ASAP Jeff, as soon as I get the proper fan shroud, this one is yours as it's the least I can do for all your trouble :TU: Rusty, the Riv fan shroud has a gap at the top and a slot where a bolt screws into the upper rad cover and also has no provision for the upper hose hook. It works fine, just isn't PC for the Numbers Matching Nazis. By the way, did you sell a set of NOS fenders at Bowling Green a few years ago. I bought a set from a Rusty there around about 1995 or so. Real small motel room and two kids with him if I remember correctly. Jeff, I got the package today also. Thanks a bunch for the GSX model! Now I gotta find time to build it..:laugh: Thanks again for all you did.:TU:
Hi Al,Yes sir that was me.Did those fenders go on your GSX??? Also my son is now 11 years old now and quite the GS fan now.He even has his own 70 GS350;and I have my dream car a 70 QQ Stage1 4 speed GSX although it is a ways from being finished.Small world.
Thought so That's funny, and yes it is a small world ( The Buick World...:Brow: ). One fender went on my 70 GSX and the other went to Paul Manual's beutifull 72 Skylark convertible from Delaware as he had an accident and really needed it. My 70 "X" is a 4-speed too.:TU:
Jim, I won't name the vendor but you may have heard some of that from me. I have been discussing various vending relationships with a lot of vendors including Year One, Classic Industries, and OPG. They are all aware of the various parts I have under development. Also, GM has granted me the licensing on reproduction of these parts. You can't just produce them without paying GM its royalties and this is particularly true if the part bears a licensed trademark......like the part numbers and stampings. Alan
Bigger Vendor Chris, The parts cost the same regardless of the size of the vendor. Now, they do vary depending on the quantity, so the more you buy the cheaper they are per unit. BUT the driving force there is DEMAND. If only 100 people want 71 grilles, then the costs is based on that plus whatever you want for inventory. I don't know many vendors that will tie up money in inventory that has a long turnover duration. Once the immediate demand is filled, that's what we will have. How often do people really need grilles? Seriously? If you had one, how long before you'd need another? The big vendor comment sure seemed like a backhanded slap to me. The problem is that size really doesn't matter when it comes to the cost of making these parts. Demand drives this equation. If I could get 500 of those coolant bottles sold, I could drop the price by a pretty large amount (probably $50 per bottle). Not trying to call you out on this, but I felt a little targeted by the cheaper than once expected statement. BTW, I find it interesting that a vendor is now pursuing Buick parts at this late juncture. Where were they years ago when we needed them? I would not have parted out my 71 Stage 1 car if I could have obtained a grille for it. Alan
Yes, Alan, some of those parts I do believe you guys are doing. JW PS.. seeing your name reminded me I need to PM you with payment info for the rust remover.. check your PM box.. Dang.. getting forgetful already.. I need to by a box of string and start tying them around my fingers... lots of stuff going on here this spring... and it's a full time job to keep all the customers updated.. as you well know. JW
Re: ASAP The '70 Riv shroud also doesn't have the two mounting ears on either side at the top, just the center mounting hole. The holes at the bottom are in a different position also. I was able to swap a '72 big block shroud for a '69-'70 LeSabre / Wildcat / Electra shroud with Jim W. and these are the differences we noticed when we compared it to the shroud that came off my '70 Riv. Though it does have the center slot also at the top Easily modified to fit though. I'm just going to cut those ears off the top and relocate the lower holes.
With $800 NOS tanks and the limited market I don't see the price as out of line. As I recall the the original guess was not including the lid. I'm sure once the old lid was put on the new tank we would all be looking for a new lid. And I know the money Alan gets from these will be put towards more much needed parts. I'm going to be looking for a 67 GS once the project is done and Alan is commited to producing parts for these as well. Thanks again Alan.
Probability? Timeline? Jim, and maybe Alan, That's very good news, indeed. Just curious if you would be willing to guess at a probability of those parts being produced. Do you think it's better that 50/50? Also, is there any idea of timeline for any of them? In other words, have some of the parts made it past the planning stage and are actually being tooled? Alan, I would have to disagree with your comment regarding vendor size being a non-factor. But only to say that perhaps for more obscure parts (like ours) a smaller vendor may actually have a price advantage because the overhead and marketing machine of a big vendor doesn't have to be fed. There's a more finite market and magazine ads and thick catalogs aren't required to inform and capture that market. Yes, the actual part cost to the vendor might be the same, but the sales and General and Administrative costs that get added on are very much in favor of the small guy in this case. keep up the good work!
Fenders I've got 2 companies I made acquaintances with that are hounding me about doing fenders. Both are overseas of course. The problem would be threefold as I see it. Costs (of the fender and to have it imported), quality (fit and finish of aftermarket parts is not good....heck, even the factory stuff sometimes didn't fit good. The 67 NOS quarters I had weren't perfect fits), and finally demand (can't begin to think how many of those would have to be made). I'd love to be the guy to get it done. But its a way bigger task. Right now, I'm focusing on the smaller stuff and using those profits to make the next item, and then those profits to make the next item....and so on. Alan
Well Alan, I didn't realize it would offend you and obviously I have nothing against you, I ordered window felts and the new lenses, and plan on ordering much more in the furture. I know that the amount you order produced dictates final cost. I was simply implying that if a big vendor with the financial capitol to buy a bigger quantity and sit on them for a while might be able to drop the prices. I understand that for the same quality part, no matter who makes it the same run of parts will cost the same no matter who commissions them; but if a bigger company has the buying power to buy 1000 grills instead of 500, I would not mind the savings that would most likely be included in that. I have to say that I did not set out to single you out Alan, it was a general statement that I made. Rest assured no matter who produces the grills and the many other much needed parts I will do what I can to support the companies involved. Beit a big vendor or a diehard buick junky such as yourself. I'll just be happy to have the parts availible period.:TU:
I wouldn't count on it, If you look, some of the large vendors will selll you GM parts still availible at your local dealer and mark them up around 10 percent over list! That means it costs you more than your dealer will sell it to you for. If I can by at 40 percent off list with no trouble at all, then what discount does a large supplier get? Are the savings passed on? I'm all for repo parts and it's great news, but Alan is right, the size of the vendor does'nt set the prices. In fact I'd rather deal with the small guys, they do it because they love the cars and the quality shows this.
I understand I understand the point now that you were trying to make. The only problem is that I would SERIOUSLY DOUBT that if a vendor had buying power they would buy enough grilles to sit on for years to make them cheap. For example, a grille mold in the US will costs around $200,000 start to finish. This cost includes Scanning, measuring, digitizing, blueprinting, tooling, mold making and production. Added to that is the costs of setup (hooking up the mold to the injection machines) and the actual costs of the grille (around $75 to $125 each which includes painting and final finishing, i.e., plastic burr removal etc.). The minimum purchase quantity on grilles was always 250 from every man. To get the grilles to a point where I could sell them for $350 to $375 each, it would take 1,000 grille order. Even a big man. with LOTS of buying power isn't going to buy 1,000 grilles to sell them for $400 each and wind up selling a couple hundred or so right away, but then very few thereafter. If this were a consumable item that needed replacement every other year.......not a problem. However, there aren't many cars left, the ones left aren't on the road much, and so the demand is probably high initially, but after that you wouldn't sell a lot. The key in business is inventory turnover. Inventory doesn't make money sitting around in a warehouse. I hope this makes sense. Finally, some of those business classes I took in college are coming in handy......LOL Alan
Thanks for the responce Al, I understand what you are saying about the grills being a non-wear&tear item and that there will not be a lot of action after the initial offering. Like I said, it is wishful thinking on my part to hope this could happen, I guess I was just speaking my mind. Either way, I just hope someone is able to produce them at some decent cost so that there is an alternative. By the way, any word on the taillight lenses? :TU:
Lenses I'm with you on that......if someone else would do all these parts, maybe I wouldn't have to.......LOL! I started this adventure (which it is and might I include Journey also) mainly because I hated having a car I couldn't fix due to a lack of parts. I don't mind some junkyard parts, but some things just don't cut it from a junk car. On the lenses, all of the lenses in my hands AND all of the rust remover will have shipped by COD Saturday. Sunday afternnoon and evening will be spent by sending everyone receiving these products their respective tracking numbers.............WHEW! Its going to be a LONG day tomorrow. Alan
WOW I cant believe how many people are looking for fenders :eek2: . I still have a passenger one in the box (GM original)...and believe me, its not going anywhere..its a "just in case" fender :laugh: Larry
