Important info on VB&P
05-12-2018, 07:32 AM
#21
Safety Car
The only way to stop inferior parts would take a collective effort of the entire classic car community to STOP BUYING them. Obviously, that will never happen.
i have no idea if they are going out of bussiness or even filing bankruptcy, i do know poor customer service can lead to those ends,
i do know how they treated me personally and it really would not matter if i was the only one who got that treatment, i received it i move on to a better vendor, lots of people are like that....
i do know how they treated me personally and it really would not matter if i was the only one who got that treatment, i received it i move on to a better vendor, lots of people are like that....
I1ve seen a lot of positive comments about VB&P though, so I`d lean toward cheap competition as a big factor, but maybe not the only factor, in their demise.
05-12-2018, 07:46 AM
#22
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St. Jude Donor '10
Many a time I have heard "Going Bankrupt" when a company no longer can support what they sell or no longer believes they can make money on the market they serve. Let's see what comes out in the news in the next few weeks. Sorry about the OP parts, VB&P makes good parts but have always had, in my experience anyway, communication issues.
David
05-12-2018, 07:26 PM
#23
Team Owner
Well, I hate to say it, BUT I bought my '72 in '95 when parts houses were run WELL and VBP was one of them, having bought springs and shocks and other suspension parts through them.....AND
When I moved to Jax region of Florida here in '97 there were VETTE oriented shops and business all over the joint, here locally much less down the east coast a ways.....but as my car is finished, basically, the small parts I need are just fine from a parts house....
many years ago, I forget if it was VBP, or maybe Ecklers.....but I THINK it was VBP who lost a FINE gal in sales management, I forget her name, anyway she ran a damn great operation, but her hubby got transferred I think so she moved north, and the business suffered greatly in a slow decline
BUT with the passage of the last 21 years I dunno of ANY vette specific businesses here in the Jax region....not to say they don't exist though.....
When I moved to Jax region of Florida here in '97 there were VETTE oriented shops and business all over the joint, here locally much less down the east coast a ways.....but as my car is finished, basically, the small parts I need are just fine from a parts house....
many years ago, I forget if it was VBP, or maybe Ecklers.....but I THINK it was VBP who lost a FINE gal in sales management, I forget her name, anyway she ran a damn great operation, but her hubby got transferred I think so she moved north, and the business suffered greatly in a slow decline
BUT with the passage of the last 21 years I dunno of ANY vette specific businesses here in the Jax region....not to say they don't exist though.....
05-12-2018, 08:59 PM
#24
Burning Brakes
No mention of a bankruptcy or Chapter 11 reorganization on their website yet.
Looks like they are still taking orders.
You would think they would post that info on their website to save people from ordering products they may never get.
Looks like they are still taking orders.
You would think they would post that info on their website to save people from ordering products they may never get.
05-12-2018, 09:21 PM
#25
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I am NOT saying they are doing this but i have seen other outfits know they were gone and take orders right up until the door is locked that last time,
05-12-2018, 10:25 PM
#26
Drifting
I'm discussed when I am force to buy import items. For my cars AND for my machine shop. I am in the position where I can, and do pay a little more to try and buy domestic. On the machine shop side many of the tooling is just not well made with regard to accuracy. There is no reason for the accuracy or quality is any better with car parts. I do understand that is the price range some are forced into, but many who aren't forced to still buy the import things. VBP is just another of the results paying as little as one can. jmo
05-12-2018, 10:49 PM
#27
This is not the fault of "@@@@ junk" Its the corvette consumer they control what parts get purchased from the sources available.
If you don't purchase what you call "@@@@@ junk" the other guys would go out of business. And I put "USA" at times in the "@@@@@" category because they also decide to have the "Made in USA" mean sold in the USA using "@@@@@ junk specs and materials" and again the corvette consumer continues to support these companies.
If you don't purchase what you call "@@@@@ junk" the other guys would go out of business. And I put "USA" at times in the "@@@@@" category because they also decide to have the "Made in USA" mean sold in the USA using "@@@@@ junk specs and materials" and again the corvette consumer continues to support these companies.
05-13-2018, 06:22 AM
#28
They have good parts but their customer service is terrible.
I'm not surprised.
I have a performance plus from VBP so it'd be nice if someone buys them out so I can get replacement parts in the future!
I'm not surprised.
I have a performance plus from VBP so it'd be nice if someone buys them out so I can get replacement parts in the future!
05-13-2018, 08:37 AM
#29
Had a 1976 L-82, 4-sp
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Royal Canadian Navy
Too many vendors jumping in on the restoration parts business over the years. Sooner or later, someone is going to bite the dust. I doubt VB&P will be the only casualty if they are in bankruptcy.
05-13-2018, 08:56 AM
#30
Le Mans Master
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2022 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Many of you are talking about VBP as if they are Zip, Corvette Central, Corvette America selling all the stuff.....but VBP mostly produced products that ONLY THEY SUPPLIED. I might be wrong, but are they not the ONLY supplier of composite rear springs that work on our cars? I know there are the other composites like factory late model original and by TRW, but every time I see them on this forum there are issues with it jacking the rear end up too high. Am I correct about this?
So losing VBP is losing special products, not just another supplier. I don't think anyone else sells the VBP composite rear spring, or anything like it.
So losing VBP is losing special products, not just another supplier. I don't think anyone else sells the VBP composite rear spring, or anything like it.
05-13-2018, 09:22 AM
#31
Had a 1976 L-82, 4-sp
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Royal Canadian Navy
Agreed, but not all their products are exclusive to them. Their bread and butter stuff is probably brakes, springs, etc that everyone else is also selling. Just sayin'.
05-13-2018, 09:25 AM
#32
Team Owner
What I noticed, is that a few of the "big name suppliers" pretty much sold the same parts that VB&P did.......but we all knew that the "other suppliers" didn't make anything themselves, they simply sold parts. So, yes, VB&P both made and sold parts, and also yes, others sold VB&P manufactured parts.
Because of that, I decided to eliminate the "middleman", and deal with VB&P directly.
05-13-2018, 10:12 AM
#33
Le Mans Master
Well, thats a bummer.
Way back when, they were the main supplier/manufacturer for stainless steel sleeved calipers. Them and Stainless Steel Brake Corp.
Now every auto parts store has them for cheap. I can see where a small specialty house like VBP can't compete against those prices.
The Corvette crowd is getting older too and it seems the younger folks are more interested in the pocket rockets.
Too bad, they have some innovative stuff.
Surfing the Net, I did trip over a company in Texas that had springs and the dual mount composite spring system identical to VBP's. Not like it, the pictures were identical. Maybe they were /are the manufacturer of the composites for VBP.
They did not advertise a name for the springs at all.
I'm going to back track and see if I can find them again.
Way back when, they were the main supplier/manufacturer for stainless steel sleeved calipers. Them and Stainless Steel Brake Corp.
Now every auto parts store has them for cheap. I can see where a small specialty house like VBP can't compete against those prices.
The Corvette crowd is getting older too and it seems the younger folks are more interested in the pocket rockets.
Too bad, they have some innovative stuff.
Surfing the Net, I did trip over a company in Texas that had springs and the dual mount composite spring system identical to VBP's. Not like it, the pictures were identical. Maybe they were /are the manufacturer of the composites for VBP.
They did not advertise a name for the springs at all.
I'm going to back track and see if I can find them again.
As I turn 60 soon this becomes more apparent to me. But, "they don't know what their missing."
05-13-2018, 11:42 AM
#34
Safety Car
Just my $0.02 worth..........I haven't done any work on a C-3 in quite a while, but about 20 years ago, I did a LOT of "upgrading" on a '79 C-3 that belonged to my wife. I shopped around a lot, getting all the parts together, and bought most of them from VB&P.
What I noticed, is that a few of the "big name suppliers" pretty much sold the same parts that VB&P did.......but we all knew that the "other suppliers" didn't make anything themselves, they simply sold parts. So, yes, VB&P both made and sold parts, and also yes, others sold VB&P manufactured parts.
Because of that, I decided to eliminate the "middleman", and deal with VB&P directly.
What I noticed, is that a few of the "big name suppliers" pretty much sold the same parts that VB&P did.......but we all knew that the "other suppliers" didn't make anything themselves, they simply sold parts. So, yes, VB&P both made and sold parts, and also yes, others sold VB&P manufactured parts.
Because of that, I decided to eliminate the "middleman", and deal with VB&P directly.
I talked with VBP before buying my spring and other parts. They manufacture their own, and other vendors were reselling VBP parts. Also, VBP would custom a part if you asked, something others couldn't do.
05-13-2018, 05:46 PM
#35
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Many of you are talking about VBP as if they are Zip, Corvette Central, Corvette America selling all the stuff.....but VBP mostly produced products that ONLY THEY SUPPLIED. I might be wrong, but are they not the ONLY supplier of composite rear springs that work on our cars? I know there are the other composites like factory late model original and by TRW, but every time I see them on this forum there are issues with it jacking the rear end up too high. Am I correct about this?
So losing VBP is losing special products, not just another supplier. I don't think anyone else sells the VBP composite rear spring, or anything like it.
So losing VBP is losing special products, not just another supplier. I don't think anyone else sells the VBP composite rear spring, or anything like it.
What if they do go defunct and i need a different rate or new spring,
Not that i would be happy dealing with them after how they responded lack luster to the defective inferior bushings i have from them,
Bushing i can get or even make not so with their special springs...
05-15-2018, 10:14 AM
#36
Advanced
I wonder if it is really true VB & P filed for bankruptcy. I searched PACER (the federal online court reporter) today but found no filings for Vette Brakes and Products of America, LLC or any other similar name. If they had filed it would show up in this database. I also searched the Florida Secretary of State website, Vette Brakes and Products of America, LLC is the only active corporate name. I think this is a bullshit rumor.
05-15-2018, 10:35 AM
#37
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St. Jude Donor '10
Well lets hope so. Good research, thank you.
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mrvette (05-15-2018)
05-15-2018, 10:37 AM
#38
Team Owner
when someone has FACTS let me know....until then 