70 GS Grill [Archive]

OUTRAGEOUS

02-05-2002, 08:31 PM

Repo. grills is a great idea! not to rub it in, but i was fortunate enough to buy a nos 1971 GS grill from a dealership...for 60.00- back in late 1980's it was cheap because it was missing a box! Would bought 100 at that price. Overflow bottles could be another item too. i bought one nos for 10.50- in the 80's,saw one on e-bay over 700.00 . I FEEL OLD! Randy

TimR

02-05-2002, 09:17 PM

I hate to break the news, but the last I heard of the repro grilles by Alan was they were a no-go....he didn't get enough demand. They are fairly uncommon so I guess there was just no way to see breaking even on them.

I hope that situation changes..I would buy 2 71 grilles just to have the spares...

HOWEVER, I have heard that he is curently working on getting 70 taillights and 72 taillights produced (and 71 when he can find two NOS for patterns), possibly marker light sets as well. That would be awesome!!!

What these cars really need is decent plastic parts (grilles would be all thats left if Alan came though) and decent repro sheetmetal.....

I say HATS OFF to Alan for having the guts to go through all this for us....

later
Tim

BuickAl

02-06-2002, 08:15 AM

The grilles are on hold pending sufficient interest. I hear lots of talk about people wanting grilles. Unfortunately, they are divided up between 6 years (67 to 72). EVERY year was different. So, getting enough of any one year, even the 70s, has been slow. I'm sure we'll get there, its just a matter of time.

ON the tail lights, That project is going very well. I am awaiting receipt of the Demo lens. They have indicated that a production run can be completed in time for the Nats. I hope they are correct. Right now, they are doing the 70 tail light lenses and the 70 turn signal/park light lenses (in the front bumper). They also have 70-72 side marker lenses and the 68/69 tail light lenses that they will begin working on next.

Just as soon as I get the demo, I'll post and send out pics.

Alan

Ira Broussard

02-06-2002, 11:21 AM

At the Restoration Tech Session at the last Nat's, one of the speakers said the problem with repo'ing the side marker lites correctly is that the lens contains a trademark on it. Therefore, to do a perfect repo, you would (legally) have to get GM's approval. Has this been looked in to? Is the lens not going to have the correct script/trademark on it?

Regards,
Ira

BuickAl

02-06-2002, 04:05 PM

The company I am using is a licensed GM reproduction parts manufacturer. So, my guess is that they have GM's approval already. That's kind of why I picked them, so I would know the product is right. Might not be quite as cheap as one by a non-licensed company, but who wants to deal with that.

Alan

Originally posted by Ira Broussard
At the Restoration Tech Session at the last Nat's, one of the speakers said the problem with repo'ing the side marker lites correctly is that the lens contains a trademark on it. Therefore, to do a perfect repo, you would (legally) have to get GM's approval. Has this been looked in to? Is the lens not going to have the correct script/trademark on it?

Regards,
Ira

70lark

02-06-2002, 08:41 PM

hey alan, how many interested parties were there for the 70 grills? just curious as to how near or far from reallity they might be:confused:

gotbuick

02-07-2002, 03:15 PM

That's my question too. How many have been requested, and how many need to be, to make it work? Make a prototype that looks good and I don't see a problem.:confused:

RACEBUICKS

02-07-2002, 06:49 PM

Originally posted by gotbuick
That's my question too. How many have been requested, and how many need to be, to make it work? Make a prototype that looks good and I don't see a problem.:confused:

The problem is that to get to this point making 1000 more is nothing. Just to get 1 prototype will cost in the neighborhood of $45000.00 I know because I looked into it myself. So if your going to make one might as well be 5000 the grill itself is cheap like $25 each to run however getting there is where the money is spent. A mold maker will machine a mold to your spec's that you paid another guy to draft on a computer for you to this point you just dropped $35k-40K now you need a guy to inject them and see that process thru and dont forget painting them to the correct colors and then boxes, and then the never ending freight to all of these places for each stop. What about those with no studs?? Oh yea having them machined so they can purchase them too. OK you guys can see it racking up now so I will get off my high and mighty.

Thats why I am doing the small stuff right now to be able to front up some money in the bigger stuff. I have over 10K in inventory right now to sell I wish everyone could buy it out as fast as I get them done....

Rusty Davenport

02-08-2002, 12:15 AM

Alan,What happens to the lens you send in for prototypes?The reason I ask is I have a pair of NOS 71 GS taillamp lens that I may be willing to let repro be made from;but I don't want to loose them as I need them for my 1971 GS stage1 car and the original lens in car are junk.

TimR

02-10-2002, 12:06 PM

Maybe we should start a running poll on who wants what and come up with some sort of list. I think a big factor is price, everyone wants a grill but when it hits 500.00, they start to wonder....

Personally, I think the grille is the centerpice of these cars, its what you see first, and I know when I finally got the correct 71 GS grille in my car it looked so much better than the black painted 71 skylark grille I ran for a while.

I told Alan I would buy TWO 71 GS grilles @500.00 each, and I stand by it (and that is US, I'm looking at 2000.00 Canadian for that...I'm not rich by any stretch but I want the correct grille in my car at all times...NOS are currently going for 15-1800.00US)

Perhaps the grilles could be made upainted?? That would help some...

This in one area where the GSCA has let us down IMHO, the race parts are all there but the resto arts aren't. They have the members and the cash flow to at least get some interest going. Surely there must be some guys in the plastics industry in the club....

Just some thoughts

later
Tim

Rusty Davenport

02-10-2002, 09:16 PM

I had suggested to raffle a car off to raise the funds for a grille project on the GSCA site but the GSCA doesn't seem interested in seeing repro parts made availible for our cars[I say that after many years in the club and they have not made any effort to see reproduction parts for our GS 's get done]I agree that the GSCA has done a great job in promoting Buick performance and public awareness in the Musclecar world.I wish they had the same drive to see some repro parts get made for our beloved GS/GN.I have seen other car clubs make very large sums of money from a raffle car.We could buy a nice GS or GN for $7000.00 to $12,000.00 then "sell" a picture of the raffle car with a chance to win the car for say $10.00 a chance.Then sell at least 5000 chances which would raise $50,000.00 of which the profit could be used to garanntee a GS grille being produced.Then sales of the grille could raise money to repro another year grille or other part that is needed.

Ken Mild

02-10-2002, 10:48 PM

Hey Rusty what's up?

Remember what Dave Greene on the GSCA site was saying? Every time we bought this subject up he said to talk to Richard. You have a great idea. Have you called and spoken to Richard or sent him a letter? If not you should, and refer him to others who agree, like myself. We've been down this road before and had lots of volunteers to by raffles. With all the cruise nights I go to during the year and all the motorheads I know, I know I could sell quite a few tickets myself. In fact, I could talk to the guys in the Carolina's chapter to sell them out of their tent at the Nats.

But first we need something to raffle. :rolleyes:

12lives

02-12-2002, 10:18 AM

Note that Year One used to sell repro grills.. they discontinued after they had too many disintegrate in shipping. Maybe they used the wrong plastic??? Anyone remember those? - Bill

I'll buy both a 70 and a 71! :Do No:

Edit 2/19/02: I see there is a Year One grill on ebay now, so at least one survived! See

ebay grille (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/ebayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1805706124&r=0&t=0)

RACEBUICKS

02-12-2002, 04:36 PM

Originally posted by Rusty Davenport
I had suggested to raffle a car off to raise the funds for a grille project on the GSCA site but the GSCA doesn't seem interested in seeing repro parts made availible for our cars[I say that after many years in the club and they have not made any effort to see reproduction parts for our GS 's get done]I agree that the GSCA has done a great job in promoting Buick performance and public awareness in the Musclecar world.I wish they had the same drive to see some repro parts get made for our beloved GS/GN.I have seen other car clubs make very large sums of money from a raffle car.We could buy a nice GS or GN for $7000.00 to $12,000.00 then "sell" a picture of the raffle car with a chance to win the car for say $10.00 a chance.Then sell at least 5000 chances which would raise $50,000.00 of which the profit could be used to garanntee a GS grille being produced.Then sales of the grille could raise money to repro another year grille or other part that is needed.

You may have $50K at those ideas BUT out of that comes advertizing (since 5000 chances are hard to sell) Then there is the 5000 tickets who will print them then how much ? I think a raffle idea is ok but not practicle. Someone at a GSnats of past tried to raffle a GSX off I think from new york I had heard they took a lot of time to get it sold and I know it was awarded but if they sold all the tickets is another. Does anyone know about that deal , please enlighten us about it....

LARRY70GS

02-14-2002, 04:14 PM

Mike,
That was John Csordas Jr of the N.E. GS/GN club who raffled off his GSX clone racecar. The raffles were 50.00 each, but I don't remember how many were sold. I do remember that a guy from Alaska won the car:eek2: I'll try to find out more info when I talk with a few N.E. clubmembers.
Larry

Rusty Davenport

02-14-2002, 06:46 PM

Hi Everyone,I don't think that selling 5000 tickets should be that difficult if the club members know that the proceeds go to getting a part reproduced for our GS's and the proceeds from the parts sale go to reproducing more parts.There is a big difference in a 10.00 chance and a 50.00 chance on winning a car especially to the average "Joe" or carshow attendant.Also i would think that the clubmembers would support this from the standpoint of getting some parts reproduced.As a club we should be able to purchase the 5000 tickets from within the club as that would just be each member buying just one ticket.Also tickets could be sold thur car shows,magizines,ect. in order to raise even more revenue.

Rusty Davenport

02-14-2002, 11:02 PM

12lives

02-22-2002, 08:23 AM

I had this email exchange with Atlanta Buick Specialties:

We need interest in 250 grilles of whatever particular
year. So for a 70 to get done, we need 250 people who
will be willing to purchase them and place a deposit.

Thanks,

Alan
--- Bell William B NSSC <BellWB@NAVSEA.NAVY.MIL>
wrote:
> Alan - So are you looking for 250 orders with
> deposits for the 70 and the
> another 250 for the 71? - Bill
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Atlanta Buick Specialties
> To: Bell William B NSSC
> Sent: 2/15/02 6:22 AM
> Subject: Re: repro grill
>
> We are trying to reproduce them. Right now, we are
> collecting name and contact info of interested
> purchasers. The man. requires a 250 min. quantity
> order and we are not there yet.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Alan
> --- Bell William B NSSC <BellWB@NAVSEA.NAVY.MIL>
> wrote:
> > Hi Alan - I saw the item in
> > http://www.buickperformance.com about repro 70-
> > 71 grills. Whats up? - Bill
>
>
:pp - Bill

TimR

02-22-2002, 04:51 PM

the 70 grilles that year one sold were actually GM NOS ....thats why they no longer have them, ran out. They also had a reproduction 71 GS grille for a while but I heard they were crappy quality and the mold was later destryed in a fire at the shop...

Crappy would be better then nothing for lots of guys, I'm sure. Could alsways use it as a base to improve upon....

later
Tim

BURNOUT

02-22-2002, 09:56 PM

When I purchased my '70 GS 11 years ago, it had a new grill in the back seat. I came across the receipt for the grill last night. The previous owner purchased this NOS grill in 1983 for $73.75. Wow!

RACEBUICKS

02-22-2002, 10:19 PM

I had a receipt from 1981 and a price of $58 (I bought 2 at the time) I guess I should have bought about 5000 to keep around. I also remember finding a 71 grill NOS for $125 about the same time Huh shopuld have bought all of those too!!

Ken Mild

03-01-2002, 08:47 AM

Mike, just to put things in perspective, if you would have purchased even 300 grilles for that price of $58 each for a measely total of $17,400 :laugh: , you could sell them all today for a very fair price of $300 apiece, which almost anyone would jump on, and clear $72,600 :jd: If only you could turn back the clock. :(

BuickAl

03-05-2002, 08:40 AM

Originally posted by Rusty Davenport
Alan,What happens to the lens you send in for prototypes?The reason I ask is I have a pair of NOS 71 GS taillamp lens that I may be willing to let repro be made from;but I don't want to loose them as I need them for my 1971 GS stage1 car and the original lens in car are junk.

They get returned to me undamaged. The only reason for need NOS lenses is the COLOR. This company is a stickler about getting the color EXACT. Its hard to find any lens actually on a car that doesn't have SOME fading. If you are serious on your offer, I'll give a repro pair for price of shipping as a "Thank You" for the loan of the parts.

Alan

BuickAl

03-05-2002, 08:42 AM

Originally posted by TimR
Maybe we should start a running poll on who wants what and come up with some sort of list. I think a big factor is price, everyone wants a grill but when it hits 500.00, they start to wonder....

Personally, I think the grille is the centerpice of these cars, its what you see first, and I know when I finally got the correct 71 GS grille in my car it looked so much better than the black painted 71 skylark grille I ran for a while.

I told Alan I would buy TWO 71 GS grilles @500.00 each, and I stand by it (and that is US, I'm looking at 2000.00 Canadian for that...I'm not rich by any stretch but I want the correct grille in my car at all times...NOS are currently going for 15-1800.00US)

Perhaps the grilles could be made upainted?? That would help some...

This in one area where the GSCA has let us down IMHO, the race parts are all there but the resto arts aren't. They have the members and the cash flow to at least get some interest going. Surely there must be some guys in the plastics industry in the club....

Just some thoughts

later
Tim

Tim,

The company I used to get a full production run quote and actually do some initial R&D on the project said that they could make them color injected so that you don't need to paint them. Colors would be the agent silver and black. The cost to do a 2 color is not significantly more than a 1 color, but it does cost more.

Alan

GSXMEN

03-05-2002, 04:12 PM

Alan F.

Do you have any quotes(total cost) for doing the 70 GS grill?? I desperately would like to see enough of these things get produced to come out with a $350 or so price tag!!!

My sister and brother are mortgage brokers, and have recently gotten involved in the cash flow business (i.e. buying 'auto paper' - loans, etc.). They are also hooked up with venture capitalists (funders) - I would really like to run some numbers by these folks, to see if we can speed up these resto projects. Seems to me, money is the only limiting factor here (isn't it always).:grin:

If this is something I can help with, please give me the chance to.

Scott

flynbuick

03-05-2002, 05:08 PM

I suspect you old pros have run this rabbit; however , have you attempted to identify the whereabouts of the original 70 grille molds? Were these done in- house or out -sourced? If out-sourced - to whom? I know from reading an article supplied by the keeper of the GSX Registry that the whereabouts of the GSX designer is or was known. If the rabbit has not been run, this might be a good starting point.

Jim Lore

BuickAl

03-06-2002, 07:43 AM

Originally posted by flynbuick
I suspect you old pros have run this rabbit; however , have you attempted to identify the whereabouts of the original 70 grille molds? Were these done in- house or out -sourced? If out-sourced - to whom? I know from reading an article supplied by the keeper of the GSX Registry that the whereabouts of the GSX designer is or was known. If the rabbit has not been run, this might be a good starting point.

Jim Lore

Its my understanding that the original Molds have all been destroyed.

Alan

flynbuick

03-06-2002, 05:44 PM

Alan

Is your information based on hearsay or was the source in a position to have reliable first hand knowledge? Has anyone ever asked the GSX designer if he knows or knows someone reliable to call? Does the gentleman who now owns the GSX prototype have a relationship with the designer such that he may know his whereabouts and call him?

Jim Lore

Rusty Davenport

03-06-2002, 09:24 PM

Hi Alan,Yes I'm serious about the loan of the 1971Skylark/GS NOS Taillamp lens.I 'd love to help get some repro parts made for our GS's and would be willing to do whatever I can to help.Understandably I have some questions,how long do you need,when or how soon,do you need both sides,ect.We will need to talk so call me at 270 235-5507 I am hard to catch in the house so keep trying.I also have a NOS 1970-72 Skylark/GS rear outer wheelhouse[ RH I think]that I would love to see someone repro if anyone has sheetmetal contacts.