The Parts Place

[steve v]

I purchased a pair of RA manifolds from The Parts Place & paid for them on Monday. On Tuesday UPS dropped them off.....right on the concrete sidewalk cracking one of the flanges. :mad: When they hit the sidewalk (the driver must have know he broke something!) it sounded like someone ran into the house.
I called TPP right away & the next day a new set was delivered to my doorstep, luckily these survived UPS' gentle touch!

Great customer service from The Parts Place, thanks guys!

[Norwood]

Wow must be some new guys working at TPP
Glad it ent well for you

[poncho-mike]

Apex drivers are rough on stuff.

A few years ago, I bought a cast iron intake and had it shipped UPS. It was a nice spring day and I was home. I heard the doorbell ring and looked out the window to see the UPS truck.

From the bathroom window, I could see the side entry, where the UPS guy was standing. There was a wood landing about three feet off the ground with a rail around it at the side entrance. The boxed intake was sitting on the rail.

Just as I started to yell I would be down, he gave the box a little push and it free-fell onto the landing. One side of the landing is attached to the wood joists around the perimeter of the house, so it felt like the whole house shook when it hit the landing.

I started yelling at him and cussing out the window, and he promptly retreated to the truck. I immediately got on the phone to complain to UPS. That was a waste of effort. They weren't that concerned with the way he handled it, they were only concerned with any damage and was it properly packed.

That was about three years ago, and I have never used UPS since then.

Mike

[jpg69bird]

Steve,

Please keep us updated on how these fit. Are these castings of reasonable quality?
I like their 2.25" collector, but I hear tons of negatives about the company. Maybe they did hire new employees.

Thanks,
John

[Old Blue 66]

You must have talked to a new guy that didnt know the compnay motto was "Screw the customer". Glad it worked for you.

[steve v]

Steve,

Please keep us updated on how these fit. Are these castings of reasonable quality?
I like their 2.25" collector, but I hear tons of negatives about the company. Maybe they did hire new employees.

Thanks,
John

John,
The castings look good, a little surface rusted but you usualy blast & paint most parts like this before using anyway. I'll find out in a few weeks how they fit.

I've bought from them several times before & haven't had any problems yet. Anymore I pay for most things with a credit card & if you have problems that can't be resolved easily with the business, the card co. will take care of any issues quickly.
I had a hotel try charging me for a room (in Norwalk) that they said I didn't cancel the reservation on ($189.00 worth!). After going around in circles with the manager to get a credit for 5 minutes, I told her "that's ok, I'll just call my credit card co & dispute the charges". She made an quick about face & couldn't have been nicer to me from that point on!

[Old Blue 66]

I dont remember the name of the thread, but there was one about a month or so ago that talked about the difference between the ones mentioned here and the ones from Ram Air Restorations. Ill try and look for it.

[dedsleds]

Wow must be some new guys working at TPP
Glad it ent well for you


I WAS THINKING THE SAME THING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[kaysersuzuki]

i drove down to the parts place yesterday after the aftermath of the last storm to pic up stuff for the wifes TA,went specifically to pick up a trunk pan and a nos Monte Carlo rocker panel for the Guy who is doing the bodywork,the 1st trunk pan he brought out was for a nova,he didn't know the difference,the 2nd one never showed as he didn't have 1 ,the nos rocker that was to be held for me was sold and shipped on Friday to someone else,the parts guy did call d&r restorations about 30 miles away for me and located a trunk pan,i highly recommend d&r they were very helpfully and gave me a 25.00 discount on the trunk pan,Joe only gave me a 25.00 discount after spending 900.00 on parts.some of which he didn't have and will be drop shipped,how i dint know since he didn't ask me for my address,i will deal with that tomorrow.overall not real impressed with the way it was all handled from the start,the only reason i went there was it was close (140) miles,one way and they wanted 125.00 to ship the pan






You must have talked to a new guy that didnt know the compnay motto was "Screw the customer". Glad it worked for you.

[kaysersuzuki]

and when i think of it i would have been farther ahead to let him ship it as there was 55.00 in good ol Ill sales tax and 50.00 worth of fuel not to mention wasting 6 hours of my time

[Norwood]

YOU JUST GOT "JOED"

[Thepartsplaceinc]

i drove down to the parts place yesterday after the aftermath of the last storm to pic up stuff for the wifes ta,went specificly to pick up a trunkpan and a nos 85monte carlo rockerpanel for the guyt who is doing the bodywork,the 1ts trunk pan he brought out was for a nova,he didnt know the difference,the 2nd one never showed as he didnt have 1 ,the nos rocker that was to be held for me was sold and shipped on friday to someone else,the parts guy did call d&r restorations about 30 miles away for me and located a trunk pan,i highly recommend d&r they were very helpfull and gave me a 25.00 discount on the trunk pan,joe only geve me a 25.00 discount after spending 900.00 on parts.some of which he didnt have and will be dropshipped,how i dont know since he didnt ask me for my address,i will deal with that tomorrow.overall not real impressed with the way it was all handled from the start,the only reason i went there was it was close (140) miles,oneway and they wanted 125.00 to ship the pan

Why dont you tell the truth? Your friend called a week and a half ago to check for the rocker panel. We had one in stock and he was going to call us back and let us know. Never called in an order to hold with a credit card number. The only thing that was called in was your order of Firebird parts. Sorry, we took check of stock and thought everything was here for your order. When you were here we pulled the trunk floor and it happened to be the wrong floor pan becuase it was labeled incorrectly which cause us to put it in the wrong spot. That's our vendors error and we appoligize for that. At least it was caught by Joe before you left (not all the sales people can remember what each part looks like). We did find you another company that isn't to far from us that did have the trunk in stock so it wouldn't be a total loss. We do have your address because it was written on the original order sheet, as you were a previous customer. 17445 W PORTER RD, EVANSVILLE... A discount? Last time I went to Home Depot or Hobby Lobby, I didn't get a discount on stuff that wasn't on sale. I guess the rest of the world must be brain washed by most companies that have over inflatted prices to begin with and then offer discounts to lure you in (jewelry business 50 to 75% off). What good is a 10% discount if the goods where marked up 20% before taking the discount. We feel that we have fair prices across the board and with the thousands of parts we make we have them priced out accordingly.

Signed,
JOED

[Thepartsplaceinc]

actually your shipping is setup as follows:

Deleted

[intense]

I really have to say for what its worth ... i have ordered from the parts place twice and one of those times i called them to say that my part had to fit perfect . talked to someone and the assured me that it would !... they went out of their way and by the way the part was perfect !!!!

[Norwood]

Shane, I for one still do buy from The Parts Place. You are close so I can come in and see what I am buying, I then know that I am getting the right part and save the shipping. Along time ago ( more than ten years ago), I had a go round with your customer service and I will never buy anything from you without coming in. Too many people have had complaints to think that your lack of customer service is anything but business as usual.

I also would like to add that I appreciate what your company has done with all the reproduction parts that it has brought to our hobby. We are indebted to you for that. It is also a shame that you have allowed the perception of your company to become what it has. It only takes a second to get a reputation, it takes a lifetime to get rid of it. Your post here certainly does not help. You guys really need to learn a little about public relations, but it looks to me as though you really don't care.

[kaysersuzuki]

Why dont you tell the truth? Your friend called a week and a half ago to check for the rocker panel. We had one in stock and he was going to call us back and let us know. Never called in an order to hold with a credit card number. The only thing that was called in was your order of Firebird parts. Sorry, we took check of stock and thought everything was here for your order. When you were here we pulled the trunk floor and it happened to be the wrong floor pan becuase it was labeled incorrectly which cause us to put it in the wrong spot. That's our vendors error and we appoligize for that. At least it was caught by Joe before you left (not all the sales people can remember what each part looks like). We did find you another company that isn't to far from us that did have the trunk in stock so it wouldn't be a total loss. We do have your address because it was written on the original order sheet, as you were a previous customer. 17445 W PORTER RD, EVANSVILLE... A discount? Last time I went to Home Depot or Hobby Lobby, I didn't get a discount on stuff that wasn't on sale. I guess the rest of the world must be brain washed by most companies that have over inflatted prices to begin with and then offer discounts to lure you in (jewelry business 50 to 75% off). What good is a 10% discount if the goods where marked up 20% before taking the discount. We feel that we have fair prices across the board and with the thousands of parts we make we have them priced out accordingly.

Signed,
JOED
the truth is my friend called and was told it would be held for him,who he talked to i don't know but he was told the only way to take a credit card was if the item was shipped,maybe a misunderstanding on his part or someone in your office was not properly informed on your policies,my parts were held with a credit card,that was not my deal,I'm reporting as i was told by my friend,the only reason "JOE" caught it was because i said it sure didn't look like a trans am trunk pan,to which i was told that it was the correct part from the bin,whether it was mis labeled or stocked in the wrong bin is NOT my problem,and while i know we are all human and mistakes do happen it was very inconvenient to make a trip i would not have had to make if you didn't have the correct part,i do thank you for finding me the correct part,and the last time Joe bought from myself or any of my friends at Jefferson so was so discussion of price with the parts,we are all after a deal,even Joe,,i think that if someone drives that far to your business and there is a slip up even if its an accidental one that a little goodwill compensation is good for business,the people at d&r were very courteous and also gave me a discount,they were not as busy as you guys were either,customers remember the courtesy and goodwill goes a long ways toward building customer base,Shane your not the only one in the customer business but you are free to run your business as you see fit,not to mention you pm me and tell me you may have gave me 2 dr side skins in the box i loaded up,is this my fault too or your mistake,I'm not going to get into a pissing match with you or anyone on here,i was just po'd that this whole purchase was such a cluster you know what

[kaysersuzuki]

actually your shipping is setup as follows:


... that is the dealership where i work,jeez thanks for posting for all the world to see,was it really necessary?i feel that was rather unprofessional especially my home address

[Peter Serio]

Last couple months I have had several dealings with Joe @ The parts place. I had seen their ads in the past, & seen some of the parts they make at shows.

Joe called me & then sent me some of the brand new 4 speed linkage they are making for the 1970 GTO & asked me to check it for fit & get back to him, which I did. Since that time when he makes a new part, anything to do with linkage for a 4 speed, I am sent sample parts to check & report back. To me this is a sign that Joe does care about making parts that fit right & work.

In many cases there will be more than one manufacturer of a given reproduction part or assembly & in those cases sometimes one part does fit better or is of higher quality than the other. In other cases there might be an appearance difference in the part or parts as well. One part being more visually "correct" & the other part, perhaps being less expensive & sold more as "just functional." In some cases there will be a price difference on a part between two different vendors where the 2 parts may look nearly identical. A lot of the times there is only one maker of a part & then the supply chain is set-up so that all of the major vendors carry that exact same part. In these cases, I am sure that there is a suggested retail price or at least a price range for that part based on how many in quantity that particular vendor is able to buy at one time, vs. what he will sell that part for to be able to stay in business over the long haul. Just the same as when prior to or during the point where you take your car apart, you go & buy parts books, shop manuals & binders full of old service bulletins here is where the car owner needs to do his or her homework. If you have a collector or investment car that you own & /or work on for long a enough amount of time, you sort-of become a mini-expert on your one year & model car. Same with parts availability. With the internet & sites such as PYs it has become easier than ever to share information & relate as to where parts come from or if there are 2 or even 3 different versions of the "same part." In some cases becoming your own expert translates into you or somebody that you know or have access to via EM has to buy the part or buy 2 parts from the 2 different sources & then decide which one your going to use on your car. With so many different manufacturers of small run reproduction parts nowadays, & some parts which may be exclusive to one year or just car bodystyle it is nearly impossible for every car restorer, hobbyist, or parts vendor, for that matter to be an "expert" on where every reproduction part or how many different versions of a part there are available, at any given point & time.


In some cases with new reproduction parts, there are problems. GM is not making these parts anylonger as the cars are now all old. A lot of the people that make reproduction parts cannot always afford to make & hope to then eventually sell thousands & thousands of parts the way GM did back in the day. Nowadays a lot of parts get made overseas in small batches, in some cases with small parts, just couple of 100 parts at a time. Overseas; the other big difficulty is that the people making a mold do not have the advantage of just walking out into the parking & picking out, say a 1968 GTO to trial fit the fender onto to the car prior to shipment make sure it's right. A lot of reproduction parts are made off of samples, & to a large degree the reproduction part is directly related to what was sent or shipped to the manufacturer overseas as their sample part to work off of. Getting parts made & making parts for 40 year old cars where there may be only a limited amount of them that you can actually sell is a risky business. Fortunately people such as Ames Perf, Chris at Performance years & Joe at the Parts place do get a lot of stuff made for our cars. For many years now, a lot of Pontiac only, or one model only parts nobody was willing to take the risk to have made. This has changed recently & now a fairly large amount of new parts for GTOs are being made new reproductions are now in the works. As with any mechanical item made is small batches, granted some of the parts fit better than others & in many cases the new part or parts you can buy may be less than perfect, &/or may require additional tweaking, modification, painting, plating etc. to be usable or to be made more "correct" looking. In many cases for a part for a 40 year old car; a mint perfect, or original non-worn part(s) may be very, very difficult, if not impossible to locate at any reasonable price that most people would be willing to pay. Many reproduction parts help people keep their cars on the road.
Even if the part may be a tiny bit different than the original part.
In working on old cars sometimes the skill & resourcefulness of the owner/mechanic &/or bodyman is one of the things that you can control, but at least there are a lot of choices out there in parts, thanks to businesses that take it upon themselves to try & get parts made that we all need. Pete



Pete

[Norwood]

Pete, I agree whole heartedly with everything that you said, and like I said we owe people like Joe a great debt for what he has done for this hobby. BUT... If I were the owners of The Parts Place I certainly would not allow anyone but myself to represent the company on a public forum. I don't think that "SHANE" comes off as being very professional and I certainly would not want him representing my company. Deserved or not it is things like this that give The Parts Place the reputation that it has. Like I siad they need to learn a little something about PR

[ronj1977]

I recently won an e-bay auction from parts place for a 1977 trans am grill while the part was what was shown, before auction ended I asked about fit and function of part and was told it was excellent and as good as the origanal. When it arrived it looked as described took it to a local trans am restoration shop and the guy immeaditly showed me differences. He said he would have to use a grinder on the plastic chrome piece to make it fit as he has done with all of them?

[sandmanjoe]

unprofessional, dishonest, immature

thats just a few words that come to mind when i hear "the parts place"



ps: hey why dont you post the poor guys credit card info in the forum also... unbelievable.

also i have a feeling that this "shane" is really Joe the owner, i know for a fact that Joe has at least 2 user names/accounts on this site.

what a joke

[firebirdcrazy1959]

WOW!!!!What a douchbag.Looks like they won't get any of my money any time soon.

[kaysersuzuki]

hey dont get me wrong i will still possibly buy things from joe in the furture,but i will verify stock before i even think about making a trip down there,if it means getting joe involved,if he is the only person there that knows the differnce then so be it