The ever shrinking nothing

[BillyRValentine]

It's a sad day in the Buick community. I just realized how many vendors got out of the turbo Buick parts and service business all-together in recent years. What I have seen in my ten year tenure is that this community is detroying itself from the inside out and I don't remember it being this way before. I have seen key figures with more money than either couth or ability continually run amuck and bad mouth most everyone at one time or another. The true question is when they are finished performing their antics what will be left for the "average Joe" in terms of parts and or service? I believe what will happen is that those that can't afford what little is left will either resign their cars to garage duty or sell them to some collector that will do so.

Jim C.

 

[TexasT]

That is the sad but true tale of business in America. It takes quite a thick skin to shoulder and deflect the claims of others. I have subscribed to the statement my dad used to tell me. "You don't have to tell others how good you are, they'll know."

 

[TurboDave]

I've been in the T/R world for just over 20 years now, and I've noticed the same unfortunate trends. It pretty much started with the onslought of the internet.
It's a very convenient place to make whatever malicious and wild claims one can dream up, and without worry of reprisal, but the internet is so anonomous(sp).
Lotsa loose cannons making unsubstantiated claims. Cheapskates that think parts R&D grows on trees and think our shrinking parts availability ought to be as cheap as chevy or ford, even though there's millions of those.
I guess a lot of it has to do with the newer youger crop of T/R owners and their accompanying differing perspectives.
It doesn't help much that there were some really shady vendors around not so many years ago, thankfully the really bad one's have gone belly up.

The most disturbing trend lately is the badmouthing that even our most stallwort(sp) and most respected vendors are getting from some really immature and totally impatient purchasers.

It only seems to be getting worse, and it's a very disturbing trend.

Maybe it's time for some serious "customer bashing" !!!!

And don't even get me started on the plethora of cheap chinese knockoff headers!!

 

[SouthernCal GN]

In watching the threads recently, there's been more and more finger pointing at vendors from the ranks; in a way, I'm glad that the vendors have started taking a stand against those who are so quick to berate the service that they provide.

I'm of the belief that the standard of "we reserve the right to refuse service to anyone" will come to bite some of those complainers in the ass. The Buick/TTA world isn't all that big, and the vendors do talk to each other. While the $$ do keep the businesses operational, it seems that it's come to the point where dealing with PITA customers isn't worth the hassle.

 

[86 TR]

I think we have to be as supportive as possible to the vendors that we currently have. If it wasn't for them where would we be at now? A twenty year old car that you can't find parts for. I realize that these cars we own are a special niche in the market unlike chevys, fords, etc. etc.

I realize as the years come and go so will some of the vendors that specialize in our cars will either switch and start producing parts for the current trends or go out of business altogether because the demand for such products just isn't there. Im very grateful vendors on this board are starting to reproduce some of the hard to find parts for us.

Anyways I would like to thank the vendors that have stuck with us through the years. Where would we be without them??

Thanks again..

 

[TR Custom Parts]

Been thinking a lot about this thread. Being a vendor geared more towards appearance items and some performance products, things aren't looking very rosey this week. Just hoping that a lot of folks out there are on vacation. Jeez, even having a free shipping sale on $100 and more orders thru the 15th and only a few have taken advantage of it.

We have branched out to sell stuff for Impys, F-Bodys etc to take up the slack but the Buick stuff will be #1 with me for obvious reasons.:smile:

 

[SGRIM]

After watching Brian work for the last couple of months I really don't understand why or how he puts up with it....

This statement has nothing to do with owning the board, you can look at my old post on T6P and I always supported the vendors becuase we are lucky to have the last few left. I don't agree with any business screwing a customer and if they do it should be brought out. I just shreek to think what would happen without the vendors that support their buick products and keep our cars going. Sure would be some slow broken down TR's around with out them!

 

[darkred87T]

Been thinking a lot about this thread. Being a vendor geared more towards appearance items and some performance products, things aren't looking very rosey this week. Just hoping that a lot of folks out there are on vacation. Jeez, even having a free shipping sale on $100 and more orders thru the 15th and only a few have taken advantage of it.

We have branched out to sell stuff for Impys, F-Bodys etc to take up the slack but the Buick stuff will be #1 with me for obvious reasons.:smile:

I'm not on vacation, I'm just poor. :biggrin: It's scary to read threads like this. It makes me realize that it won't be long before parts for these cars will either be no longer available or just not affordable. I should have just stuck with my 02 WS6. Maybe I'll eventually be forced to put an LSX motor in my Regal.

 

[Grumpy]

I've been in the T/R world for just over 20 years now, and I've noticed the same unfortunate trends. It pretty much started with the onslought of the internet.
!

Dave I thought the same thing when Jim posted this ... this is a group thats getting smaller and smaller .. I don't even own a Buick anymore ... hate to say it but its kinda nice

 

[notacarlo]

Fading away is not an option (at least for me). I love these cars too much and the vendors that so graciously serve us are part of the reason I love'm.

Although the old familiar vendors have gone away or at least pulled out of the Buicks, the new vendors are showing great promise. Tech support seems to be the big deal" these days and these guys are going above and beyond. Look at Razor, RJC, Full Throttle, G-Body, and the countless other vendors that have stuck with it. "Out with the old - in with the new". These new vendors are pulling amazing stuff right out of their arses! Waaaay better than the 90's stuff. I think the die hard Buick guys got smarter. We are using and tuning with products that are of this age, not 20 years ago. We are slowly converting these old beautiful cars into high-tech monsters. We spend a couple thousand to do what costs the new "pop culture" boys many more thousands to do.

We owe it to ourselves to stick together. I've been in this for 20 years too...I will be in it till I'm dead.



Wouldn't you rather be driving a Buick?

 

[1FASTV6]

Who cares!

 

[SloGN]

Who cares!

I DO !!!!!!




Thanks guys and gals of the time and effort you put in to it.

 

[GNVYUS 1]

Though a bunch of shops have closed, some of them needed to and it was for the better of the community.
Insert shop here ________________________________

The ones that will be around will take up the slack and rightfully so, they are generally the more deserving of your dollar anyways.

I have yet to have any issue with FTS and I have probably spent over $4k there in the last couple of years so there were many chances to screw something up.

 

[EightSecV6]

It is a tough business where only the strong and competent survive. We have a tremendous backlog at all times,much of this due to the fact that there are not many Buick specific vendors left.

 

[Buicksx2]

What vendors have left? I have been with these cars 20 years and remember buying my first chip and all parts from Kenne Bell because at the time they were the only game in town.

Others have come and gone but IMO there isn't anything you can't get fo these cars if you need them.

As Bill said the strong will survive, that's just business in general not just the Buick TR community.

 

[TurboDave]

Who cares!

 

[RoseyT]

Though a bunch of shops have closed, some of them needed to and it was for the better of the community.
Insert shop here ________________________________

The ones that will be around will take up the slack and rightfully so, they are generally the more deserving of your dollar anyways.

EXACTLY!!! I rebuilt my motor and trans, and replaced a bunch of odd and ends last summer and had absolutely no problem getting any part i needed. Had everything done in less than 2 months.
Some vendors that have left are not missed, does anyone miss BGC?
If you're that concerned about the outlook of the buick community and its vendors, then support the buick vendors that support our community with good parts, fair prices and great service.
I never understood the few that think we should get on our hands and knees and praise guys just because they sell buick parts. If you sell buick stuff and do it well, then i can see the praise. But if you sell buick stuff and have horrible business practices, you wont be around for long...and the funny part is that these guys blame 'internet antics' instead of taking responsibility for their own inability to run their business correctly.

 

[V6RACER]

Dave I thought the same thing when Jim posted this ... this is a group thats getting smaller and smaller .. I don't even own a Buick anymore ... hate to say it but its kinda nice

I'm beginning to think the same thing.. I have pondered getting out of the Buick world so many times I lost count. There are a few vendors/Buick owners out there that I really respect. I guess that is why I'm still a owner of two Buicks. I race one and am going to restore the other one. I have owned several Buicks over the years, buying and selling. I see a day in the near future where I only have one Buick that is garage queen/weekend warrior and I move away from racing the other. :frown:

 

[1FASTV6]

Like Mr. Anderson only the strong and competent survive. The only problem is the ones that survive ends up being pricey.

 

[Nick Micale]

Who cares!

Not sure what you mean by this, but that is an attitude many 3rd and 4th generation turbo Buick owners show.

I started with turbo Buicks in the begining [1978!] and have been doing this stuff before the internet. Just seems like too much hassle to continue in the world of Buick business as too much hassle for the return?

Look around, the familiar comment "where can I get the cheapest....", not where can I get the best value for my needs. Of course the off-shore copies of parts developed or refined by Buick vendors are sold at a fraction of their prices.

Someone mentioned "impatience", if a customer's part is not sent immediately, that vendor is a bum.

Things have changed dramaticaly in the past 12-15 years when there were only a few of us total and we shared our info [and mistakes] to go faster and keep our cars together.

There will always be Buick vendors, but certainly less of them, and they may be selective on who THEY choose to do business with or not.

In my particular case, the local turbo Buick guys are the best car people I have had the pleasure to deal with in my many years. It is not the $$$ that motivate other vendors like myself, but the association, sharing and fellowship that keeps this going.

Because it is hard to share "feeling" on the internet is maybe why sometimes we think our community is getting fragmented?