The "bad" repro parts list. (buy at your own risk)

[bobs409]

Not sure if we have one here but we all know how bad some repro parts are. This list might help others avoid a bad deal we've had. I could have used a list like this many times.

If you care to add to the list something you've bought and were unhappy with, please do so. (the brand and where you bought is a plus)

[bobs409]

I'll start.

Repro rubber floor mats: The repro full floor mat I bought lasted about 2 years before it cracked and dry rotted. At $85 dollars, you might choose something different.

I don't know the brand but was purchased from Classic parts. (I'm not blaming them, I love their company)

Repro outer door handles: These will last about 6 months if your lucky before they start to pit! The same can be said about most all chrome plated pot metal parts. It's sad there hasn't been some better materials these could be made of. Perhaps if they were on a space shuttle or something?

Repro front bowtie grill emblem (71/72): Your thinking I'm going to say it's pitting. Well it does have a few on the bottom side but what bothers me even more is the very nice blue coloring it had in the box has now faded to a pitiful shade. (on truck less than 2 years) I expected the bezel would pit eventually but never expected the plastic insert to have issues. Live and learn...

[special-K]

69-72 Steering wheel rim cracked in 4 years of very occasional use. I'd say maybe 5,000 miles at he most. I feel it broke due to temperature changes,not use. The rod stock used is 1/2 the gauge of OEM.

[WAAF]

this list will not work...
why, because like anything.. a part made 2 years ago.. hell even 3 months ago.. might have been updated once they found out about the issue.. be it fit/finish/lasting
take aftermarket body parts.. todays parts are like night and day to the older stuff..
then there is "was your part" just part of a bad batch..
I have 2 sets of arm rest for the same car.. from the same vendor.. but 5 years apart on when ordered.. you'd never guess they are the same maker..
bigger problem, is most people think that 80 dollar part is gonna be as good as the g.m. part that had much more tooling cost..
like the rubber mat listed above.. have you looked at tires after 2 years they are dry cracking.. my new tires on my daily where not even a year old and they started.. and they where not cheap tires.. alot has to do with the base meterials that the "green world" now uses over the older dirty materials.. hell paint now is watercolors

[GMCPaul]

The 71-72 Chevy Bowtie grill emblems have not been reproduced unless some one has begun making them in the last few months which we haven't heard of the 71-72 Bow tie emblems were ALL GM NOS parts. They are no longer available from GM as GM ran out about 6-9 months ago if memory serves me correctly. In regards to door handles the GM NOS handles if you can find a set have pitting on them straight out of the box so the last GM NOS versions produced weren't better than repro are since I've never seen a reproduction begin pitting in the box.
In regards to the reproduction rubber floor mats they were hit and miss on quality. I believe it had to do more with the quality of the raw materials used or the mixture perhaps on each production run as we've seen widely varying quality on these as I know of some who have had them for 10+ yrears and are as nice as new and others we've seen looked 20 years old after 1-2 years of use.
My pet peeve's are is the 72 plastic door panels we've seen in most instances where your lucky if 1 set out of 10 fit correctly, or the 67-72 LWB Fleetside lower rear quarter patch panel behind the rear wheel on the bed where they leave out the indentation below the taillight and do not have the 1/8" rolled bead on the wheel arch, they know how to put the rolled bead on the front panel made by the same company as the rear and they put the rolled bead on the complete wheel arch but the leave these important details off the rear patch panel yet the same company puts all the correct details on the complete bed side assembly.
GMCPaul

[1972RedNeck]

Don't forget that the plate on the back of outside door handles likes to pop off.

I haven't had any luck with shifter boots either.

[GMCPaul]

Ahhh the plate on the back side of the exteriotr door handles is a problem since new on even the original GM NOS handles its due to the fact that they used pot metal then in order to hold the plate in place they bent the corners on the pot metal and as we all know if you bend pot metal it produces stress cracks which then leads to failure of that part of the pot metal in thne future if its ever put under stress and since everytime you push the button on the door handle it applies pressure to this plate stressing the bends in the pot metal. Most common time these fail is in the dead of winter ESPECIALLY when the button freezes in place and you use the heel of your hand to smack it to try and break the ice and you lose your metal plate in the door.
GMCPaul

[GMCPaul]

Originally Posted by special-K

69-72 Steering wheel rim cracked in 4 years of very occasional use. I'd say maybe 5,000 miles at he most. I feel it broke due to temperature changes,not use. The rod stock used is 1/2 the gauge of OEM.

We were told this was due to to low of a carbon content in the raw materials when making these originally for reproduction, this problem was supposed to have been cleared up in the last few years on the steering wheels being reproduced.
GMCPaul

[D.PASSMORE]

After market Deluxe side markers with chrome trim. The chrome trim falls off after a few months. Good luck on finding it...

But, "E-Bay" still has Deluxe side markers in there inventory.

[Classic Heartbeat]

Reproduction gas filler neck grommets. They crack 30 to 60 days after instalation. This is why I started reproducing the 71-72. My reproductions are made in the USA and garanteed for 5 years. We still sell Genuine GM for the 67-70. WES

[WAAF]

Originally Posted by Classic Heartbeat

Reproduction gas filler neck grommets. They crack 30 to 60 days after instalation. This is why I started reproducing the 71-72. My reproductions are made in the USA and garanteed for 5 years. We still sell Genuine GM for the 67-70. WES

whats the difference in 67-70 and the 71-72

[Classic Heartbeat]

Reproduction 67 & 68-72 Headlight switch knobs. The end that you stick into the switch does not come to a point and has too steep of a taper to install into a switch without forceing it and braking the switch. I contacted our supplier about it and they said I was the first to complain about it. I said BS, I had broken too many switches with too many knobs to be the only one having problems. So I told him to pull one off the shelf along with a new switch and try it for himself and he broke the first switch trying to install it and flat couldn't install it in the second. So hopefully that problem will be fixed.. WES

[bobs409]

Originally Posted by GMCPaul

The 71-72 Chevy Bowtie grill emblems have not been reproduced unless some one has begun making them in the last few months which we haven't heard of the 71-72 Bow tie emblems were ALL GM NOS parts. GMCPaul

Just checked and I got mine from Classic parts about 2 years ago for $31.95 They list a NOS one for $94.95 as well so no mistake.

[68gmsee]

Originally Posted by Classic Heartbeat

Reproduction gas filler neck grommets. They crack 30 to 60 days after instalation. This is why I started reproducing the 71-72. My reproductions are made in the USA and garanteed for 5 years. We still sell Genuine GM for the 67-70. WES

I got one of your for my 68. So far, it's doing great even over the hot dry summer we had.

Previous ones would start cracking after one Texas summer and if you touched it, would get black goo all over your hand. One time I got gas and went inside the store, people stared at me and when I got home my wife told me I had black all over my forehead where I had wiped with my hand. New one hasn't done that.

[RenoKeene]

Originally Posted by D.PASSMORE

After market Deluxe side markers with chrome trim. The chrome trim falls off after a few months. Good luck on finding it...

But, GM still has Deluxe side markers in there inventory.

I just called the local Chevy dealer...the sidemarker lights have been discontinued.

[Classic Heartbeat]

whats the difference in 67-70 and the 71-72

The 67-70s are have a 2" diameter hole and the 71-72s have an 1 1/2" diameter hole. WES

I got one of your for my 68. So far, it's doing great even over the hot dry summer we had.

Previous ones would start cracking after one Texas summer and if you touched it, would get black goo all over your hand. One time I got gas and went inside the store, people stared at me and when I got home my wife told me I had black all over my forehead where I had wiped with my hand. New one hasn't done that.

Precisely why I started reproducing them. WES

[RenoKeene]

Some time back I bought a repop grill for my 70 GMC...I posted it all on here, real P.O.S., after I removed the incorrect black paint (painted like a 71-72) I found all the stamping wrinkles. Ended up sending it back and bought a good used OEM one from a board member. Turned out to be only one importer and they all had the same problem. Thats a shame for something that costs a weeks pay for us poor schmuks.

[ls1nova71]

Originally Posted by bobs409

Just checked and I got mine from Classic parts about 2 years ago for $31.95 They list a NOS one for $94.95 as well so no mistake.

I bought one from Classic Parts about a year and a half ago too, looked great but I sold the truck shortly afterward so I cannot comment on it's durability.

[special-K]

Originally Posted by GMCPaul

We were told this was due to to low of a carbon content in the raw materials when making these originally for reproduction, this problem was supposed to have been cleared up in the last few years on the steering wheels being reproduced.
GMCPaul

That's good to know. Now I can have a decent steering wheel for a total cost of about $375. Of course I also paid $50 shipping from LMC on this one. So,make that $425 if I can buy a new one w/o paying shipping.

[LEX]

Great thread.
Posted via Mobile Device

[chopnchaneled]

Subcribed !!

[PHAT TONY]

I haven't used everything they make(really?), but everything I have used from Goodmark has been a real turkey right outta the box! Junk. Same goes for trim in a Corvex wrapper.

[Already Gone]

I've bought a few items from different vendors over the years such as dash bezel and new headlite switch, window rubbers and mouldings, outside mirrors and the only thing I am dissapointed in was the repop chrome rear sport bumper. If you tighten the bolts a little to much when installing, it'll wrinkle. To counter that I found an original used rear sport bumper, bought it and am going to have it rechromed at a cost of about 350.00.

[bobs409]

Might as well add all chrome repro bumpers to the list. They are nice when new and the price is awesome at about $150 a pop but the chrome is thin and within a few years, it will get all spotty. It only gets worse from there...

[Razorbacker]

I purchased a fuel line (pump to carb) from the 3 letter restoration parts supplier and leaked so bad at the carb I was thankful it didn't catch the truck on fire.

After removing the line and inspecting (which i should have done before installation), the flare was poorly formed and not concentric.

It's one issue when you purchase products that do not meet your expectations b/c they're not cosmetically acceptable or have durability issue but when it becomes a safety related that's goes to a different level.