I did a local search in the yellow pages to see if I could find some local hot rod shops to see if I can find some bellflower tips. I would for once like to not have to order something and wait a week. Theres a place called Harrys hot rods (that is if you consider a new pick up a hot rod) they do have some hot rod shit but not much. They had no idea what I was talking about. Called a couple other places in the phone book same thing. Which made me recall a while back I called sache rod shop when I was looking for some astros localy they had never heard of them either. These are not exactly rare or uncommon things what happend to having to have some kind of knowlege of the industry you work in. There just as bad as the Autozone kids that cant do a damn thing without that computer. Sorry about the rant but come on man. How could you not know astro supremes are.
That's pretty much the deal around here as well. If it's not for a 5.0 Mustang or a Camaro or a truck they got no clue....
LSO, you're wasting your time calling Harry's. I coulda told you that. The sheer volume of billet polished truck bug guards is enough to make me vomit. Not to mention their prices are at least fifty percent above the going rate - AND they still have to order it in. You're better off ordering online from someone you trust.
I think a lot of it depends on who you get on the phone. There are several "rod shops" around the country that I have dealt with (including Sachse) where the dude that usually answers the phone doesn't know of anything that exists outside the Billet Specialties and Vintage Air catalogs. But if you are lucky enough to get someone else on the phone (while the regular dude is taking a dump or something), you'll find someone who "gets it". Really, if you look follow most rod shop employees home, it's rare that you'll find anything but a minivan in their garages. I was at a shop a few years back, and caught the shop manager referring to a fenderless A-model coupe as a "roadster".
Thats why I take a lot of pride in running the operations side of our shop. I make it a point to know. But, as far as Bellflowers, we installed some on a 62 a couple weeks back, hell, 90% of the "rodders" that walked in didnt know what they were and neither did the exhaust shop. In fact, even the owner of the car didnt know the term Bellflower, he grew up in the Midwest, they were just exhaust tips to him!
Dont get me wrong about sachse I have had good experiences with them but that incident threw me for a loop. I want Wayne to reopen Luckys at least he knew what I was talking about 85% of the time. Maybe I'll have to take a trip to show and go. Ive also heard Bellflowers refered to as drive tips quite a bit.
I really don't know the Sachse guys at all, but I have bought parts from them several times... each time with good experiences. There are at least a couple dudes there that are pretty sharp, but there's one (and I don't know which one, just that I have gotten him on the phone more than anyone else) that is as I described in my previous post. Tman, I think you are unfortunatley the exception to the rule... seems as though rod shop employees that have both knowledge and passion are very rare. You're lucky if you can find one or the other in most cases.
american pastimes in carmichael ca is pretty cool.........they do have alot of billet in stock, but can get you the good stuff too.........lorin
No offense but I've owned a muffler shop for 25 years and I've never installed a set of Bellflower tips. I sure as hell wouldn't tie up my money to have a set ready in case you walked in. Although it's growing, our tastes and wants are not a big part of the hot rod market. Don't expect hot rod shops to tie up money on parts that rarely sell. I'm afraid we will still need the specialty suppliers scattered across the country for a while yet. Even in the day they were a localized phenomenon, hence their name, that wasn't popular country wide. The kid doesn't know what Astro Supremes are because he's never sold any.
I guess you can't blmae them traditional hot rodding is still such a small segment that its still not profitable for a small local speed shop to cary the stuff, and if they don't carry it, the average shop employee is not going to to know what it is.
Hey a post from the crypt. I didnt go into a muffler shop expecting them to have it. I called a couple places in the phone book with "Hot Rod" in there name. If you run a hot rod shop I would expect you to know what they are not nesicaraly have them in stock. It was a shot in the dark and dont defend the ignorant people that should know about the feild they work in. I expect that from autozone not poeple that try to run a shop catering to my interests Hot rods and customs.
don't bother with going to show & go, as wayne is no longer there. expect a quick downhill slide like every other time he hasn't been running things.
It's kinda funny I deal with outher side of that.I get people calling for body kits and billet grills.I wonder what ther idea of a hot rod shop is? We also do air bags.I think it's cool when people don't get why I won't air bag there truck. The newest car we have in our shop is a 64 cadi convert and the only reason it's there is it was a friend of the family and no one else wanted to put new quarters on it. I have one friend that has a newer import he need a place to put in a boost gauge I made him do it in the parking lot. Every once in awhile I just look around in my shop. It's fucking cool.If it dosn't have some kind of fabrcation and if it is not early enough we won't work on it.
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