[FLYNLOW]

For you desperate guys out there... I'll be taking 1st bid on my slightly used Tri-Y's (1200 miles, installed for a month) starting at, oh... $800? :P

[Pitch 400]

I got a set of the first run of auto D-Ports in Dec 04. He told me his next set were going to fit the D-Port auto and 4-speeds. I think he is trying to take on too much at one time. There's probably enough of a market for the D-Ports for him to get started with and then branch out. Pontiacs are'nt going away any time soon. I think he needs to be more realistic in his goals. Just my .02.

[Formula8]

Pitch, I think you are on to something. Let's face it these are not race headers and 80% of the Pontiac F body market would be covered by a 1 3/4" primary, 3" collector, D-port header. Once production is up on those, branch out into the round port market and call it a day. Same deal with A body if the F body header doesn't fit those as well.

[gearbanger]

I don't know, think about it, why does a round port header need to be made any different than a d-port header? Everything needs to be in exactly the dame place except for right at the head where you squeeze the to center tubes together closer. And a different flange. I think that is pretty good thinking by Ron on that. I just think he hasn't really goe at this thing full steam. I guarantee i could have built a set of headers for my car by now (almost a year). I just don't understand what is taking so long to do this. It's crazy. Headers for a Pontiac are crazy though

[Big Mike]

Anybody else got an update of this guy?

[gearbanger]

No update Mike. I talked to the guy at MadDog headers a while back. He said he would have a 1-3/4" Dport set for a 4-speed 64-67 GTO soon. I may get with him if Ron doesn't produce by the end of Feb.

[77TA-SE]

Ron's not responding to emails anymore either...he's always gotten back to me within a day or so before.

Mike

[robscar]

the world is flat and ron has fallen off the edge.

[johnsma22]

He must really be in a big jamb. He still has not posted here since Nov. 28th, Dec 26th on PZ, and Dec. 31st on TAC. No response to about 20 emails, and 10 voice messages. No way anyone should send any money until he shows up and tell us what is going on one way or another. If he can't handle the demand, he should just say so, I think people would be more understanding than he may think.

[johnsma22]

There is a thread on the TAC forum about this as well. I don't know what has happened or when it happened, but Tribaltubes is no longer a sponsor over there! I hope that this does not mean that Ron has given up on this venture, and that everyone who has already paid is out of luck!

[Larry Navarro]

I remember he had some health problems about this time last year due to the stress of having issues with suppliers and trying to meet customers needs.
I hope he hasn't had a relapse.

[johnsma22]

I will post a quote from one of the moderators on the TAC forum in response to my question regarding the removal of Tribaltubes as one of the sponsors of the website.

"'I'll let Mike respond as well but I can tell you that, due to his production issues, it was decided not to advertise anymore until he can catch up. Mike will post with additional details, I'm sure."

I will post any additional information as it becomes available. The only agenda that I have in all of this, is that I desparately want a set, and it is becoming less likely that it will become a reality.

John

[johnsma22]

Here is a followup post from the TAC forums webmaster on the situation with Tunnel Port Ron and Tribal Tubes:

"I have at least 5 unanswered emails from Ron, so I had no choice but to make a decision on whether I would help increase the list of waiting customers. When I last spoke to Ron I myself was in the process of ordering a set as he had just recieved the pipe for the latest batch. When I emailed him about my delivered cost I recieved a sponsorship payment and that was it. I haven't heard anything yet. I still think Ron is a honorable person as I have heard he has sold off personal items to keep his header dream alive. I don't think any con arist would sell of one of a kind RAV parts to make headers do you? Either way, I have to make decisions that I feel are in the TAC communities best interest. When everything is straightened out and I'm sure that it is and supply and demand are within the advertised duration I will be happy to publish Tribal Tubes once again. I am also aware that yanking a sponsors banner could mean losing that sponsor, but I had no choice due to the overwhelming response to this subject and a lack of the entire situation.

This is all I have and all that I can do for now. Thanks,

Mike B"

[77TA-SE]

Has anyone tried to get a refund yet? This lack of communication is very troubling...

[robscar]

well i rec'd a couple emails from ron this past week. here is what was relayed to me. his welder did go away for the holidays. then a storm took out one of his storage buildings. then he was in an auto accident.
now he has a new welder, is driving a mini van, and my headers should be on their way to me next week or the one after. He is working on the d ports first as they are the hardest to do. these will be followed by the o ports.
hopefully the saga will have a good end for everyone involved.
he also said he has some surprises for the pontiac community in the future as he has had some time to work on projects during all the delays.
when mine show up i will post, post haste.

[gearbanger]

I got the same report this week from Ron. He says he has a deal with a vocational school welding program that will be doing the welding. Probably only one or two sets a day maximum. So he says that there will be some sets getting out over the coming weeks.

He said the storm knocked down a carport that housed his formula, and the insurance company stiffed him. I swear that guy must have broken a mirror that was hanging under a ladder with an open umbrella indoors at some point in his life!

[topdown]

Now I'm worried. I learned to weld at a voctech and didn't consider myself a decent welder until much later.

[gearbanger]

I sort of was thinking the same thing when he told me that. Although I know several guys that are really god welders that went to our VoTech school here. I remember having several aluminum pieces tig welded back in high school by them. It was a good free way to get the welding done and they did a really good job.

I am hopeful but I basically told Ron that I was tired of worrying about it and if a set of headers shows up at my doorstep one day I will be really happy, if not I won't be real surprised. He assured me that they would come because he has never stiffed anyone ever and wasn't going to do it now.

[73ta]

Has anybody gotten a reply out of Ron since mid Feb?

[robscar]

no, but then i haven't tried sending him any messages either.