Big2Bird

Found this list from GM interesting:

http://www.chevrolet.com/content/dam...urers-list.pdf

Makonut

I have ordered the parts from several vendors. I am very pleased with the quality.I have been lucky so far.

Alan 71

Hi,
I think it's interesting to see Dobbins listed as a supplier…. especially when remembering that many, many, years ago Dobbins' little business was 'raided' by the Pennsylvania BCI at the behest of GM and charged with forgery and conspiracy!
Regards,
Alan

redvetracr

an old doctor once told me that GM restoration parts tag only means one thing which is that someone paid the GM lawyers, it has nothing to do with quality, accuracy or country of origin and that the only thing GM cares about is that the fee has been paid, pay the fee get the GM resto tag.

Big2Bird

I know that same Doc.

Easy Mike

blue67ragtop

A friend bought a set of the LT-1 valve covers that were terrible. He sent them back but I would guess there must be several GM restoration parts companies doing the covers. His next set was pretty good. A real lack of consistency.

crawfish333

I am buying a new reproduction radiator from one of those suppiers listed, Dewitt. I was told they are pretty good. I hope so.

Sky65

Good choice. You will not be disappointed.

Tom

Big2Bird

They are not "pretty good."
They are excellent.

gbvette62

You are absolutely correct. The GM Restoration Part program is all about GM protecting their trademarks and copyrights, not the manufacture of reproduction parts.

All that GM Restoration Part tag means is that the maker of the part has paid a 10% royalty to GM, for the right to use a GM trademark, logo, image, etc. To my knowledge, GM does not have to approve the part, and is not involved in anyway in the manufacture, quality control, originality or correctness of the labelled part.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying they don't have the right to protect their image, through licensing agreements. They absolutely do, and they should, since they've spent years and untold dollars, creating their identity. But no one should be fooled into thinking that the Restoration Part label, means anything other than the fact that the manufacturer of a part has paid a fee to GM, so that they could use a GM logo, likeness, etc.

Big2Bird

I have found the same thing with Delco parts from the dealer. Headlight relays that were absolute crap. Re-boxed by Delco from who knows where.

Torqued Off

Yeah, the Dr. R would....and who cares what he thinks. Its just more of his out of control ranting. The guy is full of it, and its just more of him claiming that he is the single and only source for good parts, and he is the single point of knowledge of what is good. If you don't think so, ask him...he is happy to tell you.

I wouldn't buy anything from him no matter how good he claims his products are. I will buy my stuff from Zip.....how about that doc.

Torqued Off

Yes, GM does have a right to protect their products and they should. I don't hold that against them at all, and in fact I am proud they do.

All the GM licensed products I have bought for my car were much higher quality than the Chinese crap others sell. So...whats the problem?

Nowhere Man

Delco has not been a manufacture for decades. they are just a label

Torqued Off

And they are not GM. I don't even know if Delco is an American company. GM is.

Nowhere Man

Ac Delco is still owned by GM

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ACDelco

gbvette62

Wow,....well....okay....... The "problem" is that people shouldn't be fooled into believing that the GM Restoration Parts label indicates that there is any relationship between the part, or it's manufacturer, and GM. I just wanted people to be aware that the "GM Restoration Part" label, only means that the user of the label, has paid a licensing fee to GM, and not that GM was involved in the manufacture of the part.

And I do fully agree that GM has every right to protect their trademarks, and they absolutely should. I made that point in my post.

As far as what you call "Chinese crap", many of the licensed Corvette vendors on the list, are having parts made overseas. AAC (Corvette America), Ecklers, Vette Masters, Lonestar, etc are all manufacturing parts in China, India, Korea, etc. Many of the non Corvette companies, on the list, make parts overseas too. I'm in the parts business, I know who makes most of the repro parts, and where they are made. I sell a lot of "GM Restoration Parts" labelled items.

Where a part is made, and whether or not it is licensed, has very little to do with the quality of the part. The quality is dependent on how much effort the company having it made, is willing to put into having it made correctly. US companies that put enough pressure on their overseas manufacturers, and properly test their parts before approving them for production, manage to have high quality parts made overseas. Companies that cut corners, whether made here or overseas, make junk parts.

As Nowhere Man said, AC Delco is a wholly owned subsidiary of GM, and always has been. GM (and Delco) may be American, but fewer and fewer of their parts are made in the US. I buy quite a bit of Chevrolet and Delco parts. GM weatherstrip has been coming from Canada for over 20 years, and their electrical parts have been been made in Mexico, for almost as long. I've seen GM parts labelled China, Korea, Mexico, Canada, and an assortment of other countries.

redvetracr

if you think all that GM restoration stuff is American made and up to the same spec as original GM you are not as smart as you think you are.

Torqued Off

Look, I am not naïve to think that all GM parts are made in the USA. We have given away manufacturing jobs to foreign countries for a long time...unfortunately. Front forks on all Harley Davison motorcycles have been made in Japan since 1977. That doesn't mean I like it, and if I had a choice I would buy the American forks....but they don't exist.

Quality is quality. I prefer buying American made products, and there are lots of quality American product out there. I personally believe we could make the highest quality products in the world if we cared to do so. AND, I am old enough to remember that most parts made in China are junk, and still are....just go into Harbor Fr***t, its full of Chinese junk. Plenty of threads on this and other forums about the junk cylinder heads out there made in other countries.

My defense of GM and the comments made in this thread is trying to balance against statements made about "wanting people to know" that when GM licenses a product it means nothing more than someone paid for the license. What I do know is the GM licensed products I bought for my car, no matter where they were made, were all better quality than the other options out there. SO, that tells me that GM does set a standard for quality.....at least for the parts I bought! You all dispute that. But unless you have direct knowledge about the licensing process, its only your opinion. Facts are facts, opinions are opinions.

If I am guilty, or considered stupid, because I side with GM or any other American company over ANY foreign manufacturer, then I guess I am just deplorable. Not apologizing for it. Not embarrassed about it.