US PARTS MFG

[TUFCAT]

Mike is a genius with words - and his own best PR agent. That was an excellent commentary as usual.   

[bull]

Mike is a genius with words - and his own best PR agent. That was an excellent commentary as usual.   

Jeez, Tuffy.



Anyway, I was looking at the Charger Specialties website today and was actually surprised to see how much new stuff they have there after a long span of nothing. Why didn't you come on here and do some bragging instead of complaining, Mr. chargerpeople? Lookie here: http://chargerspecialties.com/new_product.htm New vacuum canisters, new rally gauges, new '68 grill centers...

[TUFCAT]

Come on Bull.....he gets my respect - - what can I say?     Love, Tuffy.

[bull]

Come on Bull.....he gets my respect - - what can I say?     Love, Tuffy.

Just messin' but next time, get a room.

[TUFCAT]

Now that's FUNNY!!    hee hee hee 

[moparstuart]

Well...Being on both ends of the reproduction parts business I'm going to give you my thoughts on this subject and take the risk of a major tongue lashing.

I truly believe, over the years, many of the guys that have produced parts for our cars deserves to be applauded.  They were making needed parts for our cars at a time when there was nothing.  The manufacturing techniques and material used may not have been the same as the original part, however, that type of part was all the market would bare.  Everyone here knows the millions of hours of free labor we put into our cars, the labor of love cost nothing. Many parts were developed by people out of a need they had doing their personal cars than offered that product to the market, us, other mopar knuckle heads. ("knuckle head"? Yea, meant in a good way, we are all a gluten pain.)  When typically hand made with low material cost and a labor of love, the part was affordable.

However, like anything else in life we are experiencing a transition in the hobby.  The interest level of our cars has increased exponentially over the last 5 years, mopar values have gone up (for the most part) and the interest in our cars as well.  There are more and more mopars being  restored every day as well as cars that were done 15 years ago when taking one to the extreme we do today was not common place.  Your average "Joe" is putting his car on a cradle and flipping it in his garage, that was usually left to the professionals years ago.

The market is more demanding today than it ever was, numbers matching, paperwork, primered bottoms, overspray and everything else that went into the production of these cars back in the day (we all know the score).  It's only natural that the demands on reproduction parts follow suit with quality, originality and being so good it's indistinguishable as being a reproduction part, those are tall marching orders and expensive.

I am also one for not copying a part that is already available as long as the part is of the quality and reasonably priced that this new mopar hobby expects.  For example, if a part that is available, say the 71 Cuda front valance insert,  originally made from ABS plastic and is offered in fiberglass we might consider making that part which we did.  Pot metal convertible belt moldings, originally available in brass or soft white metal is another example.  One of the biggest reasons we are doing so many lenses is because a big pile on the market are a cast resin and not acrylic as original.  I remember about 10 years ago I purchased a set of the clear front marker lenses for one of my 71 cudas at the Mopar Nationals and stuck them in my trailer parked up on the hill, you know which one, the hill behind the swap meet area.  By the end of the day, with only the sun beating on the roof, my new lenses were melted flat and unusable. That's what happens to a resin lens.

As a manufacturer and supplier, it all comes down to the customer, nothing else matters.  Produce the best product available, have a genuine passion for what ever you're doing and service the customer and your company we be a success.

We all need to be more conscious about what we say and how we say it, sometimes our mouth overloads our a$$ whole and things come out we normally wouldn't say (I'm as guilty as the next).  Our tongue is one of the most lethal weapons god gave us and we all need to be more careful using it.

Michael C. Ross - Owner
B/E & A Restoration Parts, Inc.
www.beaparts.com
330-725-3990

well said and i'm sure you will be getting alot more of my money for you quality parts

[hemi-hampton]

I have to agree with hemihead 100%. LEON.

[472 R/T SE]

The font looks close on the fuel gauge.  Last time someone questioned the font on the tic toch tach we were brow beat by the Specialty folks.  It's a shame but that's all I remember from them. 

[bull]

The font looks close on the fuel gauge.  Last time someone questioned the font on the tic toch tach we were brow beat by the Specialty folks.  It's a shame but that's all I remember from them. 

I wonder why they just don't buy gauge face decals from that place in Florida? Looks like the tach numbers are still 500 RPMs off the original too.

[472 R/T SE]

Speaking of the place in Florida, here's their gauge face (on right) compared to C.S.'s (on left).

[Khyron]

If this helps, this is when I redid my gauges.

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,7746.0.html

[Steve P.]

Wait a minute........  What place in FLORIDA?? ?? ??   

[472 R/T SE]

AFAIK, Performance-Car-Graphics in Tallahassee, Florida is the only outlet for "correct" decal replacements for cluster gauges.  Mike in the cluster thread said Dave does the odometer wheel as well for $20.  The one thing that sticks out when you upgrade your gauges, everything's all purty except the odometer wheel.

[Steve P.]

How did I not know that??  Thank you bro....   

[dkn1997]

It's great to see new gauges finally, but why not make them with the right font?  On the surface, it makes no sense to the average joe like me.  If you were paying someone to manufacture a part for you, seems like getting the right font would not be any more work or money vs. using the incorrect one. 

There has to be some reason for this, some "behind the scenes" type of thing.  I have always been curious about this since the tach came out.

[xs29j8Bullitt]

I am more concerned about the difference in the location of the normal operating range on the face than the font differences in the lettering.

Maybe it is a later model mechanism adapted for this application by mounting it into a new face plate... Where have I seen that operating range configuration before... 

XS

[Shakey]

I am more concerned about the difference in the location of the normal operating range on the face than the font differences in the lettering.

Maybe it is a later model mechanism adapted for this application by mounting it into a new face plate... Where have I seen that operating range configuration before... 

XS

Actually, both of those gauges Mike posted are correct.  I have two clusters for my '69 Charger and when I was looking the both of them over to decide on which one was going to be sent out for restoration I noticed the two different ranges. 

I never did get around to photographing the both of them and posting them here for discussion.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

I am more concerned about the difference in the location of the normal operating range on the face than the font differences in the lettering.

Maybe it is a later model mechanism adapted for this application by mounting it into a new face plate... Where have I seen that operating range configuration before... 

XS

if you look here you can see the directions that came with my gauge decal set....it shows the 68 model & early up to 12/68 SPD 1969 models with the older temp gauge range....

http://www.1969chargerregistry.com/gallery/facts/12_31_2005_5_43_43_PM_0002?full=1

It's great to see new gauges finally, but why not make them with the right font?  On the surface, it makes no sense to the average joe like me.  If you were paying someone to manufacture a part for you, seems like getting the right font would not be any more work or money vs. using the incorrect one. 

There has to be some reason for this, some "behind the scenes" type of thing.  I have always been curious about this since the tach came out.

Dejavu with the tach font.....

[472 R/T SE]

Font tho Shakey?  Trivial most likely for the majority but when judging a restored cars it's something I would notice, along with the yellowed odometer wheel, decal edges around the wheel of a restored cluster. 

I remember something about the operating range too.  Edit:  I see Chris addressed that. 

[Shakey]

I'll check next time I'm at the farm.

[xs29j8Bullitt]

I am more concerned about the difference in the location of the normal operating range on the face than the font differences in the lettering.

Maybe it is a later model mechanism adapted for this application by mounting it into a new face plate... Where have I seen that operating range configuration before... 

XS

if you look here you can see the directions that came with my gauge decal set....it shows the 68 model & early up to 12/68 SPD 1969 models with the older temp gauge range....

http://www.1969chargerregistry.com/gallery/facts/12_31_2005_5_43_43_PM_0002?full=1

Thanks for the info Chris... I never knew that... I guess I have been driving the `Cuda too long!

Allen

[gtx6970]

Rule #1 for any company is make money. #2 sell a quality product #3 is treat all customers the same regardless - of how much they're  spending - follow all 3 , to the letter, and everything else will take care of itself

Would I like to sell nothing but USA made parts ? Sure . But lets face it,  it ain't gonna happen. US production  costs are simply to high . It costs to much to live here as opposed to other countries . But I'll stay here thank you very much

[bull]

Chris, thanks for posting that. I never heard anything about that until now.

So basically they're saying was it just the gauge face that was off not that the gauges were calibrated differently. And now Charger Specialties in reproducing the mistake. I wonder if eventually they'll be offereing a free, 185-degree replacement like the dealers did back then.

So now what? If you want a correct restoration do you go with the mistake?

[xs29j8Bullitt]

So now what? If you want a correct restoration do you go with the mistake?

Easy choice for me... going with the "corrected" version!

I can understand someone doing a concurs retoration doing otherwise, but that is not for me.

XS   

[bull]

So now what? If you want a correct restoration do you go with the mistake?

Easy choice for me... going with the "corrected" version!

I can understand someone doing a concurs retoration doing otherwise, but that is not for me.

XS   

Yea, I have to agree.