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 2Likes
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1
Post By RodKnock
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1
Post By blykins
05-28-2013, 02:22 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Louisville,
KY
Cobra Make, Engine: I'm Cobra-less!
Posts: 9,415
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Not Ranked
Been having a lot of trouble....
I want to offer a sincere apology to my customers for taking longer than quoted on some orders. I have 5 customers on here that I can count right now, and several on the FE forum that have been patiently waiting. I'm sorry, and I'm very thankful for your patience.
If you will allow me to offer up some sort of excuse, I will say that I've been having a horrible time getting parts....pistons....heads.....cranks, you name it. From what I've gathered, a lot of other builders have as well. I've talked to KC and BR here in the past few days and I'm getting the same response.
I don't know if manufacturers have geared down for the economy, or if the beginning of race season has put a hurt on things....or both.
It took me 13 weeks to get a set of pistons from Race-Tec. That's after it took me 4 weeks to get a screwed up set from JE.
I'm waiting on a set of bare TFS TW heads for Cliff Rosson....have been waiting for around 2 months now I think. Same with AFR.
Tried to order a set of FE pistons from Probe and was quoted about 2-3 weeks out. I've had great success with Diamond lately. Ordered 5 sets at a time, and with the exception of one ceramic coated set, I got them all within 4 weeks.
I'm trying guys. I really am. Believe me, I wanna get these engines out and get paid. I can't make money by sitting here looking at them.
Again, thanks for being patient, and I do offer my apologies.
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05-28-2013, 02:51 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: West Bloomfield,
MI
Cobra Make, Engine:
Posts: 717
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Not Ranked
Signing in and backing up Mr. Lykins on this thread.
We are all having similar problems with supply this year - although the vendors in question tend to shift around as we each "hunt" for parts. I am certain that each of us is spending half our work day on the phone hunting instead of getting productive work done.
Its been really frustrating, since I tend to take a vendor's delivery claim & add a week before repeating it to my customers - and then have them miss that later date by weeks - not days.
We all want to get the best price on everything - but just getting the parts themselves has never been the challenge it is today.
__________________
Survival Motorsports
"I can do that....."
Engine Masters Challenge Entries
91 octane - single 4bbl - mufflers
2008 - 429 cid FE HR - 675HP
2007 - 429 cid FE MR - 659HP
2006 - 434 cid FE MR - 678HP
2005 - 505 cid FE MR - 752HP
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05-28-2013, 04:20 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 4,078
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Not Ranked
Brent-better start ordering parts for the aluminum 482 Sheldon's ordering this fall.
I'm sure he's ready to write the deposit check.... 
__________________
Chas.
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05-28-2013, 04:22 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Tempe,AZ-High Point,NC,
AZ
Cobra Make, Engine: Kirkham #684, 482FE, Mike Mccluskey build
Posts: 2,520
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Not Ranked
The product you both put out in the end is well worth it... 
__________________
PRIDEnJOY
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05-28-2013, 05:06 PM
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Senior Club Cobra Member
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Cobra Make, Engine: KMP 539, a Ton of Aluminum
Posts: 9,588
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Not Ranked
Brent, it's all OK with me, as long as it's not my engine you're making excuses for. 
Over the past hundred years, or so, since the Model A and T, parts availability has always been a problem. I can't verify that first hand of course, but Claire, I mean Chas, has been there since the beginning and actually knew Henry Ford. |
05-28-2013, 05:13 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Louisville,
KY
Cobra Make, Engine: I'm Cobra-less!
Posts: 9,415
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Not Ranked
Quote:
Originally Posted by ERA Chas
Brent-better start ordering parts for the aluminum 482 Sheldon's ordering this fall.
I'm sure he's ready to write the deposit check.... |
Patricks engine gets a $5000 "propaganda" fee. He can write a deposit for that first. :-)
At least the Pond blocks are rolling in here in a decent amount of time. I also have plenty of balancer spacers and rear main seals...  |
05-28-2013, 07:05 PM
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Half-Ass Member
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Cobra Make, Engine: ERA #732, 428FE (447 CID), TKO600, Solid Flat Tappet Cam, Tons of Aluminum
Posts: 22,000
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Not Ranked
Quote:
Originally Posted by RodKnock
Brent, it's all OK with me, as long as it's not my engine you're making excuses for. |
I'm with RodKnock on this one; we only care about ourselves.  |
05-28-2013, 07:26 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: West Bloomfield,
MI
Cobra Make, Engine:
Posts: 717
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Not Ranked
Quote:
Originally Posted by blykins
I also have plenty of balancer spacers and rear main seals... |
You have damper spacers? I'm out of those right now.... 
__________________
Survival Motorsports
"I can do that....."
Engine Masters Challenge Entries
91 octane - single 4bbl - mufflers
2008 - 429 cid FE HR - 675HP
2007 - 429 cid FE MR - 659HP
2006 - 434 cid FE MR - 678HP
2005 - 505 cid FE MR - 752HP
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05-28-2013, 09:39 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Bay Area (Peninsula),
CA
Cobra Make, Engine: ERA 427, 427/487 side-oiler
Posts: 1,248
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Not Ranked
Brent, no problem on my end. It will take you less time to build the engine than it will for me to build the car.
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05-29-2013, 12:26 AM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Melbourne,
Vic
Cobra Make, Engine: Some polish thing... With some old engine
Posts: 2,286
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Not Ranked
Ehhh... been waiting my whole life to build this project, a few extra weeks aint going to kill me 
Besides, I'm still sanding aluminum from a filed finish... Trust me, you aint the one slowing me down...
I can think of two pieces of wisdom that apply here:
1) You can't rush perfection (...and you're not exactly cookin' burgers here).
&
2) It's fast FEs we're after, NOT FEs fast!
Take care |
05-29-2013, 07:27 AM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Broken Arrow. OK ( South Tulsa), USA,
OK
Cobra Make, Engine: 66 COBRA FE 427 /4SP. (HCS Coupe w/ 408 Stroker and TKO 600 -sold)
Posts: 5,595
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Not Ranked
Stanley Morton a local builder is having similar problems getting parts together for some of his builds (mostly Drag Race Engines) but parts are slow to arrive. Sometimes I drop in to visit and see what he is dynoing. He told me his turnaround use to be 3-4 weeks but those times have doubled since the first of the year.
__________________
Sunshine, Asphalt and no stop signs...Perfect
"Let's roll"
"Be part of Something Good
......Leave Something Good Behind!"
from CD "Long Road Out of Eden"
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05-29-2013, 08:50 AM
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Half-Ass Member
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Cobra Make, Engine: ERA #732, 428FE (447 CID), TKO600, Solid Flat Tappet Cam, Tons of Aluminum
Posts: 22,000
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Not Ranked
Unfortunately the performance engine building business basically sucks, at least that's what Keith told me. You know, a very wealthy and wise man once told me long ago "never go in to business doing something that you really enjoy." Anyway, make sure you price accordingly and pass on the delay costs to the customer. Nobody stays in business just breaking even... and you've got mouths to feed. |
05-29-2013, 10:17 AM
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Senior Club Cobra Member
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Cobra Make, Engine: KMP 539, a Ton of Aluminum
Posts: 9,588
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Not Ranked
Quote:
Originally Posted by patrickt
You know, a very wealthy and wise man once told me long ago "never go in to business doing something that you really enjoy."
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Being "wealthy and wise" doesn't always bring happiness either. If building engines brings you happiness and peace of mind, then I see absolutely nothing wrong with building engines as your profession.
A famous quote from The Buddha: "Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship." |
05-29-2013, 10:33 AM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Louisville,
KY
Cobra Make, Engine: I'm Cobra-less!
Posts: 9,415
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Not Ranked
There's nothing I don't like about this business. I've also heard that if you work at something you love, it's not a job.
I believe Keith has gotten very downhearted lately, just because of the sheer volume of engines that he's put out. The internet is full of know-it-all's and I think they tend to single him out because his name is everywhere.
Patrick, if you passed on delay costs to the customer, you'd never get another customer...
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05-29-2013, 10:54 AM
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Half-Ass Member
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Cobra Make, Engine: ERA #732, 428FE (447 CID), TKO600, Solid Flat Tappet Cam, Tons of Aluminum
Posts: 22,000
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Not Ranked
Quote:
Originally Posted by RodKnock
Being "wealthy and wise" doesn't always bring happiness...
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The alternative is "poor and dumb," and I see no reason to drag Chas in to this....  |
05-29-2013, 12:23 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Bethesda,
MD
Cobra Make, Engine: CSX 6022, navy blue, period correct 427 SO
Posts: 2,154
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Not Ranked
Quote:
Originally Posted by patrickt
You know, a very wealthy and wise man once told me long ago "never go in to business doing something that you really enjoy."
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Hmmmm. That sounds like a lawyer speaking. 
I think life is WAY too short to spend 8-10 hours a day doing something you don't enjoy, if you can help it.
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“There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.”
www.partskeeper.com
(Less time searching, more time wrenching & driving)
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