<VV> Sparky Plugs

[Sethracer at aol.com]

I know that some vendors are selling the original AC44FF spark plugs for  
the Corvair. Of course, they haven't been made in a long time, so NOS plugs  
aren't selling for the 69 cents we used to pay years ago. I hear  
complaints, occasionally, about the prices for those NOS plugs. That has  moved me to 
relate another sparkplug story. My wife drives a 2000 Olds  Intrigue as her 
"daily driver" - or as non-enthusiasts call it - her car. At  113K miles, I 
had a couple of minor repairs and maintenance to do and those  were finished 
up last week. The manual calls out to replace the spark plugs at  100K 
miles, so I thought I would be kind and do it, even though the car is now  
running fine. Worst of all, the car doesn't even use spark plug wires! (The  
nerve!) So I dropped by my close-by Pep Boys to check on plugs. They stock three 
 different plugs for the 3.5L V6 and can order a few more. The Champions  
were $1.99, most of the others were $3.99 and the AC Delco plugs were  $8.50  
- each! I asked to see one of the AC plugs and a Bosch standard plug  - one 
of the $3.99s, as I recall. The Bosch looked like a nice plug, but I  
opened the AC box and inside was an NGK plug! - A nice plug, but not an AC. The  
guy behind the counter looked even more dumbfounded than usual. Five more  
plugs also had the NGK inside. Hmmm. So I declined to buy any of them. Later 
in  the day I dropped by a real Auto Parts store. They didn't stock the AC 
plugs for  the 3.5L V6. But, after I told them my story, they laughed and 
said they could  order the real ACs for a next day delivery - at $7.50 each. 
So, the next day I  returned and the boxes yielded another set of NGK plugs in 
the AC boxes. Hmmm.  On my way home from that encounter - still without AC 
plugs, I stopped by a  Kragen's (O'Reilly/Schucks) and they listed the AC 
for $5.99. Still without  plugs, I visited my local Buick/Pontiac/GMC dealer 
(ex-Olds dealer as well).  When I told them the story of the NGK plugs in the 
AC boxes, they, too, laughed  so I asked to see one of the $8.95 a piece 
plugs that the dealership  offered.  He walked into the back and, after a few 
minutes, walked out  looking sheepish, saying: "Uh, we must be out of 
those!"   Hmmm,  again. So I stopped by another Kragens and, today, I picked up my 
order of the  AC Delco plugs - which were NGKs inside.  I hope they work 
okay! This  Saturday I will find out what the OEM plugs were used by GM back 
in  2000!  I wonder what brand of spark plug might be in a new AC 44FF box if 
 new ones came onto the market!


Seth Emerson

C's the Day! -  Corvair, Camaro, Corvette




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