costpenn

Just got my big order in from TPP. Overall the quality of the parts are pretty much as expected, but the radiator hose markings look really bad to me. Are anyone else's any different/better?

Hairy Olds

I have seen a bunch of the repo hoses at swap meets and I own a good supply of original hoses. The repos are just too bold and marked in correctly.
I just buy Gates and wipe any of the markings off.

D. Yaros

Pardon my ignorance, but who/what is TPP; The Parts Place?

Gary's 2 442-S

I bought mine from Fusicks. They stamp their own. So I am not sure if they are better than yours.

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costpenn

Thank you for the pics. Yours look better than mine, but the basic quality is the same.

Joe

costpenn

Correct - The Parts Place. Found a pretty good counter guy to deal with named Mike. It has been my experience that at all the Olds specialty houses, there is always one guy who does a great job in taking care of you. Conversely, there's always one guy you want to avoid like the plague. All of the means nothing in the case of Brothers Auto a Parts - everything and everybody there is equally incompetent.

Lady72nRob71

I got a nice slice half way through in one of my parts place hoses. Inspect carefully after unboxing!

Charlie Jones

When these hoses were first made for production cars fourty odd years ago . The only "standard" for the application of these markings was that the number be legible.
Neatness did not necessarily count . Why would you expect modern reproductions to be different ?

70Post

What exactly looks "bad" about them to you??

They look good to me. You are "overthinking it" in this case IMO in terms of the stampings.

Charlie pretty much nailed it above.

Mike77

If you going after factory original "look" they are perfect, almost too good. These car were originally put together as fast as possible. A factory original car will have crappy fitting doors and hood, mis-match seat belt colour and gauge pods., marginal paint and overall slap it together and get it out the door fit and finish. I did fix all of the above on my restoration. I think the repop guys are "going with the flow"


Mike

costpenn

Boy don't I know it about that bracket. I am trying to find out where I put the RH side OE one that I refinished months ago to compare it to. From memory, the rubber looks too wide, the rivets aren't even close. I might wind up sending it back and trying to find a decent used one.

As far as the hoses, what I was trying to say above is of course I know they aren't works of art originally, but the upper hose I got from TPP is especially bad. Running right through where the numbers are inkstamped you can see where the Dayco label was wrapped around the hose due to adhesive remnants remaining in the rubber. Of course this can be removed, but since it is where the numbers are it will be difficult and require some precision in order to remove the gunk and not mess up the lettering.

johnnyjaws

boy im glad im doing a restomod. all these little problems would drive me nuts.

TK-65

Not true.

TK-65

From all the vintage photos Ive seen of 65s, none of the hoses had PN markings like the reproductions. Honestly they were probably all in a big rack with one label on the rack to ID them. Then they were pulled out and installed. Its too much time and money to stamp each hose. Replacement dealer hoses would be more likely to have part numbers on them.

Dave Siltman

Several of the comments above are true and some are not (I M O). I don't bother with "correct" hoses on my cars. I get parts store stuff and wipe off the ink with lacquer thinner. When judges give or take points for the cleanliness or crispness of the ink stamp (not dirt on the hose), it's time to take a step back. Re stamped parts are bad enough, but a re stamped hose? For years everyone had heater hoses with GM stamped every few inches; I've NEVER seen an original car with that style of lettering on heater hoses. That fender bracket is nowhere close and you will waste time trying to make it fit. Get a used original.
The build quality of our cars DID HAVE STANDARDS. Those standards aren't what we use to do a restoration, but nonetheless, they weren't slapped together. They are assembly line built and had to be commercially acceptable and be able to stand up to normal usage under a warranted time period. Some cars might have small issues if a line worker was on vacation and a fill-in wasn't as skilled as the original person who normally did that particular job. I've seen plenty of mistakes over the years, but not EVERY car was substandard.
Don't worry too much about the ink on that hose. Try to find some good original parts and put your car together. AND THEN ENJOY IT!!!