on it.

It is for a truck that cats don't matter. Oh well. Son just did it himself.

I talked to a shop the other day about getting a "safety and emissions" inspection. (Required in Utah) I was told he wouldn't do one until I put a cat and an EGR valve back on it. I tried to explain that a 77 "Heavy half" never had a cat or an EGR, but he said it didn't matter what was on it from the factory. I HAD to put them on to be legal.

[Greybeard]

A local guy told my son it would cost him $25,000.00 for exhaust on his mud truck.

Claimed that is what the fine would be for not having cats on it.

It is for a truck that cats don't matter. Oh well. Son just did it himself.

I talked to a shop the other day about getting a "safety and emissions" inspection. (Required in Utah) I was told he wouldn't do one until I put a cat and an EGR valve back on it. I tried to explain that a 77 "Heavy half" never had a cat or an EGR, but he said it didn't matter what was on it from the factory. I HAD to put them on to be legal.

That sounds like the land of lost freedoms. They must have a lot of airheaded Californians moving there. I can't argue with the Utah laws since I don't know what they are but that sounds ludicrous. You cannot retrofit technology like that without all the other parts to make them work as well. You are right, I don't believe cats were on 1/2 tons until 78. My 78 didn't have one but I didn't buy it till 82 so who knows what came on it? 

[BADAZ chevy guy]

A local guy told my son it would cost him $25,000.00 for exhaust on his mud truck.

Claimed that is what the fine would be for not having cats on it.

It is for a truck that cats don't matter. Oh well. Son just did it himself.

I talked to a shop the other day about getting a "safety and emissions" inspection. (Required in Utah) I was told he wouldn't do one until I put a cat and an EGR valve back on it. I tried to explain that a 77 "Heavy half" never had a cat or an EGR, but he said it didn't matter what was on it from the factory. I HAD to put them on to be legal.

That sounds like the land of lost freedoms. They must have a lot of airheaded Californians moving there. I can't argue with the Utah laws since I don't know what they are but that sounds ludicrous. You cannot retrofit technology like that without all the other parts to make them work as well. You are right, I don't believe cats were on 1/2 tons until 78. My 78 didn't have one but I didn't buy it till 82 so who knows what came on it?

Actually, cats came out in 1976, but Chevrolet did some fancy foot work and came up with a "Heavy half" to get around it. It worked for a few years until the EPA raised the standards.

[hatzie]

A local guy told my son it would cost him $25,000.00 for exhaust on his mud truck.

Claimed that is what the fine would be for not having cats on it.

It is for a truck that cats don't matter. Oh well. Son just did it himself.

I talked to a shop the other day about getting a "safety and emissions" inspection. (Required in Utah) I was told he wouldn't do one until I put a cat and an EGR valve back on it. I tried to explain that a 77 "Heavy half" never had a cat or an EGR, but he said it didn't matter what was on it from the factory. I HAD to put them on to be legal.

Dang. You Utah folks put up with too much baloney.
Even California doesn't require that you modify the factory original emissions equipment.  That's actually against federal EPA regs.

From orbit on my Android.

[BADAZ chevy guy]

A local guy told my son it would cost him $25,000.00 for exhaust on his mud truck.

Claimed that is what the fine would be for not having cats on it.

It is for a truck that cats don't matter. Oh well. Son just did it himself.

I talked to a shop the other day about getting a "safety and emissions" inspection. (Required in Utah) I was told he wouldn't do one until I put a cat and an EGR valve back on it. I tried to explain that a 77 "Heavy half" never had a cat or an EGR, but he said it didn't matter what was on it from the factory. I HAD to put them on to be legal.

Dang. You Utah folks put up with too much baloney.
Even California doesn't require that you modify the factory original emissions equipment.  That's actually against federal EPA regs.

From orbit on my Android.

No,no,no. This wasn't the State making me install a cat, it was some dufas who didn't know what the heck he was talking about.

[Greybeard]

Ohhhh!  I was under the impression it was a state emissions station telling you this. 

[BADAZ chevy guy]

It's like mike357 said

That's what happens when grocery baggers get an oil changing job

[Captkaos]

Catalytic converters were on all 1/2 Ton Chevy's starting in 1975.

[BADAZ chevy guy]

Catalytic converters were on all 1/2 Ton Chevy's starting in 1975.

According to your post (Paragraph 5) The "Heavy half" aka Big 10 didn't require Cats until 79.
http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=27923.msg234751#msg234751

[Captkaos]

This is in reference to a normal 1/2 Ton.  A Heavy Half wasn't really a 1/2 Ton.

[BADAZ chevy guy]

This is in reference to a normal 1/2 Ton.  A Heavy Half wasn't really a 1/2 Ton.

Okay. Thanks for clarifying that.
Mine has the "4" in the VIN making it a heavy half. That's why I was arguing with the guy at the emissions place about not having a cat, and not needing one.

[Greybeard]

I guess I haven't lived in a state that has required emissions testing since I left Missouri so I really haven't got any concerns over the exact years. My 78 didn't have any cats when I bought it in MO and it passed the yearly inspections when I was there regardless. But that's MO and has no relationship to this this thread I guess.