Secret C3 Vacuum Hose Vendor

Geoff Coenen

Geoff Coenen

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 17, 2009
Messages
439
Location
Stratford CT
I don't get it. This CF fellow get apparently gets some vacuum hoses that are "very soft" & leak at the connections to the relays, actuators, etc. So he continues to cut the ends off. WTF? What bother's me is that he seems reluctant or embarrassed to identify the source – other than as a CF "good supporting vendor".

I do not hold a membership card in that fine chat hole: the CF. Would someone with ask this poor fellow where he obtained this "fine" product before his hoses are trimmed too short to reach from A to B.

Thanking you in advance for your courage.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-general/3344608-vacuum-lines.html
 
That's the CF standard..... if you warn others about a bad product from one of their high dollar paying supporting vendors you get the boot..... :clap::clap:

A zip tie on each connection would probably fix his issue :smash:
 
MYBAD79 said:
That's the CF standard..... if you warn others about a bad product from one of their high dollar paying supporting vendors you get the boot..... :clap::clap:

A ZIP tie on each connection would probably fix his issue :smash:
Click to expand...

The PM did say Zip.....products that is.....does Zip sell zip ties???


:clap::surrender:
 
Truth be told - I found out it was zyp that produced & sold this soft hose. Don't hold your breath - they will hide in the shadows unless this fellow mentions their name. They monitor all the chat rooms - but won't say peep until he reveals it was their product.
David Walker brags they have sold more vacuum hose than anyone else. I would think that repro vacuum hose would last longer two years - since the original GM product lasted 30-40 years. Maybe that the new math.
Caveat Emptor never was clearer. :D
 
Geoff Coenen said:
I would think that repro vacuum hose would last longer two years - since the original GM product lasted 30-40 years.
Caveat Emptor never was clearer. :D
Click to expand...

I bought a set of front suspension parts ('68) - including ball joints - from a well known Florida vendor. I installed the ball joints, and perhaps 4 years later......the car had been continually garaged and never driven...I happened to find myself looking at the ball joints and noticed the rubber seals were cracked! I tugged at them and they nearly disintegrated!!!. The rubber must have been incredibly cheap..probably way to much filler. Just disgusting. I'd imagine the manufacturing cost difference, between these defective rubber seals and good quality, would be at most pennies.

The rubber on the original AC Delco ball joints was basically perfect after 35 + years, it had some nicks on it from my pickle fork when I removed these balljoints. I'm now driving my 68 (occassionally). I understand that I shouldn't be surprised if the ball joints won't last long.
 
68/70Vette said:
Geoff Coenen said:
I would think that repro vacuum hose would last longer two years - since the original GM product lasted 30-40 years.
Caveat Emptor never was clearer. :D
Click to expand...

I bought a set of front suspension parts ('68) - including ball joints - from a well known Florida vendor. I installed the ball joints, and perhaps 4 years later......the car had been continually garaged and never driven...I happened to find myself looking at the ball joints and noticed the rubber seals were cracked! I tugged at them and they nearly disintegrated!!!. The rubber must have been incredibly cheap..probably way to much filler. Just disgusting. I'd imagine the manufacturing cost difference, between these defective rubber seals and good quality, would be at most pennies.

The rubber on the original AC Delco ball joints was basically perfect after 35 + years, it had some nicks on it from my pickle fork when I removed these balljoints. I'm now driving my 68 (occassionally). I understand that I shouldn't be surprised if the ball joints won't last long.
Click to expand...


four years ago was about the time VB&P got caught selling substandard Chinese ball joints, they had quite a few complaints and exchanged quite a few bad ball joints, BUT it`s really not their fault, they are only filling a need for those who start their posts with "where can I find X, Y or Z the cheapest?". answer...China
 
redvetracr said:
68/70Vette said:
Geoff Coenen said:
I would think that repro vacuum hose would last longer two years - since the original GM product lasted 30-40 years.
Caveat Emptor never was clearer. :D
Click to expand...


four years ago was about the time VB&P got caught selling substandard Chinese ball joints, they had quite a few complaints and exchanged quite a few bad ball joints, BUT it`s really not their fault, they are only filling a need for those who start their posts with "where can I find X, Y or Z the cheapest?". answer...China
Click to expand...

Bingo"... four years ago was about the time VB&P got caught selling substandard Chinese ball joints, they had quite a few complaints and exchanged quite a few bad ball joints,"

Actually I didn't buy my ball joints from VB&P, but I'm pretty sure they came from there, nevertheless.

A little perspective about getting landed with these cheap parts, is that their advertised prices..WHERE NOT CHEAP. They were cheap vis a vis distributor and retailer but were not cheap vis a vis the retailer and customer!!! I thought I was buying quality parts because of the prices!!!!!!!

I never look for cheap.I ALWAYS try to buy the best quality for the parts I buy. For instance, for my Daily Drivers, I will usually access Rockauto...with their wide spectrum of prices parts, I will usually buy the most expensive parts. An unspoken problem with my previous post with Florida Corvette vendor, was that I paid premium prices for parts, that from other sources, I now know would have been among the cheapest offered!!

I've bought a lot of parts from Dr Rebuild over the last many, many years. A premium source...even have bought a quite a few NOS parts that no one else has for sale. All the vacuum hoses on the 68 and 70 are from Dr. Rebuild. Bought the electrical diagrams with photo connector inserts...really great.
Click to expand...
 
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I bought a complete front end rebuild kit for my 71 Skylark and the same thing happened. At the next oil change I saw that the ball joint boots were in tatters. WTF??? You would think that I was off roading and tore them up from the way they looked. Cheap shit. And it was a name brand too.... I just remembered, McQuay Norris. Garbage!
 
In the past you could spot a low quality part by comparing prices. These days not even that is possible anymore...they will sell them for only a couple of dollars cheaper than the quality parts in order not the raise suspicion....

It's one of the reasons it's getting awfully difficult to do a quality resto.
 
And the real question is:

Why to buy the unknow "cheap" one for only two dollars ???

This is like wine...... one less glass, but very good !
 
Stroker-427 said:
And the real question is:

Why to buy the unknow "cheap" one for only two dollars ???

This is like wine...... one less glass, but very good !
Click to expand...


It`s not always a case of someone buying the cheaper part, more like the vendor buying a cheaper (inferior) part and reselling it at the going rate to make more profit, I believe zip is known for knocking off good reproduction rubber parts and selling crapola.
 
redvetracr said:
Stroker-427 said:
And the real question is:

Why to buy the unknow "cheap" one for only two dollars ???

This is like wine...... one less glass, but very good !
Click to expand...


It`s not always a case of someone buying the cheaper part, more like the vendor buying a cheaper (inferior) part and reselling it at the going rate to make more profit, I believe zip is known for knocking off good reproduction rubber parts and selling crapola.
Click to expand...

Here is a perfect example. How does this guy sell any at this price when the exact same thing is available right next to his ad for megabux less?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GUIDE-TRAFF...Parts_Accessories&hash=item4d08f209b6&vxp=mtr


http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-TRAFFIC...Parts_Accessories&hash=item589423fa4f&vxp=mtr

You can buy the magnetic base for under $20.00
 
DeeVeeEight said:
redvetracr said:
Stroker-427 said:
And the real question is:

Why to buy the unknow "cheap" one for only two dollars ???

This is like wine...... one less glass, but very good !
Click to expand...


It`s not always a case of someone buying the cheaper part, more like the vendor buying a cheaper (inferior) part and reselling it at the going rate to make more profit, I believe zip is known for knocking off good reproduction rubber parts and selling crapola.
Click to expand...

Here is a perfect example. How does this guy sell any at this price when the exact same thing is available right next to his ad for megabux less?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GUIDE-TRAFF...Parts_Accessories&hash=item4d08f209b6&vxp=mtr


http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-TRAFFIC...Parts_Accessories&hash=item589423fa4f&vxp=mtr

You can buy the magnetic base for under $20.00
Click to expand...
Almost felt for it.
I checked the seller feedback listing.
the 13 sept someone bought him one for 21.99$.
So either he's playing asshole with the few remaining or the listing is bogus.
Sorry to rain the parade :blush:
 
I am buying repro parts for numerous cars for the past 10+ years..... Overall I can say I bought my fair share of junk.....
Now, when I lived in Germany I was always bitching about the high prices for car parts.... Everything was DIN certified, meeting TUV standards etc.... then DIN changed to EN, still all the crap sold in parts stores had to meet some standards..... I always thought that such laws/rules are way overkill until I started buying car parts here in the US.... You can buy some cancer causing Chinese brake pads, ill fitting suspension parts, vacuum hose that deteriorate , polyurethane that dissolves after two years, ball joints of unknown origin and questionable quality.....
You see a name brand Goodyear vacuum hose for $10, another vendor has a similar hose for $1 ... Why in the hell would anybody believe the two hoses are the same ???
Bottom line is: although most people scream bloody murder when laws are put in place and many claim it's limiting people's rights.... There is a lot of shit out there that should not be allowed to be sold to the public.....
On the other hand: except for missing moral standards, how can we blame vendors to sell this garbage ???? It's legal after all.......
 
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not to highjack but, over on cf i posted a complaint i had with ecklers and they pulled the post. and i got a warning.:eek:
 
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