Is it the parts I’m ordering (C2), or is anyone else seeing this. Everything I am looking for is back ordered.

 

Covette Central has had everything I've been looking for, where are you looking?

 

Ever since Paragon and Corvette Central were bought by Coker a few years ago, everything they previously made in the US seems to be on backorder a lot, or at least slow to come in. I don't know if it's true or not, but I've been told by other Corvette vendors that almost everything Central and Paragon were making in the US is now in the process of being moved overseas. A lot of the 63-67 parts that Long Island Corvette was making were discontinued by Rich's daughter after Rich passed away. Zip bought Long Island from Kim, but they've only started making some of the items that Long Island used to make.

 

Zip is also owned by the same company that owns CC, Paragon, Coker, etc
https://theshopmag.com/news/legendary-companies-acquires-zip-products/

 

Corvette central, Zips, Volunteer Vette.

 

Not Volunteer Vette, they are still independent eventhough their website is very similar to CC and Zip

 

I've had a set of front bumpers back ordered for over 1 year ..... same answer... we'll contact supplier and give you an update....

 

Every time I've looked at Zip for my interior parts they have been backordered.

 

I've had good luck with Top Flight Automotive in PA. I get my order the next day.

 

Keen, Volunteer, Just Corvettes, Corvette Pacifica, Lonestar Calipers and a number of smaller Corvette parts companies are still independent. Mike Yager still owns Mid America Motorworks. Both the Coker Group (Central, Zip, Coker Tire and a couple others) and Top Flight (aka Corvette America) are owned by private equity firms. Trim Parts, Soft Seal and The Right Stuff are part of RPUI (Restoration Parts Unlimited, Inc) which is also owned by a private equity firm. Eckler's is part of Turn 5, an automotive aftermarket internet marketing company is owned by two brothers from Paoli PA (a Philadelphia western suburb).

If they're the US made bumpers originally distributed by Paragon, and now by Central, this is nothing new. All of the US made C1, C2 & C3 bumpers Central is marketing are being made by the same company in Michigan who made them for GM. This is a big company who has contracts for millions of parts for the "Big 3", so Corvette bumpers are a low priority specialty item for this company. As such, deliveries of the bumpers have always been extremely slow, especially at times when the US auto industry is busy.

Zip doesn't make any interior parts, they buy all of it from Al Knoch and/or Top Flight. None of the Corvette vendors stock much in the way of interior parts because there are way to many colors and patterns for most to try to stock. They all almost always drop ship interiors from either Knoch or Top Flight. Top Flight keeps a fair amount of common items and colors in stock, though no where near as much as they once did. From my recent experience, it appears that Knoch keeps almost nothing in stock now and makes almost everything to order. Top Flight seems to be currently running 2-3 weeks for things that have to be made, while Knoch is running 4-6 weeks (and sometimes longer).

Top Flight makes a lot of their interior soft parts in their factory in PA, and as I said above, they do stock a fairly good selection of things they make.

 

Does volunteer manufacturer any of their products to do they buy them just like most of the suppliers??

 

Any information on Bairs??

 

Listen to Glenn.
Solid, honest advice from a long-recognized supplier.
Some of the parts I used for decades are no longer available, so I had them made. It will be interesting to see how this moves forward over the next 5-7 years. By then I may be winding down completely from building.

 

I met the owner of CSC Reproductions a couple of years ago while RVing and discovered that his company makes parts for 1953-1996 Corvettes. I don't recall seeing them mentioned on this forum and I've never had the need to purchase from them so have no idea about how they are as a company nor part quality or delivery times.

https://cscreproductions.com/

 

Usually, I would look on Ebay/Amazon for things if it is on back order.

 

Both Volunteer and Bair's make, or have made for them a number of parts. They both sell wholesale to all of the other Corvette companies. Bair's is also still privately owned.

Gary, thanks for the compliment, and I agree the next few years should be interesting.

I'm happy to be semi retired now. I'm mainly just working with two brothers who have a collection of 40-50 cars. They have two guys who work for them full time on restoring cars and maintaining the collection. Only about half the collection is Corvettes, so I've had to learn about Camaro's, Mustangs and other things, but they're easy to deal and go through me for everything they want or need, so it's been worth it.

 

I recently bought two OEM BB oil pans from CSC up in PA as well as purchasing all four seat belt reinforcement brackets (which get riveted to the underside of the body) and had no issues whatsoever.

They were nice on the phone and pleasant to deal with for the purchase of the two NOS oil pans. A short time later I ordered the four seat belt reinforcement brackets via their website (no human contact) and all went well.

I would buy from them again in a heartbeat if I needed an item they stocked. All items were destined for a 66 BB. C.J.

 

Do these suppliers all buy their parts to resell from the same manufacturer???

 

for the most part there is only one or two manufactures for each item

 

No, far from it. Almost all of the Corvette companies make something and sell it to other Corvette companies.

For the most part, once someone reproduces a part other vendors won't make it...unless they can make it better, a lot cheaper or closer to original. There are exceptions like emblems where there are two or three companies reproducing them, but normally it just doesn't make sense to make something that someone else already has. There just isn't that much of a market for a lot of the parts, especially if they only fit one or two years.

Corvette Rubber is the only company making weatherstrip in the US, but there are two or three companies making it overseas. Al Knoch only does interiors, with Top Flight being the only other major maker of interiors. But unlike Knoch, Top Flight also makes all kinds of other Corvette parts. Both Top Flight and America's Finest reproduce knock off wheels, but only Top Flight makes them in both true knock off and bolt on styles. America's Finest only does them as bolt on's.

There are also some companies who make parts that mainly do wholesale to other companies, and do little or no retail sales. I friend of mine makes a lot of the 63-82 small plastic and rubber parts, as well as interior screw kits, and he only sells wholesale. There's a company that makes thousands of first generation Camaro parts, but they also make about a dozen Corvette parts that nobody else does.

All of the major Corvette parts companies started out as small "cottage" type companies in the 70's. Paragon, Corvette Central and Vette Products of Michigan were all started by former GM employees, and I think Trim Parts was too. Because of their contacts at GM, they knew who GM's suppliers were which made it easy for them to get the rights to continue making parts when GM discontinued them. Wayne Walker started Zip Products when he couldn't find a fuel line for his 61 (or was it a 62?) Corvette. Once he made a line for his car, other owners wanted him to make them a fuel line and Zip was born. The story behind many of the Corvette companies are similar to Zip's story.

I could easily list 20 companies on here who are making Corvette parts, and that would only be a partial list.