Bethels Goat Farm [Archive] - PY Online Forums - Bringing the Pontiac Hobby Together

03-28-2005, 10:03 PM

Twice in the last two weeks I've needed small door parts before I could go any farther on my project. Both times I called Bethels Goat Farm www.goatfarm.com (http://www.goatfarm.com) and they sent the parts within a couple days. Very nice shape, very reasonable price. I have been dealing with them since the eightees and always had great experiences. Highly reccomend them.

WillV

03-28-2005, 10:47 PM

I'll second that. I'm afforded the luxury of personally driving there (about 50 minutes away) and getting my parts first hand. Ed is a very friendly guy. Plus he doesn't want an arm and a leg for his parts either.

The Boss

03-29-2005, 09:47 PM

Have the same people had it all these years. I dealt with them once in the 80's and they were wonderful.

WillV

03-30-2005, 08:40 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by The Boss:
Have the same people had it all these years. I dealt with them once in the 80's and they were wonderful. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

It turned hands once, but the current owner has owned it since the early 90s, at least

Hitman

03-31-2005, 11:30 AM

Good God. His prices are very good. Going to get that dome light base and lense from him. Adding him to my favorites.

70 Dream

03-31-2005, 01:38 PM

Ed at The Goat Farm (Bethel's Goat Farm)is the greatest . . . .

He always makes time to help me, even over the smallest issues (and I'm sure I've been a pest at times).

If he doesn't have the part, he knows who does.

I am lucky to be living only a few minutes away from him . . . .

6T7HO

04-01-2005, 02:47 PM

Ed is a very honest vendor. He is an asset to the GTO community.

Blue '66

04-01-2005, 06:41 PM

My Dad ordered a trunk pan and the metal piece between the back glass and the deck lid on my '66 GTO.(I was in Germany)This was back in the mid 80s when you couldn't get repo sheet metal.Good quality.The worst part was the shipping was high to Mo.

Blue '66

04-01-2005, 06:43 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by WillV:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by The Boss:
Have the same people had it all these years. I dealt with them once in the 80's and they were wonderful. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

It turned hands once, but the current owner has owned it since the early 90s, at least </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I thought Bruce still had it.I still have 1 or 2
of his old catalogs.

WillV

04-01-2005, 08:09 PM

I thought Bruce still had it.I still have 1 or 2
of his old catalogs.[/QUOTE]

No Bruce sold it to his employee Ed who's owned it ever since. I saw Bruce about 5 years ago, still looking at Goats, but not in the biz anymore.

Blue '66

04-25-2005, 03:16 PM

I just recieved some parts today from The Goat Farm.Very good experience,friendly on the phone and reasonable price.Thanks!

winbub

05-02-2005, 01:13 PM

Bethel's is one of the best...great parts, reasonable prices, excellent communication and fast shipment. I can't ask for anything more from them.

They are always one of the first places I go to for parts.

JB

hotrodrx

05-12-2005, 05:52 AM

Ed comes thru again. He sent me two switches on the a/c control unit. Mine were broken. No charge. Also, I had to change the brace on my steering column. Someone had put a non a/c brace on it and Ed knew the difference. Always pleasant and willing to help.

6t7gto

05-12-2005, 08:52 AM

bill, what brace are you referring to?
david

hotrodrx

05-12-2005, 10:10 AM

David, I am referring to the top and bottom brace that hold the steering column together inside the car. The a/c duct goes over this brace from the a/c distribution duct. The problem that I had was getting the dustribution duct to properly fit. It was hitting the brace on the steering column, making the installation of the a/c system harder that supposed to be. Ron at Potomac Pontiac and Ed at Bethels have been a big help to me in getting this car back together.

6t7gto

05-12-2005, 10:35 AM

thanks for the info.
david

fastgtr

07-04-2005, 08:22 PM

I have been dealing with Ed Cuttshal for almost ten years now, and I must tell you he is THE most honest guy you can hope to deal with. Very experienced and knowledgable, and he will NOT sell you parts that are wrong for your setup. Many is the time he has gently steered me back to sanity after a late night session reading JEGS or SUMMIT catalogs and having serious new gear lust. He always gives me a good deal, and always seems to be able to locate the parts no one else can get their hands on, then he sells it to you for a more than fair price. Do business with him and you WILL NOT regret it!

Bryan Jensen

07-06-2005, 11:36 AM

Just dealt with him for the first time, bought a set of steering arms I needed for my front disc brake setup...40 bucks. Very reasonable, wouldn't mind taking the drive up there to go see what he has.

Sure is a breath of fresh air after dealing with that *other* guy who sells Pontiac Parts...rhymes with schmillions and gillions http://forums.performanceyears.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif

retrojoe

07-09-2005, 08:56 AM

This was nice to read, I had a friend that was burnt back inthe early 80's by them and I've stayed away for that reason. It's nice to hear possitive feedback by more than one person to change my way of thinking. The only person I've ever meet that has done business with them was my friend who was burnt by them, so I just naturally stayed away.

eaglesan13

07-09-2005, 04:30 PM

The Goat Farm was owned by Bruce Bethel in the early 80's. Ed bought Bruce out about 10-15 years ago. I used to live about 5 minutes away from The Goat Farm but I never had any dealings with Bruce so I cannot comment on his dealings one way or the other. But I have dealt with Ed a bunch of times and I can say he is an honest and helpful man. I would not hesitate to refer others to him. One thing to remember though, except for some times when his wife is there helping, he is a one man show so he is very busy at times. If you call and it's busy, or he doesn't answer, keep trying. It usually means he's busy with someone else.

WillV

07-09-2005, 08:05 PM

"except for some times when his wife is there helping, he is a one man show so he is very busy at times"

eaglesan.. she is his business partner, not his wife..

Jerry H.

09-22-2006, 10:50 AM

Well, it must be one of those times that Ed is very busy. I've been trying to get him to get a shipping quote from him so I can pay him for SEVERAL parts for over 2 weeks! I've called twice and sent more emails than I want to remember. Maybe he will come thru shortly, as I need to get the parts in.

Rugratman

09-22-2006, 11:56 AM

Top notch.
Alway's has those hard to find little parts, that I never know the name of...

77TA406

09-22-2006, 03:42 PM

I bought a set of 1968 #16 heads from them back in the mid 90's. Had a good experience...nice people.
Chris

alexrose

09-22-2006, 04:09 PM

Ordered a rear seat speaker switch from them. Came with the harness (which I didn't expect) and was priced very well. Great parts at a great price.

BMS1

09-22-2006, 09:23 PM

Anyone know how to get in touch with Bruce Bethel? I own his judge that he owned in the 80's.

Batman

09-22-2006, 10:57 PM

I have been dealing with the Goat Farm since the the mid 80's right up until as recently as a couple weeks ago. I have never heard anything but good comments

sixxty7

09-23-2006, 12:34 PM

very friendly, knowledgable and reasonable prices. always call bethels when i need something.

Old Blue 66

09-23-2006, 03:26 PM

When ever i need a small obscure part that I wouldnt know where to look for, I laways call Bethels. They always have it.

I sound like a radio commercial. And now back to our program.

INJUNTOM

09-28-2006, 02:25 AM

i've been dealing with Ed since about 1992....

one thing that hasn't been mentioned here yet is that the Goat farm isn't his only business, and most likely isn't his most successful of the 2 businesses anymore - his other business is called "Weatherstrip special", and is operated out of the same building.

on most weekends he is on the road with the weatherstrip booth at car swap meets all over california, and is closed on mondays.

he has all the top name weatherstripping, and the best prices around.

surely the weatherstrip business allows him to keep the Goatfarm going since it is not easy for him to get good used GTO parts anymore.

....and one last plug for Ed - he is one of the most knowledgable people anywhere on the way GTOs were put together, and what they came with considering that he has taken literally hundreds of them apart.

INJUNTOM

09-28-2006, 02:26 AM

BTW, you can find links to both his businesses in the link in my sig. :D

INJUNTOM

09-28-2006, 02:27 AM

GTOnly70

09-28-2006, 10:18 AM

Anybody know what Bruce Bethel is doing these days?

Red Box Rebel

09-28-2006, 12:27 PM

Jerry H.

09-28-2006, 01:56 PM

Well, I guess another phone call to him is in order. I phoned him last around
9-12 or so and he was going to figure me a total price plus shipping. This was a fairly big order. I've sent him three emails since then, an none have been answered. I can understand him being slow, but PLEASE answer my emails!

Bob70Goat

09-28-2006, 02:01 PM

EXCELLENT SERVICE , AND GOOD PRICES all the times ive ever used them

Rugratman

09-28-2006, 04:12 PM

Jerry, I don't know how web savvy they are.......
I alway's call, and speak direct to him. Sometimes I need to, as I don't know what this little part(s) are called.

Kris, at Cont. Converter were the same way, They have a web site for, I guess, to get their info out, But kinda old school guy's. Worth the effort though, both of them.

Jerry H.

10-04-2006, 09:29 PM

Well, I finally got Ed on the phone today, it seems he has been busy, etc. He is supposed to send out some of the parts to me tomorrow. He was very apologetic. Should have them by next week.

the-rookie

10-05-2006, 01:20 AM

Ed is a very cool mild mannered guy, super hero like even. I stop by and B.S. with Ed from time to time, and when he's busy, when I wait I check out that wagon he's got. I was searching for a 67 A/C Plenum for years, one day Ed says, Gimme a few minutes... and walks in the back. He comes back with 2 broken Plenums good enough shape to make one good one. "I've been holding onto these for about 10 yrs now, if I haven't gotten around to putting them together by now I guess I never will, here you can have them" :D " Cool Ed, Thanks Man!"

Jerry H.

10-17-2006, 11:39 PM

Today is the 17th, still waiting on the parts that were supposed to be shipped on the 5th.

speedshopmike

10-20-2006, 11:12 AM

i didnt knwo bruce had sold out.
my high school buddy used to sell parts for him in teh LATE 80's.
good guys then, glad still around now.
i still have a t shirt from them.
but it's a little small now....