Houston Dealer

[cypress TX 72]

Does anybody else from Houston and the surrounding towns wish there was a 67-72 parts dealer IN town...
I'm thinking hard gentlemen...
Response may push my hand..
TS

[n2billet]

Originally Posted by cypress TX 72

Does anybody else from Houston and the surrounding towns wish there was a 67-72 parts dealer IN town...
I'm thinking hard gentlemen...
Response may push my hand..
TS

What about Outback in Spring Texas?

[cypress TX 72]

Exactly
Thats what I am talking about

[STP67-72]

Cypress
I went through all of the same thing about 7-8 years ago. I have done this part time for 10 - 15 years. Sold new and used parts. Buy, sell and build these old trucks. I was in the process of trying to buy out Lynns Truck Parts, when Roger at Outback bought it. Lynn started this business from the ground up and had a lot of good buying contacts on new parts. Lynn helped me out a lot and would sell me big bulk deals when i needed it. A lot of companies just want sell to anybody. The demand 5- 10 years ago and longer for these trucks was real strong. It has slowed down for me a whole bunch as far as new and used parts. I do not even stock half as much as i use to. I did it full time for about 3-4 years and loved it. I new that when 9-11 hit that it was going to get tuff. I went back to work full time at that time. It is a tuff bus. I did not want to run all over country to hustle up customers. There are so many vendors at the dallas area swap meets. And it is hard to compete with Kenny. I like him and he will make some heck of deals. I still buy some things because i do not have some of the dealership he has. Some dealers want even take new dealers. I heard a few years ago that Mar K did not take any more. There is at least a dozen are more different sellers. It would be nice to have a nice building paid for, location, plenty room for lots of parts trucks inside and out. I had up to 40 or so trucks at a time just for parts. I out grew my shop at the house and the people drove my wife nuts. Houston definatley is a better location than Beaumont area. I still have a lot of customers in Houston area. All of the sheet metal is going up and shipping is going up every day. You have to spend 5000.00 or more for free shipping with Goodmark. That is twice as much as a few years ago. Try to get hooked up with some of these first. They all require a buy in and have to maintane so much a year. I will give you a call after this weekend. Hope this helps.

I am so glad that all i bought from Lynn was his 97 crew cab powerstroke. I also enjoy building them more and buying and selling.

[cypress TX 72]

Steve,
I also was in line when Carol sold to Roger; I had all the paper done and loan approved. I think that Roger (sr) had been close to Carol for a long time and I think Carol kinda felt that was the best way to go.
Anyway, I just cannot help but to feel that Houston is such a big city, I currently own two different companies in, both successful because of its size.

The one thing that I keep coming back to time and time again is that I remember Carol telling me -"If you are buying this place to get rich, you will go broke. But if you're buying it because you love the trucks and are willing to help them get restored you will be successful.
And every single person that I talk to, has felt that Outback has done a terrible job, and that they don't even know the trucks, for gods sake they don't even drive one. And that Roger (jr) is the sorriest human being alive, and that even Sr and his wife are rude and un-interested in the trucks themselves.
This is not necessarily my opinion, I happen to think very highly of Sr., But I can tell you this, that since 1996 I have built at least one of these trucks a year, and I have only bought parts there one time. I happen to meet Jr. on that trip and that was the end of that.
Anyway, I just really think that if people had a store front here in town, if only on the week-ends, they would come - if not just to have a choice in the matter.
Capitol is not really the problem, the demand is, and is it still there for this market is the question.
By the way, are you coming to get that frame next week ???
Tony