VAE Dash Restorations

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Slappy

Slappy

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disgustMessage to all. I was interested in getting my dash work done. I saw a thread on this site relating to getting dash work done. There was before and after pictures posted and alot of good feedback for Vic. I felt comfortable using him since others here have. Well I sent vic my dash pieces 9 weeks ago. The original estimate of time was 6 weeks. I contacted Vic at the 7 week mark to check on them. I finally got an email from him stating his chromer for the parts went out of business and he had to use another one that he wasnt familiar with and he has shipped my parts out. He expected them back that week. He also informed me he will be going out of business after his current orders were filled. so I contacted him again at 9 wks. No reply.:bs: So I am now left without parts {so far}. He has since removed his phone # from his web site. Throughout this whole process he has been a very poor communicator. It is now show season and I cant even drive the car. I am suspecting I may never see my parts again.:wack: If anyone knows this guy personally I would ask that you ask him to contact me. His web site is up and running still. I would refrain from using him. I have bad service so far imo. Now my rant is over, does anyone have the woodgrain dash pieces I need? I need a whole cluster, radio bezel,glovebox door, all for a 75 Dart Sport. Im looking for show quality if possible. I am going to try and contact him again. I will post the progress. I hope he comes through for me. I will post a positve if he comes through. Just dont want anyone else to get caught up like me.
 
Oh Wow! I was getting ready to send him another 65 Valiant dash bezel plus some other stuff. I was really pleased with his work on my other 65 Valiant bezel and 66 Barracuda stuff.
 
WOW...Sorry to hear about this.

I was plugging his work since he said he lost his daytime job and was going full time. I don't know him personally but meeting him in person he seemed like a good guy.

I think the plating company he changed to was in Ohio...a couple hours from him...so maybe he needs to drive down there and get the parts.

My parts must have been about the last ones that he did locally at the company he worked for.

I will try and call him this week also to see if I can do anything.

Paul
 
1972DusterPaul said:
WOW...Sorry to hear about this.

I was plugging his work since he said he lost his daytime job and was going full time. I don't know him personally but meeting him in person he seemed like a good guy.

I think the plating company he changed to was in Ohio...a couple hours from him...so maybe he needs to drive down there and get the parts.

My parts must have been about the last ones that he did locally at the company he worked for.

I will try and call him this week also to see if I can do anything.

Paul
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I would appreciate that alot. I dont know if he has fallen on bad times or what. Hate to give the guy a bad wrap but sometimes they are earned.
 
I sent mine to GCAR , Im most happy with the results
Donnie
 

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I dealt with him and it was the worst experience I ever had with a business.
To make a very long story short, I specifically asked that he over package the dash parts, it came in a box that was 1 inch longer then the dash, and of course the piece that extends out for the radio was cracked. The chrome work was horrible, spotty, blemishes, and spider web cracking on the edges. The center gauge pieces where stuck to the bubble wrap, and the entire box and packaging wreaked of cigarettes.
I sent them back and his response when he got them was, "I've checked with everyone here, and no one sees any problems."
Are you kidding?
I told him to just send my stuff back, and refund my money, which he did, but before he sent them out he stripped them completely, screwing them up.

Here is some of the damage-my glovebox piece, the pics in silver are before I sent them to him, the bare plastic pics are when I got them back- its not even the same one I sent to him. Among other things, he drilled the holes too big, and destroyed the pins on the emblem- moron!
 

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matthon said:
I dealt with him and it was the worst experience I ever had with a business.
To make a very long story short, I specifically asked that he over package the dash parts, it came in a box that was 1 inch longer then the dash, and of course the piece that extends out for the radio was cracked. The chrome work was horrible, spotty, blemishes, and spider web cracking on the edges. The center gauge pieces where stuck to the bubble wrap, and the entire box and packaging wreaked of cigarettes.
I sent them back and his response when he got them was, "I've checked with everyone here, and no one sees any problems."
Are you kidding?
I told him to just send my stuff back, and refund my money, which he did, but before he sent them out he stripped them completely, screwing them up.

Here is some of the damage-my glovebox piece, the pics in silver are before I sent them to him, the bare plastic pics are when I got them back- its not even the same one I sent to him. Among other things, he drilled the holes too big, and destroyed the pins on the emblem- moron!
Click to expand...

Just to be clear, are you talking about:

VAE?

or Mr G's?

or Instrument Specialties?

or GCAR?

or???
 
I was responding to what Slappy wrote, and who he is having difficulty with now- sorry for any confusion.
 
I hope Vic gets his issues corrected. If he has lost both patrolled day job and side business too... well that's just sad.
And for those of you who plan to disassemble your plastics, do your own prep and/or repairs in an effort to save money, DONT ! The use of paint stripper, oven cleaner, sand paper, super glue, JB Weld, etc.. is only making matters worse. Nobody can make a silk purse from a sows ear.
The part will not come out of the vacuum chrome chamber any better than it went in.
 
RedFish said:
I hope Vic gets his issues corrected. If he has lost both patrolled day job and side business too... well that's just sad.
And for those of you who plan to disassemble your plastics, do your own prep and/or repairs in an effort to save money, DONT ! The use of paint stripper, oven cleaner, sand paper, super glue, JB Weld, etc.. is only making matters worse. Nobody can make a silk purse from a sows ear.
The part will not come out of the vacuum chrome chamber any better than it went in.
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how do you strip it then?
 
Wow, I feel bad. He just did mine this winter and I praised him a lo on here. I had nothing but great results and communication with him. Only hiccup I had was that after he told me they were done and I paid him, I waited like 3 days and hadn't received them yet.( should only be a day or two from him to me) I emailed him, he apologized said got busy and forgot to send them. He offered to overnight them to me, i told him to just send em regular since i was in no hurry. I chalked it up to an honest mistake that he made right by me by apologizing and offering the overnight shipping. He shipped them back exactly as I had packed them which I made sure was over protected.

Hate to hear bad news about him. Hopefully its just a tough time and he can make it through and make it right with everybody.
 
HemiMark said:
how do you strip it then?
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Quite a while back somebody posted a way to strip them that was really simple. I think it was just soaking them in some household cleaner or something like that. Maybe 409 or Simple Green? Don't remember for sure but a diligent search would probably turn it up.
 
Holy crap! I sent my bezel 2 months ago with my gove box. He told me he did not know how to remove the glove box latch was was sending back the unit. Never heard from him after 2 e mails, now phone number is gone. Great. Take in orders, keep your parts parts and laught all the way to ther bank.
 
DonnieLawson said:
I sent mine to GCAR , Im most happy with the results
Donnie
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Great looking dash! Gotta question though, my car has a custom alum dash and still has the switch up on the upper left. What was it supposed to be for? I may use it for the line lock when I get a console shift put in instead of the race shifter.
 
airwoofer said:
Great looking dash! Gotta question though, my car has a custom alum dash and still has the switch up on the upper left. What was it supposed to be for? I may use it for the line lock when I get a console shift put in instead of the race shifter.
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That top left switch is for the emerg. flashers
 
Speaking of nice dashes, I looked at Tony's pics and his is georgous! So Tony, where did you find that 8,000 RPM tach and is it any good?
 
airwoofer said:
Speaking of nice dashes, I looked at Tony's pics and his is georgous! So Tony, where did you find that 8,000 RPM tach and is it any good?
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Thanks air!

Found it at The Paddock which is now closed. I think maybe Y1 has them. If I had it to do over again, I would try to find an orig......but they only go to 6000
which is ok with me as I don't intend to be revving that high.

The one I have does work great.

On a sad note it makes me wonder if there is anyone out there that will be plating dashes.
 
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