cool57 Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 Seafoam65 got me thinking, is anyone reproducing 63 taillight bezels? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 I brought home a pair that CARS had at their booth when I went to the ROA event in 2012. I don't know if they still have them in their catalog. Did you check their catalog or OPGI? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cool57 Posted August 18, 2015 Author Share Posted August 18, 2015 I checked both and did not see them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 Looks like another one bites the dust. I bought a pair for my '64 but put off getting some for my '63. Damn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riviera63 Posted August 19, 2015 Share Posted August 19, 2015 I just got a call from OGPI less than a week ago to tell me my order for 63 bezels from July of last year was being cancelled as they were no longer being made. I had totally forgotten I had ordered them. Apparently OPGI holds on to back orders in perpetuity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric's.64.Superwildcat Posted August 19, 2015 Share Posted August 19, 2015 Are the originals good enough that they can be re-chromed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cool57 Posted August 20, 2015 Author Share Posted August 20, 2015 Are the originals good enough that they can be re-chromed?Yes, but it is often more economical to replace with good quality reproductions than re chrome original parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 I remember a '63 or '64 that had the tail light bezels rechromed. The plater must have figured no one would notice a few pits on the upper inside. They sure reflected well once installed. Just a warning if you go for rechroming.Bernie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket 88 Posted August 21, 2015 Share Posted August 21, 2015 I also had a pr. on back order from OPG for 9 months, got a call no longer available.I don't get it!!!!!Someone has the dies and won't produce the item???????????????Checked on plating cost. Was told $275.00 to $300.00 EACH.......OPG price was around $190.00 Pr. Rocket88 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seafoam65 Posted August 21, 2015 Share Posted August 21, 2015 (edited) Obviously the same guy was making all of these bezels. I agree it is ludicrous to tool up to makeparts and then decide "I don't think I feel like making them anymore" I've got to believe there will always be a sizeable market for these items....The originals are always very pitted. OPGI continues to disappointbecause they have the money to tool up and make parts like these(they make everything for a Chevelle themselves from bumper to bumper), but all they sell in their Riviera catalog is stuff from other vendors....what a shame. Edited August 21, 2015 by Seafoam65 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted August 21, 2015 Share Posted August 21, 2015 I called OPGI and asked them why and some kid gave me his best snooty answer. "I don't know." I asked if there was anyway to find out more. "Nope." Has anyone talked with Jeff @ CARS to ask him about the bezels? Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket 88 Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 The bezels are no doubt made in China, so we are at their mercy.No doubt a minimum is set to get them into production.What a world we live in!!!!!GREED, GREED, GREED!!!!! rocket88 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 I just talked to Jeff at CARS and he told me that the ones he was getting lately weren't up to his standards. He's working with both the mold maker and the chrome plater to get some made that are nice. He also said that he's just out of stock on the aluminum air cleaner disk and they'll be back in stock as well. Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cool57 Posted August 29, 2015 Author Share Posted August 29, 2015 Good news! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 I remember a '63 or '64 that had the tail light bezels rechromed. The plater must have figured no one would notice a few pits on the upper inside. They sure reflected well once installed. Just a warning if you go for rechroming.BernieI bought NOS ones back in the day, and they had plated over fairly deep grinding marks. GM didn't do "show chrome" ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 I bought GM NOS Riviera fender scripts back around 1981. New in the box and they were unusable. They looked like they had been sandblasted and then plated. I put my original ones back on; sold the NOS ones on Ebay a few years ago. The #2 and inferior parts went from the production line to the parts supply bin. I live near Rochester, New York... as in Rochester Products. They manufactured door locks there at one time. I remember the QC process workers talked about: smooth, easy locks went to the bin labeled "Drivers Door", sticky ones went to "Passengers Side". Statistically brilliant. The factory is closed today. I wonder if they figured that in the odds.Bernie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZRIV Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 Most likely the reproduced bezels were die-cast which requires a mold. Often, when a mold is built for something like this with unknown or limited demand, the cheapest steel and process is used in building the mold to keep investment cost low due to the risk on ROI. If the mold was made in China, the probability for a quality tool is even lower. I have endless horror stories relative to China made plastic injection molding tooling which is very similar to diecasting tooling. The tool can wear quickly and require repair or accidentally get damaged in manufacturing costing $1000's to repair. The owner of mold then has to make a decision on whether to repair it or not. Unless there is steady and reasonably strong demand the owner isn't going to invest more money in the project unless the business has been lucrative initially. Many Riviera and generation specific parts just aren't in enough demand to reproduce at a quality level acceptable to the average Buick enthusiast and make money on it. Its something Riviera owners will always have to endure. There are many places that restore (not just rechrome) pot metal now to better than new. Always best to start with the least pitted set you can find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 If you're on a tight budget and have some fairly good DIY skills, you can save yourself quite a bit of money if you'll have the part you need repaired pretty much ready for plating when you take it to your plater. Here's a video that shows you have to take care of the pits before taking that non-reproduced part to the plater. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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