Posted by Marty on Thursday, March 08, 2007 at 16:33:23 :
In Reply to: ...price over quality & correctness...? posted by Clint Dixon on Thursday, March 08, 2007 at 12:49:20 :
It is sad because doing it perfect wouldn't cost any more. But tailgates are just the tip of the long list of parts that aren't correct for our trucks. The headliners aren't close enough for me. Mirror arms...they're better than nothing, that's for sure but not good enough & nowhere near original...may as well install an arm off a Ford COE because they're probably closer to original.
As much as many you guys won't want to hear this, it will take for more of our trucks to be bought up by collectors & fewer being used & in the hands of farmers before there's more emphasis put on the quality of reproduction parts made.
I'd pay $1000 for a reproduction headliner, tailgate or floor matt yet I still hear complaints regarding price whenever someone offers to step up to the plate & faithfully reproduce some of these parts.
I just bought a set of 18 bolts from Mar-K to bolt the rear fenders on a Utiline bed. If you look on their Webpage, you can buy a variation of the original bolts using washers for $30 a set. Perfect copies of originals they sell for $180/set! I took the originals. $10/bolt is very costly but the others aren't worth their weight in scrap stainless steel to me.
I hear complaints about the collectors horning in on our hobby but I can tell you...if there were a few more owner/collectors...Dave Maher would still be building beds & fenders would be well on the way.
I'm just the messenger so don't be mad at me!
When people are prepared to buck up...the parts will be available. Until then we will have to build our own & make due with some of the lesser quality Chinese repro garbage Clint.
If you seriously want a Tailgate...Renato would probably make a small run but you'd need to contact Steve Fowler...I think he's Renato's salesman in the US. Renato has an original of mine to copy from.