As I have posted before, Golden State Pickup Parts is far from my
favorite supplier for reasons I would just as soon not recall, and possible
for that reason I thought I would give them one more shot. Silly Boy!
Golden State list in their catalog an item that I have never seen
elsewhere, a rebuilt ventiplane assembly for the AD trucks. The item is
listed at $80 exchange. I have been toying with the idea of just buying their
units, applying the refund for the rubber gaskets and window channels
purchased this time last year, and being on to other things. Golden State
sent a flyer offering a discount for the holiday/moving period (they have
just moved their retail store to a new and more convenient location) and it
seemed that maybe the price could be made palatable.
I telephoned Golden State and got a Voice. The Voice informed me that the
ventiplane assemblies in the catalog did not include the glass or the little
handle, but that these could be special ordered. The price went up. I
mentioned that I had previously purchased all the rubber bits from them and
the Voice offered to exchange the existing new rubber and knock an equivalent
amount off the total price. Fair enough.
I decided to go down to the store, the new location being only ten
minutes from my place and easily accessible during my standard business runs.
About two weeks went by before I could schedule it, but this morning I
decided it was time to fit the trip in.
For those of you that have never been there, Golden State's new retail
location (did anyone notice I slyly did not include the address or phone
number?), is a clean well lighted place (yes I like Hemmingway) with a lot of
interesting displays. There is an orange TF with a BB Chevy in the middle of
the floor and a cutaway exhibit of an oletruck front end with disk brake and
monospring conversions on it. There is a display of NOS AD gauges and
oletruck dash sections fitted with modern radios. There is lots of "stuff"
and that is just as well as the service is always slow at Golden State.
After some time dithering around, A Face asked if I had been helped. He
obviously considered me an intrusion on his day. I explained my mission and
the intelligence communicated earlier by the Voice. The Face explained that
the ventiplane assemblies would cost $280. exchange, glass extra. The
promised discount had expired. Anywhere else I would have been angry, but
this is Golden State and I know only too well what to expect. I pointed out
that the catalog listed the ventiplanes for $80 each, but the e Face was way
ahead of me. He stated simply that that price was for the upright and frame
only, not the vent window frame or any of the other parts. I should have
known.
I did buy the rivet kit and tool and maybe I'll just learn another new
skill. I have other old cars that need the same work.
Does anybody know of another source for rebuilt ready-to-install
ventiplane assemblies? I have had good luck with Jim Carter - Kelly have ya
got something for me?
Paul O'Neil, Hudson29@aol.com
1951 Chevrolet 3600 Pickup Project, See it at:
The Poor Man's Advanced Design Tech Tips Page
http://home.earthlink.net/~conntest47/
Fullerton, California USA
AEROMARK - Need Rubber Stamps or Signs? See:
http://www.aeromark.net
oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
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