gasserdays

I have been building streetrods for 40+ years and decided to restore one of my favorite muscle cars, the 67 442. I have discovered that all of the vendors who sell restoration their quality of the parts suck. I have purchased everything from pash pads and glove box door from The Parts Place to emblems from OPGI and countless other parts from most of the Oldsmobile vendors. Nothing fits, the wrong shape, missing tapped holes, things in wrong locations, the list goes on and on. I made the assumption with todays technology we could get better quality parts then this. I can't wait to complete my beloved 442 and get back to hot rods. I have friends who have found the same problems with their projects no matter what make or model.
Sorry about the rant but wanted to vent and see what experiences everyone else has had with the Oldsmobile vendors.

Octania

True, that
largely because nobody cares enough to make sure the first piece is right, and check the occasional one from subsequent lots. When you are not building a car a minute, I guess they figure you can modify every part as you install it.

I learned to TEST FIT EVERYTHING for sure.

It's not like if you send crap back they will fix it- they will just send another. Usually. Some care more than others. Some vendors immediately try to blame YOU- and sometimes the get busted in that lying antic. Heh. Bubes.

I will say I have great luck with FUSICK'S parts, and one set of plug wires from ??? actually fit PERFECTLY with no modifications at all.

2Olds4U

I feel your pain, Gasser. Been there, still doing that. Half the parts are Chinesium and half the weight they should be. The people making them never saw a 67 442. Most of the parts are made for Chevelles and I question if they'd even fit them.
Funny you mention the dash pad from TPP. One of the guys here that does dashes over said they had the best ones. Maybe you got one made on a bad day (Monday through Friday).
The other thing is that 67 442's are somewhat of a forgotten child in the restoration department. You can get headlight doors and tail lamp lenses for a 66 or 68, but not a 67. A lot of parts aren't re-popped.
That is the lot we live. Best of luck in your restoration.

Sampson

There is a thread on the General Forum for bad parts and parts that do not fit. It would be good if we could get specific parts and details listed on that thread to help others who are about to purchase repo parts. Been there done that and feel your pain.

OLD SKL 69

I can't speak for the quality of reproduction parts for a 67, but I have bought many parts for the 68-72 Cutlass and can't say the parts quality was bad. Most everything I bought, I sourced through Fusick's.

oldcutlass

I feel your pain also, however even when these cars were new there were fitment issues. They were far from perfect even off the line.

rustyroger

That's very true Eric, and just about every reproduction part for any make of old car will have quality issues.
I wonder if genuine NOS fits all cars perfectly, as the production tooling wore during the manufacturing processes no doubt fitting was less than perfect.
Perhaps a good example is suspension component shimming, something you don't see on the cheapest of modern cars, production technology has come a long way.


Roger.

Hairy Olds

I know I sell high quality reproduction 400 TH trans ID tag decals and 67 power brake line decals and booster tags.
Fusick sells high quality hood pads and tail light bezels.

rcktdoc

This is why whenever I can all I use is NOS or restore original parts. Most aftermarket crap seams like it was enginered and inspected by Stevie Wonder.
There are a few things that are correct but for the most part they are just JUNK.

Greg

joe_padavano

Time for a reality check. The only reason why large parts are even available as repros is because the are all make in China. It isn't affordable to do it here, especially for low-volume parts like those for a 67 Olds. Stamping dies are not made to mid-60s GM standards and metal is thinner. The only alternative is good used OEM parts or unobtainable NOS parts. Sorry, but the economics just don't make sense for any other option.

Be thankful you even have this option. Thirty years ago, none of these repro parts existed for Oldsmobiles.

Professur

The real problems are that the cost of small production runs is high. Building a perfect buck is very time consuming. The cost difference between 95% and 99% is over double. The cost of thickening the metal gauge even one notch, double it again. Ask anyone who's tried to use a brake rated for 16ga to bend 14ga ... the difference doesn't seem all that much ... but it is. It's very easy to price parts out of the market. Indeed, we're already near that point. Then you've the stamping process .... when you pull a piece out of the press, it automatically starts to deform. Stresses from the process, heat from the stretching and pressure, even inconsistencies in the source metal itself (ask any welder about finding the profile of an I-beam or rail road track when they cross cut stock). I don't excuse what's out there for sale ... but at least there is something. As one of the guys who's cars don't have any support at all ... I'd appreciate even having junk to start from.

Oldskeeper

This is the main reason I started reproducing the Starfire side aluminum panels and so far after several years I have kept the quality as high as I can, without any complaints. I've just started to reproduce the Jetfire trim for 62 and I'm reproducing other parts that can not be found anymore.
There are alot of people that need parts to complete their project and get it back on the road and the only way left to us is trying to reproduce the unobtainable and try to recoup the investment cost. So if you hear that some body is trying to repop any part we might need, do a follow-up and try to help the guy out by purchasing it, it's the only way we as Oldsmobile owners can survive. Anyone can sit on the sidelines and bitch about quality but a few of us are trying to work it so we can all get our cars on the road.
Just letting others Know that their efforts are appreciated in keeping our cars on the road.
Steve Westlake, JASWEST

Octania

Many folks see a need and capability and proceed to fill that need. For a while there I bought all the used oil fill tubes I could get at the boneyard and made repro's. Made a dozen or so at a time. Tough process, had to develop how to do it. Small batch processing all done by hand.
I like to think they were of adequate quality- have heard no complaints. Factory parts at least fit right. correct diameter and all that.


After I got a haircut and got a real job, it was no longer worth the time. Plus, now you can just buy a brand new one, for little more than two new short tubes cost.

70cutty

Welcome to the wonderful world of Oldsmobile, where nothing fits, everything needs to be modified or altered one way or the other, and everything costs at least twice as much as the parts for other car makes.

That being said, here I am about to be done with the 70 and already planning on selling my Chevelle so I can buy a 66/67 442. I am not sure why I became fascinated with the damn Oldsmobiles.

gasserdays

Hey Oldskeeper,
It's easy to say stop bitching and buy the parts anyway and help the guys out. When you spend 30+K on a restoration it's agravating. I have been a machinist and involved in manufacturing for over 38 years and fully understand the cost involved with protyping and building items in small quantities. It's good to hear from folks like yourself who have a passion and devotion to reproduce specialty items but you are an exception to the rule.

66-3X2 442

All repro parts are not bad. I'll take a set of 66 442 taillight bezels & front fender bezels over re chromed any day. The 66 442 taillight lenses, grille assy. & eyebrow moldings are also good. Like Joe said,we are fortunate to have any part available repro'd.

2Olds4U

Like I said, 66-3X2, if you have a 66 or 68, you have an option. For people like me, gasserdays, and many other 67 nuts, the only option is used or the occasional re-pop that was probably made for a Ford.

And Joe P, 30 years ago the cars we have today were most likely in a lot better shape. A lot of deterioration occurs in 30 years. The areas under the windshield and back-light were most likely salvageable. And there was a better chance of some old Olds dealer somewhere having that part lost in inventory somewhere.

Oh well, it's all fun and games until the beer runs out.

Paul