Stephen's Performance

[tricky lugnuts]

Hey guys and gals -- just curious to know if anybody has dealt with the company before, and how it went. Stephen's is located in Alabama. I guess they have all the parts I need to fix my slightly wrecked Charger -- front pass. fender, chrome moulding, bumper, grilles, brackets, etc.

I just hate buying several thousands of dollars worth of parts sight unseen -- though I plan to ask them if they can send me some photos of the parts before they ship them to make sure its not all a bunch of rusty crap...

Anybody used 'em before? HOw'd it go? What was the quality of the used parts and were they shipped safely? Thanks in advance.

[joflaig]

I know how you feel. I bought a sight-unseen front fender side-marker housing. They are not cheap! I asked for a pic but got a no-can do. It also took a few weeks to get which I could not understand. The part was in excellent shape though.

[tricky lugnuts]

ANd that was at Stephen's? They said 2-4 weeks time for the fender and up to 16 weeks for the front bumper -- a triple plated rechromed piece.

I just don't want to get a fender that's got a bunch of rust, or twist, or awful dents or creases or whatever, and then be stuck with it, having paid for it in advance, and facing several hundred dollars to crate and ship it back. Shipping a front fender around several times across the country does not sound like my idea of a good time.

[joflaig]

ANd that was at Stephen's?

Yes.

[tricky lugnuts]

I hear you about the high prices, too --

$179 for the front fender moulding and about $150 for the side market light and bezel -- fortunately it's an insurance deal (the other person's), and they do seem to have all of the parts in stock in one place -- which I haven't been able to find anywhere else. Thanks for the feedback!!

[MichaelRW]

I bought two NOS power window motors from them a couple years ago. No problems at all.

[TeeWJay426]

Have bought a few things there- they are slow to respond, expensive, but the parts are usually as described. They were in my case, anyway.

[blackcharger]

I understand the good quilaty of the part, but $179 for a frick'n side marker? did they remember the jar of anal lube?
BUT, if your spending the other guys insuance $$, then go for it.

[TUFCAT]

Ted Stephens has maintained a good reputation in the hobby all these years. Price is always subjective.....but at least you won't get screwed on the part description.   

[Manfred318]

Ted Stephens has maintained a good reputation in the hobby all these years. Price is always subjective.....but at least you won't get screwed on the part description.   

Ive bought several things from him over the years and have had no problems at all. His prices are up there, but at least you get what you pay for.

[tricky lugnuts]

Hey guys, thanks for all the feedback.

I feel a lot more comfortable now knowing that others have ordered from there before and been satisfied with the quality of the used parts -- and shocked by the sometimes high prices!! I'm glad to know he has a good reputation.

Fortunately, yes, it is someone else's insurance money. Gotta teach 'em not to let their drivers hit Dodge Chargers -- and make sure they know that when they do they will have to pay SIGNIFICANTLY more for every last little nut and bolt...

Wish me luck -- approximately $2,500 just in parts, and then labor, for a light cosmetic hit!!!   

[Chatt69chgr]

Stephens has been scouring the Southeastern US for the past 25 or 30 years buying stuff.  He has acre after acre of cars and tractor trailers full of more stuff.  You are not allowed on the yard at his place.  They go out and get the item off.  He is high as he can get away with.  He isn't giving anything away.  It's good that he has preserved all this and I guess the marketplace will set the price.  The thing that makes me mad about him is he isn't satisfied with what he has.  He wants more.  I have been to some MOPAR shows, the one in Knoxville, TN on July 4 a couple of years ago to name one, where he conveniently set up with a bunch of junk so he could hit the other dealers before anyone else got in and hi-grade their stuff first.  He is obnoxious and his behavior along these lines has caused me to not want to do business with him.  Sooner or later, all these junk Mopars are going to be pretty well fixed up.  If he keeps on the way he is going, he may end up eating a lot of stuff before it's over.  But in his defense, I wouldn't be concerned about doing business with him.  I feel sure that you would get what you pay for.  In other words, I think he runs a legitimate honest business.   

[69charger2002]

man what year charger is it you're fixing? stephens usually has what people need, because he runs around at EVERY swap meet before they are even open like a madman buying all the deals.. then you guessed it. THROUGH the nose pricing when you need something. it's part of his operation, and it works for him, i bet he's a millionaire by now. if i had charged $179 for ONE front fender molding(i've sold whole sets for $125)..i guess i'd be rich too. but he is a business and i am just a charger nut in it for the love of cars and a hobby, not a business to make money on
good luck
trav

[chargerboy69]

I have purchased form them before. And like everyone else, the prices was high, but the part was nice.

[hemihead]

I've never dealt with them but I have heard about his prices. I guess I sell my parts too cheap.Not only his prices but everyone else's too. I guess I should get greedy too.

[69bronzeT5]

I contacted them to see if they had an ok shape fender for my Charger...they said $1k plus the crate and plus shipping....that seems abit too much.


One guy apperentley ordered parts from them and when he opened up the box, he found the parts in there but the box had alot of pine tree needles and acorns in it so some reasons

[pettyfan43]

I personally know Ted and have for many years, You WILL Get what you pay for, NO BS, and NO JUNK. He is as reasonable as most anybody else in the used parts business.

If you are a vendor and set up at shows, if you have what HE needs, he will generally pay what you ask unless it is ridiculous, REMEMBER, That business is his livelihood. Where most of us have a day job to pay the bills, that IS his day job, and he gets what the market will bear for parts.
THink about it, if he gave "buddy deals" to everybody that said they were his buddy, he would have an awful lot of "buddies" that just need parts.

That is his BUSINESS, the reason he always needs more is, like any other retail business, when inventory is sold, it has to be replaced.

I respect Ted because, like I said before, when you deal with him, you know where you stand, and the guy that was on the line 5 minutes before you paid the same thing you did.

His business is his job, the way he makes the house payment and puts food on the table, it is a big place with several employees. IT takes MONEY to run.

I bought quite a few things for my 66 from him (Repop stuff). Saved me money on other repro parts places that had the same stuff. Was downright cheap in other  new stuff . 

Remember, if you are buddies with Joe Bob at the local fillem up, he AIN'T gonna give you your gas that is normally 3.50 a gallon for 1.75. It AIN'T happenin!

When someone conducts BUSINESS they have to treat it like a BUSINESS, if they undersell THEMSELVES, they lose, if the price too high, they lose.

Just my nickel's worth.

[Alaskan_TA]

I lost a $10.00 bet to Ted, so I mailed him a ten dollar bill. He mailed it back because no one he knew had ever coughed up the dough before when he won a bet. He was in shock I think.

That is just the kind of guy he is.   

Barry

[hemi-hampton]

I know some Mopar People in Alabama & been hunting for Mopars in Alabama since the late 80's since my Parents live near Stephens Performance near Huntsville. In the late 80's & all through out the 90's all the local junkyards in Alabama wanted to make room for newer 80's & 90's cars because that is where the money was at selling newer parts to Collision shops, ect, ect. To make room for these newer cars all there older junk like 60's & 70's musclecars had to go to make room for the new. As a Result this stuff got scraped or crushed into a little 2x3 block of metal & going price at that time was $50 for this scraped car. I know people that would buy solid rustfree Mopar Musclecars from the Scrape yards & Junk yards for $50 & they would be happy to take the $50 for 69 Roadrunner, or 70 Charger (r/t or not, they didn't care) 71 Cuda,ect, ect because they got there $50 & did'nt care who it came from & saved them the time & hassle to have to actually crush. I dont know for sure But I think Ted took advantage of such things & bought up every old Mopar in a 300 radius like this. I know one abandoned junkyard in 1989 in Sticksvill that was full of Mopars. I come back 5 years later in 1994 & every where there was once a Mopar sitting was now a blank empty spot but all the other fords & GM's were still sitting there. Only Mopars Vanished. I figure Ted came driving up in a 18wheeler 8 car car hauler & haul them all away. SO, He pays $50 for a entire car but when you want to buy the Air Cleaner wing nut off this car he wants $50 for it. Buy the time he sells each little nut & bolt of this car he'd gotten $20,000+++ out of it after paying $50 for it. Yeah, That sounds fair

[68ChargerJMP]

I live about 40 or so miles from his place. A long time ago, when I first went out there, you could walk the yard with the guy to look for a certain part, but not anymore. He is pricey, he is kind of an asshole, but he's legit.

[TUFCAT]

I had a burrito with Ted at the Mopars at the Strip show in 2005..... and thought he was a cool guy.     By the way, if you've never eaten a burrito at this event - you're really missing out!!!   

[pettyfan43]

I know some Mopar People in Alabama & been hunting for Mopars in Alabama since the late 80's since my Parents live near Stephens Performance near Huntsville. In the late 80's & all through out the 90's all the local junkyards in Alabama wanted to make room for newer 80's & 90's cars because that is where the money was at selling newer parts to Collision shops, ect, ect. To make room for these newer cars all there older junk like 60's & 70's musclecars had to go to make room for the new. As a Result this stuff got scraped or crushed into a little 2x3 block of metal & going price at that time was $50 for this scraped car. I know people that would buy solid rustfree Mopar Musclecars from the Scrape yards & Junk yards for $50 & they would be happy to take the $50 for 69 Roadrunner, or 70 Charger (r/t or not, they didn't care) 71 Cuda,ect, ect because they got there $50 & did'nt care who it came from & saved them the time & hassle to have to actually crush. I dont know for sure But I think Ted took advantage of such things & bought up every old Mopar in a 300 radius like this. I know one abandoned junkyard in 1989 in Sticksvill that was full of Mopars. I come back 5 years later in 1994 & every where there was once a Mopar sitting was now a blank empty spot but all the other fords & GM's were still sitting there. Only Mopars Vanished. I figure Ted came driving up in a 18wheeler 8 car car hauler & haul them all away. SO, He pays $50 for a entire car but when you want to buy the Air Cleaner wing nut off this car he wants $50 for it. Buy the time he sells each little nut & bolt of this car he'd gotten $20,000+++ out of it after paying $50 for it. Yeah, That sounds fair

Maybe he got cars for 50 bucks, not sure about that, I live in the Huntsville area (within 50 miles of Ted's place) and I was looking around in the scrapyards at that same time. i NEVER got offered a parts car for any 50 bucks, I had a 69 Charger R/T. If I DID find a parts car (remember this was in about 86) they were 5-6 hundred bucks generally. I only gave 450 for my first Charger. But generally the salvage yards wanted to sell parts, NOT entire cars.

[onebadmopar]

tricky i live about 45minutes from him and people AROUND  here say his stuff is good but he gets more than top dollar for his stuff  i tried calling him for a drive shaft on my 69 never called me back

[onebadmopar]

hey pettyfan huntsville also  how do ya do

[bamadukefan02]

onebadmopar, pettyfan, and 68chargerjmp.  Yet another Alabama based  Mopar fan here.  Located in Gadsden myself but I do have family in your area