Repro suppliers, who is the best?

[crumbaa]

The first site I found when i started looking for parts was Mac's. Looking through the site I have found lots of stuff I think we will end up needing. While looking through hundred of different posts I have rarely seen anyone call for going to macs for parts. I see Info about Bert's, Snyders, and a number of different speciality suppliers that focus on just s few items. I notice many of the prices on Mac's are lower, I know some things are cheap because they are of lesser quality. Do I hear fewer recommendations for Mac's because they sell lesser quality items or is it that everything they sell is repro? My car had a "half way" restore done to it along time ago and there is much that is not right. So, I have no fine point aspirations, therefore repro is no issue for me as long as they are quality parts and are basically "correct".

[Mike]

For me Brattons auto parts 1st choice, 2nd is Snyders

Mike

[Mikeinnj]

I have dealt exclusivly with Bratton's ( www.brattons.com ) for the past thirty years and have never had a problem with their parts, service, return policy,etc. A real solid company with an emphasis on service.

[kb cookout]

Brattons good parts, quick shipping and Gas light in Ohio

Later kb

[Tom Wesenberg]

When it comes to repro parts you have to deal with fit and quality of the part, and there are good and bad repro parts from all the dealers, but I have found the best quality when dealing with A&L, Bert's, Bratton's, and Snyder's.

If you are placing several small orders, then shipping charges play a big part also, and as I recall A&L and Bert's have always only charged me actual shipping costs.

[5window]

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Keep in mind that suppliers may all supply parts from the same source/ manufacturer. Mac's is a very large company, Bratton's and Snyder's have good reputations as well. There do not seem to be good, well known major sources in the Midwest, so you will need to check through this board for reputation-but also consider shipping/availability, customer service/returns, price and possibly a description of the quality and fit of the product if there is a choice (Bratton's does the best job of this in their catalog, in my opinion).

As a Right Coaster, I have mostly dealt with Bratton's and Mac's, plus I have a really good A restorer/shop nearby, so I try to buy from him locally-but he also buys his new stuff from suppliers (but he has lots of original stuff ,too).

[v bogart]

Originally Posted by 5window

I have a really good A restorer/shop nearby, so I try to buy from him locally-but he also buys his new stuff from suppliers (but he has lots of original stuff ,too).

I stopped in to bill's Model A yesterday & WOW was I impressed with all his stock plus he is a real nice guy with good prices

[chl]

Just curious,who and where is the restorer near Lewisburg. I have had carriages restored at the Vicksburg Buggy shop but was unaware of a model A shop in that area.

[v bogart]

Originally Posted by chl

Just curious,who and where is the restorer near Lewisburg. I have had carriages restored at the Vicksburg Buggy shop but was unaware of a model A shop in that area.

Bill's Model A Acres 3355 eighth Street Dr Watsontown Pa. (570)538-3200

[Ken Ehrenhofer]

If you do not know who A&L is you are missing one of the best Model A Parts suppliers in the hobby. Al Lepore (passed away) made some of the best Model A Repro parts available and sold tot he dealers. His son is carrying on the tradition. When ever I can I support A&L because he supported us all of his life. He made the tire valve stems and hubcaps and all the little detail stuff.
A&L Parts 1-860-693-0112

[wrndln]

I would tend to stay away from Mac's. I had a couple not-go-good experiences with them in the pasts. I have heard they have new owners, but why risk it when there are many other excellent suppliers like Bratton, Bert's, and A&L. A&L has a limited inventory, but their items are usually high quality.
Rusty Nelson

[jmeckel]

I just downloaded a PDF of A&L's catalog, does anyone know if they have a WEB site? I can't find one.

[H. L. Chauvin]

FWIW:

Of "all" those Model A vendors mentioned above, I have ordered from most of them & I will continue to try to order parts from most of them.

I figure if a self-employed U. S. citizen has enough intestinal fortitude to jump up & open, & try to run, or even take over a business in 2014, with all of the business obstacles thrown at him from our elected, warped minded official dictators, I will jump up & try my best to help him.

If any of us have any type of complaints, let us please kindly notify these gentlemen whether they have been in business 50 years or (2) weeks.

Any ambitious business person in his right mind who is brave enough to take over & run a business today welcomes what we as customers refer to as complaints; but to them, as struggling business people, complaints are beneficial "constructive criticisms".

None of these guys enjoy an (8) to (5) job to "stay" in business; & we can help them immensely by rendering constructive criticism "directly" to the business "owners".

No self-employed business owners & no clerks today are perfect; but these guys are fully aware that they need us as much as we need them.

Maybe just me, but I will continue to have profound respect for "all" of these brave Model A gentlemen & will try to help them when I need Model A parts.

[Mitch//pa]

everyone has there specialties that others don't carry such as snyders ceramic coated exhaust manifolds. these things you learn over time but the main players have been mentioned. tams model A in MA is also great to deal with, joe is very knowledgable and usually answers the phone. his prices are usually cheaper for the same items from other places.
bills model A acres bought out renningers stock last year when they closed up.

[Allanw]

I think you'll find that each part needs to be investigated somewhat - there's unlikely to be a single supplier with all the best parts. They'll all have a range of quality, and some of them make it known which parts are OK, Good, or Excellent.

When I've ordered parts from the suppliers in the USA, I used Macs - none of the others I emailed ever replied!

[Kevin in NJ]

Here is the deal. And it can get confusing....

The venders often inter-sell parts. Please do not take this at 100%, but from what I have learned....

Brattons may have the brake parts made up and sell to Synders. Synders makes up the seat springs they sell at Brattons. The burnout proof condenser comes from A&L. I believe someone reported getting their rear motor mount rubbers from Synders and it is the one made by Bratton's (Brattons are spot on to original only with the Brattons logo on them). There are only a few wood places so all the retailers are buying from the same guys. Same for interior.

Now some parts are made by multiple places. Then you have to ask which parts are good to use.

So the best thing to do is first search this board and if you can not find a good answer then ask.

There are some parts only carried by one vender and then you have no choice. Like shock seal kits I believe Synder's and Bratton's have different kits.

I talked to Bratton's once about how they source the parts. They have a tough time finding shops that want to do the work and do it right. We are lucky to have several quality outfits making up new parts that can keep our cars running like factory.

[Flathead Dave]

Try the "Early Ford Store" in San Dimas, Ca. I go there a lot. Decent prices on most of his stuff.

Phone: (909)305-1955
108 West Bonita Avenue
San Dimas, CA 91773
WWW.EARLYFORDSTORE.COM

[Charlie Stephens]

All of the suppliers posted have a good reputation. There are sometimes parts that have one best source that does not wholesale that part to the other dealers. These is no one answer. An example being Model A headlight reflectors. Bratton's has just come out with reflectors that apparently the best ones available. To my knowledge they have not sold these wholesale to the other suppliers.

Charlie Stephens

[RonC]

Brattons headlight reflectors are high quality

[Ross/Kzoo]

I have ordered from Bratton's just after lunch and had it at my doorstep in Michigan, 630 miles away, at 5 PM the next day. Great people to ask questions of and to deal with.

Bert's A&L, and Snyders are also great to deal with. Remember this will be a relationship over the years.

[Skibb]

We have been upgrading a '31 and doing a frame off restoration on a '30. The best service has been from Bratton's and Bill's Model A Acres and the worst svc from Macs and Mike's.

[hotrodalley]

I have ordered from Berts, Snyders, Brattons, Mikes, and A&L with good results for the most part. I have to say that Snyders Catalog drives me nuts because it does not have an index. I like Brattons catalog a lot. I have ordered the same part from different suppliers and have found significant differences in quality and design. It would be great if there was a listing somewhere showing the manufacturing source for each part.

[glenn in camino]

I mostly buy from Brattons but there are at least 3 or 4 good suppliers.

[Pmsqrd]

If you ever have a question about the quality of a reproduction part you need to buy call Steve at Bert's . He knows what excellent , good and not good.

[JackA]

I ordered a catalog from Bratton's and have yet to receive it. Its been a long time.

[5window]

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Originally Posted by Mitch//pa

everyone has there specialties that others don't carry such as snyders ceramic coated exhaust manifolds. these things you learn over time but the main players have been mentioned. tams model A in MA is also great to deal with, joe is very knowledgable and usually answers the phone. his prices are usually cheaper for the same items from other places.
bills model A acres bought out renningers stock last year when they closed up.

I hadn't known Bill had bought out Renninger's, but he's a fine guy who will stop work to help you understand how to fix your problem. He's got barns full of stuff and it's worth a visit just to walk through them. He knows his stuff and I have found his prices to be fair. I am fortunate he's only 20 minutes away.

[Mike V. Florida]

As you can see there is no one answer to your question. I also find a lot has to do with your definition of restoration. While you can get parts that work there are some vendors that deal in parts that look closer to the original then others.

My suggestion is to get catalogs from all the vendors mentioned here and look at them to see what parts they have to offer that fits your needs and price.

[pat in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by hotrodalley

....... I have to say that Snyders Catalog drives me nuts because it does not have an index....

sure they do. Its in front, right after the T index. page 14 ( not numbered tho')

[Mort]

Originally Posted by jmeckel

I just downloaded a PDF of A&L's catalog, does anyone know if they have a WEB site? I can't find one.

A&L is awesome but they do not have a web site (yet?)

[Brian T]

I am fairly new to the hobby, I soon found out about the junk parts that are sold, even those that were Ford approved, I asked the 2 vendors I purchased from about refunds for parts that I modified to make work but could not use, my first vendor seem to evade the issue, reluctant to dip his finders in the till, that cost him $4-5000 over the last 5 years.
Very happy with Snyders, Berts and Brattons.

[Mikeinnj]

Does "Bill's Model A Acres" have a web site or a hard copy parts catalog ?

[denis4x4]

Mac's is now owned by Eckler's, a giant in the Chevy aftermarket business. If they run Mac's like they run the Chevy business, it should be good for everybody.

[figment]

Snyders Index is in the front of the catalogue , Snyders has both Model T and Model A parts and the index is in front of the Model T section. Brattons index is in the back.

[Hioridge]

I have found both Bratton's and TAM'S to be very helpful, knowledgeable, and excellent to deal with. They even understand my right hand drive problems!

[Skibb]

Originally Posted by Mikeinnj

Does "Bill's Model A Acres" have a web site or a hard copy parts catalog ?

Not to be short, but NO. Yet, some of us think he's great. He's One man Band, so give him lots of time to fill you order.

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by denis4x4

Mac's is now owned by Eckler's, a giant in the Chevy aftermarket business. If they run Mac's like they run the Chevy business, it should be good for everybody.

They must not be. Do a search on this Forum and you will find more problems then successes listed. I'm waiting for a part from December, next two weeks, next two weeks, next two weeks, is all I hear.

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by Brian T

I am fairly new to the hobby, I soon found out about the junk parts that are sold, even those that were Ford approved, I asked the 2 vendors I purchased from about refunds for parts that I modified to make work but could not use, my first vendor seem to evade the issue, reluctant to dip his finders in the till, that cost him $4-5000 over the last 5 years.
Very happy with Snyders, Berts and Brattons.

Ford approved only means the part either has the ford script or the ford part number, nothing more. It has nothing to do with fit and finish and everything to do with royalties. This is why Brattons started with their own part numbers in 2003.

[jmeckel]

For those who have asked here is the url for the PDF I found of the A&L catalog.
http://www.scvcma.org/documents/bull...talog-2012.pdf

[John LaVoy]

Over the years I have traveled to and interviewed most of the above mentioned parts vendors. They all are quite good to deal with. I like the suggestion that was made about buying from a local guy, it is always good to deal with someone in your area. In the last issue I had an article about Arizona Model A this is another vendor located in the Phoenix area that has lots of new and used stuff.

[burnzy]

I have just ordered 56 bucks worth of parts through snyders this week to be shipped to New Zealand. Fan belt, radiator cap, set of hoses and clamps. Get the invoice yesterday and they are stinging me 99 bucks for freight.

Got a 40s motorcycle helmet the other week on ebay. Arrived in a huge box(probably twice the size of the box needed for my A Parts) and shipping was only 50 bucks!

Lesson: Get a shipping quote before you buy with snyders...

[Flop]

I deal with Snyders a ton as they are only 45 mins away . Boy do they like to see me coming .Brattons is my second choice as the parts will be there next day .

[DougVieyra]

Tom Wessenberg writes in an earlier post:
"When it comes to repro parts you have to deal with fit and quality of the part, and there are good and bad repro parts from all the dealers, but I have found the best quality when dealing with A&L, Bert's, Bratton's, and Snyder's."

"If you are placing several small orders, then shipping charges play a big part also, and as I recall A&L and Bert's have always only charged me actual shipping costs."
__________________________________________________

Tom echoes my sentiments exactly. - Doug Vieyra, in Eureka, Calif

[diomed]

What a great thread. I hadn't really considered Bratton's, but a lot of guys seem to like them. Good to know,

[Ted Duke]

I have ordered from many of the vendors mentioned. I understand when people get upset when a part is NOT readily available, but having been a sales rep for a wholesaler (not auto parts) for 19 years I understand that the company you order from can NOT always control when a part you ordered is not available and their suppliers don't always supply them with good information.

Every supplier mentioned has had things go wrong at one time or the other. Tell them your problems and persist until you are satisfied.

I don't favor any of them, but I will say that I have ordered from MAC's several times in the last three years and the one problem I had was resolved quickly.

I strongly suggest we should NOT be saying negative things about any of our suppliers. I suggest that if you aren't happy with a vendor don't order from them, but don't bad mouth them UNLESS there is fraud involved. Instead, make POSITIVE recommendations. Just my TWO cents worth.

[eagle]

I have ordered from several of the suppliers mentioned. More often than not I go to Mac's. Their catalogs are second to none, very seldom are parts on backorder, and are usually the lowest or close to it on price. They are a long ways away from me and don't usually ship the same day so they are not so quick but hey, I'm not usually in too big of a hurry anyway. I've had very good luck with their quality. I guess I can say I haven't had problems from any of the suppliers I've ordered from. Some people seem to always have trouble, no matter who they do business with. Common sense and realistic expectations go a long way in life.

[mshmodela]

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As new caretaker of a Model A; I think at least in terms of paper catalog, MAC, macsautoparts.com is very useful. I cannot speak in terms of price or customer service but the photos and diagrams in MAC's the paper catalog are second to none --a great reference as is...

[Skibb]

Originally Posted by Mike

For me Brattons auto parts 1st choice, 2nd is Snyders

Mike

Same here.

For me, MACS has been a mine field of poor to bad service. As for saying only positive things, I respect that point of view but when you've had bad service speak up so others don't get the same.

[Brian in Wheeling]

Like Flop, I too usually deal with Snyders or Brattons. Being in Wheeling, WV - Snyders is only about 1 hour away, and once again like Flop, boy do they like to see me walk in the door! Never had any problems with either one of them and they are both not too far away...lucky me!

Brian W.

[Rowdy]

Berts is the best, next question please. Rod

[Hioridge]

I really like the folks at Tams in Massachusetts.
It's a real family operation, Joe has extensive model A knowledge and is very willing to share it.
I've also bought from Bratton's. No problem with quality and I find lots of helpful info in their catalog.

[Curt Campbell]

Try Birdhaven Vintage Parts in Colfax IA....20 east of Desmoines on I80. Nice people and service. Parts for T A V8 thru 1957. Call for catalog.

[Mike V. Florida]

It's not the vendors that are a problem it's the manufacturers that are the problem with ill fitting parts.

[Ron in Quincy]

I agree with Ken, A&L Parts are spot on !!!! Our good friend Al Lepore was the best and really supported our hobby ; his son Allen is carrying on the business and doing an excellent job. Just give Allen a call and he will send you a catalog.

Ron

[Fishercat]

If you're in the Northeast TAM's is great because they ship so fast and are very helpful. Their prices and shipping cost are very competitive. I've never had a problem.

[latecomer]

A&l Has a web [email protected]

[Bruce,Upstate NY]

Many had bad experiences with Mac's some time ago. Now I understand they have changed hands for the better. I hope so, but living in NYS I order out of state to avoid the taxes. Brattons, Snyders. A&L.

[Bill Stipe]

Who makes the best 30-31 cowl patch panels--LOL

It is true that the Mfg. is the determining factor not so much the catalog company's fault although they should be researching the products they are selling.

[Skibb]

For our new engine in the restoration car, I wanted to be sure we could climb hills as our driver had big trouble on the Blue Ridge Tour with big hills. Brent explained how important the cam is in this regard and suggested a Stipe IB 330 cam. So, I called and ordered one. First start was Monday, sounded swell. We have to finish the other 50% of the car before we drive it. But the machinist who put the engine togehter was impressed with the cam. Thank you Bill.

[Bill Stipe]

Originally Posted by Skibb

For our new engine in the restoration car, I wanted to be sure we could climb hills as our driver had big trouble on the Blue Ridge Tour with big hills. Brent explained how important the cam is in this regard and suggested a Stipe IB 330 cam. So, I called and ordered one. First start was Monday, sounded swell. We have to finish the other 50% of the car before we drive it. But the machinist who put the engine togehter was impressed with the cam. Thank you Bill.

We have been running a little behind on cams this last year. I lost 2 guys in 2013 one retired 28 years with me and the other 25 years took a teaching job at a college in the machine shop and they were both just superb machinists and workers. so the industrial work is setting us back a little right now.