New Reproduction '69 Charger Center Grilles PRE-ORDER

[Charger Aficionado]

I think Reproduction News is "Front Page" stuff right? 




PPR is now settled-into their new home in McKinney Texas. They will be taking pre-orders on the new CENTER '69 CHARGER GRILLES! 

The first batch will come out in about 10 days.  You can call PPR's new office in Texas to order by C.C.  (972) 548 7056

They are reproduced from my awesome FLAWLESS NOS center grille.  I was told that they will be painted the argent color in the proper areas.  These should be really really nice! 

ABOUT DAMNED TIME!!! 

[AirborneSilva]

Do they have a web site?

[Old Moparz]

That is good news, they made a decent Cuda grille before. I hope they take a little more pride in customer service than in the past though. Layson's & Keisler are building one for poor relations & it raises a red flag with me. It's the basis of whether I save a few bucks on an item & risk waiting 4 months without hearing a word, or pay a few more & go with a company who responds better.

I'm not bashing Premiere, just stating a fact.

Bob

[Charger Aficionado]

Bob, I hope your deal was an exception for their sake.  Did that custom crate that you made take some of the time?  Or did that just happen during the wait?

I shipped Cuda Grilles and they are a B to ship.  I KNOW these should go out alot quicker.  That is one of his motivations for closing Cuda and going to Charger (SHIPPING).

[Old Moparz]

Jude,

It took me one weekend to make the crate & get all the packing materials in it. I sent it out on Monday, & Steve had it in CA in 5 days through DHL. I followed the tracking # & emailed him to make sure it was okay. He told me he got it, & that it would go out that week, but it didn't. From the time I had used the buy it now option, until he had acknowledged that he received the crate, was less than 2 weeks.

If you recall, you posted the photo of the Premiere Plastics flier with a Charger grille sitting on the top of my crate in Steve's driveway. (I still have that image saved somewhere too.) The auction was the last week of October, but I didn't get the grille until January. During that time I emailed & called, but rarely got a response & was concerned I was ripped off. Eventually an email was answered & his wife said the grille was on it's way.

There were a few people on the Cuda-Challenger site who complained that Premiere was slow & that damage was also an issue from UPS. That was the reason for me building & sending Steve the crate & packing materials. It should have taken him no longer than an hour to unscrew the lid, remove the packing materials, wrap the grille, put it in the crate, & screw the lid back on. I guess I should have used less screws so it could have went faster. 

I was happy with the product, but my point is that any member ordering a Charger grille shouldn't be surprised if it takes 4 months to see it.

Bob

[Charger Aficionado]

I disagree, I think 2 weeks tops because of the ease of how this will ship.  If you need one call the number listed, and I'm sure they will give you a more precise time.  I don't know what happened with yours, but watching his 100% eBay feedback on them I doubt he took over 3 or 4 weeks to ship a single one of those (you know how people are on eBay).

[Old Moparz]

100% feedback?

Do you know why?

Because they closed that account & reopened a new account with a different name. I'm not making this a pissing match, but the whole deal left a sour taste with me & I kept records of everything. If you unregister your ebay account you can't get a negative feedback. You also can't get a positive one, but not getting either won't make you look bad.

Here's the link with the user name that I purchased the grille through. There's only 3 feedbacks & one was a buyer who made his purchase after me & got his grille way before me.

http://feedback.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback&userid=anushca71&item=-1&frm=1883

[bull]

So when will the other plastic grill pieces be reproduced, such as the outer bezels that always seem to have the outside corners broken off?

I wouldn't doubt that PG Classics starts making grill parts because they've been putting out some pretty impressive stuff latley, such as this: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/66-68-MOPAR-CHARGER-ROADRUNNER-GTX-4-SP-CONSOLE-PLATE_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ34208QQihZ002QQitemZ4649739480

And this: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/69-Charger-Super-Bee-GTX-Road-Runner-A-C-Gauge-Beze-Kit_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ80739QQihZ002QQitemZ120008747935

Many reproduction companies could learn a thing or two from them regarding quality.

[Chris G.]

100% feedback?

Do you know why?

Because they closed that account & reopened a new account with a different name. I'm not making this a pissing match, but the whole deal left a sour taste with me & I kept records of everything.

Yo 'da man Bob.    It's not too hard to close an ebay account and start a new one at all... just ask the thread starter  . Piss away Bob, you dealt with this seller before, and your words mean more to me than any guy on here trying to peddle parts for sale. Maybe the seller has now got his stuff together, but I remember your story.

IIRC, this guy's flyer also had a '70 Grille on it that was supposed to be released in the spring of 2005 or something? What happened to that?

And yes Bull, PG Classics has some great stuff coming out lately. 

[Charger Aficionado]

Yo 'da man Bob.    It's not too hard to close an ebay account and start a new one at all... just ask the thread starter  . Piss away Bob, you dealt with this seller before, and your words mean more to me than any guy on here trying to peddle parts for sale. Maybe the seller has now got his stuff together, but I remember your story.
IIRC, this guy's flyer also had a '70 Grille on it that was supposed to be released in the spring of 2005 or something? What happened to that?
And yes Bull, PG Classics has some great stuff coming out lately. 

First of all, for bob:  He did admit that he was grossly late with shipping your grille, and from what I understand he was moving (back in '03 I believe), at the time and got bogged down with alot of things.

Secondly, to chris:  You are pretty un-grateful that I bring any word of what I know to anyone, but you seem to have a HUGE stick wedged-tighly up there.    I am not as you say "Peddling" something, rather I am just letting you guys know ahead of time.  I stand to gain NOTHING by bringing you any news other than helping a friend (and am giving you guys info). 

I met Steve at PPR when I was trying to help Bob locate his grille (again helping someone, just like I was shooting Burnt Orange Auctions to you when I crossed-past them on ebay, helping you).  I really like the guy and think his intensions are DAMN good, and that he does great for a "one man show".  I could not believe that he put an ad in MoPar Collector's guide offering his Cuda grilles at $499, when the ones I bought from him were selling consistantly at $700 on eBay (even after we discussed their potential).  You know what this guy tells me?  "I wanted everyone to have a chance at getting one"...  Now that's a "stand-up" guy.  I believe in that company.  Maybe you'd rather see him making Chevy parts? 

His ebay account has been registered since '02 and looks to be open and in good standing: http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback&userid=wiyohpeyata

POINT BEING:  Don't Bash just to run your mouth, APPRECIATE that reproduction parts are made, and know that the guy is doing the very best he can to produce and distribute them.  If you remember that flyer I copied was projected parts that he wanted to make, are you going to sit there and complain and complain even though the guy is going as fast as he can?  Why don't you go volunteer your time to get things moving for the Charger community, you seem to have enough time to Bitch and MOAN on the Internet, put your time to good use...

[Chris G.]

First of all, for bob:  He did admit that he was grossly late with shipping your grill, and from what I understand he was moving (back in '03 I believe), at the time and got bogged down with alot of things.

Secondly, to chris:  You are pretty un-grateful that I bring any word of what I know to anyone, but you seem to have a HUGE stick wedged-tighly up there.  I am not as you say "Peddling" something, rather I am just letting you guys know ahead of time.  I stand to gain NOTHING by bringing you any news other than helping a friend (and am giving you guys info). 

I met Steve at PPR when I was trying to help Bob locate his grille (again helping someone, just like I was shooting Burnt Orange Auctions to you when I crossed-past them on ebay).  I really like the guy and think his intensions are DAMN good, and that he does great for a "one man show".  I could not believe that he put an ad in MoPar Collector's guide offering his Cuda grilles at $499, when the ones I bought from him were selling consistantly at $700 on eBay (even after we discussed their potential).  You know what this guy tells me?  "I wanted everyone to have a chance at getting one"...  Now that's a "stand-up" guy. 

Your words pretty much summed up what you are about. First you disagree with Bob saying his parts probably didn't take that long and the 100% ebay blah blah blah thing. All of a sudden you now have an excuse for your buddy because he was "moving" or whatever. Jude, get it together. By you admitting you bought a bunch of grilles from him for $499 and then flipped them for $700, let's me know what kind of guy you are. The sooner guys like you are out of this hobby (like you suggested doing in your 500 for sale ad), the better. You're not an Aficionado, nor a Charger Fanatic, you are a businessman who makes money buying and selling these cars. Maybe I'll get flamed by some because I love the hobby and hate people that come in and ruin it, but whatever, to each his own. You posting this and not "gaining" anything from it, is not in your vocabulary.

ps- Tell CathyFarmGirl congrats on the 11K Charger she bought last month. I thought you were in debt from the 500? 

[Charger Aficionado]

  You got me wrong bubba.  I live sleep and dream about my cars, and have owned them since age 16 (for around 15 years now).  I have still not turned a positive profit on this at all, and I consider it a hobby.  Admit it, if you could do it you would buy lots of cars to play with???  Nevermind, let's not suppose...  You will continue to have hatred for whatever your reason is...

  You think buying some grilles and posting them on eBay makes me a bad guy???  Your dilusional.  They sold for what the market demanded, and were immediatley dropped down by the decision to sell them for ALOT-LESS by a STAND-UP guy.  Matter-of-Fact it was labed a "market test". 

you are a businessman who makes money buying and selling these cars.
ps- Tell CathyFarmGirl congrats on the 11K Charger she bought last month. I thought you were in debt from the 500? 

Hmmmmmmm and why do you think I'm not on a Camaro board or into something else???  Rrrrright...  I have no affinity for Chargers...  You have lost your mind dude.

[Chris G.]

  You got me wrong bubba.  I live sleep and dream about my cars.  I have still not turned a positive profit on this at all, and I consider it a hobby.  Admit it, if you could do it you would buy lots of cars to play with???  Nevermind, let's not suppose...  You will continue to have hatred for whatever your reason is...

Yawn...

You know what you do for the hobby and what I do. If you haven't made a profit on any of the cars you have flipped, perhaps you should go back to school and learn how to do it. I could have flipped for a living (anyone can), but I just can't do it. I decided to give back to the hobby with a site that I know you have frequented many times in your travels...cost for people viewing? $0. That's what I'm about.

ps- You're welcome for all the info I have helped you with... Mr. Charger Aficionado. 

[Charger Aficionado]

  Come 'on can't you do better than that?  I put things on Credit Cards is the first HUGE mistake that I made, and even worse is that I want everything to be COMPLETE, so I take forever while interest accrues...  I'm proud of what you have done also on the 70 board, but I'm not going to let you bash a decent guy (me or him). 

[Chris G.]

I'm not going to let you bash a decent guy (me or him). 

I'm not bashing HIM. If he's selling the stuff and it's nice and "shippable", then it's all good. I never said a bad thing about HIM.

ps- Can you confirm if his old flyer had a '70 Grille on it as something he would be doing as well? 

[Charger Aficionado]

Yes it did have a '70 grille.  He had a buddy's '70 Charger Grille, but since the move I had to give it back to my buddy. 
http://www.sierratel.com/tsg3/charger/

People are pressing him to do a '70 Cuda grille right now, and he just got a MINT one to use.

If there is anyone in Texas that has a STRAIGHT'70 Charger grille, if they are willing to donate it for some time, he will offer a NEW one back with it when it's returned.

[AirborneSilva]

Chris,

I don't know you but I do know Jude and can say that he has helped me more then anyone on this board and has not asked for a thing!  Now I don't know if you have or have not helped any fellow charger lovers but know you love them cause you are keeping the registry (which I guess is a service to fellow charger owners).  You may say that you are not bashing him, the parts seller, but you certainly are bashing Jude and are coming across as an ass.  Now, not knowing you I would hope that you are just having a bad afternoon and are not really that way.  We all have problems from time to time but don't deserve to be treated  with contempt if you do not know all the facts.  We are here to help each other, or to learn from each other, not bicker and call names (unless you happen to be from HLPAG then you are a scum sucking pig who deserves a slow VERY painful death  )

[Old Moparz]

To set some of this straight, I never did think that Premiere Plastics, or the owner Steve, was a bad company or person. I also understand that it is a company in business to make a profit, & they are not there to provide a charitable service to offer grilles to poor owners of old cars that cannot get replacement parts. The grille was a very decent product for the $550 I was charged, & if it weren't for being ignored & delayed for close to 4 months, I would be 100% satisfied.

I bought my '71 Cuda grille from an ebay user in October of 2004 called "anushca71" (Steve at Premiere Plastics - See the ebay link in one of my previous posts above.) I exchanged emails & phone numbers before the actual purchase. When I spoke to Steve, he was very decent, & up front about shipping damages from previous sales. After discussing this, I determined that the type of crate, method of packing, & the gorillas at UPS were the cause, & we agreed that I would build & send my own crate to him, & he would pack it & ship it back.

I drew a sketch of how the grille should be wrapped, how the crate should be constructed, & how the wrapped grille should be placed in the crate. I even made a list of building materials in case Steve wanted to copy the crate for future sales. I included all the packing materials & made it very simple. Several problems existed, but I was not aware until months later. Yes, Steve was moving both his shop as well as his own residence, but I was not told this, or that there would be any delays in my shipment because of it.

Another problem surfaced when he advertised another auction soon after for another '71 Cuda grille after he received my crate. That sale was completed, & positive feedback was left in November of 2004. Jude (Charger Aficionado) posted a flier with the photo of the Charger grille sitting on top of the crate I sent, long before I got my grille that was paid for in full. There were no oversights, & Steve seemed to have plenty of time to use my crate for his display. I had been calling & sending emails twice each week & having them completely ignored.

It was after the flier that was posted by Charger Aficionado, that I posted to warn people they should be concerned that Premiere Plastics might not be a reputable seller based on the fact I had not received my grille after 3 months time. If I could not get a phone call or email returned, what would any reasonable person think after 3 months? Finally in January of 2005 I received the grille for the '71 Cuda. It was wrapped just as I had asked it to be & undamaged. Sometime during my wait on the grille, I considered leaving a negative feedback because I was under the impression that I may have been ripped off.

I logged onto ebay & discovered that "anushca71" was no longer a registered user, & that I could no longer leave a feedback rating at all. If poor communication, poor customer service, & giving the impression of disappearing from the hobby is a good way to piss someone off, it worked. I still remained patient considering I had $550 invested in the grille, $250 invested in the round trip shipping, & the $125 cost of the crate. ($925 total)

I would still recommend both Premiere Plastics & Steve as a source for grilles, but caution anyone that they must be patient unless the poor customer service changed. (The ebay feedback system is greatly flawed & not a 100% reliable method to judge a seller.) The grilles that were advertised on ebay & in a magazine for $499, were the last ones in the production run of '71 cuda grilles. It was stated that minor blemishes existed in theses grilles due to the normal wear that takes place on the mold, & not a vendor feeling sorry for all those buying grilles & cannot afford them.

It's a business making a reasonable profit, not the Red Cross helping flood victims.

[Charger Aficionado]

Holy Moly.  How fast do you type Bob?

[hotrod98]

I wanted an extra grille for my 71 cuda for a backup just in case, but never did find anyone that could tell me if all of the original moldings and trim would fit properly on his repro. When you consider the total cost involved in getting one to your door, it's a risky investment at best. For a company to do well, it needs to offer a premium product, a fair price and prompt service with good communication. If I see even one of those attributes lacking, I generally walk away. Hopefully this guy will continue making grilles, lord knows we need them. I also suggest that he make several pieces and then attend all of the major mopar shows. He will almost assuredly leave with no grilles and a pocket full of money. The best part is the customer can see the product, safely transfer the money and spend nothing on shipping. Everyone wins. When I finally get this new building finished and we get started on the wing car parts, I plan to sell my parts at the major events. Those noses are a bitch to ship.
BTW, I have a perfect AAR cuda grille that's been in my closet for the last 20 years.

[dongar69]

Looks like I'll be making a short trip to see his operation. Only because I live in Mckinney.

[dkn1997]

To set some of this straight, I never did think that Premiere Plastics, or the owner Steve, was a bad company or person. I also understand that it is a company in business to make a profit, & they are not there to provide a charitable service to offer grilles to poor owners of old cars that cannot get replacement parts. The grille was a very decent product for the $550 I was charged, & if it weren't for being ignored & delayed for close to 4 months, I would be 100% satisfied.

I bought my '71 Cuda grille from an ebay user in October of 2004 called "anushca71" (Steve at Premiere Plastics - See the ebay link in one of my previous posts above.) I exchanged emails & phone numbers before the actual purchase. When I spoke to Steve, he was very decent, & up front about shipping damages from previous sales. After discussing this, I determined that the type of crate, method of packing, & the gorillas at UPS were the cause, & we agreed that I would build & send my own crate to him, & he would pack it & ship it back.

I drew a sketch of how the grille should be wrapped, how the crate should be constructed, & how the wrapped grille should be placed in the crate. I even made a list of building materials in case Steve wanted to copy the crate for future sales. I included all the packing materials & made it very simple. Several problems existed, but I was not aware until months later. Yes, Steve was moving both his shop as well as his own residence, but I was not told this, or that there would be any delays in my shipment because of it.

Another problem surfaced when he advertised another auction soon after for another '71 Cuda grille after he received my crate. That sale was completed, & positive feedback was left in November of 2004. Jude (Charger Aficionado) posted a flier with the photo of the Charger grille sitting on top of the crate I sent, long before I got my grille that was paid for in full. There were no oversights, & Steve seemed to have plenty of time to use my crate for his display. I had been calling & sending emails twice each week & having them completely ignored.

It was after the flier that was posted by Charger Aficionado, that I posted to warn people they should be concerned that Premiere Plastics might not be a reputable seller based on the fact I had not received my grille after 3 months time. If I could not get a phone call or email returned, what would any reasonable person think after 3 months? Finally in January of 2005 I received the grille for the '71 Cuda. It was wrapped just as I had asked it to be & undamaged. Sometime during my wait on the grille, I considered leaving a negative feedback because I was under the impression that I may have been ripped off.

I logged onto ebay & discovered that "anushca71" was no longer a registered user, & that I could no longer leave a feedback rating at all. If poor communication, poor customer service, & giving the impression of disappearing from the hobby is a good way to piss someone off, it worked. I still remained patient considering I had $550 invested in the grille, $250 invested in the round trip shipping, & the $125 cost of the crate. ($925 total)

I would still recommend both Premiere Plastics & Steve as a source for grilles, but caution anyone that they must be patient unless the poor customer service changed. (The ebay feedback system is greatly flawed & not a 100% reliable method to judge a seller.) The grilles that were advertised on ebay & in a magazine for $499, were the last ones in the production run of '71 cuda grilles. It was stated that minor blemishes existed in theses grilles due to the normal wear that takes place on the mold, & not a vendor feeling sorry for all those buying grilles & cannot afford them.

It's a business making a reasonable profit, not the Red Cross helping flood victims.

you know, while that story is a bit disturbing, at least it proves that you will eventually get your stuff. 

[my69]

Do they have a web site?

[69charger2002]

i also have known jude for a while.. he has never done me wrong, and actually helped me on countless occasions as well. no need for unnecessary bashing on this site unless you can prove something is wrong with him, or he has done something to you personally. the whole bashing him for "flipping" is absurd, but of course i remember not all that long ago when you made a few wisecrack comments on one of my posts, because you appeared to not like the fact that i occasionally buy and sell to pay for my charger addiction..  but to make up statements like he is a bad guy, or that he doesn't love chargers as much as you do.. just because he didn?'t go create a free 70 web board for people, that is just wrong..  i guess you think i'm bad for the hobby too. do you wish i'd quit collecting.. or showing my collection that now consists of 8 NICE chargers, that all came to be because i was able to buy and sell some chargers to pay for them free and clear? shame on me..   
trav

[Chris G.]

Never even mentioned your name Trav. 

He, in so many words, said Bob's encounter probably didn't go the way Bob described. I chimed in and said I believe Bob and it isn't very hard to change user id names on eBay. I was then told I had a big stick up my (blank) by your boyfriend.

Life goes on boys, we can't all like what each other does. I think flipping hurts this hobby more than you or Jude will ever know. There's no difference in what you do as a opposed to what big dealers do. You just perform on a smaller stage. I hate dealers and I don't like flippers. Is that so hard to fathom?

I'm done here. Bash away if you want. My PM box is also always available.