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Overpriced reproduction parts for what they are

Sam69sat

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What reproduction parts do you guys think are overpriced for what they are? This is just one example i can think of. Plastic defrost ducts for a 66/67 Coronet and probably other b bodies of the same year. $149.95 for two pieces of plastic.


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They were junk plastic new as well! That said, see what it costs to make yourself a vacuum forming, or injection, mould to make them.
 
Well, you know just about everything for a mopar is more expensive than parts for a chevy. So, if you want a mopar you gotta suck it up and pay the price!
An old friend of mine said, you wanna go fast and look cool, or go slow and look stupid? you're welcome, ruffcut
 
Based on limited past experience, my guess is $20,000 each for the first two, $2 each after.
 
Everything. Only because there are always differences from the originals and they are not made as well.
 
And then you have rework them to make them fit , about all repops you have to rework.
 
If you try and engineer a part here in the U.S., it's very costly. When you off-shore parts, they want
a minimum order. That would include the R&D and making say, 1000 pieces. After that, it's all gravy
as long as you have a market for the other 999. We're getting near the end of the road with finding
these cars in barns, and as the market for the re-pop parts dries up, so do the availability of the parts.
My 68 GTX rear finish panel was originally $75.00 from Plymouth. Now, a re-pop is about $900.00.
I'm sure it will go up from there until there are no more available. That will be the end!
 
There's a lot of factors that go into prices. One concept that many people don't seem to understand or are aware of, is the investment costs of development and tooling and how the sale of the product needs to pay that outlay off. Those costs are relatively fixed, but the sales volumes can be all over the place. If I owned a repro parts company and was engineering a repro rear quarter for a '70 Coronet, a part many here would love to see I'm sure, the costs would be similar to the cost to engineer a repro rear quarter for a '69 Camaro. How would sales volume compare though? Maybe sell 50 Coronet quarters a year, but the one for the Camaro might sell 2000 a year. I might have to charge $2500 each for the Coronet quarter panel to justify the investment to release one to market. On the other hand, I might be able to sell the Camaro ones for $350 each and still have enough margin to make a tidy profit for my business.
Sadly there are far less Mopars out there, so the market for parts for them is proportionately less, and our parts have to sell for more than similar GM or Ford parts in order for the suppliers to be able to justify the investment.
That also ties in with why sometimes a needed part will come to market for our cars, then some years later, the part will be sold out, and not be available again. Your first run was 500 parts, which you had to pay up front, then it took 5 years to sell them all, while you paid storage costs to keep them somewhere gathering dust until they all sold. You then realize it's not worth the money to do another run.
It's getting bad out there for parts though, and frustrating. I bought one of Tony's repro 216 fans last summer for $235. Recently a member on another forum posted he was looking for a 216 fan, so I responded why not just buy one of Tony's, they are a really nice piece!
He said I don't want to pay $345 for one. Huh? I just paid $235 a few months earlier. So I check Tony's website and sure enough, they are $345. Then the guy posts again this week they are now $385. So the price went up about 2/3rds in just over 6 months.
When I bought mine, I seem to remember there was something suggesting low inventory of the item, so I'm guessing Tony placed an order for another batch, and for whatever reason the price he had to pay for them has jumped considerably. I'm sure Tony didn't raise the price just to pad his bank account. But price increases like that are going to cut the already small demand for Mopar repro parts and make it less likely we'll see new needed items introduced, and more likely items available now will not be available any longer in the near future.
 
I can see 66-67 defrost duct being expensive. Those cars don’t share the popularity of later b bodies, and I can’t imagine very many need replacement ducts. Low demand = expensive product
Travis..
 
I wish there were more expensive reproductions available for my 67 R/T. Wheel lip openings, 1/4 skins, bring 'em on... It sure beats the alternative.
 
I invented and have been developing a Mopar part, (soon to be for sale). I cast the first in aluminum and then discovered a foundry. The raw castings have gone up 20% in less than a year. To be profitable, one has to get 2 1/2 times cost, including that 20% increase.
 
What reproduction parts do you guys think are overpriced for what they are? This is just one example i can think of. Plastic defrost ducts for a 66/67 Coronet and probably other b bodies of the same year. $149.95 for two pieces of junk plastic.

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They may be two pieces of junk plastic to you. I will attest that they are 5-10 a better piece than the originals. Sure I don't like having to pay the price, but these will last another 50 plus years and not break when trying to remove them. We all like to restore our own cars, but this is another reason to buy the best car you can afford and then make it your own.
 
I can see 66-67 defrost duct being expensive. Those cars don’t share the popularity of later b bodies, and I can’t imagine very many need replacement ducts. Low demand = expensive product
Travis..
I recently dismantled a very rusty 67 Belvedere II /6 untouched car. Knowing, so I thought, that the untouched or molested defroster ducts would be perfect, only to find both hanging by one ear. One crumbled completely when removing and the other only fared a little better. They are much needed parts on 66-67 B bodies.
 
Sill plates.. i would like some new ones for my car.. but holy cow... not at that price..
 
I wish there were more expensive reproductions available for my 67 R/T. Wheel lip openings, 1/4 skins, bring 'em on... It sure beats the alternative.
Add the trunk finish panel to the list for a 67 R/T
 
And then you have rework them to make them fit , about all repops you have to rework.
I bought those vents a few years ago, i did not have to rework them to fit. They went in with no mods or difficulty. They were $140.00 then, but if you don't want to get hit stay home...Daryl Talley buffalo bills.
 
Well, you know just about everything for a mopar is more expensive than parts for a chevy. So, if you want a mopar you gotta suck it up and pay the price!
An old friend of mine said, you wanna go fast and look cool, or go slow and look stupid? you're welcome, ruffcut
True, you could build a tri 5 chevy, a camaro, or mustang with a catalog, and a checkbook.
 
Rear taillight lenses for a 66-67 Charger.
Mine is still original and I'm very careful with it but I might cry if it ever gets damaged or broken.
Well maybe...
 
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