Mark;
Allow me to preface this by stating that my replies are
not directed at you, but moreso the indistry in general.
That being said...
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Eric,
I am happy you are the way you are and as long as I can afford it I will buy from people like you.
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Thank you, I sincerely appreciate that.
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The truth is, people have and will continue to buy fraudulent cars and parts. They will learn a painful lesson and most likely become a better buyer thereafter.
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I agree. However, that doesn't mean I will turn a blind eye to it or become apathetic and chalk it up to "s*hit happens" if I can help keep someone from getting burned.
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Judges will try to stay on top of what is right and wrong so proper deductions and credits can be received.
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Correct me if I'm wrong here, but hasn't the restamping issue gotten so bad that even the high-zoot Corvette crowd has essentially given up on trying to decide what's real and what isn't?
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John Pirkle educated me on what is wrong with the current crop of very, very well done restamped alternators so, for now, I can see the reproductions.
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If I ever get the chance to meet Mr. Pirkle, I will gladly buy him at least one of his favorite beverages. I am glad that there are people out there who have the ability (perhaps more accurately stated, "luxury") of exposing fraud. Unfortunately for me, were I to ever do the same, I would <u>instantly</u> be blacklisted in the business.
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Selling a well done reproduction as a reproduction is, in my opinion, completely acceptable.
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I agree, as long as someone else down the line doesn't try to pass a restamp off as the real deal. As far as that goes, I'll bet my bottom dollar that that's exactly what happens more often than not. Reality shows that it is impossible to have one without the other. Greed is an ugly, but powerful driving force.
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think I need to say what it is when a reproduction is sold to an unsuspecting buyer as original. I think we all agree on what is morally right and wrong. I do believe it is wrong for any of us to say that anyone who buys these products is not worthy to be in this hobby or that they should somehow not be as welcomed as the all original 1.6 mile red/red climate controlled still on MSO ZL1 owner. I just believe there is room for everyone without any mudslinging.
Respectfully,
Mark
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Again, I agree, but the fact still remains, no matter how hard we might try to "nice it up", fraud is fraud. I haven't the slightest issue with someone who buys a restamped part for their car, that's entirely their business. What I
DO have an issue with is the people who intentionally try to screw someone else over by trying to pass the restamped items off as the real thing.
When I see someone who's stamped a date code into one of the new release Holley carbs and puts it up on an internet auction site with a
carefully worded ad description that fails to <u>clearly disclose</u> that the carb is NOT an original unit, I call that fraud, period.
To me, this is no different than putting a bogus trim tag on a car, just on an obviously smaller scale (financially speaking, at least). If the car isn't a real COPO/Z28/ZL1/whatever, then what is the purpose of installing a trim tag to make the car something it isn't? Exactly WHO is the owner/seller trying to "fool"? They obviously aren't trying to fool
themselves since they already know that a part (or the whole car, for that matter) is bogus. That only leaves one answer, and it's rather obvious.
Like I said, I'm obviously WAY too old-fashioned for my own good, especially in the line of work I'm in. I simply can not make peace with the issue in my own conscience.
I know I've lost a number of sales and restoration work because of my stand on this issue, but no matter what it might cost me, I will always be able to lay my head down at night with a clear conscience.
Believe it or not, I actually have a very easy solution to this whole matter, but it would never,
<u>ever</u> fly for reasons which will be obvious in a moment; if no one has anything to "hide" by installing these restamped parts on their cars, then to show that, each and every restamped reproduction part should be
clearly identified as such---say, a big "R" stamped on it in a completely visible location. If no one has anything to hide and they have no intentions to pass a reproduction or restamped part off as the real thing later on down the road, then what would be the harm?
Want to install a repop trim tag on your car and you say you don't have anything to hide? Fine..then stamp a giant "R" right in the middle of it.
Same thing goes for a restamped carb...what's the harm in stamping a giant "R" right into the main body?
Or an alternator...a big "R" stamped just below the ID and date code.
You get the idea...
If there's nothing to hide, then there would be no harm in doing this, and it would certainly make it
considerably more difficult for a "less honest" person to try to pass it off as the real thing later on down the road.
Kinda defeats the purpose of restamping a part, doesn't it?
Exactly.
Eric