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Reproduction Parts Forum

4K views 30 replies 17 participants last post by  68 cougar std 
#1 ·
Hello MercuryCougar.net,

I am wondering if it is possible to establish a forum for Cougar reproduction parts rather than needing to look around in the parts for sale sections. Then there can be discussion about how the parts work, their quality, suppliers, manufacturers etc. Maybe there is already an area for the reproduction parts that I missed.

Thanks,
George
 
#2 ·
Hello MercuryCougar.net,

I am wondering if it is possible to establish a forum for Cougar reproduction parts rather than needing to look around in the parts for sale sections. Then there can be discussion about how the parts work, their quality, suppliers, manufacturers etc. Maybe there is already an area for the reproduction parts that I missed.

Thanks,
George

I second that motion. The best part would be, "what mustang parts fit cougar.
 
#3 ·
i think that would be a useful reference also.


i just bought this...
<TABLE border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>Cougar Parts Interchange Manual 1967 1968 1969 1970</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- Begin Description -->"Ford Parts Interchange Manual" by Paul A. Herd.
This book is the source for Ford parts interchanges. Many Ford parts, from engines and alternators to body panels and door handles, are interchangeable among models and makes. The Ford Parts Interchange Manual allows you to look up a part for your 1959-1970 Mustang, Fairlane, Torino, and Mercury Cougar or Cyclone and find which Ford cars used that same part. With this information, you can interchange parts between different model and year cars, improve your odds of finding the part you need at a salvage yard or swap meet, or even purchase new parts for less.

With over 200 photos and diagrams, the Ford Parts Interchange Manual is the perfect resource for everyone from the serious restorer to the backyard mechanic. Covers 1959-1970 Ford Mustang, Fairlane, Torino, and Mercury Cougar & Cyclone models. Includes submodels such as GT, GTA, Shelby GT 350, GT 500, Boss, XR-7, and Cobra Jet.

You will find interchange for parts for the engine, fuel system, oiling & cooling system, exhaust, transmissions, suspension, steering, brakes, wheels, wheel covers, electrical systems, sheet metal, exterior trim, and interiorThe book measures 8 ¼" by 10 ½", has 240 pages, and is in BRAND NEW condition! Buy now to own this indispensable guide for interchanging the parts on your Ford!

http://stores.ebay.com/Faxon-Auto-Literature
$24.95 plus shipping. still on the way i can't wait to see all the parts i am missing!...

sometimes we find useful info by accident just tinkering in the garage i know i could use all the info i can get.
Bob
 
#5 ·
We have a clickable link page to all the Cougar Venders and then some on the Curb......

Use "guest" as the username...then use "guest" as the password...

Click the link in my signature to get there.....
 
#6 ·
MC.net Needs a Forum for Reproduction Parts

Thanks MRCJ,

The Curb looks interesting. I did login as you said but I did not see anything that indicated Repro Parts. There was a comment that led me to believe that there is more but that I would need to register first. I will check it out when I get some time.

In the mean time, I believe that MC.net needs their own forum for reproduction parts so registered users do not need to go elsewhere. These parts are very important to most Cougar owners and as new members register they will also find it helpful. Actually I have been on the Forum for 2 years or so and I have never seen the CURB or been encouraged to go there so I have not had access to these parts as maybe those that have been around for a long time. So for that time I have been struggling to find parts and not have easy access to the reproduction parts. Maybe I am not too observant but maybe I am also not unusual in this regard. I am positive that a forum on MC.net would be a huge hit.
 
#7 ·
Silvercat, are you looking for the list of vendors that supply reproduction parts to the various Cougar parts retailers, or are you looking for a retailer that sells the reproduction parts?
 
#21 ·
XR7G428,

My main interest is to have a forum where members can ask questions about repro parts, be it quality, or supplier contact info or whatever the member needs. At the same time the suppliers can post and inform the board members about their parts or maybe new parts that are coming or planned or maybe ask what parts we want to see produced. The suppliers could take advanced orders for a part that can be made if they have the initial numbers or hear from the members about what they do or do not like about a part, the ease of installation or the frustration of having a part that does not fit properly. So there are lots of benefits from having the a separate forum for reproduction parts. I am sure the members can come up with lots more reasons too.

To answer your actual question, yes I would like to know where the parts are coming from. I am possibly interested in buying and reselling the manifolds since I build 428CJ engines and could sell the manifolds with the engine. If I can buy in quantity I would not want to pay a retail price so it requires at least the opportunity of discussing this with the manufacturer or importer.

That brings up another point. Lets say a board member wanted to have manifolds made for another application, you would then have the name of this manufacturer to contact about getting a quote for production.
 
#8 ·
...there can be discussion about how the parts work, their quality, suppliers, manufacturers etc....
This would be nice, as it really is frustrating to buy repro parts advertised as "perfect," only to be disappointed. I seem to recall, though, that Logan has a "non-disparagement" policy when it comes to talking about vendors and manufacturers, which probably is prudent to stave off all sorts of "remove-that-post-or-my-lawyers-will" type letters.

One of the things I like about WCCC is they are up-front when the reproductions they sell are not quite good enough. Wish all the vendors did that. http://www.cougarpartscatalog.com/
 
#9 ·
TCCN used to have a chart of vendors & how people graded them. Maybe it's in the archives? Maybe Steve will run a new poll & get some updated data for us?
Gee, shouldn't this be a CCOA function? Oh, yeah...:1poke:
 
#10 ·
https://www.fordrestorationparts.com/restoration/index.jsp

I have a better link to a pdf doc with a full listing of all of the companies that hold a license. IIRC it was Bill who posted it. It's bookmarked on my machine at work.

Ford has no problem licensing really poor reproduction parts these days, but some are quite good. Just know that most of the retail vendors all sell pretty much the same commodoties. It really helps to recognize the manufacturer by their license number. For instance Midland Automotive Products (license 3012) and Daniel Carpenter (license 3016) have a good amount of overlap in the parts they offer, DC is definitely the better of the two. But to dig even deeper, Daniel Carpenter makes windshield weatherstrip in both India and the U.S. The U.S. made version is about $10 more. I gave AutoKrafters lots of crap for advertising they sell the finest weatherstrip available and then kitting the Indian made weatherstrip in their kit for Cougar.

For me, knowing who makes the stuff is key.
 
#11 ·
I agree. I just updated a bunch of stuff on my car and the list of parts that I have that are incorrect for a 1970 Cougar is longer than the list of stuff that I have that fits! :( :(

I am *so* tired of seeing "Fits 1969-1970 Mustang and Cougar"...yeah right...
 
#12 ·
Here is the better link. This is to a document named Ford Motor Company Restoration Parts Licensing Program. I have compiled a short list that associates licensed vendors to their license number. I can post my list too, but just as this link was on my work machine, my list is at home.

Things get a little complicated with situations like Scott Drake repackaging parts made by Carpenter or M.A.P. but it's not that hard to figure out who's actually making the stuff we buy.


https://www.fordcomponentsales.com/downloads/Restoration_Parts_Licensing_Program.pdf
 
#14 ·
I know that Scott Drake sells the reproduction 428CJ exhaust manifolds but do they redistribute them or do they actually have them made? Who is the real manufacturer of these manifolds?

I think it's kind of kept secret for the sake of marketing but Scott Drake's prices are as good as anybodys. They are the exact same ones that Tony Branda (Shelby/Mustang) sells, not much difference in price..
 
#15 ·
Interesting that Branda should come up. I wanted 15 x 7 tenspokes for my Cougar for the longest time. I would have typically bought them from MU but then I found out that they are actually made by Branda. Actually Branda has a vendor make them, and they don't do a very good job of source inspecting the wheels (if they do at all) or controlling the quality of the wheels. However Branda bought both the rights and the original tooling from Shelby to make the wheels. MU gets their tenspokes from Branda as do the other retailers that offer the 15 x 7 tenspokes. I don't believe the wheels are licensed by Ford as they are a Shelby item and not precisely a Ford item so the Ford licensing doesn't come into play.

Glad I went to Branda directly for the wheels too. I had to go through 8 wheels to find 4 good ones. I don't know if I could have got a retailer to work with me like that, I had to shame Branda into it by telling them how pitiful their quality was compared to say American Racing wheels. I even offered to help them write a product specification controlling end-item requirements but frankly I think the whole concept went over their heads and really they just wanted me to be satisfied with the crap they were making and selling and go away, which eventually I did.

The funny part is that I didn't realize until the wheels were on the car that they are not a repro of a '68 tenspoke. In '68 the wheels were 14 inchers. The 15 x 7 tenspokes were made by Shelby, but a few years later. Branda does not advertise this fact. I still like the wheels.
 
#17 ·
Who makes the part... That is a tough question. I have started reproducing some parts, AC vents in particular. The part is cast in one factory, polished and painted in another, painted by a different company, and the plastic vent retainer is made in a different factory than the rubber air door. I own none of the factories. the main factory, where the parts are cast assembled and packaged mostly builds AMG Mercedes parts, but isn't owned by Mercedes. I worked with a design and engineering group to develop the parts, and they are assisting with importing the parts. As near as I can tell, I make the parts as long as I sign the checks...

I would guess that a lot of the parts that Drake "makes" are done exactly the same way, although I do know that they do injection molding in house.
 
#18 ·
Who makes the part... That is a tough question. I have started reproducing some parts, AC vents in particular. The part is cast in one factory, polished and painted in another, painted by a different company, and the plastic vent retainer is made in a different factory than the rubber air door. I own none of the factories. the main factory, where the parts are cast assembled and packaged mostly builds AMG Mercedes parts, but isn't owned by Mercedes. I worked with a design and engineering group to develop the parts, and they are assisting with importing the parts. As near as I can tell, I make the parts as long as I sign the checks...

I would guess that a lot of the parts that Drake "makes" are done exactly the same way, although I do know that they do injection molding in house.
Bingo.. Drake, Branda, Don, etc.. Most everyone does it this way.. I honestly think Drake and Carpenter "make" more of the stuff they "produce" than any of the others, but only from what I know and whats been told to me.
Now, that said, there is NOTHING wrong with the way it works.. Thats the american, no, the GLOBAL way of doing things these days.. Sad part is, most of the pieces/parts are made out of the US, but again, thats the american way now a days and you gotta play the game if you wanna stay in business.. ;)
 
#19 · (Edited)
Here's my list

Here it is

3001 Dennis Carpenter
3006 Marti Auto Works (The symbol on my deluxe report bears 5012, 3006 is advertised on http://www.martiauto.com/)
3011 Scott Drake Enterprises
3012 Midland Automotive Products
3016 Daniel Carpenter
3053 John's Classic Cougars
3207 Repops / Clark Industries
5002 Jim Osborne Reproductions

I told you all it was a short list. Please add to it if you can.
 
#22 ·
Silvercat, sounds good to me. I was going to refer you to the list posted earlier of licensed reproductions as a start.

Most distributors have significant minimum purchase requirements, so knowing who makes the part is not a guarantee that you can buy it cheaper. But if you can make the minimums, then by all means you ought to be buying better than retail. Just in case you are new to this, some distributors will flat cut you off from everything they sell if they get wind of you trying to go around them. In particular, when they have made the investment in tooling and development, they will not be happy.

I do not think any of this is a reason for us not to have the kind of forum you have described. It sounds like a great way to find out what works. Not all parts are created equal.
 
#23 ·
Interesting... Keep going!

In a way, we are accomplishing much of what you are seeking within our online catalog. If you do a search on our site for words like "cr*p", pathetic and the like you will find items that we or our customers have used and find to be substandard. We also rave about certain items. We do notice when we give a product a bad review we sell very few of that item. I assume the customer often just goes to the next vendor that says nothing or misleads and makes the purchase there thinking it is a different product than ours. I think in the long run though we are actually gaining sales and customer confidence by doing this! It angers me when vendors do not explain when a part may need modification to fit or is poor quality, they know this because customers DO COMPLAIN when they are unhappy. Are you thinking this forum would be separate from mc.net or just another category here? I wonder what a forum within our site would accomplish?



Online Store :: Fuel :: Tank :: 1967-73 Standard Fuel Sending Unit - Repro

<table align="left" width="400"><tbody><tr><td align="center"></td></tr><tr><td><center>Click to enlarge</center></td></tr></tbody></table>
1967-73 Standard Fuel Sending Unit - Repro


This is the single prong version, xr7 and Cougars equipped with the convenience control package used a three prong version. We have not had good experiences with this reproduction. Every aspect of it is of a lesser quality than the original. We suggest a good used unit whenever possible and always be sure and check your float for leaks as often this is all that is wrong.


<form method="post" action="https://order.store.yahoo.net/cgi-bin/wg-order?yhst-11089400041767+9275">
Availability
Usually ships the next business day


Part #: 9275
$44.00
Year: <select name="Year"><option value="1967-68">1967-68</option><option value="1969">1969</option><option value="1970">1970</option><option value="1971-73">1971-73</option></select>
</form>
 
#24 ·
Are you thinking this forum would be separate from mc.net or just another category here? I wonder what a forum within our site would accomplish?
<FORM action=https://order.store.yahoo.net/cgi-bin/wg-order?yhst-11089400041767+9275 method=post>
</FORM>
I "think" his thoughts were another category on MC.net that would be completely open and unbiased...
Now please dont take that the wrong way Don and think that I feel like you are trying to pull a smooth one on us. I by NO WAY think or feel that way.. But, in all honesty (and I know you are a very intelligent guy and will understand this completely) having an open an unbiased vendor/parts section on mc.net really is a good idea.. Even though you are completely honest about everything on your site, its still YOUR site! ;) Those of us who know you, know how honest you are, but honestly, most who use this site are "newbies" to the cats and do not know who to trust or who to go to.

Silvercat, as for trying to get into buying wholesale, as someone already said, I would STRONGLY suggest talking to/with some of the current vendors and work your way in WITH them.. I think you will find out that there is no one big "player" but lots of small players (as far as getting parts made/created), so to get your foot in the door and get started, you would be much better off trying to work "with" them instead of trying to go around them... I would suggest getting in touch with Don and also giving Branda a shout.. I "think" Branda is the one who got the manifolds re-done.. He gets into alot of the cast parts and having those produced.. Many of the reproduction oil pans and valve covers were reproduced by/through Branda.. His facility is about an hour from me..
 
#27 ·
so theres not a list of vendors who have specfic cougar catalogs, as a parts guy i am wondering! i actually have the old school books at work as i am the only one who knows how to use them. and i have found out some interchangeablity /non interchangeablity, the mustangs suppliers i noticd are lacking in this info or even cougi specfic areas. so far as i can tell heres the few i have compiled

west coast classic cougar
autokrafters
mustangsunlimted
my friend rob(guy i bought my car from)

thats all i can find as of now, i think we can come up with a better list!
 
#30 ·
This may not be the time or place to bring this up again, but I would like to produce a reproduction of a few 'trans am' related items. For instance, the cat head emblem on the side of the race cars. Also, I have a 'presumed' boot leg copy of the TV show that aired on 'Speed', "Cougar capers". Dan Gurney is wearing a red team Cougar Jacket, and I want to license and reman that item. Who here can help with that, that already has a license?
 
#31 ·
I think the biggest help would be a list of what Mustang parts fit a cougar. Example door handles from a 66-68 mustang are the same as the 67-68 door handles on a cougar etc.
 
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