‘U can see the fear in their eyes.’
An AutoZone customer posts a relatable meme about how he feels employees act when you come in with an unusual part request for a custom car.
Instagram user Zach Guptill (@project_keeper_tj), who seems like a Jeep modder, posted a meme of a group of shocked-looking cats with AutoZone caps pasted onto their heads. “When you tell the AutoZone employee you just need a belt, front wheel bearing, rear rotors, and a pinion seal,” the on-screen text reads. “But it’s a ‘97 Jeep Wrangler with an ‘08 Ford Dana 60, and an ‘05 Chevy 14 Bolt with a pinion seal from a 73’ truck.”
Viewers Can Relate to the Meme
“Always love when I give them the exact part number I need and they hit me with the ‘What vehicle is it’ and my only explanation is the VIN claims it’s a Jeep [Wrangler] TJ but the part is for a custom stroker motor and the u joint is for a bigger driveshaft,” wrote one person. “And I need two batteries because it takes two even when the computer says one.”
A second person joked, “Just watch the wheels turn.”
“The best is when you’re buying axle parts and they hit you with a ‘Which engine’ and you have to hope to god it doesn’t change what part you’re about to get,” offered a third person.
A former auto parts worker even weighed in. “I can honestly say after previously working in auto parts for 16 years,” they wrote. “Most of the customers don’t even know what year their vehicle is or what engine it has, and the majority don’t even know what they need. The ones with projects that actually tell you what the parts are needed from are the real MVPs.”
What Does This Even Mean?
You don’t need to be an AutoZone worker to tell that Guptill’s caption refers to a Frankenstein’s monster of a Jeep Wrangler equipped with hand-picked parts from across different decades and manufacturers.
From what we can tell:
- ‘97 Jeep Wrangler (TJ) – The vehicle’s original body and frame. But why stop there?
- ‘08 Ford Dana 60 Axle – A heavy-duty front axle designed to withstand off-roading.
- ‘05 Chevy 14 Bolt Axle – A rugged rear axle that is known for its durability. Also, not something you’d find on a Jeep straight from the factory.
- ‘73 pinion seal – A pinion seal is what keeps gear oil from leaking where the driveshaft connects to the axle—and this one is super old.
