OE-style repopped UCAs on EBay for $139

[bull]

An Ebay seller that goes by classic_performance_cpp is either repopping or reselling repopped UCAs for $139 a pair complete with bushings and ball joints already installed. The cheapest I've seen them prior to this is around $300 bare so IMO this is a very good deal. Just FYI.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=380220794808&ssPageName=ADME:B:WNARL:MOTORS:1123

[b5blue]

I bought a set and they seem nice, well painted and ready to go. (We will see how they fit later this year)   

[Silver R/T]

that is nice deal

[Mike DC]

                   

Question is . . . what's the steel quality? 

 

[bull]

                   

Question is . . . what's the steel quality? 

 

Probably as good or better than it was in the late 60s. From what I've heard there was very high potash content back then making the steel less dense. Some say that's one reason muscle cars are so susceptible to rust.

[maxwellwedge]

The ones Gibson sells aren't painted so not sure of the origins of these but what else can you buy at that price......nothing! Worth rolling the dice on.

[Mike DC]

Probably as good or better than it was in the late 60s.

Almost every steel reproduction musclecar part that I've ever seen or heard of in the last 40 years suggests otherwise.  

[maxwellwedge]

Probably as good or better than it was in the late 60s.

Almost every steel reproduction musclecar part that I've ever seen or heard of in the last 40 years suggests otherwise.  

I agree - I don't know why it is so hard to duplicate 40 year old technology but very few can.

[b5blue]

You can bet your bippie I am keeping my original uppers as back ups! By the time I figured parts and labor @ 139.00 to my door and satisfaction guaranteed it was worth trying, had they been available sooner they would be on the car now. If the offered them with offset bushings I could have payed extra for that. They do SEEM to be nice quality though I'm no expert tiny details others here might pick up!

[Mike DC]

I agree - I don't know why it is so hard to duplicate 40 year old technology but very few can.

They can do it.  The Asian suppliers don't want to.

[b5blue]

I saw a show on steel production awhile back, having been a steel framer I was very interested in the science. Every phase of production effects the final product and there are many industrial secrets guarded closer than the formula for Coke. (No pun intended) The devil is in the details and sadly when you out source you can know if "they know" what they should. Ma Mopar had sources that knew what they were doing. (that's the difference we see!) (And why I'll keep my originals and keep a close eye on replacement parts.) 

[Mike DC]

IMHO the vast majority of the problems we're getting are just basic stuff that we shouldn't be dealing with.  We get "original strength" panels that are clearly half as good.  The alloy of the steel is crap and we're lucky if the thickness is close. 

These are often loadbearing parts.  Make a whole unibody out of this stuff and it could be a problem. 

People say "well, it would cost too much to pay to have it done in America so it's right."  That may be the case, but the Asian suppliers could be making it a lot better.  They show that kind of quality on tons of other products when it matters, they just don't do it for ours.  Surely some kind of deal could be reached that's cheaper than doing it at home but still better parts than what they've been giving us.  Home restorers might not pay 3-4x the Asian rate for better stuff but I'll bet they would pay 1.5x what they've been paying in the past if they had the option. 


I hear the AMD stuff is a lot better.  And the entire repro unibodies are supposedly better from Dynacorn.  I guess we can hope.  Maybe if bad repro steel gets someone killed it will draw some attention onto the issue. 

[b5blue]

Tougher steel means more durable tooling and the point I was alluding to is they don't know what/how we did it anyway. These cars were meant to last about 8 years from new, the fact that there are still ANY around is testimony to just how dam good the old engineers and workers were! (I am agreeing with you but it's hopeless....) Until I found this site I really thought I was a lone nut job driving around in a 40 year old car. Through ebay I found parts I never thought I would ever find again (I'm such a throw back I've only had a computer 2 years!) In the 15 years I've had my 70 all the sheet metal my car could need has been reproduced, the trick now is getting the best possible parts before the supply stops. 

[Highbanked Hauler]

the trick now is getting the best possible parts before the supply stops.

   Thats my concern, the well is going to dry up at some point.

[b5blue]

I now have back-up upper and lower control arms and a few other items for the dash. It's possible to collect known wear out items like hinges, clips and hardware now as some parts will probably get expensive as they get rare.