Drew

iTrader: (58)

I'm sure I'm not the only one that just saw this happen...

www.ebay.com/itm/291755176705

NOS rear window louvers listed on Ebay. I'm not sure how long they were out there, but from the last revision to sold was about 4hrs. It usually takes longer than 4hrs for items I list to even show up in search results. I hear the new email ding and see the email from Ebay that an item I'm searching for has been listed, click the link and it's sold. Sold 30 seconds before I opened the page. Less than two minutes after I received the notification email.

Seriously? I doubt I could make a split second decision about spending $450 on a tacky 80's accessory if my life depended on it. If the car I'm slowly restoring hadn't come with the damn things from the factory, I wouldn't even be interested. Oh well. I guess the demand for this stuff is getting a little stronger.

And the search continues...

MoJoe

iTrader: (5)

If you are looking for/watching for specific, hard to find parts to pop up, you've already thought about whether to get them, and at what price. So, it isn't a "split second" decision. See it? It is in my price range? Sold! There have been several items on the classified board that sell that quickly.

Those items you are searching for... I wouldn't be surprised to hear you make a split second decision to purchase one.

Jason E

I sold the one off my IROC for $75, and was shocked I did. I was missing all the brackets for it, and it was gouged in a couple spots from when I moved it around in the moving truck.

Guess I should've asked more for it

PurelyPMD

iTrader: (3)

Good parts are hard to find - if you had left that open for bids you would likely have gotten more. Something to remember here as these cars become more popular....they are being bought by guys who are used to paying more for their cars & parts.

I've sold several GTO carbs for $4,500 and a 68 RA II motor for $10k.

B4C5.7

iTrader: (2)

Round Port Pontiac stuff is not cheap. Bought a non original engine SuperDuty T/A in '09 for 3500.00, Drove it home at that price because the owner did not know what an X in the VIN meant. (still doesn't know) Then started pricing some engines....WOW.

Drew

iTrader: (58)

I'm not surprised it sold, or that it sold quickly, or the dollar value. I'm surprised that it sold within ~30 seconds... for what would have been a scoffed at price a few years ago... For louvers... Before 6AM on the east coast. I actually got a second heads up notification email from Ebay after it'd already sold.

It illustrates a change in the weather surrounding these cars. And yeah, I'd have paid that price too, just not sure I could make that decision while half asleep at a quarter to 5AM. I wonder if the buyer knows how much they rattle, how they tear up the frame around the window, how they scuff and scratch the glass... LOL I'm not in a hurry, I'm sure I'll find a set... Someday...

B4C5.7

iTrader: (2)

I agree Drew, that is really quick for a Tuesday morning at 5:15.

PurelyPMD

iTrader: (3)

If I could find an NOS set of lexan t-tops I'd jump like that.

(Yes I know I missed a set here yesterday. )

Drew

iTrader: (58)

I bought a NOS driver's side T-top for my V6 Firebird beater. Got it on Ebay for a song. Of course that was back in 2004, but still... Even then I felt fortunate to find a replacement for the one I broke. The last set I sold was so weathered a person could barely see through them. It's really too bad the plastic decays so quickly. Most people would probably be much better off with glass, but we collectors probably ****** up all the Lexan making them a rarity.

rarebmx

iTrader: (6)

I have a set of NOS OEM louvers & I wouldn't take $450 for them. Let alone on ebay with shipping & fees. I see people getting $300 for used sets of OEM louvers & they even have issues. $450 is cheap in my eyes for NOS. I can see these going over $1000 soon. These parts are bringing good money & this is why the parts business is good. Buy a 3rd gen for $400 & part it out for $2000. The prices will continue to rise for the next 10 years +.

paulo57509

I wonder what my 1962 Tri-Power setup would sell for......

Jason E

I bought a set of NOS Lexan tops in the bag for $299 on eBay back in 2006 for my 91 RS. Couldn't see through my originals at all, so I snapped them up.

I wanna say PurelyPMD bought the bag from me...didn't you?

JonBlake

The thing I don't like is how many parts are now restoration parts, they aren't even the originals and get sold frequently. Like badges on cars. If only originals were in existence, they may be worth more and cause the cars to be worth more in turn. But since there are remakes out on the market this makes the production numbers of badging unlimited. On the same lines as coin and stamp collection. If old coins and stamps were being reprinted, the originals wouldn't be worth so much. Same goes for car parts.

PurelyPMD

iTrader: (3)

I sold a setup with 421SD heads about 12 years ago for $1,000.


The bag, some sun visors & trim panels, your Gatorbacks.....

What I see as a bigger problem is when the reproductions, GM AUTHORIZED reproductions are not a good match and easily identified as such! I picked up the emblems for the early Z28 wheel center caps to replace ones missing on my 83. It would have been cheaper to buy the reproduction center caps but the script on the emblem was different! We need to have reproductions for certain consumable items like stripes, emblems, decals, and other soft wearable items. That way rare cars can buy the expensive NOS parts and the masses can buy the good replacements.

F-body-fan

I bought a set of those louvers from my local GM dealer back in the early 90's. Could have sworn they were near $450 with tax? At least the that's the memory stuck in my head but I could be wrong. They fit so nice compared to everything else at the time.

okfoz

the GM Authorized parts seems to be more or less a way for GM to make money without GM actually doing anything. GM seems to be going after companies that are selling or making replacement parts for their cars... GM seems to be going after those companies asking for licensing.

scottmoyer

The louvers cost $210 when you ordered them on the car. The dealer parts department might charge more for them over the counter, but I don't know if they do. I have two sets now. One set on my car and another set on my father's 82 Z28. If I decide to sell my car, the louvers will not be sold with it, so i will have a set for you Drew. I just don't know how long it'll take to sell the car.

Drew

iTrader: (58)

Careful, I'm liable to hold you to that. LOL I'm not in a hurry, just trying to round up all the missing bits. I'm getting closer, I just picked up the correct spare tire inflator for my 91 Formula last week, so now I can move the smaller spare inflator can I'd had in the Firebird over to the Camaro - finally making it's jack/spare set complete. Since the set in the RS convertible has never been out of the car, all three are now complete. I've been picking up what I can when I see the parts available. The back seat of the Iroc is full of discontinued NOS parts, AC Delco service parts, with a bunch of reconditioned used OEM parts in the trunk. I'm sure at some point I'll stumble into a set of OEM louvers...

Apparently Vista Industries made the OEM louvers for GM. I found this ad while scouring Google.



Not too surprising that Vista Industries seems to be out of business. Looks like this is the building they used to occupy...



I was hoping to find a bit more info on the company, but didn't have much luck. Still I know more about them now then a few weeks ago.

sonjaab

There are a set of louvers listed on Syracuse Craigslist for $300
bucks.

http://binghamton.craigslist.org/pts/5560054618.html

MoJoe

iTrader: (5)

Did the Craigslister increase their price to $300? Because you edited your post from "less than $100"...

Drew

iTrader: (58)

Seller says he won't ship them due to size. Bummer.

scottmoyer

Drew, I'll need to look it up again, but I found the company that made the OEM louvers and the mounting hardware. I spoke to someone there was around back in the 80s and remembers building the parts, but said the dies have all been sold or destroyed. He said they can still make the mounting hardware, but the cost was something like $40 a piece.

Ok. I looked it up. LTC Roll and Engineering. They made the aluminum slats and mounting hardware if I remember correctly.

sonjaab

NO
One of two louver ads
They were either sold or removed..............

Drew

iTrader: (58)

It's interesting to see the company is still making similar parts. I got to searching just to see if the original manufacturer still made louvers or something similar for newer cars, or to find another potential source or search term that might turn up a lead. I'd imagine even with a significant interest in a reproduction, there wouldn't be any money to be made by putting louvers back into production. There are probably enough NOS and lightly used sets in the wild for everyone who wants a set to have them, they're just not terribly easy to find.