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Articles and Publications |
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| · Mopar Performance · | 07.28.2006 |
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Restore the Roar
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Story By: Larry Shepard
Sure, Mopar Performance has decals, license plates and T-shirts, but Mopar's new parts program has little to do with that. In the past, I feel that Mopar has done a decent job on bringing back engine, suspension and drive train parts. But, Mopar focused on the high performance cars: the 440 six-barrel and Hemi®, the 340 and the 340 six-barrel, and even the ’62–’64 Max Wedge. Unfortuntly, these parts had to be shared with the racing market and there were compromises that had to be made.
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Restoration is a very multi-dimentional subject and this story isn’t about a specific restoration project, but of a new program recently launched by Mopar Performance. Although some might think that this is a decal, license plate and T-shirt promotion, I think it should be considered a process as quality suppliers, tooling and processes are identified, they will be added to the program.
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Now Mopar Performance incorporates:
- Hurst pistol grip shifters (P4510610)
- 145K torque converters (P4876947)— remember that the 340, 383 RR and Hemi used the basic 145K converter while the 440 six-barrel, 440 four-barrel and the rest of the 383s used a 120K.
- Six-pack air cleaners, cold air (P5007737AB) and non-cold air (P4529057AB)
- Red/white/blue oil filters (P4529187)
- Max Wedge aluminum cross-ram (P5007330)
- A and RB aluminum six-barrel intake (P4529056)
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Although these parts are related, this new restoration program is not limited to these parts.
Let’s back up. Did the restoration market exist in 1969? Thirty-five years later, there is no question that today’s restoration market represents millions and millions of dollars in sales. So when did it start?
Certainly not much happened from 1979 through 1984, but I might say that it began in 1972 when the Hemi and 440 six-barrel stopped production. From a business standpoint, perhaps 10 years ago, the customer demand was high enough to create a specific market rather than just a demand for a specific part.
No matter what dates we pick, there seems to be universal agreement that Mopar got off to a slow start in this area and GM has jumped ahead of everyone! In the last few years, Mopar enthusiasts who were trying to restore their early Dodge/ Plymouth/Chrysler cars often couldn’t find all the parts needed or the parts they found were often more expensive than comparable parts made for GM vehicles. As a result, there were many projects that were partially completed or sitting in storage.
So where does DaimlerChrysler fit in this picture? They DO NOT want to make cheap junk! DaimlerChrysler wants to approve suppliers to get parts made, and they want quality parts that look and fit like OEM.
The parts trademark, which could be the logo or the part number, is what can be used to control the quality of the parts. There are legal controls on the use of trademarks, so DaimlerChrysler can control the quality parts by allowing only approved suppliers to use these trademarks. These approved suppliers are called licensees.
Even if we limit ourselves to 1962 and newer, there are hundreds of models and probably thousands of part numbers per model. That’s a huge bunch of part numbers in anybody’s book.
For this restoration program we want to combine Muscle Car and Jeep. Perhaps Jeep vehicles were the first to be restored before we had even defined the word. With such a massive size, obviously you can’t do everything in the first day. For example, if you think you can do 200 part numbers, do you make them all for the 1970 Challenger? Probably not. This Mopar restoration market situation might be compared to finding a house covered in snow— you can’t go in until you shovel a path! The start of this program has required a lot of shoveling.
One of the first steps DaimlerChrysler took to launch this new program was to bring Trademarketing Resources Inc. (TRI) on board as its licensing agency. TRI is well versed in both restoration licensing and the Mopar enthusiast.
Bob Horton, the founder and CEO of TRI, actually started his career working at Mopar and drag raced early Mopars for years. Prior to founding TRI, Bob used to manage the GM restoration program that is considered the industry leader.
Before we get into some specific examples of parts, let’s look at the paper side of things. Let’s say that you are a quality manufacturer (supplier) and you want to make a restoration part for a DaimlerChrysler vehicle. You know that if the part has no logo or part number on it, there will be little or no interest from the restoration customers.
So how do you become approved to use the logos? The answer is to become a licensee of DaimlerChrysler, and this official process is started by sending an e-mail to opportunities@ moparmarks.com.
Now, let’s assume that you are a customer who is planning a restoration or has one partially completed. How do you tell DaimlerChrysler what part is holding you up? Mopar wants to know! You can also e-mail to the same address. Note: This e-mail address is managed by TRI.
There are about 4000 corporate dealers, including Jeep. How do they find out which suppliers are official licensees? A regular dealer communication is in process for later this year. For customers, a catalog is also planned, but it is about a year or so away.
Note: The official title of these licensed products is Mopar Authentic Restoration Products.
Now let’s look at some specifics. Starting out with service manuals, Jim Osborn Reproductions, Bob Johnson Auto Literature and Dyment Distribution Services are approved. So far, there seems to be very little overlapping between them, so if you have checked with one and they didn’t have what you needed, try one of the others. |
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Owner’s manuals are the small books that were included in the vehicle’s glove box. They are available from R & B Holt Enterprises. Restoration vehicle batteries are available from New Castle Battery and Antique Auto Battery.
All older restoration projects need hoses, such as radiator hoses. The original production radiator hose was a molded part. Many of the radiator hose service parts are universal-fit hoses. The lengths and diameters are right, but the in-car appearance is completely different.
A racer can use the universal-fit parts because they function the same as OEM, but the restoration customer does not like the change in appearance. Now the correct hoses, in appearance and with the proper date codes in use, are available from Auto Restoration Parts Supply (804-743-0570).
To list the individual part numbers is actually beyond the scope of this small article, but that is typical of this restoration market. You should contact the supplier directly rather than a warehouse. As the program develops and grows, this aspect will change and some of the active “resto” dealers will stock parts. Some will, perhaps, even have their own catalogs or parts listings. Mopar is just crawling into the house, having shoveled a small path, and they’re trying to find the biggest leaks and close the open windows.
One of the largest parts is the E-body quarter-panel. The E-bodies are very, very popular in the muscle car market, and Mopar people will try to restore every E-body they can find. The E-body quarter panel is somewhat unique in that it is curved in two directions.
What does this mean? Up to this point, there have been E-body quarter panels made that were curved in one dimension — front to back. This made them very hard to install by the body shop and when you looked at them they just didn't look right.
This is not related to patch panels. They only fix a small area, and that doesn't always repair a 30-year-old car. An actual quarter panel is very large. Curving in two dimensions means that it not only curves from front to back, but also from top to bottom.
This gives the E-body the proper look at the rear. New Challenger and Barracuda quarters have been made and will be in stock this summer. Many more sheet metal parts are planned. Contact: Goodmark Industries (770-339-8557).
Author’s note: Sorry, this article is going out in June, slightly ahead of the stock being on the shelf, but it is important for our customers to know that such a large, major project is so close.
Similar to the situation with hoses, belts for fans and power steering units will also be needed by all of us. These belts, with the proper codes and part numbers, are available from Quanta Products (410-658-5700).
Another hot item is windshield washer bottles. This is a restoration part, not a race car part. Racers throw them away! They are made of plastic; over 30 to 40 years, they dry out, crack, get damaged and look ugly. So slap some RTV on it and let’s go. Functional, but not acceptable in the resto market.
What makes the washer bottles so important? They sit right up front in the engine compartment where everyone can see them! So let’s make brand-new ones. The nice, perfectly clear, almost-white plastic ones are way too obvious. They scream replaced — not original!
The manufacturer, with Mopar’s help, did a small survey using three types of samples: clear/white, really yellow aged, and halfway in-between samples. They tried to simulate what a brand-new, 30 to 40-year-old part would look like if it had been in storage all these years. Restorers picked the in-between one.
At the same time little things were improved. Consolidations had been done in the water bottle area that had left the filler cap on the wrong side or required it to open in the wrong direction. Again, it’s functional but results in complaints from the restoration customers. Problems solved. For trick water bottles, contact Quirey Quality Engineering (812-963-6097). Note: You will be referred to a retail outlet in your area.
Jeep vehicles go back into the 1940s. Although many of these Jeep models didn't change very often, finding body parts has gotten pretty difficult. Fiberglass reproductions became available, but that didn't seem right for a restoration project. But what choice did you have? Today for brand-new Jeep body parts, contact OMIX-ADA (770-448-1726).
Obviously, not every restoration part has to be as large as a quarter panel. Some are very small. One of the unique aspects of the restoration market is the minute attention to detail. Mopar ignition, door and trunk keys in the muscle car era were unique. They should look just like the originals! If you need keys or key rings with the proper restoration logos, contact Jessers Classic Keys (330-376-8181).
A word of caution — I do not mean to imply that a supplier listed above has every possible part, like every piece of sheet metal for every Jeep ever built, or every hose or belt for a 1971 Cricket. But as they find gaps in customers’ demands, they will attempt to fill them. Patience and communication are the keys to success.
At the same time, don't give them a list of several hundred part numbers. Pick the one or two that are the MOST important and give them something to go get. They may have to find a new supplier; the old one may not exist today. The stories are endless! But with your help, for each one lost, they can find a new one. Tell Mopar what you need! |
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