bluzrocker

Bought this Dizzy from ZIP CORVETTE has 500 miles and broke down... (according to their add) see below

We start off by blue-printing an original distributor with all new internals. Rebuild includes the installation of new upper and lower brass mainshaft bushings, new mainshaft and cross shaft gear. Then your rebuilt distributor is outfitted with an Igniter III ignition system. This is just like having an high performance ignition box in your Corvette - yet everything fits under the original style distributor cap. This will give you the performance of an HEI system, but still allow you to install your factory ignition shielding covers.
High-performance distributors include the correct hi-perf mainshaft for optimum vacuum advance curve.

here is what LARS found upon his inspection

Tommy -
Just a quick note to let you know that I have received your shipment with your distributor.

The following issues were noted upon superficial inspection and receipt of your component(s):
This is not a rebuilt distributor - it is a worn-out high mileage used distributor with significant damage caused by high mileage wear.
Electronic conversion - missing correct primary wire, grommet, and all hardware.
Stripped crossgear
Stripped mainshaft
Extreme wear on housing crossgear thrust surface
Lower bushing destroyed by gear debris
Upper bush is a high mileage used bushing that appears to have been beaten with a hammer - bushing is distorted and destroyed, binding the breaker plate advance
Very slow advance curve
Very long advance curve - will not allow proper initial timing with correctly set total
Vacuum advance curve too long
Crossgear bushing damaged
Upper shaft seal incorrect - home-made seal of incorrect configuration
No other obvious issues – needs teardown, cleanup and inspection prior to rebuild. This distributor needs all components either replaced or repaired - I anticipate costs for parts and machine work to be in the $160-180 range above the base fee. Let me know if this is acceptable.

You are currently staged as
#2
For teardown and rebuild. I will keep you posted with findings and results.

ANY suggestion about confronting ZIP regarding this? any suggestion or comment ?

66jack

Didn't/Doesn't ZIP have a warranty?

Any way looks like Lars can fix it...

427Hotrod

What did ZIP say? You contacted them first right??

JIM

warrenmj

Disagree with the way you're handling this. Should have contacted Zip before calling them out in a public forum. Everyone deserves a chance to make things right.

Frankie the Fink

Yup. And no doubt Zip sources these from a third party.

bluzrocker

the chat guy said send it in for evaluation...and If I need it fast buy a new one...and wait...Im just disappointed that it wasn't as they stated blue printed..all new bushings..etc.I really didn't have any confidence in their ability to line bore and set the curves and vacuum stop etc..if what I got wasn't very good to start with.....and willing to put it in the hands of someone that get's it right the first time ....

ILBMF

I guess it's possible that a unit that was ready for rebuild got mixed up with one ready to ship. I've spent thousands of $$ with Zip and never had a complaint.

Frankie the Fink

My '53 year old original distributor out of my '63 didn't even have all the problems this 'blueprinted' one has (it was also rebuilt by Lars)....pretty egregious **** up I'd say...

tuxnharley

Sounds like they did "Zip" on the rebuild........

Railroadman

Another vote here for calling ZIP and giving them a chance to make it right, without going off on them. We ALL screw up once in a while. The measure of a vendor is NOT whether they have a problem (once), it's how they respond when it's brought to their attention.

SI67

If the distributor is missing "all hardware" for the electronic conversion, how did it work AT ALL?

bluzrocker

it ran but not sure what Lars meant by that

lars

The distributor is missing all of its original hardware due to the electronic conversion, which I would need to procure and install to bring it back to its original configuration.

I have put this project on hold and won't be doing anything further with it, as I refuse to get involved in this kind of nonsense.

Lars

Sky65

I can't say I have never had a problem but they made it right quickly and easily. They will keep getting my business!

Tom

ChattanoogaJSB

Zip has been good for me so far, along with willcox (sp), no need to assume the worst from zip.

Lars- thanks for all your contributions both in the field so to speak and in articles.

OP- not to minimize your frustration or desire to warn others. We all get frustrated when we don't get what we've paid for.

65tripleblack

ZIP is a big outfit, with great customer service, quick delivery.
It is likely that a packaging error occurred.
What would they gain by sending you a trash distributor?

Call them back, ask for a supervisor and explain what happened.

They should send you a straight up swap, and pay for return shipping.

Refer them to this thread.

tuxnharley

This thread leaves me confused on a general question. I believe there was a fairly recent post (I think it may have been by FtF, but could be mistaken about that) stating that Lars no longer is in the business of rebuilding distributors.

So - what is the fact of the matter?

Zip Corvettes

Tom,
First let's clear the air of a couple of facts here. We offer several different distributors. If your distributor is rebuilt it is done by us in our shop. All of the correct parts are used all the time from the base to the HP shaft. I use reproduction vacuum advances, and all of my hardware and bushings are correct. We have built our own tooling to install the bushings straight and we line bore them once they are installed. I have a small machine shop in our back shop. We at Zip also build all year differentials and trailing arm assemblies. We supply some companies with them, but nobody supplies Zip on rebuilds except for two items. One is steering boxes, we use Lone Star for these as we could not keep up with the demand and our new distributors, they come from Chicago Corvette. So if your distributor was a rush for an electronic conversion it very well could have been a new unit that they installed a Pertronix unit on. I do not do this very often it is only when a customer can't wait for a distributor to be built and they need it right away, but they are also made aware of this. It is funny how allot of people think we just buy other companies parts and resell them, which I guess we do, but we also manufacture as well. That is how we got our start. Just like Corvette Central, they buy lots of parts from other companies as well as make their own, they started out as a tool and die shop. We made fuel lines, and now we manufacture allot more and sell allot of variety. The reason the sales person did not just "send" you a new distributor is because we can't just send a part out because someone says it doesn't work. We used to do that, but customer who would never send parts back ruined it for the whole. This is how we all pretty much operate now. Your distributor was purchased in Feb of 2013, so there is NO way I would have authorized someone to just send you one. As far as being a worn out core, everyone one of our rebuild parts are built one at a time, so there is zero possibility of a used distributor with new pertronix unit being sent out to you. If this was a new on though with a pertronix, it didn't look used when we installed the pertronix but I do not take the distributor apart either and that would be a whole different problem. I can guarantee our rebuilds are not like that, and our stock or OEM rebuilds have all the correct oem parts in them. As far as your curve is considered, we maintain the stock curve, I do not do these for custom applications. I use the stock shaft with the correct top on it, the correct vac advance, the correct springs and the correct weights. Now the top tower as well. I do not use a distributor machine, I would like to and I had one that doesn't work. I have tried to purchase a new one but that company went out of business. I wanted to be able to set a custom curve for customers, so we are stuck just using the stock components for now. Back in the day, this is something the customer did for their own engine or their mechanic did. We could easily dial your engine in with our distributor if your engine was here though.
We stand behind our products period, but there were allot of items you left out in the above accusation. I would rather lets stick to the facts. If you want to send me the distributor I would be happy to look at it. Also all the parts we use in the distributor are also listed online and have pictures of them on our website. We have absolutely nothing to hide and would never do something shady as you have described above. I would even invite you to watch your distributor get built if you felt so inclined.
Justin

tuxnharley

February of 2013 purchase - thats almost 4 years ago! And only 500 miles in that time?

I can see both sides on this. 4 years is a long time to warranty a mechanical wear part. OTOH, it should not have worn that much in 500 miles......

Hmmmm.

Zip Corvettes

I agree, but we do not use used parts in the rebuilds and allot can happen to a part in 4 years. Again we did not get to where we are by being shady, companies that deliver products like that do not last very long. I would be happy to have anyone stand next to us why we build one of these and that includes Lars. We have nothing to hide and would still like to see what the OP is claiming came from us, because we do not operate like that. If this was a new distributor that had a pertronix put in it and those parts were inside, then I need to know about it. They manufacture of that new distributor will not do anything because of the time, but I still use them and I will be pulling one off the shelf and ripping it apart if this is the case.
Justin