[GonzoF1]

Alright, I'm on the brink of starting some work on my LeMans. A rolling restoration during the summer while I start work on the garage addition that will host a frame-off... eventually (maybe).

I'll be spending, over the course of months and years, serveral thousands of dollars. I don't spend my money lightly. Nobody does. However, I'm heavy into customer service. I like to know that I am more than just a customer number in their database. I do alot of orders by phone and few online because I like to ask alot of questions to make sure it's right. If there is one thing I hate is to have to order something, wait days or weeks to get it, and have it be WRONG when it arrives. Only to have to deal with sending it back and resetting the wait time again. So knowledgeable people is a must.

Selection and price are second, but almost as important. But again, I'll pay a little more if there are good people on the other end of the phone. (Hey! Hooper, with Burt Reynolds, is on HDNet... I love that movie... I'll try and keep this short... hehe)

I like to do alot of figuring things out for myself so a good website is a big plus. From what I've seen so far, many of the sites that fall far short. Poor, generic, or even zero descriptions of the parts and rarely a good picture of the ACTUAL part you're trying to order. I hate it when they use the same picture for many similar parts, but you know darn well they are different. It would be real nice to see what you are really getting and not what you MIGHT get. How hard could that be? And descriptions? Same crap.

So, here are a few I've seen. Tell me what y'all think. I mean what you REALLY think! Who's good and who's bad? Do you use any of them exclusively? Do you use one for some things and one for others? By all means, add to the list if I missed any good or bad ones.

List:
1A Auto Parts
BMR Engineering
Original Parts Group
Year One
Performance Years
Summit Racing

Yes, It's a short list, but I'm still new to all of this. Thanks for your time folks!

Later doooooods,
Gonzo-

[GonzoF1]

Alright, I'm on the brink of starting some work on my LeMans. A rolling restoration during the summer while I start work on the garage addition that will host a frame-off... eventually (maybe).

I'll be spending, over the course of months and years, serveral thousands of dollars. I don't spend my money lightly. Nobody does. However, I'm heavy into customer service. I like to know that I am more than just a customer number in their database. I do alot of orders by phone and few online because I like to ask alot of questions to make sure it's right. If there is one thing I hate is to have to order something, wait days or weeks to get it, and have it be WRONG when it arrives. Only to have to deal with sending it back and resetting the wait time again. So knowledgeable people is a must.

Selection and price are second, but almost as important. But again, I'll pay a little more if there are good people on the other end of the phone. (Hey! Hooper, with Burt Reynolds, is on HDNet... I love that movie... I'll try and keep this short... hehe)

I like to do alot of figuring things out for myself so a good website is a big plus. From what I've seen so far, many of the sites that fall far short. Poor, generic, or even zero descriptions of the parts and rarely a good picture of the ACTUAL part you're trying to order. I hate it when they use the same picture for many similar parts, but you know darn well they are different. It would be real nice to see what you are really getting and not what you MIGHT get. How hard could that be? And descriptions? Same crap.

So, here are a few I've seen. Tell me what y'all think. I mean what you REALLY think! Who's good and who's bad? Do you use any of them exclusively? Do you use one for some things and one for others? By all means, add to the list if I missed any good or bad ones.

List:
1A Auto Parts
BMR Engineering
Original Parts Group
Year One
Performance Years
Summit Racing

Yes, It's a short list, but I'm still new to all of this. Thanks for your time folks!

Later doooooods,
Gonzo-

[GonzoF1]

... And oh looky! There's a rocket powered Trans-Am at the end of the movie!!!!! I love this movie.

[gtohurstjudge]

I recommend Performance Years and Ames Performance Engineering. Year One is OK but not
as good as the first two in my opinion. Forget
Original Parts Group, they are chevy guys. Also
forget Classic Industries...chevy guys again.
I don't like Year One because they are so big it is like trying to deal with the phone company
when you have a problem, also they are not as knowledgeable on Pontiacs as the other two and have a higher back order rate.

[lkt1954]

Our host here is the best in my opinion. I have purchased more that my wife needs to know from them and will spend atleast another 6K to finish my car and will get as much as what PY has from them. They have given me quotes on items I need so I can budget, customer service is great and they know pontiac. I have purchased o few items on Ebay,but that is fast becoming a joke(prices are getting sky high). What money I don't spend on cigs and beer to get this car done will go to PY.

[mddog]

I just started my frame off about 3 months ago but have already ordered about 2 grand worth of stuff from several vendors .. my vote so far:

best tech support ... Ames and performance years
Best to deal with... Goodmark
Best Variety... Ames

[GonzoF1]

How about throwing down some links to Goodmark and Ames if you would be so kind?

[65Tiger]

http://www.amesperformance.com/

http://www.goodmarkindustries.com/HomePage.html

Good Luck!

[Hitman]

The only place I have ever bought from is Perfomance years. Fast and reliable. A lot of the stuff I needed was never in stock but that is ok. My suggestion is when you decide on one, use them exclusively.

[Bob Kazian]

1st Choice = Performance Years
2nd Choice = Ames Performance

Stay away from
-Year One - Too high priced / no knowledge
-OPG & Classic - Chevy guys
-The Paddock - Real bozos! Inadequate selection

[mddog]

Following link to hotrodders for has an extensive section on company reviews with many obscure vendors ... not bad resource if your looking for hard to find services or parts. Also has a good technoal oriented forum but is not pontiac specific.

http://hotrodders.com/

[urhere2]

I've used Ames and tried using performance years. When I ordered from ames they had to send three different shippments as the parts came in and only charged 1 shipping charge. The parts were all correct and came in in a timely manner. I am very happy with them. On the other hand, I've tried ordering from PY twice and they want to charge a shipping charge on their backorders if you can't wait until the whole order is in stock. Because of this I cancelled both orders on stuff I really wanted to buy from them. I'll try again as I would like a Pypes system for my car, but it was frustrating.

[Old-Goat]

I have bought things from both PY and Ames and find they are both good comapnies with knowledageable sales folks.

I have ordered quite a few sheet metal parts from Goodmark and found them to be quick and the parts were correct. The panels seem to fit ok but then again I have nothing to compare them to. This is my first restoration.

I ordered an exhaust system from Gardner exhaust and I have got to tell you, these guys are GREAT. UPS lost a box out of the main box on my order and they shiped another box immediatly at no charge. If you want the exhaust to be right, they can do it. My exhaust are factory correct and they give you al the correct hangers etc.

I ordered new brake lines and tramsmission cooler lines from The Right Stuff Detailing. They're stuff is good and I had a problem as the front line is different on my HO car and they sent a pick up for my old line, then duplicated it, and I got it back within a week and a half of sending the old one off and it was no charge.

I buy alot of paint and body work supplies from eastwood and have no trouble with them at all.

I found a welding supply on line whos prices are great and they sent my order the next day. Its called the welding depot.

If I can think of any more places I will list them.

OK I just remembered. I ordered a complete front end steering/bushing kit from PSC (not PST). I put them on a while back and just noticed that the inner tie rod ends have the grease fitting in the back of the arm. This allows them to hit the bolts that secure the lower a arms. Other companies parts I've seen installed (PST I believe)have them on the ends of the tie rod ends, and I have a frame I believe to be stock that has them on the ends as well. I have not put the body back on the frame yet so I will need to deal with this problem soon.

[mike nixon]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bob Kazian:
1st Choice = Performance Years
2nd Choice = Ames Performance

Stay away from
-Year One - Too high priced / no knowledge
-OPG & Classic - Chevy guys
-The Paddock - Real bozos! Inadequate selection </div></BLOCKQUOTE>


ditto to this.

mike

[Rugratman]

I also will agree with Bob, and Mike.

Py is alway's my first stop, I really need the forum, so I support them, when not in stock, I have been lucky, rarely....I go to Ames.

Not only that, but they are the only ones who really support our hobby's.
year one blow's......

[Ron Landis]

Still need to shop around,as you'll find that each vendor can top the others in some areas. We spent over $35k on one car a few years back, as one vendor covered shipping on large orders. Others were asked, but couldn't do it. Saved us @ $400 all said and done. Who cares if they are Chevy guys? I knew what I wanted and they had it for less. Bought several gas tanks and radiators. Never asked them for tech support. Anyway, still finding it best to check all sources on several parts, as many originate from the same supplier. Good luck!

[squirejohn]

GonzoF1

I have done most through Ames, or PY.
Great results with both.

[Fred's red sled]

You have found a biased group, for sure. We all love PY and that's why you found us here. Actually, I think we are a wise self selected group who have sorted through tons of parts places and found PY to really stand out.
I love PY for customer service, knowlegde and quality of parts. If they don't have a certain part, I check with Ames. I even found a bracket I needed at the Parts Place in Chicago. That is the only experience I had with them and it went fine. Others have had mixed experiences with them.
For special parts or resto info just ask your friends on this post. Many VERY bright and helpful folks on this forum have walked me through many issues.
Have fun.
Fred

[GonzoF1]

Okay... I've checked some of these guys out. Goodmark doesn't look they have much stuff at all by camairison to others and it seems to be more expensive.

Ames seems okay, but their website is as bad as the others for having detailed descriptions and pictures of what you are buying. It's just not a very good user interface. IMHO. I haven't checked out Gardner or Right Stuff yet, but intend to.

I just ordered a full set of weatherstripping and a console harness extension from PY yesterday. The harness is on backorder. Are they going to charge me shipping twice? That's not right seeing that it looks like they charge by the dollar amout you buy and not by size or weight (I could be wrong here... I just recall it from glancing at the catalog). I'll be pissed if that happens. A little.

They were great on the phone though and that counts for alot with me. I had to call the manufacturer of the harness to ask a couple of detailed questions and they were great too. so "POINTS-ALL-AROUND" yee-haaaaa.

So who else? Who have we missed? Any chance of any of y'all knowing about any places in North Carolina that I can actually walk into a brick-and-mortor &lt;sp&gt; store? That would be ideal... and my wife might let me spend more if she actually saw what we were buying...hehe.

[riv80]

If you are considering a professional dash restoration, I had a rather unpleasant experience with Performance Restorations in Texas on my 67 Goat.