[Bentwheelbob]

So, about a year ago I was thrilled when Inline started carrying vacuum hoses striped in the complete rainbow of colors. Prior to that it had been a fruitless search to find such a basic staple, unless you were satisfied with white or blue stripes, or were willing to order a large Corvette kit that had mainly hoses that were too big, or too short. I quickly ordered some of the new ones from Inline and was very disappointed because they are extremely plasticky and shiny, even the stripes.

A while back I saw that Ames was now also offerring vacuum hose by the foot in the full rainbow of colors. I finally ordered some and they came today. Hats off to Ames because their hoses look great and are far superior to the ones Inline Tube sells. Here are a couple pictures comparing the two. I don't think I need to tell you which are which. If you can't tell, it doesn't matter.

Thanks Ames. Now about the rear sway bar bracket for a TA's with a 7/8" bar, and maybe PayPal and a kick butt website overhaul. On second thought, your website is also better than Inline's.

[77 Canamman]

I too am fully satisfied with Ames' striped vacuum hose. I bought several feet of white and yellow striped vacuum hose to totally redo my '77 Trans Am. I was very pleased with the finished product!

[AMES-TECH]

Thank you for the feedback!! We try our best to supply the most correct parts available. The website update is in the works and we are still exploring the paypal option.

[RED77]

I just purchased two three foot pieces of your color striped hose.
As I was installing it on my 77GP I noticed the color was rubbing off.
I took an extra piece and rubbed it with my thumb and easily removed the stripe.
Just for grins I wiped another piece with a little Armor All and it removed the stripe instantly.

Based on this I have to say your color striped hose is garbage and I'm out $18.00. Did anyone bother to test this junk for durability before offering it for sale?

I think Ames owes me an $18.00 credit/refund.

[77 Canamman]

I bought the yellow and white colored Ames striped hose. I had absolutely zero loss of the stripe on any hose I installed on my Trans Am. You must have received a bad batch.

[AMES-TECH]

Originally Posted by RED77

I just purchased two three foot pieces of your color striped hose.
As I was installing it on my 77GP I noticed the color was rubbing off.
I took an extra piece and rubbed it with my thumb and easily removed the stripe.
Just for grins I wiped another piece with a little Armor All and it removed the stripe instantly.

Based on this I have to say your color striped hose is garbage and I'm out $18.00. Did anyone bother to test this junk for durability before offering it for sale?

I think Ames owes me an $18.00 credit/refund.

Could you please message me your customer number or invoice number so I can look into this for you?

[RED77]

Originally Posted by AMES-TECH

Could you please message me your customer number or invoice number so I can look into this for you?

PM sent.

[RED77]

Originally Posted by AMES-TECH

Could you please message me your customer number or invoice number so I can look into this for you?

This is the reply I received from Ames Tech regarding my recent purchase of color striped vacuum hose.
It answers my question and confirms my opinion of the product.

QUOTE=AMES-TECH]Thank you for the info, I checked our current supply of hose which is the same stock you were sent and I did not find a issue with either color or any of the other colors. Yes if you rub it you can get the color to start coming off but this expected with a painted rubber hose and as far as spraying a foreign material on it i am sure there are some products that would remove the paint.[/QUOTE]

[AMES-TECH]

RED77,

I would like nothing better then to help you out with a issue but as I stated rubbing this hose with your fingers will take some of the paint off which I do not find to be a issue with this reproduction hose as this is not something you would typically do to a hose of this nature and this would multiple with force. I feel these are excellent reproduction especially when compared to other options sold on the market or our previous options.

[RED77]

Originally Posted by AMES-TECH

RED77,

I would like nothing better then to help you out with a issue but as I stated rubbing this hose with your fingers will take some of the paint off which I do not find to be a issue with this reproduction hose as this is not something you would typically do to a hose of this nature and this would multiple with force. I feel these are excellent reproduction especially when compared to other options sold on the market or our previous options.

Obviously not or you would issue a credit for the product I am unhappy with.
So much for customer service.
In the mean time I'll try to not rub it or spray any "foreign" material on it.

[rtanner]

Originally Posted by RED77

This is the reply I received from Ames Tech regarding my recent purchase of color striped vacuum hose.
It answers my question and confirms my opinion of the product.

QUOTE=AMES-TECH]Thank you for the info, I checked our current supply of hose which is the same stock you were sent and I did not find a issue with either color or any of the other colors. Yes if you rub it you can get the color to start coming off but this expected with a painted rubber hose and as far as spraying a foreign material on it i am sure there are some products that would remove the paint.

[/QUOTE]

after spraying with a foreign material??? he said armorall, or you being serious right now? you cant spray armorall on those hoses? Wow I would be seriously pissed after getting my car ready to show, with a little armorall touch up and my stripes come of my hoses, Wow,

[nhpontiac72]

RED77,

Thank you for the feedback. Let me first state that, unfortunately in todays era, we are extremely limited in the chemicals/inks that we are able to use when manufacturing various restoration parts. In addition, the composition of the rubber hoses has changed since your car was manufactured as well-this further complicates the matter. I was personally involved with the research and development of the hoses we now provide and can assure you that no expense was spared when developing this proprietary formula. Of the many reproduction striped and stamped hoses on the market, ours is widely accepted as the industries best with regard to longevity, originality and color retention. The reply you received from the technician at Ames Performance was correct when stating that you must refrain from excessive rubbing and cleaning of these hoses when detailing the engine compartment. Many cleaners and hose dressings, both silicon and non-silicon based, will distort or remove the ink from the hose.

If you have any further questions or concerns regarding our products, please feel free to call us at 800-421-2637. We would be happy to help in any way possible.

[RED77]

Originally Posted by nhpontiac72

RED77,

Thank you for the feedback. Let me first state that, unfortunately in todays era, we are extremely limited in the chemicals/inks that we are able to use when manufacturing various restoration parts. In addition, the composition of the rubber hoses has changed since your car was manufactured as well-this further complicates the matter. I was personally involved with the research and development of the hoses we now provide and can assure you that no expense was spared when developing this proprietary formula. Of the many reproduction striped and stamped hoses on the market, ours is widely accepted as the industries best with regard to longevity, originality and color retention. The reply you received from the technician at Ames Performance was correct when stating that you must refrain from excessive rubbing and cleaning of these hoses when detailing the engine compartment. Many cleaners and hose dressings, both silicon and non-silicon based, will distort or remove the ink from the hose.

If you have any further questions or concerns regarding our products, please feel free to call us at 800-421-2637. We would be happy to help in any way possible.

So you've manufactured a product that's basically worthless in the real world.
Maybe Ames should research a vinyl hose with the color molded in.
it wouldn't look 100% stock but at least you could touch it without ruining it.
Thanks for your research but this a major fail.
As to calling Ames, no thanks I prefer to offer my comments on an open forum
for everyone to see.

[Jeff Hamlin]

First let me say I'm sorry you had to be the test mule, but I for one am glad you posted your findings.
I was planning to re-detail my bay and considered these hoses for the finishing touch.
As much as I don't do shows as often as I used to, I still try to maintain a clean engine bay.
I personally would not use Armor-all even to clean a cats butt (That's another story)
however do occasionally soak everything down with a 50/50 mix of Simple Green and then a low psi rinse.
Again sorry for your lost efforts and money but thanks for saving me some un-needed aggravation.

[RED77]

Originally Posted by Jeff Hamlin

First let me say I'm sorry you had to be the test mule, but I for one am glad you posted your findings.
I was planning to re-detail my bay and considered these hoses for the finishing touch.
As much as I don't do shows as often as I used to, I still try to maintain a clean engine bay.
I personally would not use Armor-all even to clean a cats butt (That's another story)
however do occasionally soak everything down with a 50/50 mix of Simple Green and then a low psi rinse.
Again sorry for your lost efforts and money but thanks for saving me some un-needed aggravation.

Thanks Jeff, its not the first time I've wasted money on repop junk.
I'm sure most of us have at some point.
I'm curious about your Armor All comments, care to share your story?

[hakansan]

Was not the color on the hoses just for the factory?....
Not ment to stay on the hoses for more than 50 years?
Did even the engineer that thought this was a good idea, with inc on hoses, think about this cars being 50 years or older...
And restored of some car freak nuts???

Just saying!

[Jeff Hamlin]

The oem coded/striped hoses were for service as well as assembly.
I have several oem hoses and the stripes aren't coming off without paint thinner or possibly sandpaper :D

[nhpontiac72]

I have been left with no choice, except to speak up about so called reproduction junk. Without reproduction parts MANY of these cars, maybe to include yours, would have been scrapped years ago. Parts cars from 15 years ago are now being restored because of the plentiful supply of new parts on the market. Whether or not you choose to recognize it, reproduction parts have played a large role in keeping these cars and the hobby alive. At Ames, we strive to note the quality of parts throughout our catalog. We continue to make improvements on questionable parts. Yet, in some cases, our hands are tied due to current manufacturing limitations, restrictions and available materials. Countless hours and money are spent every year improving upon our existing product line as well as introducing much needed new products. So, do we take some of these negative "JUNK" comments personally? YES. Is every aspect of the restoration industry perfect? No, but Ames Performance is one company that continues to try and make it better. We are always open to constructive criticism and/or suggestions from our customers and others in the industry.

Back to the issue at hand. There are two versions of these vacuum hoses as pictured in a previous post. Ours (Ames) are a more correct version with very good, consistent color. If you dry-rub the hose vigorously without a cleaner/protectant it will fade. If you attack the colored stripe with excessive force, even with some lubricants, it will fade. I have attached a picture containing pieces of Ames hose with each chemical we used to wipe down the hose. We found WD-40 had the most detrimental effects for stripe deterioration, as seen in the photo. We do not use Armor-All on anything and therefore it was exempt from our tests.

[Jim Zeek]

Originally Posted by RED77

Based on this I have to say your color striped hose is garbage and I'm out $18.00. Did anyone bother to test this junk for durability before offering it for sale?

I think Ames owes me an $18.00 credit/refund.

I guess you can go buy nos hoses for $500.00. everybody wants nos quality for repro pricing. your in the wrong hobby

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-Chevrole...tSCTd6&vxp=mtr

[RED77]

Originally Posted by Jim Zeek

I guess you can go buy nos hoses for $500.00. everybody wants nos quality for repro pricing. your in the wrong hobby

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-Chevrole...tSCTd6&vxp=mtr

Why do you have some for sale?
What hobby would that be? The one where a purchased product is expected
to be worth the price paid for it?