Had my first crappy aftermarket product today.
I ordered the reproduction console lid. For $79, you'd expect something pretty good.
1) there were scratches on the inner console lid panel. Almost like screwdriver marring.
2) the holes for the latch were sloppy. I had to drill them out more. The hole for the retaining wire wasn't drilled out at all.
3) the fasteners were not close to stock. Some came with washers. Using the original fasteners didn't always work...many too short.
4) the fitment wasn't much better than what I had, so I threw it back in the box and it's about to go in the trash.
5) they actually provide you screws that if you tighten it too much, it deforms the other side. My god.
What a crap part. The stock part was a crap part , but this just takes the cake. I think I will be looking for a console lid that's OEM now and will create a Frankenstein console lid that fits correctly.
My experiences with aftermarket parts otherwise has been pretty excellent.
OEM brand front trim molding for the hood was very excellent. Perfect fit and look. Worked with stock fasteners.
Reproduction fuel filter was dead on.
Aftermarket race fuel door was pretty good in fit and finish. Real good.
Reproduction heater hoses were most excellent.
Reproduction AMD front windshield was perfect in fit and color tinting. The Chrysler etching was dead on.
Reproduction windshield washer tank was most excellent.
Reproduction trunk mat was super nice.
The console lid I swear is the crumiest part on the eBodies both stock and aftermarket.
Where'd ya buy it from?
Tony's Parts I heard were pretty good.
"Reproduction trunk mat was super nice."
Clearly you've never handled an original... Or even an old obsolete MCO reproduction...
Quote from: Topcat on September 27, 2018, 07:11:16 PM
Where'd ya buy it from?
Tony's Parts I heard were pretty good.
Classic industries. I'm fairly sure it's the same exact part. Doubtful there are multiple reproductions. They look identical in the product images and are priced the same. This one even came with the "authentic mopar restoration" which is more often than not a good sign, but nope...
Quote from: 1 Wild R/T on September 27, 2018, 07:13:02 PM
"Reproduction trunk mat was super nice."
Clearly you've never handled an original... Or even an old obsolete MCO reproduction...
Your point? Very happy with Dante's mats. Have you handled one of them? Thick, conforms, no wrinkles, covers what it should, and hardly any trimming needed.
Quote from: kawahonda on September 27, 2018, 07:15:32 PM
Quote from: 1 Wild R/T on September 27, 2018, 07:13:02 PM
"Reproduction trunk mat was super nice."
Clearly you've never handled an original... Or even an old obsolete MCO reproduction...
Your point? Very happy with Dante's mats. Have you handled one of them?
Yes, I have... My point is while the current trunk mats serve a purpose they aren't even close to the original....
Hoping Jim Filmore decides to enter the market with an option.... His stuff is always top notch...
Where did you find a nice trunk mat? The last good repro one I saw on the market hasn't been sold in over 25 years.
I had a repro exhaust clamp I paid $15 a piece for snap like a twig when I tried to tighten it up.
I also had a repro rear shackle snap while we tightened it.
I have AMD glass in my car. The windshield isn't bad but the side and rear glass give me a headache when I look at it. I'm having the original side and rear glass polished now and can't wait until the repro is just a bad memory!
For the most part I like most of the repro parts I've used though.
My preference is not necessarily what is just like the original in every way possible, but what is a quality, well machined, and well produced part that can be argued better or just as good than the original that fits and looks like it's right at home.
Stay away from the console lid. It fails those metrics in all way possible.
Believe me, I'm a picky person if you've seen my work...
Yea, some reproduction parts are acceptable. Most of it is garbage, but it is getting better. :fingerscrossed:
I use original parts if at all possible. I've thrown out quite a few garbage cans of repro stuff.
Buy through Roseville & he will let you know if the parts are substandard
Yep.... I'm very cautious of repro parts. I call vendor and ask questions, iv'e sent parts back and made the vendor pay return shipping.
Quote from: Chryco Psycho on September 27, 2018, 08:02:41 PM
Buy through Roseville & he will let you know if the parts are substandard
:iagree: Dave has been nothing but a pleasure to work with and knows his vendors.
For whats it worth I bought a new spring from Roseville as my "repro" lid didnt fit well either. The new spring helped the lid fit better.
Is it worth getting a 70 spring? I hear 71 and above springs were softer and didn't tweak things so damn much.
Assume you mean hinge.
Quote from: JH27N0B on September 27, 2018, 07:19:50 PM
Where did you find a nice trunk mat? The last good repro one I saw on the market hasn't been sold in over 25 years.
I had a repro exhaust clamp I paid $15 a piece for snap like a twig when I tried to tighten it up.
I also had a repro rear shackle snap while we tightened it.
I have AMD glass in my car. The windshield isn't bad but the side and rear glass give me a headache when I look at it. I'm having the original side and rear glass polished now and can't wait until the repro is just a bad memory!
For the most part I like most of the repro parts I've used though.
@JH27N0B (https://forum.e-bodies.org/mlist/jh27n0b_308) Where are you having the glass polished? I've thought about doing that to my vert rear quarter glass but I've heard that it's next to impossible to get good results.
Also, is the glass you're polishing clear or tinted and does that make a difference when polishing?
I got A new console lid from tony's last year, I did have to make A small piece for the button to screw to but other than that I was pleased with the product.
I got a AMD rear valance, the licence plate bracket is on about a 10 degree angle. Looks pretty awesome. and unfortunately I already had it painted before i noticed it. Emailed them multiple times with no response. I guess some are good and some aren't, even when spending good hard earned money. Sucks but its true
Yea, you've been lucky. I've been dealing with, fixing up, and working around crap parts since the 1980s.
Only one bad aftermarket part is doing pretty well!
Injection molding isn't the easiest thing to control without pretty substantial tooling in place.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I have not had good experience with YO or CL. I call Dave first every time. :banana:
Yea, I'm doing pretty well with reproduction stuff for eBodies so far. Maybe I got all the good stuff?
I ordered Dynacorn 1/4 extension moldings just a little bit earlier. I will report back on fit and finish.
Totally agree that plastic injection, unless you got some serious dollars in tooling and quality control, it will be never be as good as the stock part!
If anyone has any console lids sitting around, let me know. The recovered seats will be done soon, and the console lid fit/finish is the next biggest eye sore.
I've had ok success with repo parts, I had an issue with the AMD rear Cuda seat floor. The holes where the center seat belt bolts go through were big enough to drive a truck through. Same issue with the rally hood bolts to springs. WAY TOO BIG. You'd think they could at least get that right.
Quote from: Cuda_mark on September 28, 2018, 05:53:40 AM
Quote from: JH27N0B on September 27, 2018, 07:19:50 PM
@JH27N0B (https://forum.e-bodies.org/mlist/jh27n0b_308) Where are you having the glass polished? I've thought about doing that to my vert rear quarter glass but I've heard that it's next to impossible to get good results.
Also, is the glass you're polishing clear or tinted and does that make a difference when polishing?
A shop I'm using in Indiana has someone who comes in and does glass polishing.
I'll report back when I see the results.
The shop in IL that finished the bodywork and painted my car had an engineer in MI who did glass polishing as a sideline. He'd developed a technique with some sort of 2 part epoxy he'd fill the low points created when he'd polish. He charged by the hour and a Superbird in the shop when my car was there supposedly had run up a $3000 glass polishing bill with the guy in MI! It looked great though.
Quote from: Chryco Psycho on September 27, 2018, 08:02:41 PM
Buy through Roseville & he will let you know if the parts are substandard
Just make sure you ask him first. Or else he will sell you crap parts like many other venders. Don't assume he will let you know before hand! :alan2cents:
Ouch ! :pokeeye:
Quote from: anlauto on September 30, 2018, 05:14:15 AM
Ouch ! :pokeeye:
I don't mean to throw stones , But now a days you really need to ask questions first. I am sure we are all guilty of buying first and assuming the part will be ' decent 'or 'good'. that's what theses forums are for. And I have gotten parts I wasn't happy with.
I didn't have any luck/ not happy with repop rear bumper and tail light chrome bezels on my 70 Challenger. I don't consider myself real picky either....
Being a retailer for this stuff is a tough gig. You don't make the parts but everybody that buys them blames the retailer if they are substandard. As a retailer when you get feedback you pass it on as much as you can. I can tell you the retailer loses a ton of money eating the shipping and a lot of the time the cost of the parts. It isn't worth the trouble to return everything. All you can do is pass the feedback on to the supplier and they don't always listen.
I picked up the AMD two piece trunk floor and trunk extensions. They look good but we will see when they are cut and mocked up for install.
Interestingly, I broke down and bought patch panels for the lower quarters from Goodmark. When received, the manufacturer is Triplus who is contracted by AMD to stamp out certain body parts. They were 1/3 the price of the AMD units and since I only need a few inches of the bottom of the panel I took a chance I laid them out against the quarter panel area and they laid out tight against the panel.
Two things about these panels; bottom did not have the tabs at the bottom with the circular holes and secondly, the back of the panel was bent a little more outward and was not flush with the original quarter panel only in the back. If you need only a bottom patch and you do not mind the slight stamping difference on the bottom, it's a decent deal!
Now the fun begins!
:wrenching:
Quote from: Lemontwist on September 28, 2018, 03:41:43 PM
. Same issue with the rally hood bolts to springs. WAY TOO BIG. You'd think they could at least get that right.
70' & 71' were different bolts/threads on Rallye hoods.
I promised I'd review the rear 1/4 moldings. Overall, a B+ part. Would easily recommend and/or use it again. The price is unbeatable.
First off, it's amazing how small these parts really are. NOS ones go for $100 a piece, which seems ludicrous. Such a small cosmetic thing isn't worth THAT much IMO. When you take them off the car, it's amazing how small they REALLY are.
So your option is to buy these. I believe they're about $55 shipped or so, for the pair, plus mounting hardware. More on that below.
First off, they are made in Taiwan. Taiwan is not a bad thing--they have been manufacturing things longer than China. Taiwan is not China when it comes to quality.
The finish has a brilliant shine. Already off to a good start just by looking at them.
For shits and giggles, I decided to use a micrometer to check out the metal thickness. 1.1mm vs .9mm. They certainly are thinner, but not much. BTW, the OER front hood trim seemed to be the same exact thickness as the original. Weighed the same. Felt the same. These feel a little lighter. But does it matter in the long run? Let's continue...
On the passenger side, I had to file down a sharp bur. Took 4 seconds. I did not like the mounting nuts that they came with...they are a bitch to get started on the threads, so I used the stock acorn nuts. EZ-peazy...more stock parts, fine with me.
Fitment? You be the judge. Let's just say...exact.
I'd consider these a good aftermarket part.
Now I'm starting to remember other aftermarket stuff I haven't mentioned. The AMD gas tank is perfect. Again, there's more out there that's pretty damn good vs just plain bad.
Just makes the rest of your trim on the back of the car look like crap. :haha: ....That's called the "snowball affect" :D
:wrenching: This is a great thread! Maybe a reproduction part thread should be done with everyone's experiences with aftermarket parts; The Good, The Bad, and The Perfect. We can call it the Test Garage..... :thinking:
Good idea. I renamed the thread.
I'll continue to update and add pictures/specs on parts. Let's all help each-other out on this one.
I may go in the attic and bring down that ebody reproduction lid for some visual documentation.
:wrenching: Cool :bigthumb: Love the thread; looking forward to reading some of the replies. Maybe there can be how many Pentastars each part is given from 1 to 5? :notsure:
I bought the grill trim for my 74 Challenger a couple years ago from Roseville. I don't recall the brand. It didn't fit a snug as the original. It seemed to be just a touch long but otherwise it looked good.
Quote from: 340challconvert on September 30, 2018, 07:42:29 PM
I picked up the AMD two piece trunk floor and trunk extensions. They look good but we will see when they are cut and mocked up for install.
Interestingly, I broke down and bought patch panels for the lower quarters from Goodmark. When received, the manufacturer is Triplus who is contracted by AMD to stamp out certain body parts. They were 1/3 the price of the AMD units and since I only need a few inches of the bottom of the panel I took a chance I laid them out against the quarter panel area and they laid out tight against the panel.
Two things about these panels; bottom did not have the tabs at the bottom with the circular holes and secondly, the back of the panel was bent a little more outward and was not flush with the original quarter panel only in the back. If you need only a bottom patch and you do not mind the slight stamping difference on the bottom, it's a decent deal!
Now the fun begins!
:wrenching:
Here are better pics showing the differences between the Goodmark and he AMD quarter panel patches: :wrenching:
Quote from: 340challconvert on December 21, 2018, 05:01:45 AM
Here are better pics showing the differences between the Goodmark and he AMD quarter panel patches: :wrenching:
One of those companies should be embarrassed about their quality... :o
Maybe this topic would be better suited in the reference section. :dunno: :alan2cents:
These reproduction plug wires are absolutely spot-on. Lengths seem perfect. OHMs test out perfect, I want to say 12k, but will need to check my notes.
It comes with a nice little sheet that tells you which wire goes where, so you don't have to figure it all out yourself.
Quote from: kawahonda on June 05, 2020, 08:04:46 PM
These reproduction plug wires are absolutely spot-on. Lengths seem perfect. OHMs test out perfect, I want to say 12k, but will need to check my notes.
It comes with a nice little sheet that tells you which wire goes where, so you don't have to figure it all out yourself.
Nice, Thanks! Where did they come from?
Ben
Hear they're "all show" wires and not go "wires"
On Moparts, a lot left them and put Firecore50 wires on. I for one went with them.
No little yellow letters though.
Here's an example of where to find them: https://www.classicindustries.com/product/all-years/dodge/challenger/parts/md4671.html
You can find them on several sites. They are "Authentic Mopar Licensed" products.
They are for POINTS only. There is absolutely zero performance hit with using these for points--judged by "seat of the pants" feel. I replaced 1K OHM black/boring wires with these 12-14k OHM wires and noticed zero difference in performance with Accel point/recurved distributor.
Most people are probably not running points though, so these wires won't apply. If you are running points they should perform the same as what you have on now, and look excellent!
@MoparLeo (https://forum.e-bodies.org/mlist/moparleo_479), how many 35 year olds even know what "points" mean? :) Give me some credit! :wrenching:
I do plan to run Firecore50s for my 408 build....too bad they don't have the lettering, but the orange boot really makes the look.
Quote from: kawahonda on June 06, 2020, 08:24:59 PM
Here's an example of where to find them: https://www.classicindustries.com/product/all-years/dodge/challenger/parts/md4671.html
You can find them on several sites. They are "Authentic Mopar Licensed" products.
They are for POINTS only. There is absolutely zero performance hit with using these for points--judged by "seat of the pants" feel. I replaced 1K OHM black/boring wires with these 12-14k OHM wires and noticed zero difference in performance with Accel point/recurved distributor.
Most people are probably not running points though, so these wires won't apply. If you are running points they should perform the same as what you have on now, and look excellent!
@MoparLeo (https://forum.e-bodies.org/mlist/moparleo_479), how many 35 year olds even know what "points" mean? :) Give me some credit! :wrenching:
I do plan to run Firecore50s for my 408 build....too bad they don't have the lettering, but the orange boot really makes the look.
I agree. However Fireciore50's with Chrysler, yellow wording on them; knocks them out of realistic pricing points.
Not to mention the bureaucracy to deal with CDF
Ok, you know what points means, do you know what affect they have on the spark generated by the coil ? None. Points are just the on/off switch. Dwell is the time that they or the switch is closed. The coil builds up current until the switch opens, triggering the spark. There are no upsides to running points other than nostalgia. The electronic ignition just replaced the mechanical "points That corrode and wear out" with a magnetic switch with no wearing parts. Did you know that ? See, we can learn.
Quote from: MoparLeo on June 06, 2020, 11:29:04 PM
Ok, you know what points means, do you know what affect they have on the spark generated by the coil ? None. Points are just the on/off switch. Dwell is the time that they or the switch is closed. The coil builds up current until the switch opens, triggering the spark. There are no upsides to running points other than nostalgia. The electronic ignition just replaced the mechanical "points That corrode and wear out" with a magnetic switch with no wearing parts. Did you know that ? See, we can learn.
Come on...you know I know that....I have converted over systems that get lots of driving time. No disadvantage to points for less than 1,000 miles a year. Zip, zero.
By the way, when electronic fails, it fails entirely hard. Something to keep in mind...
Very little wear on anything if you don't use it. The original Electronic ignitions very rarely fail. If they do, it is generally the ecu. I have only had 1 fail in over 50 years of driving, over a million hi-way miles. The pre-73 cars/trucks that I had driven before required constant maintenance ( cleaning, regapping and eventual replacement in all the point ignition vehicles annually. And just within a few thousand miles.) And the parts were available everywhere. Electronic ignition was not widely used until after 1973. If you needed a quick set of points or an ecu today, I bet it would be easier to get an ecu. Face it, today if you want performance and reliability you go with electronic high energy ignitions, and ecu controlled fuel injection. What happens when that fails ? Well you won't have to worry about that because it will have to be defective as it will not wear out in many years. The good old days weren't that good, believe me. I learned a lot in those days because you had to to keep a car on the road. No Toyota's or Honda's ( well just motorcycles) to speak of. The only import car you saw were VW bugs everywhere. Why?? they were cheap, air cooled, low maintenance. Every other American car that ran leaked/used oil. Service stations had racks and racks of oil on the gas islands because you needed it. Cars needed "lube" jobs every six months. And that was the suspension parts, wheel bearings, transmission and differential fluid changes. Annual tune-ups. Cap, rotor, wires, plugs, points ,condensor , ignition coils. Filters, Batteries lasted about 2 years if you kept them full of distilled water and made sure the generator and voltage regulator were adjusted properly. The only thing good on the old cars was the gauge of steel used in the body panels, everything else didn't last long. Brakes were terrible. So you needed to be able to pound the dents out! Cars were very high maintenance . It not because the old stuff was "better" back then, but had a soul. Can you see people restoring any cars made in the last 20 years, 20 years from now ? Well maybe an SRT or Hellcat...
Nice thread idea :ohyeah:
:popcorn: