In the bench section, there is a poll to see how many would be interested in a reproduction throttle cable for the 68-72 BB A-bodies......this is another part that if you don't need now, you will in the future. They are used a lot obviously and do wear out. We need to show some support for these guys that take it upon themselves to make this stuff and make your life easier. There is also a thread there about the repro 70 taillights which Alan is doing. I'm personally pretty disappointed with how many (I hear 18 sets total so far) have lined up to buy those (they look AWESOME!), you don't support these guys and our cars are going to disappear... we won't get any decent parts to help restore our machines and even less people will be interested in trying....no parts means no cars getting done. Maybe you like to scrounge parts up and thats fine but I am getting tired of seeing our cars at shows with the taillights and various other parts glued or peiced together. It makes us all look bad. I remember trying to build my stage 1 when I was a young guy working a gas station...I spent my entire paychecks on parts, I borrowed money to get it painted and I sold my truck to pay for the engine build..I even stopped driving for one summer, used the bus and bummed rides(with promises of rides in my car when it was done) so I could save for the parts I needed...now I get e-mails every day with people looking for parts (including 70 taillight lenses) and now you have a chance to buy a decent repro that is hard to tell from NOS for a reasonable price and nobody wants to drop some money.Go figure. Lets support these guys people! later Tim (and no, I am not related at all....I just see some guys who are trying to further the hobby and aren't getting any support from the so many who say they want this stuff!) A version of this was also posted on the Buick performance mailing list. Flame away.
If I needed any of that stuff, I'd buy it. About the cable, though...I used the one that came in my Skylark Custom, and it fits great and works fine...there's really a different cable for the big blocks? All I had to do was follow the service procedure for adjusting the cable length. I never had a problem.
I bought a set of tail lights...... and if the cable would work with a 350, I would buy at least one! Mike
I already broke a throttle cable, was a pup to get one. I found out one from a 78 Buick Regal worked fine. I would buy a cable if they were reproduced. My taillights are excellent. alot of car owners are cheap, dont take it personal. Try getting parts for hearses, and I'll tell you those guys are wayyyyyyy cheaper than Buick guys!
I think many people are afraid to spend a couple of hundred bucks for parts they may not need for awhile or not at all. If i owned a 70 or was going to buy, now is the time to ante up & support these guys building repo. parts. if you buy them & don't need them, you could always re-sell them to get $$$. But if you don't buy & need them, you may be out of luck. Just my .03 worth. Randy
I agree Tim. If we don't support our repro guys now, we aren't going to have ANY parts in the next 10 years. It's either $250 for a nice set of lenses now or $700 down the road. Case in point, NOS clear overflow tanks. It will probably be a $100 part from Alan, but it's $700 for a NOS one. I want to still have access to restoration parts and nice cars in the next 10-15 years, so I'll do everything in my power now to help get this stuff repro-ed. There has to be AT LEAST 100 '70 skylark/gs's on here, and we can't get but 18 out of all of our nextworking to put down for a nice set of lenses? I sure hope things make a turn for the better. Maybe tax return time will bring some much-needed parts orders.o No:
I agree I agree that we need to support the guys reproducing parts.I do not really need the 70 GS tailight lens right now[got a excellant used pair and one NOS lens right now;but I went ahead and gave Alan my credit card info and ordered a set of his 70 lens.I figured that because my card will not be billed until lens are ready to ship why not support this [ I have some time to save the coin and if not i can make payment on the card] By supporting the 70 lens we speed up getting other things done.You guys that have a 70 need to order a set of lens even if they are not your top need at this time.Sooner or later you will need lens and if this project is not supported then the item you do need and need bad may never get considered for reproduction.
Man I want a set of these sooooo bad... but I just can't afford the 250, it's a very reasonable price but between my house payment and my crappy pay(8.50 hr) I just can't do it, thats one reason my 70 has sat for 1.5 years with no progress made on it, I'd do the credit card thing.....but don't have a card anymore
I'm Waiting For 1972 Stuff Yeah,you `70 guys need to support Alan.I'm waiting for him to get going on `72 Tail Light Lenses,i'll be first in line to get a set or 2.Even if i don't use'em,someone will want them on down the road.
wait for the next guy Hey Eyerone,Just read where Alan may not make any other year taillight lens because of no interest in the 70 Lens project.I can not believe this;we Buick guys complain about nothing availible for our cars and noone steps up when someone makes something?????Most of us will never take time and effort to manufacture a GS part;so we ought to JUMP at the oppurtunity to buy what gets manufactured and support the BPG and venders who do make something for our Buicks.If we don't then we ought to shut up about prices for used and NOS or buy a Chevy.GRANTED THE 70 LENS WERE STILL FLOATING AROUND NOS but the 71-72 and other earlier GS lens are next to impossible to find NOS and they may never get done because 50 sets of 70 lens won't sell??????????Remeber Alan said the manufacture would not make a mold for less than 50 sets.Wonder what he thinks about tooling up for a Buick part now??Do you think he would pursue any more Buick projects if the first one is unpofitible????????????Even if first one is moderately successful other Buick projects may get pushed to the back ahead of faster turn around parts.Let's support the taillight projects NOW and let's see all year lights get made.Lens are a easier project than grilles,let's get them done NOW.
I don't want to come off sounding like a total a** but...........I don't buy parts that I "might need" someday when there are a ton of things that I "do need" right now. What would be the purpose in buying something that I don't need just to turn around and sell it to buy something that I do need? And to top that...I could be taking a risk of NOT getting what I paid for the parts back. The one thing that prompted me to post here was the fact that I get the impression that people, like me, are being called cheap and non supportive. That is sooooooo not the case. I traveled to Norwalk, Bowling Green, Bristol, and Cecil County this year to support those events. I'm a BPG, GSCA and Penn-Ohio member to support those clubs. If I can be called non-supportive for not buying the parts offered and still support all those other things..then so be it! Yes I have a 70 with a cracked tail light, but right now I'm not looking to make my car perfect on the outside. I'm more worried about hooking my car and getting my 11 second pass. Originality isn't what I crave...speed is my obsession. If the time comes that I want to stop racing and start showing my car...then of course, I will regret that I didn't buy the parts when they were offered. Just my thoughts to the other side of the story, you can flame me now!:spank:
If there were parts like this for LeSabres, Centurions, and Electras, then I'd be all over it. But since I don't own any Skylark/GS cars, then I am SOL. I'm not cheap, I just can't find a decent parts supplier. Maybe that's what I should do. I'm going to start reproducing parts for the BOATS! Adam
I don't know, man... I don't think name calling is very productive. Nor will it get people to do what you want. I'll bet if you took a poll of how many people here have a 70 'lark, then ask them who has $250 to spend on anything, I'll bet you'd come up with a low number. A quarter grand ain't chicken scratch. Many of us have to rob from Peter to pay Paul, just to keep peace in the family. "Honey, will we be buying new seat covers this month or replacing the hot water heater?" I imagine this is a common scene in many households. This is exactly why we need the BPG. Our $35 a year can go toward absorbing the cost to make a run of pieces, that way it doesn't fall on one person financially. Who decides on what should get made with each chunk of cash? WE DO! It is our club. So instead of chastising the members, let's put the question to the board... Will the BPG be making any parts this year? I'm sure '70 grills and fan shrouds are high on the list.
"Will the BPG be making any parts this year? I'm sure '70 grills and fan shrouds are high on the list." - Single year/model specific items are always gonna struggle in the aftermarket. To build a solid aftermarket you must start with: 1) Parts that will serve the widest population. 2) Parts that wear/fail frequently. 3) Parts that have no other soure of supply. As the base gets built you can move to the more specialty type items. The throttle cable is an excellent example of what to reproduce. So I ask, Why would 70 grilles be high on the list? I would think that a putting together a list of those items that fail and that span the widest number of year/models that currently are not supported in the aftermarket would give a great place to start. Then pick the top 3 and poll the population, you'll have your best chance at success. Certainly not trying to rain on the 70 guy's parade, just my $.02, I'm not a member of the BPG but am a member of the SoCalGS' if I saw a move toward this type of aftermarket support I would join the BPG also. Len
Renee, I am not here to flame you I understand your viewpoint completely. I think Rusty was referring to the guys that Show and ocasionally race their cars. But I will tell you this, every year at the Nats I am impressed with the appearance of many of the race cars. Many of them are sporting paint jobs I would be proud of, with a fit and finish that is excellent. I am always amazed at how far some guys take their cars. A nice paint job doesn't make a race car go any faster, but sure costs enough. These guys take a lot of pride in their work and it shows. What pisses me off is when I or another Manufacturer makes a part and we get limited sales on that item. The question we always ask is where are all the people that said they wanted the part. That is why I use low cost molds and remake them after 500 parts or so. It keeps the costs down and gets production done faster, with less of a money burden to carry. Neither I or other small Manufacturers can sit on their money for any length of time. This means that if a part doesn't sell once reproduced our money is tied up and the next repro part doesn't get done. Then we hear "Where is the next part you were going to make?". What are we supposed to say to that? And how do we continue to reproduce parts with minimul sales. Another problem has been the idea that once a part is reproduced everyone thinks they can buy it when they want. They figure that once done it will be available forever and they can concentrate on finding the "Non-available" parts they need. This also helps cause a cash flow problem with the small manufacturers. And I have a question, How many have noticed the fact that some of the reproduction parts available in the past are no longer around? Scary isn't it! Maybe repro parts won't be available forever, case in point, all the limited production runs that are currently being done. Now we come to todays issues. The parts that need reproduced now, such as Grills, taillight lenses, fan shrouds, etc all require the use of High dollar molds, and expenditures in the order of $100,000 or more to make the first part. To ask someone to make a part with that much of a cash outlay is asking alot. All it takes is to have that part not sell and we lose another manufacturer. The bottom line is this, the ball is in your court, if you want repro parts you need to buy them as soon as they become available, or even help the manufacturer with a deposit to get the ball rolling. I did not want to get into this discussion but needed to say my piece. This is our dilemma, and the dilemma for the Buick GS cars in general, and unless something is done it's going to get worse. Duane
:af: I just wish that people would get as serious about keeping the 70 cars around as they are about tearing them up. I am going to get flamed for this but so be it. I see ALOT of racers with 70's and see many spend thousands a year on tires, fuel and other consumables, not to mention all the parts they "break" while tearing a** down the 1/4 mile. I see in the not so distant future, a bunch of Buicks racing with new blocks, new heads and other things to make em faster........ and not one piece of original plastic on them. I think I might scrounge up some more cash and buy a 2nd or 3rd set......to have around to sell to the people that will whine in a few years because they have no tail lights available and the ones on eBay are still at $500. I see the 70 grills fading fast into the sunset........ You can pay a little now...... or chance it, and pay ALOT more later, on eBay! This is a reality...... NOW! :Smarty:
Here....... This is vision of the future....... http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6766&item=1876143328
. That's the chance every car owner takes. Unless your car is wrapped in fireproof bubble wrap...there's always a chance that something bad is going to happen. Either on the road, in a garage, at a show, or at the track. We all take chances. Chance that I'll pass on the tail lights and then wish that I had bought them. Chance that I'll buy them and never need them. The people repo'ing these parts are also taking the same chance. Chance they will make alot and sell none or make a couple and wish they'd made more. It's all about RISKS. I just happen not to be much of a risk taker when it comes to my hard earned money. It all comes back to what I was trying to say earlier....spend the money if you have it...if you don't have it..you can't spend it.
I don't think most Buick owners are cheap. We just don't have the luxury of finding low cost repro parts like the other guys. So, what is available tends to be more expensive due to the lower numbers of our cars out there. Just look at the size of our tail lights compared to the chevy guys. Even our bumpers are bigger and cost more to get plated. The $250 price is not bad for the lights, if you need them. The almost $400 price on ebay proves it. My lights are good and I have an NOS pair as a backup (maybe I should ebay them and buy the repro's?). Spending on another backup set is questionable in my case for something I may not ever need. I commend guys like Alan and Duane. We need you guys. :beer Anyone who needs the lights, this may be your only time to get them. Just wanted to ad my 2 cents, Mark
I'm not cheap, but I am easy! :laugh: I've been spending money like water lately and it will catch up with me soon enough (bill, bills and more bills ou: ) but if a poor showing on these lenses means no more for a long time, I may decide to step up for a second set. I was also planning on a grill.
