TTR
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Posts posted by TTR
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2 hours ago, alsancle said:
I see a lot of kid that have overwhelming college debt and no skills.
Much of blame on that can be attributed to their parents.
Everyone expects (or insists) their kids to go to college.
OTOH, I’m getting to the point I’d love to find some help for the shop, but know it’s not easy, even around here in SoCal and partially because of my expectations and unusually “charming”(?) personality.
I’ve had few assistants & apprentices over the years, including couple from abroad.
Longest one lasted almost 10 years, very talented and became more so, but eventually couldn’t stand my “personality”.
Went on to established his own shop, but now works in someone else’s and apparently not too pleased about that either.-
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39 minutes ago, SC38DLS said:
TTR I agree and see your point junk like HF has is going to sell. But do you think 200 or so 50-60 year old fan belts are going to sell? Or old oil filters made of cardboard are going to sell. Looking at shelves of stuff like that taking up space and revenue to purchase in the first place seems like a loosing proposition to me. I’m not a parts sale guy so I can be 100% wrong but there is an old saying - adapt or die! I don’t think they were aware of market place changes.
Have fundave s
I've only focused my reproduction (or stocking up) efforts mostly on non-perishable, mechanical components which are or have long been obsolete or currently only available in inferior quality.
Some initially obsolete items I've reproduced over the years/decades have eventually become available in much cheaper/inferior qualities and impacted my sales, but I'd rather just quit making and selling mine than trying to become competitively "cheaper". I have plenty of ideas and products I can waste my (very limited) time and money on instead. 😉
I know and have encountered numerous small parts businesses similar to thread subject outfit and many have tons of unsellable, useless/worthless(?) stock taking up shelf space, merely because of the "hoarder" mentality of proprietor(s), i.e. " Ooh, I can't throw it away because I paid for it and it still is or might be worth something someday".
This (self-delusional) "mentality" is far more common in our hobby than most realize or are willing to admit.
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54 minutes ago, SC38DLS said:
Businesses come and go. In my business world (circulation fulfillment for magazines subscription list) when I started it in 1971 we had about 50-60 competitors. By the 80’s my company was the second largest service bureau in the Chicago metropolitan area. We were down to about 15 competitors. We had customers all over the world. It wasn’t so much due to a newer service but keeping the production system up to date and current for the customers needs. Innovation in the old car parts business is basically in need of the same type thinking. Edinmass shows us that in how he develops parts people are looking for and that doesn’t come cheap, rightfully so. There are only so many NOS parts available and junk doesn’t sell. Poor production catches up to companies that don’t keep up a good product line.
My personal business took a major hit due to C19 and advertising in publication dried up and the closed. We went from processing over 5 million labels a month to less than 100 thousand a month in a six month period. The old car parts industry did just the opposite, so why is this company closing? Poor management, lack of industry knowledge in what is needed and poor product quality is my guess.
Have fundave s
Sorry to disagree, but unfortunately junk DOES sell and H.F.'s et. al. of the world prove that, 24/7/365. And mainly due to overwhelming demands/expectations of the buying public, which in our case are old car hobbyists.
If I had to rely my livelihood on just the parts I reproduce for very limited and narrow markets, not to mention at high cost (due to quality) and onslaught of "cheap" alternatives, I would've gone under long ago.
I imagine same would be the case if "edinmass" didn't offer restoration or other services and tried to survive by only producing his (high quality) parts for equally(?) limited markets ?
And don't get me wrong, I LOVE vintage cars and this hobby in general (and always have), but after 4+ decades watching vast majority of those in it just prioritizing everything based on how cheaply they can do it or get it done, I guess it has left an impression.
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20 hours ago, joe_padavano said:
Hobbyists also typically don't have the ability to write off overpriced tools as a business expense on their taxes.
2 hours ago, joe_padavano said:Oh yeah it does. In fact, Section 179 (enacted by Dubya to help jump start the economy after 9/11) allows you to take 100% of a depreciable asset in the first year, as opposed to having to follow the depreciation schedule. This was the "Humvee" deduction were everyone was buying expensive SUVs and depreciating them under Sect 179 as a business expense. When I had my small company we depreciated a lot of tools and equipment under Sect 179.
???
As a small business owner with no employees, last time I checked, I still had to work to earn the money to pay for anything I buy, including tools and equipment for my business.
OTOH, good portion of my (hand) tools were purchased at swap meets, yard sales, etc and much of the shop equipment from media blasting cabinets & 30-ton hydraulic press frame or variety of dollies, machinery or vehicle stands, work benches & station, etc, I designed/engineered and made myself (= not deductible/depreciable), so only “deductions” were materials, which I still had to pay for and were the smallest portion of the costs …
OTOH, I do get your “Humvee” analogy, as I see similarly excessive and somewhat unethical(?) “business” expenditures in variety of businesses all the time.
I mean, how many doctors or lawyers need a new Ferrari, etc leased for their businesses ?
Or how many body shops need a bran new fancy pants Ultra Platinum monster truck with every chrome ball, bell and whistle along with latest fashion aftermarket wheels & tires to do their job or promote their business ?Not to mention hypocrites who applied, received and used any portions of recent business stimulus handouts to pay for any such “essentials” to “survive”.
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6 hours ago, Frank DuVal said:
I see you have not shopped at Harbor Freight in a looong time! Sure, they still have the low budget tools, but their higher lines are quite impressive. I will put their tool boxes up against Snap-On any day. I own BOTH! I own both Snap-On and HF hand tools. Each have their purpose. Only cheap flare nut wrenches should be avoided, they have no known use to me!😲
Go by and look at their ICON line of tools. Feel them, work them. But, they are not CHEAP, just cheaper than the alternative brand. And therein lies the biggest difference. You pay Snap-On and others to come by your place of business and keep you in tools without having to take time off and go across town or further to shop for tools. This means a lot to productivity and the bottom line. Home restorers do not have these constraints. 😉
No need for me to go and look. I have more than enough hand tools, mostly from numerous U.S. and European manufacturers and rarely need to buy any, but on those occasions, it's usually some specialty equipment or tool and in many cases don't even exist, so I have to design and make it myself.
One Ch**ese tool I was ever impressed with was the original design "Gear Wrench", which I fortunately bought couple of extra sets long ago.
The currently available designs aren't anywhere near the quality.
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13 hours ago, constructionlaser said:
Hi everyone, I’m 26 and I wonder if there are people’s my age in this community? I guess I would fall into the minority. Anyway, this passion is real and although I’m quite new to this forum, I'm still hoping that I can learn and share my knowledge with you all. Cheers!
While I know few teen and twenty something vintage car hobbyists/enthusiasts, I myself got into it in my mid-teens (and never looked back) and most of my friends at the time were into them too, but that all occurred in Europe 40+ years ago. Actually, at the time and the place, it was fairly common hobby for young guys. You know, between drinking, chasing skirts and partying.
Now, decades later, many of the friends I grew up with (in Europe) still play with old cars and some of us even have more than one. Few have 20/30 something kids whom are into them too.
By the time I turned 26, I had already been "professionally" involved with them for few years and mind you, no silver spoons and nothing handed to me in the beginning or along the way.
As for learning, I'm still trying daily and the day I quit trying, I might as well quit working on them.
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16 minutes ago, rocketraider said:
IWho'd-a thunk wheel cylinders for a 69 Toronado also fit 68-74 Novas?😜
… let alone that ‘70 Mustang wheel cylinders also fit ‘55 Packards ? 🤪
(One of my earliest unexpected lessons into car restoration over 40 years ago and had no involvement of parts books or manuals, just a quick experienced eyeballing by a parts guy +/-4000 miles and across the ocean away from where either make/model was originally manufactured)
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23 minutes ago, Restorer32 said:
And of course you all do realize that Rock Auto is just another reshipper? After having problems with customer supplied.parts we.now have a rule. We source all engine and suspension parts and always try for NOS when we can. We went thru 3 "cheap" brake boosters supplied by our customer. Yes, the one we finally sourced was a.bit more expensive but it was correct and has worked flawlessly for several years now.
I’ve always had “that” rule (and several others). Regardless who buys it, any component or part I install in my shop has to meet my standards.
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18 minutes ago, joe_padavano said:
You do realize that many of these "beloved" repro vendors are reselling the same parts you can buy at RockAuto, at a markup, right. My classic example is one "brand name" repro vendor who sells motor mounts for $30 each. These are Chinesium Anchor brand mounts that you can get from RockAuto for $4 each. They even come in the original Anchor box, with only the repro vendor's part number sticker on the outside. And how, exactly does a Moog or Delco part that I buy at RockAuto or even Amazon differ from the one I pay extra for from a "brand name" vendor? Sorry, but your point is not valid.
Regarding the validity of my point, I do respectfully disagree, especially if/when one considers the "big picture".
The problem, if you will (and as I've stated before), goes back several decades, when members of MY generation ("Boomers") started to insist(?) on getting everything cheaper, cheaper, cheaper, eventually forcing all brand name (& quality) producers to lower their standards to remain competitive in the onslaught of "Chinesium", which few decades ago started with "Japanesium" and then became "Mexicosium"...
It's all about supply and demand, i.e. if the buying public demands cheaply made junk, that's what they'll be supplied with.
P.S. I don't have many "beloved" repro vendors as I rather spend my (and my clients) time and money to look for and buy NOS items, if and whenever available, but if I'm forced to buy/use reproduction items, I'll do my utmost to research and buy ones with best quality.
Also, as I've mentioned before, I do reproduce variety of components and parts for vintage cars, but everything I do, meets or exceeds OEM quality.
And if can't do or have them made to such standards, I won't bother reproducing them.
42 minutes ago, Frank DuVal said:What car parts are sold by Harbor Freight? All items I see there are tool related.
Well, in case you missed it in my earlier comment, I wrote "supplies", which, at least in my view, includes tools(?) and whatever other cheap crap H.F. peddles.
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2 hours ago, hidden_hunter said:
Surprising, I thought car places had done reasonably well out of the covid restrictions (outside of sourcing parts) as lots of people were at home restoring stuff
Well, the sad reality is that at least 9-out-of-10 of those do-it-yourself “at home” hobbyist-restorers usually purchase most of their parts and supplies from the cheapest places, including (here in the U.S.) CrockAuto, Horrid Fright, etc, even if the parts aren’t authentic/correct for their car and unless independent suppliers are able to provide everything for less than aforementioned outfits or offer something very unique (and desirable or necessary enough to enough people), most will continue to perish at accelerating pace.
Same with countless wannabe “professional”(?) shops that come-and-go due to catering to such clientele, applying similar (i.e. cheap) approach/mentality and cutting each others (and eventually their own) throats.
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13 hours ago, Restorer32 said:
Buy USA Parts and Pete Sander's Cadillac repro biz and you will have the Cadillac parts supply pretty much wrapped up.
With all due respect, but if you truly believe this is a good business opportunity, why not do it yourself or offer financial backing to someone else ?
On the more serious note, I've seen and heard of quite a number of colleagues(?) failing and folding up during past 12+ months, including many who took some of those government handouts and worst offenders ended up spending all or good portions of it on personal luxuries, including boats, cars, etc.
Above comment is not intended to spark "political" debates, just stating simple facts based on personal observations, so hopefully everyone can refrain from engaging or responding to it.
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With all due respect and I apologize for being bluntly honest (with my "opinion"), but I don't see much value in this since it appears to be only a cab and some body parts.
Attempting to restore(?) it, especially back to full truck in stock configuration, will likely be excessively cost prohibitive and depending on your location, prospects of selling it "as is" may also be slim, especially when considering the cost of transportation, etc.
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20 hours ago, SA Bill said:
I have wind wings on my 31 DeSoto roadster. I have tried everything to get the clamps to hold the glass but to no avail. I have tried double back tape but the temperature in my garage is frequently over 100 in the summer and the glass sags out of the clamps. I am thinking of trying thin rubber strips between the metal clamps and the glass. Anyone have a success story to share??...........Bill Email shortcut999@yahoo.com
Thin rubber pads (or “strips”) between the clamp and the glass should do the trick, but I would recommend researching and using material (Buna ? Nitrile? Etc) that will be best suited for an application like this, i.e. impervious to heat, UV, pressure, etc.
For an extra slippage prevention, it might be helpful to lightly media blast the surface of the glass in areas eventually covered by the clamps and rubber pads/strips.
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I realize this is or can be quite incendiary topic and may have been covered here before, but recently it has come up in several conversations/exchanges I’ve had with colleagues, clients and friends.
While everyone seems to have their own, often personal, interpretation or perception of the differences (or similarities) and I’m pretty sure what the most prevailing general opinions are, but would like to know how people define them.
Also, perhaps worth keeping in mind that these concepts are not limited to just motor vehicles or item directly related to them, but anything and everything else people collect or hoard, be it kitchen utensils, literature, shoes, etc…
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On 7/8/2021 at 8:56 PM, ted sweet said:
aaa here is terrible. the ow i requested in february was told was on its within 2 hours. 14 hours later the police had to find another tow because i was still on side of road. aaa never about it
Interesting.
I have +/-20 years of “Premier” membership with AAA and have needed/used their “roadside assistance” 3 times (2 tows and 1 unlocking, all here in California) over the years. On every occasion “assistance” arrived much faster than initially estimated/suggested and once I was even slightly aggravated when the “assistance” (tow service) arrived in 10 or so minutes instead of estimated/expected 2+ hrs, forcing me to quickly gulp down a very nice glass of wine I had just ordered and hoped to leisurely enjoy a 1 or more while I wait.
I’m not sure whether or not location or membership level influenced prompt services. -
23 minutes ago, Marty Roth said:
We carry half our garage to help other folks -
and it seems to work -
... that, plus lots of prep time
I don’t have big enough cars to fit a half or even quarter of my garage in them, especially on long distance trips when carrying other luggage, etc.
Does it mean I need bigger cars or smaller garage ? 🤔
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1 minute ago, joe_padavano said:
I always keep mine charged, but for the forgetful among us, there's always this as a last resort.
Available in 6V ? And made in C***a too, what could possibly go wrong ? Does it come with LED touch screen app ?
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15 minutes ago, alsancle said:
I don't have a suggestion but the scissor jack with impact gun is not a bad idea. I plan on carrying my 18V tools bag on any extended driving trips. Which also has a tire pump along with the impact gun and other 18V tools.
And here I was under the impression you don't venture much further than 30 miles from home with vintage cars. 😉
On the more serious note, while those 18V impacts, etc may sound good on paper, how many times will they end up having a dead battery ...
As someone who actually drives his vintage cars extensively (and being a bit old-school car guy) I tend to carry mainly mechanical service equipment and tools in case of roadside emergencies, including mechanical 5-Ton bottle jack, etc...
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Full disclosure:
About 10 years ago a friend asked if I still had some of the quite unusual size (and quality) radial tires I had purchased several sets 20 or so years earlier to use in some of my 1950's cars at the the time. Well, I found six slightly used ones tucked away in my storage and told him he could have them if he hauled them off, which he did and I was happy to just get rid of them, but couple of weeks later he came by again, handed me $600.00 in cash and told me he sold them to someone else for $100.-/each.
IIRC, I had paid around $60.00/each when they were new/unused 20 years earlier and they weren’t even OEM tires for the cars I bought them to use on.
Go figure.
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3 hours ago, Roger Walling said:
Are "ooold} tires really bad?
I have "new" tires that came with my car that are 30 years old and never been driven. They have been in a dark garage for ever.
I understand that late model tires have a "weaker" rubber content that does not stick to the steel ply's and that is why they are recommended to be changed in 6 years.
It the same fault inherent in older non steel tires?
I hardly ever drive on the highway, only slow city driving . The tires hardly even get warm.
What is your expert opinion, not what "they" say?
Just out of curiosity, do you or have you ever driven vintage cars extensively.
In past 4+ decades I've driven few hundred thousand miles between several dozen different cars ranging from late '20s to mid '70s and have experienced numerous mechanical/technical problems, including tire failures, with them.
I refuse to drive or ride in any car, modern or vintage, with tires older than 10 years of their DOM.
But then again, I'm a consummate (vintage) car guy who also takes safety, not only my own, but that of other road users, seriously.
Also, see below:
6 hours ago, TTR said:... 15 year old, ... ... +/-3000 miles since new original tires at moderate highway speed. Car... ... got totaled.
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24 minutes ago, JACK M said:
Used to be they would go on the slash burn pile.
Don't often see the black smoke anymore.
And with the advent of steel belted radials, re-purposing/-use of old tires became less cost-effective or practical, especially if/when cutting or grinding them is necessary.
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Couple thoughts:
- Tires on the car are +/-23 years old = far beyond safe-to-use. About 15 years beyond.
- Tires on the car have 11K+ miles on them = far from having any “collectible” value. If they were new/unused or very near so, they COULD have some(?) value beyond sentimental, but finding someone to appreciate, let alone pay for either MIGHT be difficult, if not impossible.
One of my clients 15 year old, sparingly driven, ($250K) sports car just last year had a blowout on one of its +/-3000 miles since new original tires at moderate highway speed. Car swapped ends and due to resulting impact (against K-rails), got totaled.
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While this topic (too) has nothing specifically to do with old cars, I can say my experiences* seem to suggest that shipping with USPS (and other small parcel carriers) is same as it's always been. Just last week (Tuesday ?) I sent a small Priority Mail package to Europe and apparently it was received yesterday.
* I'm not a high volume shipper, but do send few small packages each month, both domestically and internationally, using mostly USPS or UPS (+ occasionally with FedEx Express) and haven't experienced any notable issues with either.
My only recent (6+ months ago) major problem was with UPS Freight, which contrary to their website pricing for 4 large, +/-150 lbs crate shipments (consisting large vintage car windshields I produce) billed/charged me almost 4.5 times than initially quoted (and what I charged/collected from buyers/recipients).
All 4 shipments were expected to total little over $1500.-, but invoices I later received from UPS Freight for them totaled over $6500.-.
Took me over 2 months of utter BS to get excess refunded and I'll never give them any business again, even if they'd offer to do it for less than half compared to any other carrier or free.
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9 minutes ago, ply33 said:
Yeah. Orange County basically has Ortega Highway, Santiago Canyon Road and Live Oak Canyon Road and nothing else. At least nothing else I am aware of.
There are lots of nice roads in the hills and mountains of San Diego County but from where I am in south Orange County those are only accessible via Ortega Highway or, as you call it, the conveyor belt (freeway).
Yes, my apologies to those further south.
There are some quite nice, leisure drive roads in San Diego County also, including 67, 76, 78, 79, Sunrise Hwy, etc, but for a day drive they are just little too far for me.
OTOH, I/we have done those by making the trips for overnight or two and even combined some with attendance of a performances at "The Old Globe".
Antique Car Radiators
in General Discussion
Posted · Edited by TTR (see edit history)
Will they actually be making new (authentic/OEM spec) "Antique" car brass radiators or just aftermarket "hot/street rod" ones ?