Anyone use longitudinals from Automotion.com?

[mr white]

Its my understanding that longitudinal panels from Stoddards fit pretty good for pre A cars. I am considering buying a pair from Automotion.com. The price is about the same. Has anyone used them before? Any fitment issues?

[bbspdstr]

I would ask major shops that may have experience with early models if they could share comparisons in vendors. I would offer that if I could, but it has been too long since I needed to purchase "pre"-A parts.

I will hazard a guess that Automotion is reselling longitudinals of any model and even those you can buy from Stoddard may be the same as those from Automotion and still not be their own proprietary versions.

What can be frustrating is shopping "price" and finding the labor to actually fit a part far surpasses the added cost of a better-made part. Suddenly, a few more dollars up front looks like a bargain!

Hopefully, you can find someone who can and will share their experience...if not by a comparison but at least that a certain vendor's parts fit their similar 356...which, perhaps, would be wise to share with your request.
_________________
Bruce Baker
www.356restoration.com

[mr white]

Thank you for your reply Sir!
I suspect the Stoddard and Automotion longitudinals are from the same source. I have heard that Zims is hands down best fitting longitudinals. My main concern is getting the most bang for the buck,hence the inquiry.

[dawerks]

[bbspdstr]

Professionals, if I may speak for them, try most 356 sheetmetal parts and panels from most vendors and find that each vendor has good and bad parts. Once discovered, we buy those that are "good" from each vendor, so is looks like we are being (my favorite word of late) "ecumenical." Very rarely is price a consideration unless the original source is known for a part and several vendors are reselling it and there is a price difference from one to another and the maker of that part is not a vendor direct to the 356 community.
Most important is the feedback to the vendors by those who have actually used the parts from all and gained the experience of what fits and what doesn't, whether they be those who contract with a supplier or make the parts in-house.
In my past, when we ran out of Porsche supply (now known as "NOS") and before reproductions were commonly available (and those that were were generally crude), we'd make our own. THAT was expensive compared to what's available now. The parts have gotten better, due, I'm sure, to the increased values of the 356s.
I am reminded of this now when I do a re-re-restoration with about 6mm of Bondo in the middle of a rocker under the door to form the curve of the door OR the door skin is flat at the bottom to match the straight rocker repro...T/G the latest rockers are formed with a curve on the vertical, as it's difficult to order them in pieces as I used to do. I still make my own pieces of front and rear fender next to a door on a hammer-form, as I have found no commercially available piece to be as good and those don't take too long to make.
The 'bottom line' is sharing online what works and what doesn't and giving polite feedback to vendors who generally want complete customer satisfaction but do NOT install themselves the parts they sell.
_________________
Bruce Baker
www.356restoration.com