[8LUG]

http://www.arrowheadcomponentsinc.com/ Makes your jaw drop!

[1lms]

Its a sad sad day for the hobby and for us as we have done this to ourselves by not keeping our manufacturing sector viable here. Just my .02

[Stuart]

Sorry to hear that - Jon has put a ton of work into his company. However, as he says on the website, The good news is, another name you know and love in the Pontiac world has shown interest in carrying on where we left off. Announcements will be made in all of the forums and publications that cater to our hobby the moment it becomes official.

[Deadhead]

Not really any way to comment without going political.

I hope that someone does indeed pick up the product. I am still considering these to replace the ones on my wagon.

[Keith Seymore]

I am also sorry to hear this news -

K

[61 389-348]

As one who has had 8 lugs on every full size Pontiac I've owned, then and now, I'm very sorry to read this. Not surprising though given how difficult it is for a small manufacture to do anything in the United States these days. I have Jon's 8 lugs on my 63 and have been very pleased with them. I hope very much that someone else can pick this up and run with it.

[Ragtop Man]

There was and is no shortage of demand for ACI products -- we didn't let them down.

I have no doubt that had production been available, every darksider in the hobby would have their wheels. There were issues with some, but nothing that cannot or could not be resolved.

As a "cottage industry" vendor in a smaller hobby, you live and die by your vendors and partners. If you want to know why in this world some guys get rich and some guys are slouched at the end of the bar god-damming, this is why.

We have had good friends stand us up, and flat out refuse to pay their bills or deliver their product. Our society is litigious for a reason; a larger proportion of people than you would think just cannot deliver on time, despite the "dude, it's handled" promises we get.

The Ford, Carnegie, Rockefeller and DuPont families got rich because they saw that vendors without scale were costly variables. Henry built all his own parts because the thought of stopping Highland Park or River Rouge was unthinkable -- for as much as it would cost to make your own (fill in blank here) -- stopping the line to wait for a delivery was worse.

Ponchopio is a totally stand up guy, and these products will see daylight again.

[mviker]

Doggonit!

I've been wanting a set of those Arrowhead 8 lugs for quite some time. Just always had some other expense coming up. Sorry to hear this. Maybe there's still hope with that as yet unspecified vendor stepping in. I should have pulled the trigger sooner.

[Pontiac62]

I tried for well over a year to get mine. Finally got them this summer at the convention. WOW, just in time!!!

[65 Cat 2+2]

I am bummed. The Pontiac hobby has suffered a huge loss here. One of our own stepped up to provide a product that was sorely needed, and his efforts were not properly rewarded.
I have his hubs on my car, and personally think they were worth much more than he charged for them. Just look at what people are paying for 20" bling-bling wheels on their P.O.S. Honda Civic.
I hope you got out of this alive, John. Thanks for your hard work.

[Deadhead]

They'll be baaaaahck.

[incommunicado]

If anyone has a way to contact John it would be appreciated. I have been waiting since April for a full set that I paid for in full ($1800) when I ordered them. So far I am unable to get a response as to whether I will get the hubs or a refund. John seems like a stand-up guy and I know he tried hard to deliver so I in no way want to make the problems worse. Just trying to figure out what my next move is.

The phone number is disconnected and so far no response to emails.

[ponchopio]

First of all, thank you so much to Mike Nixon and Matt Planning for keeping me in the loop as far as the PY faithful and this 8 lug situation. I don't get here much anymore and that will change shortly once we drag ourselves out of this mess but Matt and Mike alerted me to this thread so I wanted to get here ASAP to chime in.

Secondly, I can not thank all of you enough for all of your kind words and support about what is taking place here. It is truly moving and reaffirming. Many of you are customers and some I have just had the pleasure of meeting you at Norwalk, POCI conventions, etc. Others I have been fortunate enough to develop friendships with and tip a few beers as well.

The homepage of the website sums it up without getting into the bitter details. Right now we are struggling to simply fulfill all of the orders we currently have on the books but the going is very slow. Yet another two more orders including Jack Anderson's and Matt in NY having been painted yesterday and will be polished and shipped on Tuesday. It looks as though we have found yet another machine shop that is willing to step in and help us complete everything we have in-process and believe me, they will be on the road the moment we finish each one.

The disaster we've experienced with the foundry and machine shop was devastating and drained us financially just to get where we are. It's been the most heart-breaking ordeal for me personally, mostly because I'm left absolutely stunned that these businesses operate the way they do and then cry that nobody manufactures anything here in the states any more. Everything is moving to China. I'll say this in the hopes of getting my feelings across without angering anyone...I have companies from India and China contacting me REGUALRY wanting my business and they'll do it for a fraction of the cost of what I was paying. You don't have to jump on me about the down-side of that. Believe me...that's why we make EVERYTHING here in the USA! My point is, the foundries and machine shops I've employed here locally have been absolutely terrible professionally, late constantly and communicate almost zero. They have not only never hit promised due dates, they have been up to 6 MONTHS behind and never gave a da**. The machine shop not only continually remained MONTHS behind, they never responded to phone calls or emails until I finally out of the blue received an email saying, "We can no longer complete your order." When I begged them to fulfill what they promised to because it was going to put me out of business they said they would only do it but would charge me 4 TIMES THEIR QUOTED PRICE!!!! I was without words.

This has effectively shut us down and drained every resource to make our waiting customers whole. What bothers me the most is almost everyone told me I was foolish for investing all my $$$ and taking on the 8 lug project but I pushed ahead and was able to create a beautifully engineering product we were all desperate for. I was beaming when me, Bob Lundwall and Matt Planning put the first set on my own car. The reason it failed at this junction was out of my hands and I've never been so let down and helpless but apparently "that's life and that's business".

THE GOOD NEWS IS, the drums are not going away. Somebody you know and love (well, at least I do) has the time and resources to make this happen and he'll be making an announcement shortly.

It lifts me soul that so many of you that I know and some that I have never met have been so supportive and understanding. For those of you still waiting for your drums. We continue to get them processed and shipped very slowly but they are coming. For those that still want new ones, hang on to your hats because it's only going to get better! Thank you so much guys! Happy Holidays and God Bless!!!

John @ Arrowhead Components

[ponchopio]

Originally Posted by 65 Cat 2+2

I am bummed. The Pontiac hobby has suffered a huge loss here. One of our own stepped up to provide a product that was sorely needed, and his efforts were not properly rewarded.
I have his hubs on my car, and personally think they were worth much more than he charged for them. Just look at what people are paying for 20" bling-bling wheels on their P.O.S. Honda Civic.
I hope you got out of this alive, John. Thanks for your hard work.

Jack, be sure to read the post. It's coming my friend, Its coming...

John

[63gpman]

I have never purchased anything from you but can appreciate the work that you put into our big cars and trying to keep it going. The car hoby as a whole is so up and down right now that it has to be difficult for all involved. I just wanted to say thanks for what you have done to this point, I have heard nothing but good things about you and your products.

[61 389-348]

Any news news on someone picking up production on these?

[Old Goat 67]

http://www.arrowheadcomponentsinc.com/

[61 389-348]

Is that ever fantastic !!!!

Thanks

[BigAquaBonney]

GREAT news!

[stevep]

AWESOME!!!