opinions welcome

[olblue60@aol.com]

I took my suburban to the paint shop for an estimate a couple of days ago.The body man suggested that I replace as many body parts as possible with aftermarket parts,fenders hood etc.My question is are they any good? are some better than others and what should I look for as far as the best quality.Are they better than using solid originals. I went to alot of trouble to purchase this virtually rust free truck from Albaquerque, completely solid except for a small hole behind the left rear tire.Of course the desert heat as burned alot of the paint off and there is surface rust but the parts are really solid.What to do?it always seems thet the members of this board are looking for solid original parts to use. Why?

[cdowns]

????? nothigs better than OEM!!!!!!!!!!

[nu2-72]

I cannot understand the shop man.
Many of the aftermarket parts are as good or better than OEM. Some are not.
The catch is that even when you buy original used, it may not fit exactly to your vehicle. Yes these were made on an assembly line. But by different shifts, different people, different parts lots and so on. While they all were within spec., some were probably on the high side and some on the low.
I've been told that for every doctor that graduated top of the class, another graduated bottom of the class. But both graduated.
If you have a complete, assembled, original metal vehicle I see no reason to replace it with all new aftermarket metal.
Talk to the vendors here. Most all will tell you the tailgates, fenders, hoods and doors of aftermarket companies are heavier gauge and of excellent quality. GMC Pauls, Wes and Tim have all posted here about the quality of the new parts.
By no means let him have the old parts. I would have to buy them on here.

[olblue60@aol.com]

Nu2
Great Idea. Vendors please post. It was the bodymans opinion that all new metal,clean seams are very important. also the labor to remove the paint and surface rust would be costly.He believes that new parts with less labor and the sale of my OEM and I would be miles ahead ,money spent.Any imput on this and backing the quality of your parts fitting? Didn't I read that yours were thicker gauge as well?He had just finished a 65 Mustang with repo parts.Everything but the hood and roof.It looked great?Is there anything to this logic?

[sierrasports]

i have had good luck with the new stuff ie aftermarket... and rottten luck with oem...

[bagged91]

I personally would look into having your sheetmetal media blasted to bare metal and go from there. Nothing better than a GM part IMO not to mention you will have almost $1200 laid out for "New" aftermarket sheetmetal before it's even started. Prob. cost 1/3 of that to have your stuff blasted(even less if you can do it yourself). I think it's around $1K to have the WHOLE TRUCK blasted.

I got the $1200 by figuring this:

1 pair fenders @ $150 ea = $300.00
1 pair Burb doors @ $280 ea = $560.00
1 Steel cowl hood @ $400 = $400.00
Total = $1260.00 plus shipping

[ghetocrewzer]

I am in the body shop business and I would rather work with OEM parts any day. You can either blast the parts as bagged said or you can just hit em w/ 36 grit paint buster then 80 grit. Then you can shot them w/ a couple coats of epoxy primer. The aftermarket parts I've dealt with on these trucks are not as thick and don't usually fit as well. I've used rockers, cab corners, and fender patches from LMC(customer bought) and non of them fit at all. I had to totally reshape the corners, The rockers had to be trimmed on one end and added to on the other, and the fender patches I just scrapped and made my own. I will say that the quarter patches from GMC Paul's fit perfect. His suppliers parts may be better than the others I have personally used. Hope this helps.

[ghetocrewzer]

This is a project I finished back in August of last year. Used all the original body parts including tailgate. Filled the side markers, all emblem and moulding holes, stake pockets, tailgate handle and indention, as well as fixing small rust pits. Also built the wheel tubs using originals and widening them as well as making them taller. Kept the original lines running in them then stepped the floor using part of another floor so the ribs would continue over step. Painted it using House of Kolor Ultra Orange Pearl w/ Dupont clear. Didn't use any aftermarket parts on this one and they lined up very well. Let me know what u think. Later

[ghetocrewzer]

This is a project I finished back in August of last year. Used all the original body parts including tailgate. Filled the side markers, all emblem and moulding holes, stake pockets, tailgate handle and indention, as well as fixing small rust pits. Also built the wheel tubs using originals and widening them as well as making them taller. Kept the original lines running in them then stepped the floor using part of another floor so the ribs would continue over step. Painted it using House of Kolor Ultra Orange Pearl w/ Dupont clear. Didn't use any aftermarket parts on this one and they lined up very well. Let me know what u think. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=39409

[PICKMUP]

On the Copper Head truck ECE used GM doors & fenders...and they sell the after market parts...hmmmmmm, I wonder why?

I sell the new repro parts...when we can't get good GM and have to use something...NOS GM parts sell for "Gold", hmmmmmmmmmm, I wonder why?

[Classic Heartbeat]

The quality of the aftermarket parts has come a long ways. They are getting better and better all of the time. I can give a good example in the rockers. The metal in the GM rockers are thinner than the reproductions, the finish doesn't even compare with the reproductions, and require a bunch of work befor you install them. The new fenders that we sell are zink coated for better rust protection, with the finish on those being better than original GM. Who ever says that there never are problems with the GM parts just plain isn't telling the truth and it is also is the same with reproductions. Some you have problems with and others you do not. No two GM doors, fenders, rockers, hoods, or any other part as far as that is concerned fit the same, but you will experience the same kinds of problems with the reproductions. I have yet to see a GM part that you can scuff and paint, but I have seen plenty of reproductions that you could. What it boils down to is how much do you have to spend? $110.00 each for GM rockers that will require a couple of hours of work to straiten and get ready for paint? or reproductions that are $14.95 each with a better finish? They both fit, but the aftermarket has a better finish and is heavier.
As for the original metal on your Suburban, I am a firm believer in saving as much of the original metal as possible. After all, someone on the assembly line has already done all the work it takes to fit the parts. IE shimmed them, beat them in place, slotted the holes etc,etc,etc... But it will come to a point that it may not be cost effective to repair it..... Maybe the cost is too great, only your bodyman and you know that. I would disguss your concerns with your body man and draw your conclusions from there. You are getting a lot of advise on these boards, some is good and some not so good, but none of us is doing the work on your truck. Remember after all when GM built these trucks they were considered trucks and did not have the same tight tollerances that the cars do. + or - 1/4".... That is a big gap by todays standards, but was industry standard then. This is where most people get in trouble, and get frustrated with restoring these trucks. They aply todays standards to yesterdays trucks.... Good luck with your decision... WES www.ClassicHeartbeat.com

[emmett]

Oldblue I would maybe take it to another paint shop just to get another opinion, If the dr. said we're going to operate and replace as many parts as pos. "heart lungs gizzard,ect" you would get a second opinion"lol" JMO
Good Luck EMMETT

[beamers69]

If it were mine I would stick with original wherever possible
for all reasons mentioned previously. I havent completed a
truck yet still working on first. My neighbor has 5 69 SS Chevelle's
Whenever possible he uses OEM parts says he has had better
luck with them.If its just surface rust I would go with either vatting or blasting and good epoxy primer. Wham your on your
way.

[MOTHERTRUCKERS]

I just started tearing down a board members burb for complete restoration Thursday and after looking at the fit of the doors,hood,fenders before teardown it's a tossup weather to use oem or aftermarket parts. The TRI PLUS reproduction parts we use and sell are in my opinion better than oem in some respects and if you really compare a repro to oem you will see some improvments over oem that make them a better choice. Since we switched suppliers a couple of years ago i have heard nothing but good news from my customers on fit and quality and here in the shop repro's cut down on labor costs and saves the customers money. Talk to your bodyman and weigh the pro's and con's on every little part in question. Restoring a burb from the ground up is a 20,000.00 year long investment with lots of forks in the road. Keep in mind the frame MUST be straight and true or nothing will line up, we will not restore anything until the frame is checked on a laser frame machine first. Also in my opinion dipping is the only way to truly restore a truck and guaranty no rust from the inside poping up later. Media and sandblasting is not an option on any part that you can't get insde of like tops, firewalls, door pillars, drip rails etc.

[D.PASSMORE]

Amen! Brother ED.

[olblue60@aol.com]

I appreciate all the helpful people that have added their input on this post.One thing on my mind is that a member stated that dipping was the only way to remove rust from un accessable areas. I would like to address that issue from the painters point of view in the same shop. He said that yes. it would remove the rust paint everything , even the original factory coatings in these unacessable areas where rust hasnt been an issue yet, the bare metal now makes it one. You will have all those areas bare with no protection including whats was stripped of the still remaining factory coatings. Once removed , then everything will begin to rust inside.. Even the factory coatings that still remained between welded seams will begin to weep rust quickly and there is no way to replace that factory protection once removed. And if the dip ever starts to come out of those places at a later time due to the fact that the dip cant be completly removed from those areas,it has caused him problems and comebacks on his paint jobs at later dates due to weeping out of the seams or factory welded area where metal is multi layered.his opinion is "Blasting ok but never dip".Any thoughts

[spencra]

I would rather go original but if that doesn't work I wouldn't hesitate to use repro's

[MOTHERTRUCKERS]

There is no part on a truck cab that cannot be reached with a wand and sprayer for primer,paint and sound/heat undercoating. After dipping we wash it down inside and out with vinegar and after dry time we epoxy primer and acrylic enamel paint ALL inside cavities including roof, pillars, heater vents and inner firewall to seal the metal. Then we seam seal every seam in the cab including under the cab with a thinned brush on sealer to seal the joints paying very close attention to drip rails and firewall seams. It's up to the customer from there as to inner roof, under cab and inner cab preferrence but most get rubberized rust inhibitor undercoating that acts as a sound and heat deadener also. Total material in the cab before paint is,
2 quarts PPG epoxy primer
1 quart acrylic enamel
1 quart brushable seam sealer
2 tubes seam sealer
3 gallon undercoating 1 roof 1 bottom 1 inner cab.

If your bodyman has experienced bleed thru then he should contact the dipper for their recommendations on finishing.

HI DAVE! ARE YOU READY TO QUIT PLAYING IN THE SAND BOX??? COME HOME SOON YOUR TRUCK MISSES YOU! GOD'S SPEED.

[junkyardjohn]

If you want opinions on aftermarket parts, just ask someone who has used them & what they're experiance is with the fit & finish of them, & is not trying to sell them, & therefore has nothing to gain or lose. John