RE: conversions Dennis

[Willard Edison <waedison1@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

  Don, thank you for this. I started on this forum with the idea that I'd
buy complete aftermarket kits for different resto projects on my car. The
more I've read on the forum, the less certain I am that that is the 'best'
way to go. And I do want my work on this car to be a reflection that I did
the very best I could.

I think I can tell you though why some of us head in the direction of
aftermarket kits. First, we don't know what oem parts are better than
aftermarket. In 1964, my new Plymouth Sport Fury actually caught on fire
under the dash on two occasions and the alternator went bad at least 3
times. All under warranty thank goodness. The dealer never did figure out
what was causing it, just kept changing wiring harnesses and parts until it
quit. Same with the back up light switches, failed repeatedly until I just
gave up. Water pump, timing gear, Rod journal bearings gone at 40,000 miles,
heads the same, although I changed filter and oil probably every 2000 miles.
(could have been that we towed our race car with the Sport Fury, then ran it
in pure stock all the time).

The other thing is marketing. I'm not a guy who knows all things about all
Mopars. Most of what I know has to do with the same kind of car I'm
restoring, and not a whole lot about it. I would not even have successfully
restored the heater in this car without the continued assistance of Kevin
Merkley. So, when I talk to an aftermarket vendor who is selling what he
says is a bolt-up conversion kit (manual to power brakes), I'm tempted,
because I don't see anyone marketing conversion kits using nos or restored
parts. What I see coming across on the forum is that I need to get to one or
more salvage yards to get bits and pieces, most of which I'm not close to
and if I was, I wouldn't know what I was looking at or if it is usable.

None of this is a criticism of your note, just an attempt to explain why
these afermarket kits are tempting to someone like me. What I've been doing
is cataloging all the notes I see coming across the forum in folders, so
that when I get that part of my resto, I can refer to all the great
knowledge presented and at least ask good questions.

Thanks, and I hope you all are having a great Christmas. /Butch/ Ferndale,
WA

-----Original Message-----
From: Don Dulmage [mailto:big-d@xxxxxxxxxxxx] 
Sent: Monday, December 25, 2006 6:36 AM
To: 1962to1965mopars@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: conversions Dennis



I guess I am a hard headed fellow. Might be my heritage . When factory parts
are available that work perfectly i lose it when I see brand "schmuck stoff"
going where factory parts would go perfectly . Then i see my friends buy
that stuff and it doesnt work right and i have helped a few out to get it at
least working. When they told me what they paid for the stufff. I went
ballistic . Probably that is because I have a real real strong distaste for
the "If I pay more it must be better"  idea. Real real strong distaste would
actually be an understatement by the way.  I learned the hard way that the
right parts always work and expensive stuff is often just expensive and
usually a big disappointment. My and Wager shops are filled with stuff we
tried that didnt measure up. Like for instance three sets of Rockers, all
different, all junk.  Often we have to lend others our stock based stuff so
they can finish at the track or when we experiment find what we had before
worked best. Sometimes it was cheaper too. more often than not.  Four door B
bodies are a dime a dozen and almost any from the late sixties/early
seventies came with discs. The replacement caliphers and pads are easly
bought, sometimes for almost peanuts in rebult condition for caliphers (26
bucks here). Mopar masters are used on many race cars and yet we find kits
with Gm cylinders for ours. Yeah it ticks me off.  Still I am only one guy
and others may love spending money  regardless of the results. Reminds me of
G Wagers last race out this year. He was running the 426 from 400 engine
built for between 3000 and 4000 . He meets a couple of guys running an indy
headed mega buck strocker set up on one of our vintage (62to 65)automobiles.
They had more money in carbs than we have in the engine and were changing
them at almost everypass to get better times. Both their car and his ran the
same times almost exactly.  Them with 511 cubes and multi $$$$$ and him with
say for arguements sake $4000 and a 15 or 16 year old homebuilt Mirada
racecar with  425.9 cu inches. We see this all the time and it bothers me
when people spend their hardearned money on Mopars and dont get back what
they should or expected. Now it doesnt bother me if Chevy or Blue oval guys
spend a 1/2 a million. and get zip. That joys me but my own Mopar guys
deserve better i think. Probably the more of this I see the more I lean the
other way and it is possible maybe sometimes a bit too much. It is hard to
be cute and perfect at the same time you know. Still I would defend anyones
right to have what they want in their car. I just wish the folks who sold
them that stuff would help them get it working. Often they call here as last
resort. Even other shops engines costing double or triple ours that wont
start, dont go, wouldnt pull the skin of a grape  and want to know if Don
will help them out. (last one was a 340. my quote was $1850 plus taxes , he
told me  he paid $7000+ at another shop (basically stock 340 mild cam and
TRW pistons) and engine would not run at all. They did not care and would
not help. (Santa didnt either BTW;>( ) It Depends . If they went elsewhere
because my quote was too low they can pound salt i guess. If they were
innocently led down the garden path that is a different deal. Last brake
deal I saw was almost $1500 and worked like crap till we changed a couple of
major components to Mopar ones.   Seems some of the folks selling these dont
seem understand Pascals Law of Fluid Dynamics.Some kits are good too so i
dont want to lump them all together. i just dont understand why one would
buy aftermarket when stock is available and works perfect. It is just the
way i think i guess. Have watched four racing buddies go of the end of the
track with defective aftermarket disc brakes. In fact Wager has purchased
one of the cars, an RED and is fixing it now. It as Airhearts  which we were
led to believe were the best. this car has had two off track experiences
both brake related and none related to hyrdaulics. I look at the fancy
smancy hi dollar set up and think a set of stock caliphers and a good
matching master would probably last 30,000 miles while these wonderful
pieces of crap wont go 30. See where I am coming from?That is the best i can
explain it. 
Enuf already! Merry Christmas.
Don
Author of
Return to Deutschland (True Adventure)
Old Reliable (Mopar)
http://stores.ebay.ca/Don-Dulmage-Enterprises
http://seniordragster.bravehost.com/index.html
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


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----
Please address private mail -- mail of interest to only one person -- directly to that person.  I.e., send parts/car transactions and negotiations as well as other personal messages only to the intended recipient, not to the Clubhouse public address. This practice will protect your privacy, reduce the total volume of mail and fine tune the content signal to Mopar topic.  Thanks!

'62 to '65 Mopar Clubhouse Discussion Guidelines:
http://www.1962to1965mopar.ornocar.org/mletiq.html. 

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