Projects HOWELL'S SHEET METAL

It's a shame that North American Classic Trucks went out of business, they built great products and delivered on time.

 

I have done business with Howells and still do. Did order parts from them one time and they never were received. Just went to the credit card company and got a full refund. Went back to Howells and reordered the same parts and they arrived shortly afterwards. I speak to Ryan ever time I call , he seems to be a pleasant guy. I think that a person dealing with them just needs to be dilligent and stay on top of the order. Have bought sheet metal from them and am real happy with their product. Again just need to stay on top of your order.
Vic

 

How can you stay on top of things when they just stop answering your specific incoming phone calls? Yes I personally have been right there with them. When you can have a friend call and they pick right up and you call just seconds latter with no answer again, that to me is a big go Fuck yourself from them.

 

^^^Amen. Exactly what I felt when one of the guys said they answered the other day after I tried twice, they answer his call so I call back and got more VM. I know I wouldn't stay in business 5 seconds if I tried something like that.

 

Over the years I have read too numerous to list complaints about them on this forum.
Truly they don't deserve our money.
What annoys me is when a few will post up their great/good experience with them (which is obvious not the norm)..what this does is create a false sense of "well so and so had good service, so I think I'll use them".
Don't take my word for it, do a search.
And guess what?..another I got burned by these scum bags thread.
A shame a credible business owner doesn't take over this market, and close these scum bags down for good.
Good luck BB with a reputable supplier for your p/u bed.

 

Just had a nice talk with Midwest Ford Store. They are going to call me back on shipping expense and time frame.

 

Midwest Ford Store, nice people!!! Buy from them, I just did. It will ship within the week and take about a week to get here. Oh, and I saved $445.00 for the trouble. Complete bed with tailgate, SS slats, bed wood, stake pockets, stamped sides and front panel, bed mounting wood and crating fee, shipped to MAACO here in Vancouver for a grand total of $3155. That is a good deal and Connie there will call me with the tracking information as soon as it leaves their dock.

My ol' buddy Tim at MAACO will inspect for damage, uncrate and squirt it with black epoxy primer as it will be a few months before I'm ready to paint and we don't need flash rust.

 

I'll bet that they had to out resource for some of the bed parts and that is why it is taking so long. Or, maybe it takes time to make the parts for the bed.

I have dealt with Howell's for many years and have been delayed on parts for these reasons. Never had a problem with phone calls unless they are closed when calling. Some times they don't return messages and sometimes they do. Still a good place.

I would contact the cc company just in case.

 

With Howell's I think "in stock" for many products means they have the metal, the tools and a guy that will make the part - eventually.

This is just an assumption of mine but I'd bet that the guys who got parts fast and the others who waited way too long (like, more than a year is way too long... and it's happened) ordered vastly different parts. As we all know, some patch panels or replacement parts are a lot easier/faster to fabricate and if you mostly concentrate on the easy stuff... well others suffer.

It seems like they knock out the quick/easy/profitable bread-and-butter parts and get way behind on everything else... which is why eBay is often recommended as the way to go.

 

Both of these posts mean well and I get that you are trying to protect them but when you call and they tell you that they have all the parts to assemble the bed in stock prior to my order, then on another day when I call they tell me that they have guys on the bed assembling it as we speak and should ship tomorrow (that was 5 weeks ago), AND the fact that this was a $3600 purchase (there has to be profit margin in that sale)...the whole thing just doesn't add up.

I'm done venting, I got my fraud credit, I bought another bed, I am adding Howells to my "do not buy" list. I don't need hassles while enjoying the hobby, my money, my rules.

I'm also done with this thread (no sense beating a dead horse), when my new bed shows up I'll post it on my build thread https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/yeah-its-got-a-hemi-41-shop-truck.1112750/

Bandit Billy 10-10 on the side, Over.

 

Ha! I'm not trying to protect them. Truthfully, I avoided them with all my patch panels for my coupe because I learned on a past project. Thankfully, parts are available from a lot of other sellers so it was easy to do.

I'm serious, I think they say they have "all the parts" but through some fuzzy logic, they mean they'll make them... as if they believe they have to lie to get the sale. I know guys in other fields who do the same but every time they never consider the time it takes to do the work or the fact that they have 10 other irons in the fire.

 

I ordered a few parts on 11/17/19, didn't hear a word for 4 weeks, called last week and Ryan said they were shipped 2 days earlier. I asked for a UPS tracking #, he said he would email it to me, that didn't happen. I called today and advised him of the situation, NO PARTS YET. He checked and said my stuff got sent to a customer with the same name in Oklahoma by mistake. He said he would resend the order today next day delivery, so I should get it tomorrow. I will update this post later on guys, we'll see!

 

Oh the ol "customer with the same name" ruze. It's as old as the shell game!

 

Don't hold your breath while waiting for delivery.

 

It's like "hey i never got my parts i paid you for!", and they're like "ho-well"

 

I ordered a windshield frame for my 34 pickup, everything was great til my order was confirmed, waited a week and sent a message, nothing, did this every week, along with phone calls every other week, I sent a message through the E-Bay site they have and told them (in a very understandable way) I was contacting my credit card bank and cancel entire order. Three days later I got my windshield frame from Speedway, minus some things Howell's had as included. I for one will not deal with them again. It's really too bad, when the older family members ran the place it was excellent.

 

I've got a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you. You will NEVER get these parts. File a CC claim tonight. If he could check right away and tell you it was shipped to the wrong state, why couldn't he have checked and given you a tracking number the first time. This stuff is all on the computer. Nothing in the time line or the tale Ryan told you rings true.

 

Had custom 6-1/2” ‘29 CCPU stretched cab corners made by Howell and the rear cab panels. However, ordered them through Bert’s in Denver and paid for them when they were shipped.

 

Why do people keep buying directly from Howell's? They have screwed countless people. It seems if you order from a supplier of Howells parts you may get them, but if you order direct from Howell's they keep putting you off and making excuses.

 

Wow....know the shipping history - but boy-oh-boy you should see the set up for the Pate Swap Meet the end of April - they bring truck loads of stuff and set up by me....hint maybe order late Feb or early March ?

 

I needed a part they had. I drove over from New Orleans to Beaumont and picked it up on a Saturday morning by agreement. I was leery of their shipping
and general business reputation. Interesting shop.

 

I am disappointed, as they seem to be the only source for stretched can panels, like Dennis has.

 

Sad, but yet, not really a source if they take your money and won't ship the metal.

 

I would imagine someone could make a few bucks being the middleman.
Someone living close by and picking up parts and shipping them out.

 

How many tmes do you have to be told? Dont buy Howell parts from Howell. Buy Howell parts from other vendors. Howell makes 100s of parts at a time, then makes 100s of the next part. Thats because places like Snyders Antique Auto buys 100 of each part. Its a fact (sad but true) that Howell doesnt want to mess with selling you one part, even if its a $3300 bed.

 

Snyder's etc. already do that. Frankly, you couldn't pay me enough to take on that headache. It's all yours.

 

Update on the Howell story, my order according to UPS was shipped on 12/27/19 for next day delivery, tracking info says to be delivered on 12/30/19. It's a good thing it's Next Day RIGHT!

 

Next day is next business day so the 30th would be the next business day. Now hopefully it's the right stuff.

 

Does some one else produce similar products? I need a roof insert for a 30 A closed cab pickup.

 

dirt t Try Walden's Speed Shop for your roof insert.