Quote:
Originally Posted by JWL
This process has to cost at least twice as much as new guides?? I have used and sold literally thousands of new guides and have never seen or heard of a problem. Maybe we have just been lucky? Also, since I have not purchased boxes of new guides in the past couple of years maybe I am out-of-touch with current costs?
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Hi John, I have a whole bunch of new guides here and actually sell very few?
Here's the low-down: new guides are approximately $5.00/ea. You can figure that total out for 16. We've been getting $160.00 to line a set. Frgt cost back to the customer (about $6.00 domestic) has always been included, along with 8 Viton seals, 16 new horseshoe clips, 16 pair new valve locks, and the finished guides. If you subtract the cost of 16 guides (assuming you NEED new guides) the price isn't all that bad EVEN at that $160.00 number. Most people DO NOT need all new guides, I do know this.
With this new setup (still assuming it delivers) I will cut entire time-frame WAY down. We were doing 1 guide at a time, I'd like to help more people up here looking to step-up to the bronze deal. This SHOULD do it, I'm still in the middle of this whole operation, AND the guides to do yet are kind of "pouring-in" so to speak!
I know you and a few others feel this is ALL unnecessary, but I can tell behind the scenes here you would never suspect it. I'm real comfortable doing a few sets every year, I'm not aiming at supplying anyone with bulk bronze guides. It's NOT for me! I actually got contacted by a vendor we all know (I assume for a small bulk order), not the least bit interested.
Next step here after all is proven out, I need to evaluate the entire program. I need to figure the final cost for all the material, and redo some pricing. I believe it will all work out for the good, I just can't confirm any numbers as of today. We've always given a deeper discount for more than 1 set a time/same. That will need to end BUT any pending at the moment will get the newer price which I believe will be even less. If, for ANY reason at this point it doesn't work as planned, we will still honor the earlier "quoted" pricing.
Thanks, Gary in N.Y.
P.S. As for "being a necessity", if anyone has ever had a valve "hang" (I do know you ARE aware of this happening occasionally?) AND couldn't get it free (I've been here myself on '49 F-1) it just ain't no fun, not to mention the labor/material-expense. I've done 100's upon 100's of lined guides for over 40 years now (including my own back when) and NOT one single time I'm aware of did one "hang", not one out of probably thousands. For me this is a
"no-brainer". But that's just me!