The M-ATV is a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) all-terrain vehicle and, at a curb weight of 25,000 lbs., is the smallest vehicle Oshkosh Defense has made for the U.S. military.

Adapting to a need to deploy troops anywhere in the world, U.S. military forces find themselves requiring trucks and transportation equipment more than ever before. This trend has created a steady opportunity for businesses in the automotive aftermarket to expand their customer base, while helping to supply the military with quality specialty-equipment products. High-performance brakes and engine equipment, blast-attenuating seats and specialized equipment for vehicles operating at high altitudes and in challenging terrain are among the parts in demand.

To learn what it takes to market product for use by American armed services, we talked to some specialty-equipment manufacturers that have branched out from traditional commercial sales to work with military suppliers. Among those willing to share their experiences were FOX Racing Shox, ICON Vehicle Dynamics, Wilwood Engineering, MasterCraft Safety, Roush Yates Performance Products and Rhino Linings.

Supplying the Military

The technology developed over the past three decades for light, medium and heavy vehicles operating in off-road terrain translates well to military requirements, particularly in theaters such as Afghanistan, according to Brian Godfrey, FOX Racing Shox’s powersports division marketing manager.

FOX Racing Shox has been a military supplier since 2003, starting with shocks for the unmanned Predator B. Marvin Engineering has been using FOX shocks since 2005, and in 2007, the company created a vehicle-mobility solution for a British army vehicle known as the Jackal. FOX—which created a separate division to handle military projects called FOX Defense Suspension—sells a range of passive dampers, high-performance position-sensitive coilovers and air-spring shock absorbers.

In the case of ICON Vehicle Dynamics, word of mouth has proved to be a powerful tool. “Once you get your foot in the door, business just spreads like wildfire,” said Jeremy Johnson, ICON sales and marketing. “We had a one-time contract with the Israeli military for Ford components for about 150 vehicles, and we continue to contract with Oshkosh Defense to outfit their F-550s. The engineer we’ve been dealing with at Oshkosh spread our name through some of their fire and rescue division. We mostly sell them fabricated components that we already make and also custom components, including frame brackets for radius arms and adjustable Panhard bars.”

Executive Summary: Defense and military buyers are keen to acquire specialized equipment to enhance vehicle performance and safety. Oftentimes, off-the-shelf aftermarket parts made by SEMA members can satisfy their needs. Military buyers from a variety of different services and organizations regularly attend the SEMA Show. Among the requirements are that all parts be made in the United States, and sometimes extensive testing must be conducted.

Wilwood Engineering, a first-tier supplier, provides brakes, calipers, rotors and pads for military Humvees (HMMWV) to AM General, which sells the vehicles to the military. The military customer wanted to upgrade from Jeeps to field combat tactical vehicles, which can absorb gunshots and offer increased durability in the field. A heavier vehicle was the result, according to Ken Hale, Wilwood’s director of sales and marketing.

The HMMWV brakes that came from the original factory were wearing out quickly in a desert environment. It also took a long time to change out the pads because of the way they were designed. Wilwood redesigned the brake system for four-wheel vehicles so that the pads could be changed out in less than half the time. This also resulted in the brakes lasting twice as long.

MasterCraft Safety became involved in the U.S. Army’s low-signature-cab program in 2006. At the beginning of the current conflicts in the Middle East, most of the army’s tactical vehicles were not armored, so a rush method was needed to get armor into the field. The company that developed the low-signature cab ended up choosing MasterCraft’s blast-attenuating seat for its off-road capabilities, according to Mike Ross, MasterCraft’s director of technology.

“A military OEM contacted us, and we went through a test cycle with them,” Ross said. “This particular seat was new to the military. The soldiers liked it, and we knew the seat had very good energy attenuation. As the conflicts evolved, the military realized they needed seats that absorbed a lot of energy.”

	Wilwood Engineering provides brakes, calipers, rotors and pads for military Humvees to AM General, which sells the vehicles to the military.
	Some of Wilwood’s military sales are of products that are essentially the same as what they sell to the enthusiast market.

The company is currently selling to five or six OEMs, but the market is slowing down considerably across the board due to the downturn in need. There are currently about 25,000 to 30,000 trucks in the field with MasterCraft Safety seats in them, according to Ross.

One of MasterCraft’s business partners in selling custom products, Roush Yates Performance Products also uses custom alternators and lithium batteries to solve power issues. Most of the parts made by Roush Yates are specialized, said Bucky Gregory, the company’s vice president of sales.

“A good example of this is seatbelts,” he said. “Specialized military belts have a one-hand release to make it easy to exit the vehicle.”

Rhino Linings Corp. initially became involved in military sales with an Israeli company called Mofett in designing a patented, lightweight, ballistic armament material using the Rhino Linings spray cast elastomer as a bonding agent. That particular design was incorporated in several vehicle designs, such as the Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicle, Stryker and other armament packages that are applied to military vehicles. It allows the vehicle to take 20-mm hits without penetration, according to Ron LoPresto, Rhino’s technical director.

For one of Rhino’s customers—High Impact Technologies—the company designed a system called Battle Jacket, which prevents or minimizes fuel leakage on fuel tankers due to small arms fire. The Battle Jacket is used in combination with an ingredient that HIT provides for Rhino’s armor elastomer—a self-sealing product that is applied to the exterior of all fuel tanks.

“These units can take multiple hits from armor-piercing projectiles and not leak whatsoever,” LoPresto said. “We spent several months in Iraq training the applicators on how to spray the tankers.”

	The MaseterCraft Safety Defense blast-attenuation Crew Seat weighs between 15–29 lbs., compared to competitive seats that weigh between 70–100 lbs.

Oshkosh Defense supplies heavy, medium and light vehicles to the U.S. Army and Marines, and sometimes turns to aftermarket manufacturers to help meet needs for components. Its benchmark product is the company’s proprietary TAK-4 independent suspension, which is the highest mobility performing suspension available, according to Rob Messina, the company’s vice president of core technology. Oshkosh also provides integrated armor solutions and is a total vehicle manufacturer in the tactical wheeled vehicle fleet. The Heavy Equipment Transporter is built around trailering tanks. The M-ATV is a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected all-terrain vehicle and, at a curb weight of 25,000 lbs., is the smallest vehicle Oshkosh has made for the U.S. military. The military is continuously looking for mobile vehicles with a high level of protection, and the M-ATV has HMMWV level of mobility with Mine Resistant Ambush Protected level of protection against IED-type blasts, according to Messina.

Increasingly, Oshkosh is becoming as well-known for the company’s aftermarket support as it is for vehicle design and production. Oftentimes, Oshkosh will receive a request for a specific capability before proving functionality of that capability with what’s called a “first article test,” which can be extensive because it’s negotiated and collaboratively decided upon by the government.

How to Gain Military Approval

It takes patience, commitment and flexibility to sell to the military—which, like commercial customers, is interested in affordability, quality and the capability to deliver the right product on time, FOX’s Godfrey said.

Many products are applicable to off-road enthusiasts and military customers alike. The defense business represents a new market completely, exposing FOX’s brand to the United States and allied forces and defense contractors in the United States and abroad. There are various types of military approval, but the key thing is to demonstrate results.

“The companies we sell to are not hard to deal with because we get great communication across the board,” ICON’s Johnson said. “If we need to change something on our part, we’re able to get them a revised part the same day.”

	Rhino Linings’ Battle Jacket is designed to prevent or minimize fuel leakage on fuel tankers due to small arms fire.

But attracting military buyers can be a rigorous process. They will most likely request full 3-D CAD drawings to drop into the files with which they’re currently working. Sometimes they want material specifications, and all parts must be made in the United States, even the bolts.

To obtain military approval, ICON offers sample parts for evaluation. “It all comes down to product testing,” Johnson said. “If they like the design and the way it bolts to the vehicle, then you don’t have to change anything.”

Wilwood’s modus operandi is similar to ICON’s, where it manufactures the product and submits it to the military for approval. If the buyers like it, they make an offer. In order for a company to keep bidding on military contracts, all parts must qualify for rigid Six-Sigma quality, according to Hale.

Roman Spandrio, Wilwood’s applications engineering manager, believes that his company fits the supply partner profile for which military and government agencies are looking.

“We’re an American company and considered a small business, which are attractive qualities for a government and military supplier,” Spandrio said. “Beyond that, we’re an engineering company that offers the full spectrum of support. We’re a solutions partner on the engineering end in spec’ing out the product necessary to meet the military’s performance and durability goals. We also have integrated our accounting personnel, and we have field service representatives who are able to support test sites as well as manufacturing and assembly and ongoing engineering support. To have one company that you can call and have all that taken care of is not only an advantage to the military but to any customer.”

MasterCraft’s seats have undergone testing at Aberdeen Proving Grounds—the army’s test center in Maryland. “To be considered for a military vehicle, you’re going to have to go through the rigorous testing that all military vehicles go through,” said Kelli Willmore, MasterCraft’s vice president of marketing. “Sometimes it takes months; sometimes it takes years.”

Instead of working directly with military buyers, MasterCraft works with military engineers, so it’s necessary to sell them on the product first. Companies are looking outside of their normal realm, and they’re going to the SEMA Show and looking to the racing and aftermarket industries to make their vehicles faster and lighter to meet certain weight requirements. According to Willmore, MasterCraft’s seats weigh between 15–29 lbs., compared to competitive seats that weigh between 70–100 lbs.

But before a company can sell anything to the military, certain requirements must be met. “When we first started working with them, they were just starting to look at occupant safety in a different way,” Willmore said. “It wasn’t just armor; it was systems inside the vehicle that work with the armament to contain and protect the occupant. The military tested our seats, and we also independently verified them. One such test we have performed was to the NATO Stanag 4569 Level 2a standard.”

Military buyers are also looking for durability, longevity, reusability and products that are made of non-hazardous materials to both the occupant and environment, Rhino Linings’ LoPresto said. They are becoming more astute customers, and they don’t want products that will deteriorate due to abuse or corrosion.

“We have also developed our product so it’s a good material for blast mitigation,” LoPresto said. “After the attack in Saudi Arabia on Khobar Towers in 1996 that killed 19 U.S. Air Force personnel, we did a test with the Air Force where you could reduce the standoff from 200 ft. to 100 ft. and still maintain a better than 90% survivability rate.”

Military vs. Commercial Market

	For an aftermarket manufacturer, the ideal situation would be to supply the exact same parts to the military that are already in the civilian catalog. Sometimes it works that way, sometimes not...

For an aftermarket manufacturer, the ideal situation would be to supply the exact same parts to the military that are already in the civilian catalog. Sometimes it works that way, sometimes not, but for the most part the specifications demanded by the military customer are very similar, if not identical, to the civilian product.

At ICON, some components are variations of components already made, so the company adapts the existing component. “For instance, the military will build something for an F-550, where we’ll make it for an F-250 or F-350,” Johnson explained. “We’ll have to change the bracket, but as far as design and changing the part’s strength, it’s all the same. Our off-the-shelf items are good enough for all the military applications we’ve done so far.”

Some of the products Wilwood supplies to the military are different from the ones sold to the aftermarket, while others are direct aftermarket products sold for military applications. All of it is propriety product, and some evolve on the basis of a military application.

“Some are slight homologations of what we currently provide to the aftermarket, and some are direct, currently supplied aftermarket products that bolt right on to military applications,” Spandrio said. “But in the end, the two are essentially the same. That’s an advantage for military supply because it bypasses a lot of the International Trade and Arms requirements. If they can get supplied to them what they need to meet their performance, durability and pricing targets without having to reinvent anything, it saves a lot of effort and logistics.”

At MasterCraft Safety, the mounting positions on the seats themselves are the only difference between those sold to the military versus the commercial market, while many of Roush Yates’ parts, including springs and shocks, are custom parts built for specific units. Other parts, including switches and hoses, are common parts.

Purchasing Patterns

	FOX Defense Suspension sells a range of passive dampers, high-performance position-sensitive coilovers and air-spring shock absorbers to the military.

There is no real pattern when it comes to order volumes. Customers vary by manufacturer, ranging from the U.S. government to OEMs to the military units themselves. Most seem to purchase according to their needs. With both large- and small-volume orders, Wilwood sells directly to the U.S. government, military bases, various depots and final-tier vehicle manufacturers.

“We’re working with all the major defense contractors,” Spandrio said. “We have forecasts that go out six months—some even further—and it’s a consistent product supply. If they’re buying commercial, off-the-shelf stuff, they have an advantage because of economies of scale, which include pricing and delivery, because we’re producing it for other customers
as well.”

Wilwood’s military programs require confidentiality and non-disclosure, which is at the forefront of any new endeavor. “If they have spec’d our product, sometimes we’re not even sure of the exact application,” Spandrio said. “We encourage them to involve us so when troubleshooting managers come into play or they need some level of field support, we’re able to understand their application a little better.”

	Source Box: FOX Racing Shox www.FOXracingshox.com ICON Vehicle Dynamics www.ICONvehicledynamics.com MasterCraft Safety www.mastercraftsafety.com Oshkosh Defense www.oshkoshdefense.com Rhino Linings Corp. www.rhinolinings.com Roush Yates Performance Products www.roushyates.com Wilwood Engineering www.wilwood.com

MasterCraft Safety sells its commercial off-the-shelf products directly to OEMs, the Defense Logistics Agency and also military units. Ross said that there is a great deal of volume involved initially. And because all MasterCraft Safety seats have been developed in-house, no U.S. government dollars are involved in product R&D, testing or tooling, which means the army can purchase MasterCraft’s commercial part number.

The military purchases from Roush Yates in minimal quantities based on usage. “It’s not a gravy train; you’ve got to work for their business,” Gregory said. “The military is starting to realize that a lot of companies they do business with charge them more than our market would support, so they’re finding out that if they come back to independent companies like us, we can do a couple of things for them. For one, we have experience with many of the products they want to use, so we can save them time and money by offering solutions to their problems.”

In other cases, volumes can be quite substantial. The OEMs buy truckload quantities from Rhino on a weekly or biweekly basis, according to LoPresto. The Battle Jacket is not a closely guarded product compared to the armament material, but there are restrictions on where it can be sold (only to friendly nations, for instance).

Military Buyers at the Show

In addition to attending military shows, military buyers, engineers and organizations, such as the Association of the United States Army, have been attending the SEMA Show in recent years in search of the latest aftermarket products, curious to learn how they can be integrated into a military applications. In 2010, there were more than 50 military personnel in attendance.

Speaking about FOX Shox, Godfrey said, “Contacts made at SEMA have supported our military business efforts.”

ICON also exhibits at the SEMA Show and has been approached by military buyers. As the company’s product image gains more exposure, Johnson expects to gain more business this year.

Roush Yates also reports a substantial military presence at the SEMA Show. “They’re looking for resources—new products that would fit into their market that come from our industry,” Gregory said.

Heightened Sense of Pride

Most aftermarket professionals agree that supplying the U.S. armed forces is a rewarding experience on a personal level, since their products are designed to save the lives of the men and women who are fighting to defend our country and freedom.

In FOX’s case, selling products that improve the off-road mobility of military vehicles enhances the survivability of young men and women who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. “If we can keep just one more person alive than would otherwise be the case, our efforts are worth it,” Godfrey said.

Roush Yates and many of its business partners provide safety to the troops in the field. “It’s anything from making sure the vehicle has enough power and electricity to support communications to having seats and restraint systems that protect them,” Gregory said. “We’re helping to protect the people who are protecting us.”

	Rhino Linings’ Battle Jacket is designed to prevent or minimize fuel leakage on fuel tankers due to small arms fire.

You probably wouldn’t know it just by surveying the SEMA Show floor, but military buyers dressed in civilian clothing regularly attend the Show.

In 2010, U.S. Air Force Tech Sergeant Abelardo Zavala attended the SEMA Show for his fifth time. He was looking for new and innovative tools and test equipment that could benefit his unit.

“I go to the Show and collect literature and bring it back to my units to determine how we can use a certain product,” Zavala said. “The SEMA Show is a great forum to see what’s out there.”

Jesse Burkhart of Navy Special Warfare Group ONE (NSWGO), located in Imperial Beach, California, has attended the SEMA Show for the past four years. He searches for any new tools on the market that can be used in the field, such as for 4WD, off-road and utility vehicles. He said that NSWGO is different from the mainstream military, and the aftermarket fits its niche because the unit uses more specialized equipment to fulfill its needs than a regular unit would use.

When shopping for a product, Burkhart wants someone who speaks the same language as he does as far as going off-road and knowing the conditions in which his unit operates. If he finds a company that meets his needs and it’s the only one that can, he sole-sources through that company. Otherwise, he bids on contracts.

“We found some new air-compressor jacks from Rack Jack at the SEMA Show that are more portable than a floor jack,” Burkhart said. “We don’t attend any other trade shows because we figure that everything we need to see is at the SEMA Show; it’s one-stop shopping. When we go, we get a lot of good ideas of what’s available by talking to guys in the industry.”

	The M-ATV is a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) all-terrain vehicle and, at a curb weight of 25,000 lbs., is the smallest vehicle Oshkosh Defense has made for the U.S. military.

Adapting to a need to deploy troops anywhere in the world, U.S. military forces find themselves requiring trucks and transportation equipment more than ever before. This trend has created a steady opportunity for businesses in the automotive aftermarket to expand their customer base, while helping to supply the military with quality specialty-equipment products. High-performance brakes and engine equipment, blast-attenuating seats and specialized equipment for vehicles operating at high altitudes and in challenging terrain are among the parts in demand.

To learn what it takes to market product for use by American armed services, we talked to some specialty-equipment manufacturers that have branched out from traditional commercial sales to work with military suppliers. Among those willing to share their experiences were FOX Racing Shox, ICON Vehicle Dynamics, Wilwood Engineering, MasterCraft Safety, Roush Yates Performance Products and Rhino Linings.

Supplying the Military

The technology developed over the past three decades for light, medium and heavy vehicles operating in off-road terrain translates well to military requirements, particularly in theaters such as Afghanistan, according to Brian Godfrey, FOX Racing Shox’s powersports division marketing manager.

FOX Racing Shox has been a military supplier since 2003, starting with shocks for the unmanned Predator B. Marvin Engineering has been using FOX shocks since 2005, and in 2007, the company created a vehicle-mobility solution for a British army vehicle known as the Jackal. FOX—which created a separate division to handle military projects called FOX Defense Suspension—sells a range of passive dampers, high-performance position-sensitive coilovers and air-spring shock absorbers.

In the case of ICON Vehicle Dynamics, word of mouth has proved to be a powerful tool. “Once you get your foot in the door, business just spreads like wildfire,” said Jeremy Johnson, ICON sales and marketing. “We had a one-time contract with the Israeli military for Ford components for about 150 vehicles, and we continue to contract with Oshkosh Defense to outfit their F-550s. The engineer we’ve been dealing with at Oshkosh spread our name through some of their fire and rescue division. We mostly sell them fabricated components that we already make and also custom components, including frame brackets for radius arms and adjustable Panhard bars.”

Executive Summary: Defense and military buyers are keen to acquire specialized equipment to enhance vehicle performance and safety. Oftentimes, off-the-shelf aftermarket parts made by SEMA members can satisfy their needs. Military buyers from a variety of different services and organizations regularly attend the SEMA Show. Among the requirements are that all parts be made in the United States, and sometimes extensive testing must be conducted.

Wilwood Engineering, a first-tier supplier, provides brakes, calipers, rotors and pads for military Humvees (HMMWV) to AM General, which sells the vehicles to the military. The military customer wanted to upgrade from Jeeps to field combat tactical vehicles, which can absorb gunshots and offer increased durability in the field. A heavier vehicle was the result, according to Ken Hale, Wilwood’s director of sales and marketing.

The HMMWV brakes that came from the original factory were wearing out quickly in a desert environment. It also took a long time to change out the pads because of the way they were designed. Wilwood redesigned the brake system for four-wheel vehicles so that the pads could be changed out in less than half the time. This also resulted in the brakes lasting twice as long.

MasterCraft Safety became involved in the U.S. Army’s low-signature-cab program in 2006. At the beginning of the current conflicts in the Middle East, most of the army’s tactical vehicles were not armored, so a rush method was needed to get armor into the field. The company that developed the low-signature cab ended up choosing MasterCraft’s blast-attenuating seat for its off-road capabilities, according to Mike Ross, MasterCraft’s director of technology.

“A military OEM contacted us, and we went through a test cycle with them,” Ross said. “This particular seat was new to the military. The soldiers liked it, and we knew the seat had very good energy attenuation. As the conflicts evolved, the military realized they needed seats that absorbed a lot of energy.”

	Wilwood Engineering provides brakes, calipers, rotors and pads for military Humvees to AM General, which sells the vehicles to the military.
	Some of Wilwood’s military sales are of products that are essentially the same as what they sell to the enthusiast market.

The company is currently selling to five or six OEMs, but the market is slowing down considerably across the board due to the downturn in need. There are currently about 25,000 to 30,000 trucks in the field with MasterCraft Safety seats in them, according to Ross.

One of MasterCraft’s business partners in selling custom products, Roush Yates Performance Products also uses custom alternators and lithium batteries to solve power issues. Most of the parts made by Roush Yates are specialized, said Bucky Gregory, the company’s vice president of sales.

“A good example of this is seatbelts,” he said. “Specialized military belts have a one-hand release to make it easy to exit the vehicle.”

Rhino Linings Corp. initially became involved in military sales with an Israeli company called Mofett in designing a patented, lightweight, ballistic armament material using the Rhino Linings spray cast elastomer as a bonding agent. That particular design was incorporated in several vehicle designs, such as the Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicle, Stryker and other armament packages that are applied to military vehicles. It allows the vehicle to take 20-mm hits without penetration, according to Ron LoPresto, Rhino’s technical director.

For one of Rhino’s customers—High Impact Technologies—the company designed a system called Battle Jacket, which prevents or minimizes fuel leakage on fuel tankers due to small arms fire. The Battle Jacket is used in combination with an ingredient that HIT provides for Rhino’s armor elastomer—a self-sealing product that is applied to the exterior of all fuel tanks.

“These units can take multiple hits from armor-piercing projectiles and not leak whatsoever,” LoPresto said. “We spent several months in Iraq training the applicators on how to spray the tankers.”

	The MaseterCraft Safety Defense blast-attenuation Crew Seat weighs between 15–29 lbs., compared to competitive seats that weigh between 70–100 lbs.

Oshkosh Defense supplies heavy, medium and light vehicles to the U.S. Army and Marines, and sometimes turns to aftermarket manufacturers to help meet needs for components. Its benchmark product is the company’s proprietary TAK-4 independent suspension, which is the highest mobility performing suspension available, according to Rob Messina, the company’s vice president of core technology. Oshkosh also provides integrated armor solutions and is a total vehicle manufacturer in the tactical wheeled vehicle fleet. The Heavy Equipment Transporter is built around trailering tanks. The M-ATV is a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected all-terrain vehicle and, at a curb weight of 25,000 lbs., is the smallest vehicle Oshkosh has made for the U.S. military. The military is continuously looking for mobile vehicles with a high level of protection, and the M-ATV has HMMWV level of mobility with Mine Resistant Ambush Protected level of protection against IED-type blasts, according to Messina.

Increasingly, Oshkosh is becoming as well-known for the company’s aftermarket support as it is for vehicle design and production. Oftentimes, Oshkosh will receive a request for a specific capability before proving functionality of that capability with what’s called a “first article test,” which can be extensive because it’s negotiated and collaboratively decided upon by the government.

How to Gain Military Approval

It takes patience, commitment and flexibility to sell to the military—which, like commercial customers, is interested in affordability, quality and the capability to deliver the right product on time, FOX’s Godfrey said.

Many products are applicable to off-road enthusiasts and military customers alike. The defense business represents a new market completely, exposing FOX’s brand to the United States and allied forces and defense contractors in the United States and abroad. There are various types of military approval, but the key thing is to demonstrate results.

“The companies we sell to are not hard to deal with because we get great communication across the board,” ICON’s Johnson said. “If we need to change something on our part, we’re able to get them a revised part the same day.”

	Rhino Linings’ Battle Jacket is designed to prevent or minimize fuel leakage on fuel tankers due to small arms fire.

But attracting military buyers can be a rigorous process. They will most likely request full 3-D CAD drawings to drop into the files with which they’re currently working. Sometimes they want material specifications, and all parts must be made in the United States, even the bolts.

To obtain military approval, ICON offers sample parts for evaluation. “It all comes down to product testing,” Johnson said. “If they like the design and the way it bolts to the vehicle, then you don’t have to change anything.”

Wilwood’s modus operandi is similar to ICON’s, where it manufactures the product and submits it to the military for approval. If the buyers like it, they make an offer. In order for a company to keep bidding on military contracts, all parts must qualify for rigid Six-Sigma quality, according to Hale.

Roman Spandrio, Wilwood’s applications engineering manager, believes that his company fits the supply partner profile for which military and government agencies are looking.

“We’re an American company and considered a small business, which are attractive qualities for a government and military supplier,” Spandrio said. “Beyond that, we’re an engineering company that offers the full spectrum of support. We’re a solutions partner on the engineering end in spec’ing out the product necessary to meet the military’s performance and durability goals. We also have integrated our accounting personnel, and we have field service representatives who are able to support test sites as well as manufacturing and assembly and ongoing engineering support. To have one company that you can call and have all that taken care of is not only an advantage to the military but to any customer.”

MasterCraft’s seats have undergone testing at Aberdeen Proving Grounds—the army’s test center in Maryland. “To be considered for a military vehicle, you’re going to have to go through the rigorous testing that all military vehicles go through,” said Kelli Willmore, MasterCraft’s vice president of marketing. “Sometimes it takes months; sometimes it takes years.”

Instead of working directly with military buyers, MasterCraft works with military engineers, so it’s necessary to sell them on the product first. Companies are looking outside of their normal realm, and they’re going to the SEMA Show and looking to the racing and aftermarket industries to make their vehicles faster and lighter to meet certain weight requirements. According to Willmore, MasterCraft’s seats weigh between 15–29 lbs., compared to competitive seats that weigh between 70–100 lbs.

But before a company can sell anything to the military, certain requirements must be met. “When we first started working with them, they were just starting to look at occupant safety in a different way,” Willmore said. “It wasn’t just armor; it was systems inside the vehicle that work with the armament to contain and protect the occupant. The military tested our seats, and we also independently verified them. One such test we have performed was to the NATO Stanag 4569 Level 2a standard.”

Military buyers are also looking for durability, longevity, reusability and products that are made of non-hazardous materials to both the occupant and environment, Rhino Linings’ LoPresto said. They are becoming more astute customers, and they don’t want products that will deteriorate due to abuse or corrosion.

“We have also developed our product so it’s a good material for blast mitigation,” LoPresto said. “After the attack in Saudi Arabia on Khobar Towers in 1996 that killed 19 U.S. Air Force personnel, we did a test with the Air Force where you could reduce the standoff from 200 ft. to 100 ft. and still maintain a better than 90% survivability rate.”

Military vs. Commercial Market

	For an aftermarket manufacturer, the ideal situation would be to supply the exact same parts to the military that are already in the civilian catalog. Sometimes it works that way, sometimes not...

For an aftermarket manufacturer, the ideal situation would be to supply the exact same parts to the military that are already in the civilian catalog. Sometimes it works that way, sometimes not, but for the most part the specifications demanded by the military customer are very similar, if not identical, to the civilian product.

At ICON, some components are variations of components already made, so the company adapts the existing component. “For instance, the military will build something for an F-550, where we’ll make it for an F-250 or F-350,” Johnson explained. “We’ll have to change the bracket, but as far as design and changing the part’s strength, it’s all the same. Our off-the-shelf items are good enough for all the military applications we’ve done so far.”

Some of the products Wilwood supplies to the military are different from the ones sold to the aftermarket, while others are direct aftermarket products sold for military applications. All of it is propriety product, and some evolve on the basis of a military application.

“Some are slight homologations of what we currently provide to the aftermarket, and some are direct, currently supplied aftermarket products that bolt right on to military applications,” Spandrio said. “But in the end, the two are essentially the same. That’s an advantage for military supply because it bypasses a lot of the International Trade and Arms requirements. If they can get supplied to them what they need to meet their performance, durability and pricing targets without having to reinvent anything, it saves a lot of effort and logistics.”

At MasterCraft Safety, the mounting positions on the seats themselves are the only difference between those sold to the military versus the commercial market, while many of Roush Yates’ parts, including springs and shocks, are custom parts built for specific units. Other parts, including switches and hoses, are common parts.

Purchasing Patterns

	FOX Defense Suspension sells a range of passive dampers, high-performance position-sensitive coilovers and air-spring shock absorbers to the military.

There is no real pattern when it comes to order volumes. Customers vary by manufacturer, ranging from the U.S. government to OEMs to the military units themselves. Most seem to purchase according to their needs. With both large- and small-volume orders, Wilwood sells directly to the U.S. government, military bases, various depots and final-tier vehicle manufacturers.

“We’re working with all the major defense contractors,” Spandrio said. “We have forecasts that go out six months—some even further—and it’s a consistent product supply. If they’re buying commercial, off-the-shelf stuff, they have an advantage because of economies of scale, which include pricing and delivery, because we’re producing it for other customers
as well.”

Wilwood’s military programs require confidentiality and non-disclosure, which is at the forefront of any new endeavor. “If they have spec’d our product, sometimes we’re not even sure of the exact application,” Spandrio said. “We encourage them to involve us so when troubleshooting managers come into play or they need some level of field support, we’re able to understand their application a little better.”

	Source Box: FOX Racing Shox www.FOXracingshox.com ICON Vehicle Dynamics www.ICONvehicledynamics.com MasterCraft Safety www.mastercraftsafety.com Oshkosh Defense www.oshkoshdefense.com Rhino Linings Corp. www.rhinolinings.com Roush Yates Performance Products www.roushyates.com Wilwood Engineering www.wilwood.com

MasterCraft Safety sells its commercial off-the-shelf products directly to OEMs, the Defense Logistics Agency and also military units. Ross said that there is a great deal of volume involved initially. And because all MasterCraft Safety seats have been developed in-house, no U.S. government dollars are involved in product R&D, testing or tooling, which means the army can purchase MasterCraft’s commercial part number.

The military purchases from Roush Yates in minimal quantities based on usage. “It’s not a gravy train; you’ve got to work for their business,” Gregory said. “The military is starting to realize that a lot of companies they do business with charge them more than our market would support, so they’re finding out that if they come back to independent companies like us, we can do a couple of things for them. For one, we have experience with many of the products they want to use, so we can save them time and money by offering solutions to their problems.”

In other cases, volumes can be quite substantial. The OEMs buy truckload quantities from Rhino on a weekly or biweekly basis, according to LoPresto. The Battle Jacket is not a closely guarded product compared to the armament material, but there are restrictions on where it can be sold (only to friendly nations, for instance).

Military Buyers at the Show

In addition to attending military shows, military buyers, engineers and organizations, such as the Association of the United States Army, have been attending the SEMA Show in recent years in search of the latest aftermarket products, curious to learn how they can be integrated into a military applications. In 2010, there were more than 50 military personnel in attendance.

Speaking about FOX Shox, Godfrey said, “Contacts made at SEMA have supported our military business efforts.”

ICON also exhibits at the SEMA Show and has been approached by military buyers. As the company’s product image gains more exposure, Johnson expects to gain more business this year.

Roush Yates also reports a substantial military presence at the SEMA Show. “They’re looking for resources—new products that would fit into their market that come from our industry,” Gregory said.

Heightened Sense of Pride

Most aftermarket professionals agree that supplying the U.S. armed forces is a rewarding experience on a personal level, since their products are designed to save the lives of the men and women who are fighting to defend our country and freedom.

In FOX’s case, selling products that improve the off-road mobility of military vehicles enhances the survivability of young men and women who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. “If we can keep just one more person alive than would otherwise be the case, our efforts are worth it,” Godfrey said.

Roush Yates and many of its business partners provide safety to the troops in the field. “It’s anything from making sure the vehicle has enough power and electricity to support communications to having seats and restraint systems that protect them,” Gregory said. “We’re helping to protect the people who are protecting us.”

	Rhino Linings’ Battle Jacket is designed to prevent or minimize fuel leakage on fuel tankers due to small arms fire.

You probably wouldn’t know it just by surveying the SEMA Show floor, but military buyers dressed in civilian clothing regularly attend the Show.

In 2010, U.S. Air Force Tech Sergeant Abelardo Zavala attended the SEMA Show for his fifth time. He was looking for new and innovative tools and test equipment that could benefit his unit.

“I go to the Show and collect literature and bring it back to my units to determine how we can use a certain product,” Zavala said. “The SEMA Show is a great forum to see what’s out there.”

Jesse Burkhart of Navy Special Warfare Group ONE (NSWGO), located in Imperial Beach, California, has attended the SEMA Show for the past four years. He searches for any new tools on the market that can be used in the field, such as for 4WD, off-road and utility vehicles. He said that NSWGO is different from the mainstream military, and the aftermarket fits its niche because the unit uses more specialized equipment to fulfill its needs than a regular unit would use.

When shopping for a product, Burkhart wants someone who speaks the same language as he does as far as going off-road and knowing the conditions in which his unit operates. If he finds a company that meets his needs and it’s the only one that can, he sole-sources through that company. Otherwise, he bids on contracts.

“We found some new air-compressor jacks from Rack Jack at the SEMA Show that are more portable than a floor jack,” Burkhart said. “We don’t attend any other trade shows because we figure that everything we need to see is at the SEMA Show; it’s one-stop shopping. When we go, we get a lot of good ideas of what’s available by talking to guys in the industry.”

	The M-ATV is a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) all-terrain vehicle and, at a curb weight of 25,000 lbs., is the smallest vehicle Oshkosh Defense has made for the U.S. military.

Adapting to a need to deploy troops anywhere in the world, U.S. military forces find themselves requiring trucks and transportation equipment more than ever before. This trend has created a steady opportunity for businesses in the automotive aftermarket to expand their customer base, while helping to supply the military with quality specialty-equipment products. High-performance brakes and engine equipment, blast-attenuating seats and specialized equipment for vehicles operating at high altitudes and in challenging terrain are among the parts in demand.

To learn what it takes to market product for use by American armed services, we talked to some specialty-equipment manufacturers that have branched out from traditional commercial sales to work with military suppliers. Among those willing to share their experiences were FOX Racing Shox, ICON Vehicle Dynamics, Wilwood Engineering, MasterCraft Safety, Roush Yates Performance Products and Rhino Linings.

Supplying the Military

The technology developed over the past three decades for light, medium and heavy vehicles operating in off-road terrain translates well to military requirements, particularly in theaters such as Afghanistan, according to Brian Godfrey, FOX Racing Shox’s powersports division marketing manager.

FOX Racing Shox has been a military supplier since 2003, starting with shocks for the unmanned Predator B. Marvin Engineering has been using FOX shocks since 2005, and in 2007, the company created a vehicle-mobility solution for a British army vehicle known as the Jackal. FOX—which created a separate division to handle military projects called FOX Defense Suspension—sells a range of passive dampers, high-performance position-sensitive coilovers and air-spring shock absorbers.

In the case of ICON Vehicle Dynamics, word of mouth has proved to be a powerful tool. “Once you get your foot in the door, business just spreads like wildfire,” said Jeremy Johnson, ICON sales and marketing. “We had a one-time contract with the Israeli military for Ford components for about 150 vehicles, and we continue to contract with Oshkosh Defense to outfit their F-550s. The engineer we’ve been dealing with at Oshkosh spread our name through some of their fire and rescue division. We mostly sell them fabricated components that we already make and also custom components, including frame brackets for radius arms and adjustable Panhard bars.”

Executive Summary: Defense and military buyers are keen to acquire specialized equipment to enhance vehicle performance and safety. Oftentimes, off-the-shelf aftermarket parts made by SEMA members can satisfy their needs. Military buyers from a variety of different services and organizations regularly attend the SEMA Show. Among the requirements are that all parts be made in the United States, and sometimes extensive testing must be conducted.

Wilwood Engineering, a first-tier supplier, provides brakes, calipers, rotors and pads for military Humvees (HMMWV) to AM General, which sells the vehicles to the military. The military customer wanted to upgrade from Jeeps to field combat tactical vehicles, which can absorb gunshots and offer increased durability in the field. A heavier vehicle was the result, according to Ken Hale, Wilwood’s director of sales and marketing.

The HMMWV brakes that came from the original factory were wearing out quickly in a desert environment. It also took a long time to change out the pads because of the way they were designed. Wilwood redesigned the brake system for four-wheel vehicles so that the pads could be changed out in less than half the time. This also resulted in the brakes lasting twice as long.

MasterCraft Safety became involved in the U.S. Army’s low-signature-cab program in 2006. At the beginning of the current conflicts in the Middle East, most of the army’s tactical vehicles were not armored, so a rush method was needed to get armor into the field. The company that developed the low-signature cab ended up choosing MasterCraft’s blast-attenuating seat for its off-road capabilities, according to Mike Ross, MasterCraft’s director of technology.

“A military OEM contacted us, and we went through a test cycle with them,” Ross said. “This particular seat was new to the military. The soldiers liked it, and we knew the seat had very good energy attenuation. As the conflicts evolved, the military realized they needed seats that absorbed a lot of energy.”

	Wilwood Engineering provides brakes, calipers, rotors and pads for military Humvees to AM General, which sells the vehicles to the military.
	Some of Wilwood’s military sales are of products that are essentially the same as what they sell to the enthusiast market.

The company is currently selling to five or six OEMs, but the market is slowing down considerably across the board due to the downturn in need. There are currently about 25,000 to 30,000 trucks in the field with MasterCraft Safety seats in them, according to Ross.

One of MasterCraft’s business partners in selling custom products, Roush Yates Performance Products also uses custom alternators and lithium batteries to solve power issues. Most of the parts made by Roush Yates are specialized, said Bucky Gregory, the company’s vice president of sales.

“A good example of this is seatbelts,” he said. “Specialized military belts have a one-hand release to make it easy to exit the vehicle.”

Rhino Linings Corp. initially became involved in military sales with an Israeli company called Mofett in designing a patented, lightweight, ballistic armament material using the Rhino Linings spray cast elastomer as a bonding agent. That particular design was incorporated in several vehicle designs, such as the Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicle, Stryker and other armament packages that are applied to military vehicles. It allows the vehicle to take 20-mm hits without penetration, according to Ron LoPresto, Rhino’s technical director.

For one of Rhino’s customers—High Impact Technologies—the company designed a system called Battle Jacket, which prevents or minimizes fuel leakage on fuel tankers due to small arms fire. The Battle Jacket is used in combination with an ingredient that HIT provides for Rhino’s armor elastomer—a self-sealing product that is applied to the exterior of all fuel tanks.

“These units can take multiple hits from armor-piercing projectiles and not leak whatsoever,” LoPresto said. “We spent several months in Iraq training the applicators on how to spray the tankers.”

	The MaseterCraft Safety Defense blast-attenuation Crew Seat weighs between 15–29 lbs., compared to competitive seats that weigh between 70–100 lbs.

Oshkosh Defense supplies heavy, medium and light vehicles to the U.S. Army and Marines, and sometimes turns to aftermarket manufacturers to help meet needs for components. Its benchmark product is the company’s proprietary TAK-4 independent suspension, which is the highest mobility performing suspension available, according to Rob Messina, the company’s vice president of core technology. Oshkosh also provides integrated armor solutions and is a total vehicle manufacturer in the tactical wheeled vehicle fleet. The Heavy Equipment Transporter is built around trailering tanks. The M-ATV is a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected all-terrain vehicle and, at a curb weight of 25,000 lbs., is the smallest vehicle Oshkosh has made for the U.S. military. The military is continuously looking for mobile vehicles with a high level of protection, and the M-ATV has HMMWV level of mobility with Mine Resistant Ambush Protected level of protection against IED-type blasts, according to Messina.

Increasingly, Oshkosh is becoming as well-known for the company’s aftermarket support as it is for vehicle design and production. Oftentimes, Oshkosh will receive a request for a specific capability before proving functionality of that capability with what’s called a “first article test,” which can be extensive because it’s negotiated and collaboratively decided upon by the government.

How to Gain Military Approval

It takes patience, commitment and flexibility to sell to the military—which, like commercial customers, is interested in affordability, quality and the capability to deliver the right product on time, FOX’s Godfrey said.

Many products are applicable to off-road enthusiasts and military customers alike. The defense business represents a new market completely, exposing FOX’s brand to the United States and allied forces and defense contractors in the United States and abroad. There are various types of military approval, but the key thing is to demonstrate results.

“The companies we sell to are not hard to deal with because we get great communication across the board,” ICON’s Johnson said. “If we need to change something on our part, we’re able to get them a revised part the same day.”

	Rhino Linings’ Battle Jacket is designed to prevent or minimize fuel leakage on fuel tankers due to small arms fire.

But attracting military buyers can be a rigorous process. They will most likely request full 3-D CAD drawings to drop into the files with which they’re currently working. Sometimes they want material specifications, and all parts must be made in the United States, even the bolts.

To obtain military approval, ICON offers sample parts for evaluation. “It all comes down to product testing,” Johnson said. “If they like the design and the way it bolts to the vehicle, then you don’t have to change anything.”

Wilwood’s modus operandi is similar to ICON’s, where it manufactures the product and submits it to the military for approval. If the buyers like it, they make an offer. In order for a company to keep bidding on military contracts, all parts must qualify for rigid Six-Sigma quality, according to Hale.

Roman Spandrio, Wilwood’s applications engineering manager, believes that his company fits the supply partner profile for which military and government agencies are looking.

“We’re an American company and considered a small business, which are attractive qualities for a government and military supplier,” Spandrio said. “Beyond that, we’re an engineering company that offers the full spectrum of support. We’re a solutions partner on the engineering end in spec’ing out the product necessary to meet the military’s performance and durability goals. We also have integrated our accounting personnel, and we have field service representatives who are able to support test sites as well as manufacturing and assembly and ongoing engineering support. To have one company that you can call and have all that taken care of is not only an advantage to the military but to any customer.”

MasterCraft’s seats have undergone testing at Aberdeen Proving Grounds—the army’s test center in Maryland. “To be considered for a military vehicle, you’re going to have to go through the rigorous testing that all military vehicles go through,” said Kelli Willmore, MasterCraft’s vice president of marketing. “Sometimes it takes months; sometimes it takes years.”

Instead of working directly with military buyers, MasterCraft works with military engineers, so it’s necessary to sell them on the product first. Companies are looking outside of their normal realm, and they’re going to the SEMA Show and looking to the racing and aftermarket industries to make their vehicles faster and lighter to meet certain weight requirements. According to Willmore, MasterCraft’s seats weigh between 15–29 lbs., compared to competitive seats that weigh between 70–100 lbs.

But before a company can sell anything to the military, certain requirements must be met. “When we first started working with them, they were just starting to look at occupant safety in a different way,” Willmore said. “It wasn’t just armor; it was systems inside the vehicle that work with the armament to contain and protect the occupant. The military tested our seats, and we also independently verified them. One such test we have performed was to the NATO Stanag 4569 Level 2a standard.”

Military buyers are also looking for durability, longevity, reusability and products that are made of non-hazardous materials to both the occupant and environment, Rhino Linings’ LoPresto said. They are becoming more astute customers, and they don’t want products that will deteriorate due to abuse or corrosion.

“We have also developed our product so it’s a good material for blast mitigation,” LoPresto said. “After the attack in Saudi Arabia on Khobar Towers in 1996 that killed 19 U.S. Air Force personnel, we did a test with the Air Force where you could reduce the standoff from 200 ft. to 100 ft. and still maintain a better than 90% survivability rate.”

Military vs. Commercial Market

	For an aftermarket manufacturer, the ideal situation would be to supply the exact same parts to the military that are already in the civilian catalog. Sometimes it works that way, sometimes not...

For an aftermarket manufacturer, the ideal situation would be to supply the exact same parts to the military that are already in the civilian catalog. Sometimes it works that way, sometimes not, but for the most part the specifications demanded by the military customer are very similar, if not identical, to the civilian product.

At ICON, some components are variations of components already made, so the company adapts the existing component. “For instance, the military will build something for an F-550, where we’ll make it for an F-250 or F-350,” Johnson explained. “We’ll have to change the bracket, but as far as design and changing the part’s strength, it’s all the same. Our off-the-shelf items are good enough for all the military applications we’ve done so far.”

Some of the products Wilwood supplies to the military are different from the ones sold to the aftermarket, while others are direct aftermarket products sold for military applications. All of it is propriety product, and some evolve on the basis of a military application.

“Some are slight homologations of what we currently provide to the aftermarket, and some are direct, currently supplied aftermarket products that bolt right on to military applications,” Spandrio said. “But in the end, the two are essentially the same. That’s an advantage for military supply because it bypasses a lot of the International Trade and Arms requirements. If they can get supplied to them what they need to meet their performance, durability and pricing targets without having to reinvent anything, it saves a lot of effort and logistics.”

At MasterCraft Safety, the mounting positions on the seats themselves are the only difference between those sold to the military versus the commercial market, while many of Roush Yates’ parts, including springs and shocks, are custom parts built for specific units. Other parts, including switches and hoses, are common parts.

Purchasing Patterns

	FOX Defense Suspension sells a range of passive dampers, high-performance position-sensitive coilovers and air-spring shock absorbers to the military.

There is no real pattern when it comes to order volumes. Customers vary by manufacturer, ranging from the U.S. government to OEMs to the military units themselves. Most seem to purchase according to their needs. With both large- and small-volume orders, Wilwood sells directly to the U.S. government, military bases, various depots and final-tier vehicle manufacturers.

“We’re working with all the major defense contractors,” Spandrio said. “We have forecasts that go out six months—some even further—and it’s a consistent product supply. If they’re buying commercial, off-the-shelf stuff, they have an advantage because of economies of scale, which include pricing and delivery, because we’re producing it for other customers
as well.”

Wilwood’s military programs require confidentiality and non-disclosure, which is at the forefront of any new endeavor. “If they have spec’d our product, sometimes we’re not even sure of the exact application,” Spandrio said. “We encourage them to involve us so when troubleshooting managers come into play or they need some level of field support, we’re able to understand their application a little better.”

	Source Box: FOX Racing Shox www.FOXracingshox.com ICON Vehicle Dynamics www.ICONvehicledynamics.com MasterCraft Safety www.mastercraftsafety.com Oshkosh Defense www.oshkoshdefense.com Rhino Linings Corp. www.rhinolinings.com Roush Yates Performance Products www.roushyates.com Wilwood Engineering www.wilwood.com

MasterCraft Safety sells its commercial off-the-shelf products directly to OEMs, the Defense Logistics Agency and also military units. Ross said that there is a great deal of volume involved initially. And because all MasterCraft Safety seats have been developed in-house, no U.S. government dollars are involved in product R&D, testing or tooling, which means the army can purchase MasterCraft’s commercial part number.

The military purchases from Roush Yates in minimal quantities based on usage. “It’s not a gravy train; you’ve got to work for their business,” Gregory said. “The military is starting to realize that a lot of companies they do business with charge them more than our market would support, so they’re finding out that if they come back to independent companies like us, we can do a couple of things for them. For one, we have experience with many of the products they want to use, so we can save them time and money by offering solutions to their problems.”

In other cases, volumes can be quite substantial. The OEMs buy truckload quantities from Rhino on a weekly or biweekly basis, according to LoPresto. The Battle Jacket is not a closely guarded product compared to the armament material, but there are restrictions on where it can be sold (only to friendly nations, for instance).

Military Buyers at the Show

In addition to attending military shows, military buyers, engineers and organizations, such as the Association of the United States Army, have been attending the SEMA Show in recent years in search of the latest aftermarket products, curious to learn how they can be integrated into a military applications. In 2010, there were more than 50 military personnel in attendance.

Speaking about FOX Shox, Godfrey said, “Contacts made at SEMA have supported our military business efforts.”

ICON also exhibits at the SEMA Show and has been approached by military buyers. As the company’s product image gains more exposure, Johnson expects to gain more business this year.

Roush Yates also reports a substantial military presence at the SEMA Show. “They’re looking for resources—new products that would fit into their market that come from our industry,” Gregory said.

Heightened Sense of Pride

Most aftermarket professionals agree that supplying the U.S. armed forces is a rewarding experience on a personal level, since their products are designed to save the lives of the men and women who are fighting to defend our country and freedom.

In FOX’s case, selling products that improve the off-road mobility of military vehicles enhances the survivability of young men and women who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. “If we can keep just one more person alive than would otherwise be the case, our efforts are worth it,” Godfrey said.

Roush Yates and many of its business partners provide safety to the troops in the field. “It’s anything from making sure the vehicle has enough power and electricity to support communications to having seats and restraint systems that protect them,” Gregory said. “We’re helping to protect the people who are protecting us.”

	Rhino Linings’ Battle Jacket is designed to prevent or minimize fuel leakage on fuel tankers due to small arms fire.

You probably wouldn’t know it just by surveying the SEMA Show floor, but military buyers dressed in civilian clothing regularly attend the Show.

In 2010, U.S. Air Force Tech Sergeant Abelardo Zavala attended the SEMA Show for his fifth time. He was looking for new and innovative tools and test equipment that could benefit his unit.

“I go to the Show and collect literature and bring it back to my units to determine how we can use a certain product,” Zavala said. “The SEMA Show is a great forum to see what’s out there.”

Jesse Burkhart of Navy Special Warfare Group ONE (NSWGO), located in Imperial Beach, California, has attended the SEMA Show for the past four years. He searches for any new tools on the market that can be used in the field, such as for 4WD, off-road and utility vehicles. He said that NSWGO is different from the mainstream military, and the aftermarket fits its niche because the unit uses more specialized equipment to fulfill its needs than a regular unit would use.

When shopping for a product, Burkhart wants someone who speaks the same language as he does as far as going off-road and knowing the conditions in which his unit operates. If he finds a company that meets his needs and it’s the only one that can, he sole-sources through that company. Otherwise, he bids on contracts.

“We found some new air-compressor jacks from Rack Jack at the SEMA Show that are more portable than a floor jack,” Burkhart said. “We don’t attend any other trade shows because we figure that everything we need to see is at the SEMA Show; it’s one-stop shopping. When we go, we get a lot of good ideas of what’s available by talking to guys in the industry.”

BEST PRACTICES

Courtesy of Marc Langsam/Dynacorn Int. Inc.

The bedrock of the automotive specialty-equipment industry is the parts that are used to build, restore and modify vehicles of all types. Every segment of the industry counts on parts that are properly designed, engineered and manufactured to operate as promised. Within the restoration segment, however, those standards are complicated by the fact that the vehicles involved are anywhere from two decades to nearly a century old.

The market for vintage vehicles has exploded. As a result, original-equipment components have become harder to secure from salvage yards, collections or abandoned “barn-find” vehicles. That scarcity has enterprising manufacturing businesses building reproductions, filling the demand with components that are touted as either near-perfect replicas or replacements that offer improvements in either function or appearance. According to many restoration shop owners and managers, however, that ideal sometimes falls short.

When a supposedly accurate reproduction part fails or doesn’t fit properly, the shop owner has only a few options: exchange the part on the premise that it was an aberration; replace it with a part from a different manufacturer; or modify the part or project to make it work. In the latter instance, an installation that might normally require (and be billed for) an hour of labor could consume five hours or more to reconstruct, modify or re-engineer.

A reputable shop owner is unlikely to charge the customer for the additional time but has to pay his technicians for theirs, so he ends up eating the cost of the extra hours. That’s not only unfair, but is also avoidable if all reproduction parts manufacturers, retailers and shops follow some basic best practices.

Making It Right

Most restoration parts manufacturers do an admirable job of researching, developing and producing spot-on components, and their operations are models for the entire industry. After determining that there is a market for a given product—or, in some cases, receiving a special-order request from a customer—their first step is thorough research and development to ensure that the part meets the same specifications as the original version. That may mean acquiring at least two original-equipment samples of the part for use in prototyping—since a single sample may itself be damaged or distorted and not provide a proper template—and/or acquiring original specifications from authentic sources.

Schematics or drawings that include dimensions allow the manufacturer to check mounting points, clearances and compatibility with other parts in an assembly. And that compatibility includes ensuring that the part will work with other commonly used components for a given application. Incompatibilities, such as a suspension setup that creates fender interference when combined with a common wheel size, should be prominently noted in any ordering literature so that retailers and shops can avoid the incompatible combination.

	While some vehicles may meet the pure restoration criteria using a combination of original parts with reproductions, a restomod generally includes obvious alterations, such as a modern powerplant, air conditioning or a brake system. Courtesy of American Muscle Cars Inc.

Manufacturers and shops involved with reproduction parts should make every effort to access original-equipment master parts books for pre-’80 vehicles; parts information on microfiche for ’80 through ’90s vehicles; and dealer parts information networks for later models. Companies such as Faxon Auto Literature (800/458-2734) offer repair, assembly and owners’ manuals, sales brochures, parts books and even paint chips for virtually all domestic and imported cars and trucks. In Faxon’s case, most of its more than one-million-volume inventory consists of original literature obtained from collectors or dealerships that have closed, but the company is also licensed by vehicle manufacturers to reproduce official repair manuals and parts books both as bound copies and as CDs or DVDs. Both manufacturers and restoration shops can benefit from acquiring original manuals since they include photos, illustrations and detailed specifications for parts and assemblies.

Manufacturers may also obtain original parts for use as templates from restoration shops themselves. Several of the shop owners who contributed information for this story said that they had loaned parts to established manufacturers to help in the development of reproductions, and at least one did so knowing that his original could not be returned but would result in the creation of a well-designed and usable reproduction part. On the other hand, another shop owner said that he had seen a reverse-engineering facility in Taiwan that prototyped a part from an original that was partially rusted away, essentially “guessing” at the form of the missing area.

While a few manufacturers design, tool and produce their reproduction parts in their own facilities, many U.S. suppliers have outsourced the manufacture of their parts offshore, making it very difficult to make corrections or changes midstream. As production runs age, equipment such as molds and stamping presses must be diligently checked and maintained to ensure consistent quality control. Tooling is obviously expensive, and deciding which parts to produce is based on market demand. While misjudging the market can badly hurt a company, producing noncompliant parts can eventually be ruinous. Once word of mouth about a bad part has poisoned a manufacturer’s reputation, shop owners are unlikely to take a chance on trusting that source again.

The most popular restoration projects— early Mustangs, Camaros, Challengers and the like—have spawned legions of reproduction components. Indeed, enough replicated parts exist for some models to build a complete vehicle without using a single OEM component. In other cases, however, manufacturers must diligently research the market to ensure that tooling up will provide a worthwhile return on investment. Surveying reputable restoration shops about what types of projects they’re currently involved with can lead to a more thorough understanding of the market and may even contribute to the development of necessary and profitable new products.

Pick the Part Correctly

Manufacturers report that incorrect orders are among the most frequent reasons for parts returns, and they counsel that retailers and shops double-check their orders for accuracy. Most large manufacturers provide catalogs with part numbers and clear descriptions, often including photos or illustrations. Part numbers that are fastened, stamped or molded onto the original can identify some parts that need to be replaced, but others may have already been swapped out with aftermarket parts that don’t include such markings. In such cases, speaking directly to a manufacturer’s representative or tech line may help avoid mistaken orders.

When contacting a manufacturer for ordering information about an individual part—whether in person, by phone or through e-mail—provide appropriate background about vehicle make, model, serial number, engine type and displacement, wheelbase measurements, color codes and any modifications that already exist. Describe the component to be ordered in detail—what it looks like, what it does, its critical dimensions and the other components it interacts with. If possible, augment the process by sending photos, illustrations or even the actual part to be replaced, when possible. If the order is placed over the phone, follow up with an e-mail to summarize the conversation and ensure that both buyer and seller agree on the details.

When Fit Is an Issue

	Some shops are comfortable with any type of restoration. Parts built using modern materials and techniques often outshine even the originals. Courtesy of Marc Langsam/Dynacorn Int. Inc.

In most cases, a vehicle that is being restored has already seen at least one complete lifecycle. During its history, it may have been driven more than 100,000 miles over a variety of roads and may have been involved in one or more accidents, minor or major. It will have been maintained or repaired with parts from myriad sources and by technicians of varying skill levels. Indeed, original parts and assembly practices 40 or more years ago were not nearly as exacting as they are today. No wonder, then, that even a perfectly reproduced part sometimes doesn’t fall precisely into place. Conscientious shops are cognizant of those facts and eliminate vehicle straightness, wear or previous modifications as causes of fitment problems before faulting the part itself.

When a shop eliminates all other possibilities and believes that the part has been incorrectly designed or produced, the first step should be a phone call to the manufacturer detailing the information used when ordering the part (year, make, model, etc.) as well as a complete description of the problem. It’s best to have the technician who actually experienced the problem describe it to a knowledgeable manufacturer’s representative so that there is no danger of secondhand misinterpretation.

Following the initial contact, the shop should follow up with photographs of the part showing the misalignment. There may be subsequent Q&A sessions to establish the root cause of the problem, but if the part is proven to be at fault, the manufacturer should admit responsibility and provide not only resolution, but also restitution for the shop’s unnecessary expenses. Most shop owners and restoration specialists are passionate about their work and will participate willingly in helping to correct fitment problems. Likewise, reputable manufacturers are adamant about the integrity of their operations and recognize the need to address such problems, using feedback from shops to eliminate errors. The worst reaction is to ignore or even deny that a problem exists. As a best practice, at least one manufacturer has begun to proactively seek feedback from shops about how successful they were in using the company’s parts.

Failure Is Not an Option

Premature failure of mechanical parts is another source of frustration for shops. While minor sheetmetal variations are part of the restoration landscape, breakage of close-tolerance or even nominally simple mechanical parts can be even more costly. Shop owners complain that merely replacing a defective part doesn’t account for the labor costs involved in redundant removal and installation of a component when a failure occurs.

In some cases, suppliers obtain components from multiple manufacturers and then create a complete assembly for resale. They may even modify the basic parts to create a more appealing or ostensibly better-working final product. In such cases, the final supplier is responsible to the shop for the effectiveness of the assembly, just as the shop will be responsible to the client for the finished car.

	Reverse engineering without meticulous research may complicate the restoration process. This car, photographed in Taiwan, had been damaged on the driver’s side and was repaired improperly. Using it as a template for reproduction parts could result in parts that are ill fitting or even impossible to use. Courtesy of Classic Automotive Restoration Specialists

Once a component is found to be untrustworthy, savvy shop owners advise their clients to steer clear of them or even refuse to warrant work if the client insists on using the problem part. But shop owners also need to be diligent about inspecting the parts they intend to use in a
timely manner.

Shops sometimes order a complete set of parts for a given project but don’t open them until they reach the appropriate stage of the build. Thus, it may be months or even a year down the road before they discover that a part is defective either when it comes out of the package or from premature failure during use. Some manufacturers will not accept returns when that much time has passed, even if the part was never installed. That’s why it’s best for shops to unpack, inspect and even trial-fit parts as soon as possible after receipt. Responsible suppliers and manufacturers will replace defective products, but they may be hesitant to do so if an inordinate amount of time has passed since the shop took possession of the merchandise.

Pure Restoration vs. Restomod

A pure restoration is an exact duplication of how a vehicle was originally manufactured for sale. A restomod (restoration + modification) uses assembly techniques or parts for improvements in either performance or appearance that were not authentic to the car from the factory. Some vehicles may meet the pure restoration criteria using a combination of original parts with reproductions that even a knowledgeable observer might not detect. A restomod generally includes obvious alterations, such as a modern powerplant, air conditioning or brake system. At the far end of the spectrum are all-out hot rods, on which virtually every system has been obviously and radically altered.

Some shops are comfortable with any type of restoration and are willing to tackle the difficulties of tracking down parts that fit a customer’s desire for even a numbers-matching concours d’elegance project. But parts built using modern materials and techniques often outshine original equipment and may tempt a shop owner to steer a client toward them.

It is the shop’s responsibility to learn what the customer wants out of the project and then decide whether it can reasonably deliver that vehicle. Interview the customer about his or her plans for the completed car. Thoroughly explain the options, ranging from pure restoration to hot rod. Assemble a binder of build sheets and photos that show the details of previously completed projects to help explain what can be done and the relative expense of different build types. But do so in plain English. As one restoration expert said, it doesn’t help to make yourself look smart by referencing “roll angle” or “bumpsteer” when the customer will more likely understand “leaning” or “tracking straight and steady.” And make sure to point out modifications that can’t be undone when discussing the options. Some owners won’t want the frame or body to be permanently changed while others will
encourage it.

Working Together

	The market for vintage vehicles has exploded, and enterprising manufacturing businesses are building reproduction parts and assemblies to fill the demand for components that are near-perfect replicas or replacements that offer improvements in either function or appearance. Courtesy of Marc Langsam/Dynacorn International Inc.

The more manufacturers, retailers and shop owners understand each other’s needs, the better they can meet the needs of end users—the enthusiasts whose dreams and desires fuel the industry. It is crucial for manufacturers to listen to shop recommendations and comments—including complaints—and respond responsibly.

It is just as critical for shop owners to learn about manufacturers and their parts and to work with them to solve problems when they arise. Manufacturers don’t generally interact with consumers but depend upon retailers and shops for input about improvements as well as potential markets for parts.

Trade and car shows where manufacturers exhibit are great venues for one-on-one interaction. Shop owners should make a point to talk with manufacturers whose parts they use or whose products show promise. And when personnel at restoration businesses—manufacturer, retailer or shop—hear of an educational opportunity, such as a seminar or roundtable devoted to the industry, make every effort to attend. In the end, communication is the best practice of all. 

BEST PRACTICES

Courtesy of Marc Langsam/Dynacorn Int. Inc.

The bedrock of the automotive specialty-equipment industry is the parts that are used to build, restore and modify vehicles of all types. Every segment of the industry counts on parts that are properly designed, engineered and manufactured to operate as promised. Within the restoration segment, however, those standards are complicated by the fact that the vehicles involved are anywhere from two decades to nearly a century old.

The market for vintage vehicles has exploded. As a result, original-equipment components have become harder to secure from salvage yards, collections or abandoned “barn-find” vehicles. That scarcity has enterprising manufacturing businesses building reproductions, filling the demand with components that are touted as either near-perfect replicas or replacements that offer improvements in either function or appearance. According to many restoration shop owners and managers, however, that ideal sometimes falls short.

When a supposedly accurate reproduction part fails or doesn’t fit properly, the shop owner has only a few options: exchange the part on the premise that it was an aberration; replace it with a part from a different manufacturer; or modify the part or project to make it work. In the latter instance, an installation that might normally require (and be billed for) an hour of labor could consume five hours or more to reconstruct, modify or re-engineer.

A reputable shop owner is unlikely to charge the customer for the additional time but has to pay his technicians for theirs, so he ends up eating the cost of the extra hours. That’s not only unfair, but is also avoidable if all reproduction parts manufacturers, retailers and shops follow some basic best practices.

Making It Right

Most restoration parts manufacturers do an admirable job of researching, developing and producing spot-on components, and their operations are models for the entire industry. After determining that there is a market for a given product—or, in some cases, receiving a special-order request from a customer—their first step is thorough research and development to ensure that the part meets the same specifications as the original version. That may mean acquiring at least two original-equipment samples of the part for use in prototyping—since a single sample may itself be damaged or distorted and not provide a proper template—and/or acquiring original specifications from authentic sources.

Schematics or drawings that include dimensions allow the manufacturer to check mounting points, clearances and compatibility with other parts in an assembly. And that compatibility includes ensuring that the part will work with other commonly used components for a given application. Incompatibilities, such as a suspension setup that creates fender interference when combined with a common wheel size, should be prominently noted in any ordering literature so that retailers and shops can avoid the incompatible combination.

	While some vehicles may meet the pure restoration criteria using a combination of original parts with reproductions, a restomod generally includes obvious alterations, such as a modern powerplant, air conditioning or a brake system. Courtesy of American Muscle Cars Inc.

Manufacturers and shops involved with reproduction parts should make every effort to access original-equipment master parts books for pre-’80 vehicles; parts information on microfiche for ’80 through ’90s vehicles; and dealer parts information networks for later models. Companies such as Faxon Auto Literature (800/458-2734) offer repair, assembly and owners’ manuals, sales brochures, parts books and even paint chips for virtually all domestic and imported cars and trucks. In Faxon’s case, most of its more than one-million-volume inventory consists of original literature obtained from collectors or dealerships that have closed, but the company is also licensed by vehicle manufacturers to reproduce official repair manuals and parts books both as bound copies and as CDs or DVDs. Both manufacturers and restoration shops can benefit from acquiring original manuals since they include photos, illustrations and detailed specifications for parts and assemblies.

Manufacturers may also obtain original parts for use as templates from restoration shops themselves. Several of the shop owners who contributed information for this story said that they had loaned parts to established manufacturers to help in the development of reproductions, and at least one did so knowing that his original could not be returned but would result in the creation of a well-designed and usable reproduction part. On the other hand, another shop owner said that he had seen a reverse-engineering facility in Taiwan that prototyped a part from an original that was partially rusted away, essentially “guessing” at the form of the missing area.

While a few manufacturers design, tool and produce their reproduction parts in their own facilities, many U.S. suppliers have outsourced the manufacture of their parts offshore, making it very difficult to make corrections or changes midstream. As production runs age, equipment such as molds and stamping presses must be diligently checked and maintained to ensure consistent quality control. Tooling is obviously expensive, and deciding which parts to produce is based on market demand. While misjudging the market can badly hurt a company, producing noncompliant parts can eventually be ruinous. Once word of mouth about a bad part has poisoned a manufacturer’s reputation, shop owners are unlikely to take a chance on trusting that source again.

The most popular restoration projects— early Mustangs, Camaros, Challengers and the like—have spawned legions of reproduction components. Indeed, enough replicated parts exist for some models to build a complete vehicle without using a single OEM component. In other cases, however, manufacturers must diligently research the market to ensure that tooling up will provide a worthwhile return on investment. Surveying reputable restoration shops about what types of projects they’re currently involved with can lead to a more thorough understanding of the market and may even contribute to the development of necessary and profitable new products.

Pick the Part Correctly

Manufacturers report that incorrect orders are among the most frequent reasons for parts returns, and they counsel that retailers and shops double-check their orders for accuracy. Most large manufacturers provide catalogs with part numbers and clear descriptions, often including photos or illustrations. Part numbers that are fastened, stamped or molded onto the original can identify some parts that need to be replaced, but others may have already been swapped out with aftermarket parts that don’t include such markings. In such cases, speaking directly to a manufacturer’s representative or tech line may help avoid mistaken orders.

When contacting a manufacturer for ordering information about an individual part—whether in person, by phone or through e-mail—provide appropriate background about vehicle make, model, serial number, engine type and displacement, wheelbase measurements, color codes and any modifications that already exist. Describe the component to be ordered in detail—what it looks like, what it does, its critical dimensions and the other components it interacts with. If possible, augment the process by sending photos, illustrations or even the actual part to be replaced, when possible. If the order is placed over the phone, follow up with an e-mail to summarize the conversation and ensure that both buyer and seller agree on the details.

When Fit Is an Issue

	Some shops are comfortable with any type of restoration. Parts built using modern materials and techniques often outshine even the originals. Courtesy of Marc Langsam/Dynacorn Int. Inc.

In most cases, a vehicle that is being restored has already seen at least one complete lifecycle. During its history, it may have been driven more than 100,000 miles over a variety of roads and may have been involved in one or more accidents, minor or major. It will have been maintained or repaired with parts from myriad sources and by technicians of varying skill levels. Indeed, original parts and assembly practices 40 or more years ago were not nearly as exacting as they are today. No wonder, then, that even a perfectly reproduced part sometimes doesn’t fall precisely into place. Conscientious shops are cognizant of those facts and eliminate vehicle straightness, wear or previous modifications as causes of fitment problems before faulting the part itself.

When a shop eliminates all other possibilities and believes that the part has been incorrectly designed or produced, the first step should be a phone call to the manufacturer detailing the information used when ordering the part (year, make, model, etc.) as well as a complete description of the problem. It’s best to have the technician who actually experienced the problem describe it to a knowledgeable manufacturer’s representative so that there is no danger of secondhand misinterpretation.

Following the initial contact, the shop should follow up with photographs of the part showing the misalignment. There may be subsequent Q&A sessions to establish the root cause of the problem, but if the part is proven to be at fault, the manufacturer should admit responsibility and provide not only resolution, but also restitution for the shop’s unnecessary expenses. Most shop owners and restoration specialists are passionate about their work and will participate willingly in helping to correct fitment problems. Likewise, reputable manufacturers are adamant about the integrity of their operations and recognize the need to address such problems, using feedback from shops to eliminate errors. The worst reaction is to ignore or even deny that a problem exists. As a best practice, at least one manufacturer has begun to proactively seek feedback from shops about how successful they were in using the company’s parts.

Failure Is Not an Option

Premature failure of mechanical parts is another source of frustration for shops. While minor sheetmetal variations are part of the restoration landscape, breakage of close-tolerance or even nominally simple mechanical parts can be even more costly. Shop owners complain that merely replacing a defective part doesn’t account for the labor costs involved in redundant removal and installation of a component when a failure occurs.

In some cases, suppliers obtain components from multiple manufacturers and then create a complete assembly for resale. They may even modify the basic parts to create a more appealing or ostensibly better-working final product. In such cases, the final supplier is responsible to the shop for the effectiveness of the assembly, just as the shop will be responsible to the client for the finished car.

	Reverse engineering without meticulous research may complicate the restoration process. This car, photographed in Taiwan, had been damaged on the driver’s side and was repaired improperly. Using it as a template for reproduction parts could result in parts that are ill fitting or even impossible to use. Courtesy of Classic Automotive Restoration Specialists

Once a component is found to be untrustworthy, savvy shop owners advise their clients to steer clear of them or even refuse to warrant work if the client insists on using the problem part. But shop owners also need to be diligent about inspecting the parts they intend to use in a
timely manner.

Shops sometimes order a complete set of parts for a given project but don’t open them until they reach the appropriate stage of the build. Thus, it may be months or even a year down the road before they discover that a part is defective either when it comes out of the package or from premature failure during use. Some manufacturers will not accept returns when that much time has passed, even if the part was never installed. That’s why it’s best for shops to unpack, inspect and even trial-fit parts as soon as possible after receipt. Responsible suppliers and manufacturers will replace defective products, but they may be hesitant to do so if an inordinate amount of time has passed since the shop took possession of the merchandise.

Pure Restoration vs. Restomod

A pure restoration is an exact duplication of how a vehicle was originally manufactured for sale. A restomod (restoration + modification) uses assembly techniques or parts for improvements in either performance or appearance that were not authentic to the car from the factory. Some vehicles may meet the pure restoration criteria using a combination of original parts with reproductions that even a knowledgeable observer might not detect. A restomod generally includes obvious alterations, such as a modern powerplant, air conditioning or brake system. At the far end of the spectrum are all-out hot rods, on which virtually every system has been obviously and radically altered.

Some shops are comfortable with any type of restoration and are willing to tackle the difficulties of tracking down parts that fit a customer’s desire for even a numbers-matching concours d’elegance project. But parts built using modern materials and techniques often outshine original equipment and may tempt a shop owner to steer a client toward them.

It is the shop’s responsibility to learn what the customer wants out of the project and then decide whether it can reasonably deliver that vehicle. Interview the customer about his or her plans for the completed car. Thoroughly explain the options, ranging from pure restoration to hot rod. Assemble a binder of build sheets and photos that show the details of previously completed projects to help explain what can be done and the relative expense of different build types. But do so in plain English. As one restoration expert said, it doesn’t help to make yourself look smart by referencing “roll angle” or “bumpsteer” when the customer will more likely understand “leaning” or “tracking straight and steady.” And make sure to point out modifications that can’t be undone when discussing the options. Some owners won’t want the frame or body to be permanently changed while others will
encourage it.

Working Together

	The market for vintage vehicles has exploded, and enterprising manufacturing businesses are building reproduction parts and assemblies to fill the demand for components that are near-perfect replicas or replacements that offer improvements in either function or appearance. Courtesy of Marc Langsam/Dynacorn International Inc.

The more manufacturers, retailers and shop owners understand each other’s needs, the better they can meet the needs of end users—the enthusiasts whose dreams and desires fuel the industry. It is crucial for manufacturers to listen to shop recommendations and comments—including complaints—and respond responsibly.

It is just as critical for shop owners to learn about manufacturers and their parts and to work with them to solve problems when they arise. Manufacturers don’t generally interact with consumers but depend upon retailers and shops for input about improvements as well as potential markets for parts.

Trade and car shows where manufacturers exhibit are great venues for one-on-one interaction. Shop owners should make a point to talk with manufacturers whose parts they use or whose products show promise. And when personnel at restoration businesses—manufacturer, retailer or shop—hear of an educational opportunity, such as a seminar or roundtable devoted to the industry, make every effort to attend. In the end, communication is the best practice of all. 

BEST PRACTICES

Courtesy of Marc Langsam/Dynacorn Int. Inc.

The bedrock of the automotive specialty-equipment industry is the parts that are used to build, restore and modify vehicles of all types. Every segment of the industry counts on parts that are properly designed, engineered and manufactured to operate as promised. Within the restoration segment, however, those standards are complicated by the fact that the vehicles involved are anywhere from two decades to nearly a century old.

The market for vintage vehicles has exploded. As a result, original-equipment components have become harder to secure from salvage yards, collections or abandoned “barn-find” vehicles. That scarcity has enterprising manufacturing businesses building reproductions, filling the demand with components that are touted as either near-perfect replicas or replacements that offer improvements in either function or appearance. According to many restoration shop owners and managers, however, that ideal sometimes falls short.

When a supposedly accurate reproduction part fails or doesn’t fit properly, the shop owner has only a few options: exchange the part on the premise that it was an aberration; replace it with a part from a different manufacturer; or modify the part or project to make it work. In the latter instance, an installation that might normally require (and be billed for) an hour of labor could consume five hours or more to reconstruct, modify or re-engineer.

A reputable shop owner is unlikely to charge the customer for the additional time but has to pay his technicians for theirs, so he ends up eating the cost of the extra hours. That’s not only unfair, but is also avoidable if all reproduction parts manufacturers, retailers and shops follow some basic best practices.

Making It Right

Most restoration parts manufacturers do an admirable job of researching, developing and producing spot-on components, and their operations are models for the entire industry. After determining that there is a market for a given product—or, in some cases, receiving a special-order request from a customer—their first step is thorough research and development to ensure that the part meets the same specifications as the original version. That may mean acquiring at least two original-equipment samples of the part for use in prototyping—since a single sample may itself be damaged or distorted and not provide a proper template—and/or acquiring original specifications from authentic sources.

Schematics or drawings that include dimensions allow the manufacturer to check mounting points, clearances and compatibility with other parts in an assembly. And that compatibility includes ensuring that the part will work with other commonly used components for a given application. Incompatibilities, such as a suspension setup that creates fender interference when combined with a common wheel size, should be prominently noted in any ordering literature so that retailers and shops can avoid the incompatible combination.

	While some vehicles may meet the pure restoration criteria using a combination of original parts with reproductions, a restomod generally includes obvious alterations, such as a modern powerplant, air conditioning or a brake system. Courtesy of American Muscle Cars Inc.

Manufacturers and shops involved with reproduction parts should make every effort to access original-equipment master parts books for pre-’80 vehicles; parts information on microfiche for ’80 through ’90s vehicles; and dealer parts information networks for later models. Companies such as Faxon Auto Literature (800/458-2734) offer repair, assembly and owners’ manuals, sales brochures, parts books and even paint chips for virtually all domestic and imported cars and trucks. In Faxon’s case, most of its more than one-million-volume inventory consists of original literature obtained from collectors or dealerships that have closed, but the company is also licensed by vehicle manufacturers to reproduce official repair manuals and parts books both as bound copies and as CDs or DVDs. Both manufacturers and restoration shops can benefit from acquiring original manuals since they include photos, illustrations and detailed specifications for parts and assemblies.

Manufacturers may also obtain original parts for use as templates from restoration shops themselves. Several of the shop owners who contributed information for this story said that they had loaned parts to established manufacturers to help in the development of reproductions, and at least one did so knowing that his original could not be returned but would result in the creation of a well-designed and usable reproduction part. On the other hand, another shop owner said that he had seen a reverse-engineering facility in Taiwan that prototyped a part from an original that was partially rusted away, essentially “guessing” at the form of the missing area.

While a few manufacturers design, tool and produce their reproduction parts in their own facilities, many U.S. suppliers have outsourced the manufacture of their parts offshore, making it very difficult to make corrections or changes midstream. As production runs age, equipment such as molds and stamping presses must be diligently checked and maintained to ensure consistent quality control. Tooling is obviously expensive, and deciding which parts to produce is based on market demand. While misjudging the market can badly hurt a company, producing noncompliant parts can eventually be ruinous. Once word of mouth about a bad part has poisoned a manufacturer’s reputation, shop owners are unlikely to take a chance on trusting that source again.

The most popular restoration projects— early Mustangs, Camaros, Challengers and the like—have spawned legions of reproduction components. Indeed, enough replicated parts exist for some models to build a complete vehicle without using a single OEM component. In other cases, however, manufacturers must diligently research the market to ensure that tooling up will provide a worthwhile return on investment. Surveying reputable restoration shops about what types of projects they’re currently involved with can lead to a more thorough understanding of the market and may even contribute to the development of necessary and profitable new products.

Pick the Part Correctly

Manufacturers report that incorrect orders are among the most frequent reasons for parts returns, and they counsel that retailers and shops double-check their orders for accuracy. Most large manufacturers provide catalogs with part numbers and clear descriptions, often including photos or illustrations. Part numbers that are fastened, stamped or molded onto the original can identify some parts that need to be replaced, but others may have already been swapped out with aftermarket parts that don’t include such markings. In such cases, speaking directly to a manufacturer’s representative or tech line may help avoid mistaken orders.

When contacting a manufacturer for ordering information about an individual part—whether in person, by phone or through e-mail—provide appropriate background about vehicle make, model, serial number, engine type and displacement, wheelbase measurements, color codes and any modifications that already exist. Describe the component to be ordered in detail—what it looks like, what it does, its critical dimensions and the other components it interacts with. If possible, augment the process by sending photos, illustrations or even the actual part to be replaced, when possible. If the order is placed over the phone, follow up with an e-mail to summarize the conversation and ensure that both buyer and seller agree on the details.

When Fit Is an Issue

	Some shops are comfortable with any type of restoration. Parts built using modern materials and techniques often outshine even the originals. Courtesy of Marc Langsam/Dynacorn Int. Inc.

In most cases, a vehicle that is being restored has already seen at least one complete lifecycle. During its history, it may have been driven more than 100,000 miles over a variety of roads and may have been involved in one or more accidents, minor or major. It will have been maintained or repaired with parts from myriad sources and by technicians of varying skill levels. Indeed, original parts and assembly practices 40 or more years ago were not nearly as exacting as they are today. No wonder, then, that even a perfectly reproduced part sometimes doesn’t fall precisely into place. Conscientious shops are cognizant of those facts and eliminate vehicle straightness, wear or previous modifications as causes of fitment problems before faulting the part itself.

When a shop eliminates all other possibilities and believes that the part has been incorrectly designed or produced, the first step should be a phone call to the manufacturer detailing the information used when ordering the part (year, make, model, etc.) as well as a complete description of the problem. It’s best to have the technician who actually experienced the problem describe it to a knowledgeable manufacturer’s representative so that there is no danger of secondhand misinterpretation.

Following the initial contact, the shop should follow up with photographs of the part showing the misalignment. There may be subsequent Q&A sessions to establish the root cause of the problem, but if the part is proven to be at fault, the manufacturer should admit responsibility and provide not only resolution, but also restitution for the shop’s unnecessary expenses. Most shop owners and restoration specialists are passionate about their work and will participate willingly in helping to correct fitment problems. Likewise, reputable manufacturers are adamant about the integrity of their operations and recognize the need to address such problems, using feedback from shops to eliminate errors. The worst reaction is to ignore or even deny that a problem exists. As a best practice, at least one manufacturer has begun to proactively seek feedback from shops about how successful they were in using the company’s parts.

Failure Is Not an Option

Premature failure of mechanical parts is another source of frustration for shops. While minor sheetmetal variations are part of the restoration landscape, breakage of close-tolerance or even nominally simple mechanical parts can be even more costly. Shop owners complain that merely replacing a defective part doesn’t account for the labor costs involved in redundant removal and installation of a component when a failure occurs.

In some cases, suppliers obtain components from multiple manufacturers and then create a complete assembly for resale. They may even modify the basic parts to create a more appealing or ostensibly better-working final product. In such cases, the final supplier is responsible to the shop for the effectiveness of the assembly, just as the shop will be responsible to the client for the finished car.

	Reverse engineering without meticulous research may complicate the restoration process. This car, photographed in Taiwan, had been damaged on the driver’s side and was repaired improperly. Using it as a template for reproduction parts could result in parts that are ill fitting or even impossible to use. Courtesy of Classic Automotive Restoration Specialists

Once a component is found to be untrustworthy, savvy shop owners advise their clients to steer clear of them or even refuse to warrant work if the client insists on using the problem part. But shop owners also need to be diligent about inspecting the parts they intend to use in a
timely manner.

Shops sometimes order a complete set of parts for a given project but don’t open them until they reach the appropriate stage of the build. Thus, it may be months or even a year down the road before they discover that a part is defective either when it comes out of the package or from premature failure during use. Some manufacturers will not accept returns when that much time has passed, even if the part was never installed. That’s why it’s best for shops to unpack, inspect and even trial-fit parts as soon as possible after receipt. Responsible suppliers and manufacturers will replace defective products, but they may be hesitant to do so if an inordinate amount of time has passed since the shop took possession of the merchandise.

Pure Restoration vs. Restomod

A pure restoration is an exact duplication of how a vehicle was originally manufactured for sale. A restomod (restoration + modification) uses assembly techniques or parts for improvements in either performance or appearance that were not authentic to the car from the factory. Some vehicles may meet the pure restoration criteria using a combination of original parts with reproductions that even a knowledgeable observer might not detect. A restomod generally includes obvious alterations, such as a modern powerplant, air conditioning or brake system. At the far end of the spectrum are all-out hot rods, on which virtually every system has been obviously and radically altered.

Some shops are comfortable with any type of restoration and are willing to tackle the difficulties of tracking down parts that fit a customer’s desire for even a numbers-matching concours d’elegance project. But parts built using modern materials and techniques often outshine original equipment and may tempt a shop owner to steer a client toward them.

It is the shop’s responsibility to learn what the customer wants out of the project and then decide whether it can reasonably deliver that vehicle. Interview the customer about his or her plans for the completed car. Thoroughly explain the options, ranging from pure restoration to hot rod. Assemble a binder of build sheets and photos that show the details of previously completed projects to help explain what can be done and the relative expense of different build types. But do so in plain English. As one restoration expert said, it doesn’t help to make yourself look smart by referencing “roll angle” or “bumpsteer” when the customer will more likely understand “leaning” or “tracking straight and steady.” And make sure to point out modifications that can’t be undone when discussing the options. Some owners won’t want the frame or body to be permanently changed while others will
encourage it.

Working Together

	The market for vintage vehicles has exploded, and enterprising manufacturing businesses are building reproduction parts and assemblies to fill the demand for components that are near-perfect replicas or replacements that offer improvements in either function or appearance. Courtesy of Marc Langsam/Dynacorn International Inc.

The more manufacturers, retailers and shop owners understand each other’s needs, the better they can meet the needs of end users—the enthusiasts whose dreams and desires fuel the industry. It is crucial for manufacturers to listen to shop recommendations and comments—including complaints—and respond responsibly.

It is just as critical for shop owners to learn about manufacturers and their parts and to work with them to solve problems when they arise. Manufacturers don’t generally interact with consumers but depend upon retailers and shops for input about improvements as well as potential markets for parts.

Trade and car shows where manufacturers exhibit are great venues for one-on-one interaction. Shop owners should make a point to talk with manufacturers whose parts they use or whose products show promise. And when personnel at restoration businesses—manufacturer, retailer or shop—hear of an educational opportunity, such as a seminar or roundtable devoted to the industry, make every effort to attend. In the end, communication is the best practice of all. 

BEST PRACTICES

Courtesy of Marc Langsam/Dynacorn Int. Inc.

The bedrock of the automotive specialty-equipment industry is the parts that are used to build, restore and modify vehicles of all types. Every segment of the industry counts on parts that are properly designed, engineered and manufactured to operate as promised. Within the restoration segment, however, those standards are complicated by the fact that the vehicles involved are anywhere from two decades to nearly a century old.

The market for vintage vehicles has exploded. As a result, original-equipment components have become harder to secure from salvage yards, collections or abandoned “barn-find” vehicles. That scarcity has enterprising manufacturing businesses building reproductions, filling the demand with components that are touted as either near-perfect replicas or replacements that offer improvements in either function or appearance. According to many restoration shop owners and managers, however, that ideal sometimes falls short.

When a supposedly accurate reproduction part fails or doesn’t fit properly, the shop owner has only a few options: exchange the part on the premise that it was an aberration; replace it with a part from a different manufacturer; or modify the part or project to make it work. In the latter instance, an installation that might normally require (and be billed for) an hour of labor could consume five hours or more to reconstruct, modify or re-engineer.

A reputable shop owner is unlikely to charge the customer for the additional time but has to pay his technicians for theirs, so he ends up eating the cost of the extra hours. That’s not only unfair, but is also avoidable if all reproduction parts manufacturers, retailers and shops follow some basic best practices.

Making It Right

Most restoration parts manufacturers do an admirable job of researching, developing and producing spot-on components, and their operations are models for the entire industry. After determining that there is a market for a given product—or, in some cases, receiving a special-order request from a customer—their first step is thorough research and development to ensure that the part meets the same specifications as the original version. That may mean acquiring at least two original-equipment samples of the part for use in prototyping—since a single sample may itself be damaged or distorted and not provide a proper template—and/or acquiring original specifications from authentic sources.

Schematics or drawings that include dimensions allow the manufacturer to check mounting points, clearances and compatibility with other parts in an assembly. And that compatibility includes ensuring that the part will work with other commonly used components for a given application. Incompatibilities, such as a suspension setup that creates fender interference when combined with a common wheel size, should be prominently noted in any ordering literature so that retailers and shops can avoid the incompatible combination.

	While some vehicles may meet the pure restoration criteria using a combination of original parts with reproductions, a restomod generally includes obvious alterations, such as a modern powerplant, air conditioning or a brake system. Courtesy of American Muscle Cars Inc.

Manufacturers and shops involved with reproduction parts should make every effort to access original-equipment master parts books for pre-’80 vehicles; parts information on microfiche for ’80 through ’90s vehicles; and dealer parts information networks for later models. Companies such as Faxon Auto Literature (800/458-2734) offer repair, assembly and owners’ manuals, sales brochures, parts books and even paint chips for virtually all domestic and imported cars and trucks. In Faxon’s case, most of its more than one-million-volume inventory consists of original literature obtained from collectors or dealerships that have closed, but the company is also licensed by vehicle manufacturers to reproduce official repair manuals and parts books both as bound copies and as CDs or DVDs. Both manufacturers and restoration shops can benefit from acquiring original manuals since they include photos, illustrations and detailed specifications for parts and assemblies.

Manufacturers may also obtain original parts for use as templates from restoration shops themselves. Several of the shop owners who contributed information for this story said that they had loaned parts to established manufacturers to help in the development of reproductions, and at least one did so knowing that his original could not be returned but would result in the creation of a well-designed and usable reproduction part. On the other hand, another shop owner said that he had seen a reverse-engineering facility in Taiwan that prototyped a part from an original that was partially rusted away, essentially “guessing” at the form of the missing area.

While a few manufacturers design, tool and produce their reproduction parts in their own facilities, many U.S. suppliers have outsourced the manufacture of their parts offshore, making it very difficult to make corrections or changes midstream. As production runs age, equipment such as molds and stamping presses must be diligently checked and maintained to ensure consistent quality control. Tooling is obviously expensive, and deciding which parts to produce is based on market demand. While misjudging the market can badly hurt a company, producing noncompliant parts can eventually be ruinous. Once word of mouth about a bad part has poisoned a manufacturer’s reputation, shop owners are unlikely to take a chance on trusting that source again.

The most popular restoration projects— early Mustangs, Camaros, Challengers and the like—have spawned legions of reproduction components. Indeed, enough replicated parts exist for some models to build a complete vehicle without using a single OEM component. In other cases, however, manufacturers must diligently research the market to ensure that tooling up will provide a worthwhile return on investment. Surveying reputable restoration shops about what types of projects they’re currently involved with can lead to a more thorough understanding of the market and may even contribute to the development of necessary and profitable new products.

Pick the Part Correctly

Manufacturers report that incorrect orders are among the most frequent reasons for parts returns, and they counsel that retailers and shops double-check their orders for accuracy. Most large manufacturers provide catalogs with part numbers and clear descriptions, often including photos or illustrations. Part numbers that are fastened, stamped or molded onto the original can identify some parts that need to be replaced, but others may have already been swapped out with aftermarket parts that don’t include such markings. In such cases, speaking directly to a manufacturer’s representative or tech line may help avoid mistaken orders.

When contacting a manufacturer for ordering information about an individual part—whether in person, by phone or through e-mail—provide appropriate background about vehicle make, model, serial number, engine type and displacement, wheelbase measurements, color codes and any modifications that already exist. Describe the component to be ordered in detail—what it looks like, what it does, its critical dimensions and the other components it interacts with. If possible, augment the process by sending photos, illustrations or even the actual part to be replaced, when possible. If the order is placed over the phone, follow up with an e-mail to summarize the conversation and ensure that both buyer and seller agree on the details.

When Fit Is an Issue

	Some shops are comfortable with any type of restoration. Parts built using modern materials and techniques often outshine even the originals. Courtesy of Marc Langsam/Dynacorn Int. Inc.

In most cases, a vehicle that is being restored has already seen at least one complete lifecycle. During its history, it may have been driven more than 100,000 miles over a variety of roads and may have been involved in one or more accidents, minor or major. It will have been maintained or repaired with parts from myriad sources and by technicians of varying skill levels. Indeed, original parts and assembly practices 40 or more years ago were not nearly as exacting as they are today. No wonder, then, that even a perfectly reproduced part sometimes doesn’t fall precisely into place. Conscientious shops are cognizant of those facts and eliminate vehicle straightness, wear or previous modifications as causes of fitment problems before faulting the part itself.

When a shop eliminates all other possibilities and believes that the part has been incorrectly designed or produced, the first step should be a phone call to the manufacturer detailing the information used when ordering the part (year, make, model, etc.) as well as a complete description of the problem. It’s best to have the technician who actually experienced the problem describe it to a knowledgeable manufacturer’s representative so that there is no danger of secondhand misinterpretation.

Following the initial contact, the shop should follow up with photographs of the part showing the misalignment. There may be subsequent Q&A sessions to establish the root cause of the problem, but if the part is proven to be at fault, the manufacturer should admit responsibility and provide not only resolution, but also restitution for the shop’s unnecessary expenses. Most shop owners and restoration specialists are passionate about their work and will participate willingly in helping to correct fitment problems. Likewise, reputable manufacturers are adamant about the integrity of their operations and recognize the need to address such problems, using feedback from shops to eliminate errors. The worst reaction is to ignore or even deny that a problem exists. As a best practice, at least one manufacturer has begun to proactively seek feedback from shops about how successful they were in using the company’s parts.

Failure Is Not an Option

Premature failure of mechanical parts is another source of frustration for shops. While minor sheetmetal variations are part of the restoration landscape, breakage of close-tolerance or even nominally simple mechanical parts can be even more costly. Shop owners complain that merely replacing a defective part doesn’t account for the labor costs involved in redundant removal and installation of a component when a failure occurs.

In some cases, suppliers obtain components from multiple manufacturers and then create a complete assembly for resale. They may even modify the basic parts to create a more appealing or ostensibly better-working final product. In such cases, the final supplier is responsible to the shop for the effectiveness of the assembly, just as the shop will be responsible to the client for the finished car.

	Reverse engineering without meticulous research may complicate the restoration process. This car, photographed in Taiwan, had been damaged on the driver’s side and was repaired improperly. Using it as a template for reproduction parts could result in parts that are ill fitting or even impossible to use. Courtesy of Classic Automotive Restoration Specialists

Once a component is found to be untrustworthy, savvy shop owners advise their clients to steer clear of them or even refuse to warrant work if the client insists on using the problem part. But shop owners also need to be diligent about inspecting the parts they intend to use in a
timely manner.

Shops sometimes order a complete set of parts for a given project but don’t open them until they reach the appropriate stage of the build. Thus, it may be months or even a year down the road before they discover that a part is defective either when it comes out of the package or from premature failure during use. Some manufacturers will not accept returns when that much time has passed, even if the part was never installed. That’s why it’s best for shops to unpack, inspect and even trial-fit parts as soon as possible after receipt. Responsible suppliers and manufacturers will replace defective products, but they may be hesitant to do so if an inordinate amount of time has passed since the shop took possession of the merchandise.

Pure Restoration vs. Restomod

A pure restoration is an exact duplication of how a vehicle was originally manufactured for sale. A restomod (restoration + modification) uses assembly techniques or parts for improvements in either performance or appearance that were not authentic to the car from the factory. Some vehicles may meet the pure restoration criteria using a combination of original parts with reproductions that even a knowledgeable observer might not detect. A restomod generally includes obvious alterations, such as a modern powerplant, air conditioning or brake system. At the far end of the spectrum are all-out hot rods, on which virtually every system has been obviously and radically altered.

Some shops are comfortable with any type of restoration and are willing to tackle the difficulties of tracking down parts that fit a customer’s desire for even a numbers-matching concours d’elegance project. But parts built using modern materials and techniques often outshine original equipment and may tempt a shop owner to steer a client toward them.

It is the shop’s responsibility to learn what the customer wants out of the project and then decide whether it can reasonably deliver that vehicle. Interview the customer about his or her plans for the completed car. Thoroughly explain the options, ranging from pure restoration to hot rod. Assemble a binder of build sheets and photos that show the details of previously completed projects to help explain what can be done and the relative expense of different build types. But do so in plain English. As one restoration expert said, it doesn’t help to make yourself look smart by referencing “roll angle” or “bumpsteer” when the customer will more likely understand “leaning” or “tracking straight and steady.” And make sure to point out modifications that can’t be undone when discussing the options. Some owners won’t want the frame or body to be permanently changed while others will
encourage it.

Working Together

	The market for vintage vehicles has exploded, and enterprising manufacturing businesses are building reproduction parts and assemblies to fill the demand for components that are near-perfect replicas or replacements that offer improvements in either function or appearance. Courtesy of Marc Langsam/Dynacorn International Inc.

The more manufacturers, retailers and shop owners understand each other’s needs, the better they can meet the needs of end users—the enthusiasts whose dreams and desires fuel the industry. It is crucial for manufacturers to listen to shop recommendations and comments—including complaints—and respond responsibly.

It is just as critical for shop owners to learn about manufacturers and their parts and to work with them to solve problems when they arise. Manufacturers don’t generally interact with consumers but depend upon retailers and shops for input about improvements as well as potential markets for parts.

Trade and car shows where manufacturers exhibit are great venues for one-on-one interaction. Shop owners should make a point to talk with manufacturers whose parts they use or whose products show promise. And when personnel at restoration businesses—manufacturer, retailer or shop—hear of an educational opportunity, such as a seminar or roundtable devoted to the industry, make every effort to attend. In the end, communication is the best practice of all. 

BEST PRACTICES

Courtesy of Marc Langsam/Dynacorn Int. Inc.

The bedrock of the automotive specialty-equipment industry is the parts that are used to build, restore and modify vehicles of all types. Every segment of the industry counts on parts that are properly designed, engineered and manufactured to operate as promised. Within the restoration segment, however, those standards are complicated by the fact that the vehicles involved are anywhere from two decades to nearly a century old.

The market for vintage vehicles has exploded. As a result, original-equipment components have become harder to secure from salvage yards, collections or abandoned “barn-find” vehicles. That scarcity has enterprising manufacturing businesses building reproductions, filling the demand with components that are touted as either near-perfect replicas or replacements that offer improvements in either function or appearance. According to many restoration shop owners and managers, however, that ideal sometimes falls short.

When a supposedly accurate reproduction part fails or doesn’t fit properly, the shop owner has only a few options: exchange the part on the premise that it was an aberration; replace it with a part from a different manufacturer; or modify the part or project to make it work. In the latter instance, an installation that might normally require (and be billed for) an hour of labor could consume five hours or more to reconstruct, modify or re-engineer.

A reputable shop owner is unlikely to charge the customer for the additional time but has to pay his technicians for theirs, so he ends up eating the cost of the extra hours. That’s not only unfair, but is also avoidable if all reproduction parts manufacturers, retailers and shops follow some basic best practices.

Making It Right

Most restoration parts manufacturers do an admirable job of researching, developing and producing spot-on components, and their operations are models for the entire industry. After determining that there is a market for a given product—or, in some cases, receiving a special-order request from a customer—their first step is thorough research and development to ensure that the part meets the same specifications as the original version. That may mean acquiring at least two original-equipment samples of the part for use in prototyping—since a single sample may itself be damaged or distorted and not provide a proper template—and/or acquiring original specifications from authentic sources.

Schematics or drawings that include dimensions allow the manufacturer to check mounting points, clearances and compatibility with other parts in an assembly. And that compatibility includes ensuring that the part will work with other commonly used components for a given application. Incompatibilities, such as a suspension setup that creates fender interference when combined with a common wheel size, should be prominently noted in any ordering literature so that retailers and shops can avoid the incompatible combination.

	While some vehicles may meet the pure restoration criteria using a combination of original parts with reproductions, a restomod generally includes obvious alterations, such as a modern powerplant, air conditioning or a brake system. Courtesy of American Muscle Cars Inc.

Manufacturers and shops involved with reproduction parts should make every effort to access original-equipment master parts books for pre-’80 vehicles; parts information on microfiche for ’80 through ’90s vehicles; and dealer parts information networks for later models. Companies such as Faxon Auto Literature (800/458-2734) offer repair, assembly and owners’ manuals, sales brochures, parts books and even paint chips for virtually all domestic and imported cars and trucks. In Faxon’s case, most of its more than one-million-volume inventory consists of original literature obtained from collectors or dealerships that have closed, but the company is also licensed by vehicle manufacturers to reproduce official repair manuals and parts books both as bound copies and as CDs or DVDs. Both manufacturers and restoration shops can benefit from acquiring original manuals since they include photos, illustrations and detailed specifications for parts and assemblies.

Manufacturers may also obtain original parts for use as templates from restoration shops themselves. Several of the shop owners who contributed information for this story said that they had loaned parts to established manufacturers to help in the development of reproductions, and at least one did so knowing that his original could not be returned but would result in the creation of a well-designed and usable reproduction part. On the other hand, another shop owner said that he had seen a reverse-engineering facility in Taiwan that prototyped a part from an original that was partially rusted away, essentially “guessing” at the form of the missing area.

While a few manufacturers design, tool and produce their reproduction parts in their own facilities, many U.S. suppliers have outsourced the manufacture of their parts offshore, making it very difficult to make corrections or changes midstream. As production runs age, equipment such as molds and stamping presses must be diligently checked and maintained to ensure consistent quality control. Tooling is obviously expensive, and deciding which parts to produce is based on market demand. While misjudging the market can badly hurt a company, producing noncompliant parts can eventually be ruinous. Once word of mouth about a bad part has poisoned a manufacturer’s reputation, shop owners are unlikely to take a chance on trusting that source again.

The most popular restoration projects— early Mustangs, Camaros, Challengers and the like—have spawned legions of reproduction components. Indeed, enough replicated parts exist for some models to build a complete vehicle without using a single OEM component. In other cases, however, manufacturers must diligently research the market to ensure that tooling up will provide a worthwhile return on investment. Surveying reputable restoration shops about what types of projects they’re currently involved with can lead to a more thorough understanding of the market and may even contribute to the development of necessary and profitable new products.

Pick the Part Correctly

Manufacturers report that incorrect orders are among the most frequent reasons for parts returns, and they counsel that retailers and shops double-check their orders for accuracy. Most large manufacturers provide catalogs with part numbers and clear descriptions, often including photos or illustrations. Part numbers that are fastened, stamped or molded onto the original can identify some parts that need to be replaced, but others may have already been swapped out with aftermarket parts that don’t include such markings. In such cases, speaking directly to a manufacturer’s representative or tech line may help avoid mistaken orders.

When contacting a manufacturer for ordering information about an individual part—whether in person, by phone or through e-mail—provide appropriate background about vehicle make, model, serial number, engine type and displacement, wheelbase measurements, color codes and any modifications that already exist. Describe the component to be ordered in detail—what it looks like, what it does, its critical dimensions and the other components it interacts with. If possible, augment the process by sending photos, illustrations or even the actual part to be replaced, when possible. If the order is placed over the phone, follow up with an e-mail to summarize the conversation and ensure that both buyer and seller agree on the details.

When Fit Is an Issue

	Some shops are comfortable with any type of restoration. Parts built using modern materials and techniques often outshine even the originals. Courtesy of Marc Langsam/Dynacorn Int. Inc.

In most cases, a vehicle that is being restored has already seen at least one complete lifecycle. During its history, it may have been driven more than 100,000 miles over a variety of roads and may have been involved in one or more accidents, minor or major. It will have been maintained or repaired with parts from myriad sources and by technicians of varying skill levels. Indeed, original parts and assembly practices 40 or more years ago were not nearly as exacting as they are today. No wonder, then, that even a perfectly reproduced part sometimes doesn’t fall precisely into place. Conscientious shops are cognizant of those facts and eliminate vehicle straightness, wear or previous modifications as causes of fitment problems before faulting the part itself.

When a shop eliminates all other possibilities and believes that the part has been incorrectly designed or produced, the first step should be a phone call to the manufacturer detailing the information used when ordering the part (year, make, model, etc.) as well as a complete description of the problem. It’s best to have the technician who actually experienced the problem describe it to a knowledgeable manufacturer’s representative so that there is no danger of secondhand misinterpretation.

Following the initial contact, the shop should follow up with photographs of the part showing the misalignment. There may be subsequent Q&A sessions to establish the root cause of the problem, but if the part is proven to be at fault, the manufacturer should admit responsibility and provide not only resolution, but also restitution for the shop’s unnecessary expenses. Most shop owners and restoration specialists are passionate about their work and will participate willingly in helping to correct fitment problems. Likewise, reputable manufacturers are adamant about the integrity of their operations and recognize the need to address such problems, using feedback from shops to eliminate errors. The worst reaction is to ignore or even deny that a problem exists. As a best practice, at least one manufacturer has begun to proactively seek feedback from shops about how successful they were in using the company’s parts.

Failure Is Not an Option

Premature failure of mechanical parts is another source of frustration for shops. While minor sheetmetal variations are part of the restoration landscape, breakage of close-tolerance or even nominally simple mechanical parts can be even more costly. Shop owners complain that merely replacing a defective part doesn’t account for the labor costs involved in redundant removal and installation of a component when a failure occurs.

In some cases, suppliers obtain components from multiple manufacturers and then create a complete assembly for resale. They may even modify the basic parts to create a more appealing or ostensibly better-working final product. In such cases, the final supplier is responsible to the shop for the effectiveness of the assembly, just as the shop will be responsible to the client for the finished car.

	Reverse engineering without meticulous research may complicate the restoration process. This car, photographed in Taiwan, had been damaged on the driver’s side and was repaired improperly. Using it as a template for reproduction parts could result in parts that are ill fitting or even impossible to use. Courtesy of Classic Automotive Restoration Specialists

Once a component is found to be untrustworthy, savvy shop owners advise their clients to steer clear of them or even refuse to warrant work if the client insists on using the problem part. But shop owners also need to be diligent about inspecting the parts they intend to use in a
timely manner.

Shops sometimes order a complete set of parts for a given project but don’t open them until they reach the appropriate stage of the build. Thus, it may be months or even a year down the road before they discover that a part is defective either when it comes out of the package or from premature failure during use. Some manufacturers will not accept returns when that much time has passed, even if the part was never installed. That’s why it’s best for shops to unpack, inspect and even trial-fit parts as soon as possible after receipt. Responsible suppliers and manufacturers will replace defective products, but they may be hesitant to do so if an inordinate amount of time has passed since the shop took possession of the merchandise.

Pure Restoration vs. Restomod

A pure restoration is an exact duplication of how a vehicle was originally manufactured for sale. A restomod (restoration + modification) uses assembly techniques or parts for improvements in either performance or appearance that were not authentic to the car from the factory. Some vehicles may meet the pure restoration criteria using a combination of original parts with reproductions that even a knowledgeable observer might not detect. A restomod generally includes obvious alterations, such as a modern powerplant, air conditioning or brake system. At the far end of the spectrum are all-out hot rods, on which virtually every system has been obviously and radically altered.

Some shops are comfortable with any type of restoration and are willing to tackle the difficulties of tracking down parts that fit a customer’s desire for even a numbers-matching concours d’elegance project. But parts built using modern materials and techniques often outshine original equipment and may tempt a shop owner to steer a client toward them.

It is the shop’s responsibility to learn what the customer wants out of the project and then decide whether it can reasonably deliver that vehicle. Interview the customer about his or her plans for the completed car. Thoroughly explain the options, ranging from pure restoration to hot rod. Assemble a binder of build sheets and photos that show the details of previously completed projects to help explain what can be done and the relative expense of different build types. But do so in plain English. As one restoration expert said, it doesn’t help to make yourself look smart by referencing “roll angle” or “bumpsteer” when the customer will more likely understand “leaning” or “tracking straight and steady.” And make sure to point out modifications that can’t be undone when discussing the options. Some owners won’t want the frame or body to be permanently changed while others will
encourage it.

Working Together

	The market for vintage vehicles has exploded, and enterprising manufacturing businesses are building reproduction parts and assemblies to fill the demand for components that are near-perfect replicas or replacements that offer improvements in either function or appearance. Courtesy of Marc Langsam/Dynacorn International Inc.

The more manufacturers, retailers and shop owners understand each other’s needs, the better they can meet the needs of end users—the enthusiasts whose dreams and desires fuel the industry. It is crucial for manufacturers to listen to shop recommendations and comments—including complaints—and respond responsibly.

It is just as critical for shop owners to learn about manufacturers and their parts and to work with them to solve problems when they arise. Manufacturers don’t generally interact with consumers but depend upon retailers and shops for input about improvements as well as potential markets for parts.

Trade and car shows where manufacturers exhibit are great venues for one-on-one interaction. Shop owners should make a point to talk with manufacturers whose parts they use or whose products show promise. And when personnel at restoration businesses—manufacturer, retailer or shop—hear of an educational opportunity, such as a seminar or roundtable devoted to the industry, make every effort to attend. In the end, communication is the best practice of all.