Parts supplier recommendations - 1957 Oval

[gliderman]

Hello:

In 5 weeks, I retire from my professional career and plan to devote my time to finish a long delayed, pan-off restoration of a 1957 Oval that I began 40+ years ago. Having been out of the parts loop for this car since the mid 1990's, I am interested in current recommendations for quality parts suppliers for this car, particularly rubber seals, rear axle boots, etc.

Gliderman
'57 Oval (under resto)
'79 California Westy since 1990; 100%-original, unmolested.
'88 964 C4

[Yustrn]

West Coast Metric for any window rubber and trim and WolfsburgWest for everything else.
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I own a copy of "The Car of the Century" by Garwood. This means I am authorized to act like a twat in thesamba forums.

[sunroof]

Don't forget Wolfparts for body panels.

Don
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Better and better mistakes!

[txoval]

Also the classifieds here…some parts aren’t made anymore…find good originals that can be restored

56-57 is much easier than 53-55-1/2

[esde]

https://restorationpanels.com
nothing but top notch products.
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modok wrote:
Bent cranks are silent but gather no moss. I mean, ah, something like that.

[markendee]

Howdy Tim,

One thing I now know is not to buy anything online unless I know someone who has had luck with that supplier.

I have bought a great many things through the net (can't buy them from a retailer even in a big market such as Melbourne (Aus) thanks to the internet putting them out of business) that have been no good. Has cost me dearly with this build, whole different thing when you buy from a shop who sort out the rubbish for us and who you can talk to if a part is not what you expected.

We have a retail chain here that sells aftermarket parts for the older popular Australian makes which is a franchise and a shopfront - whole different experience.

Our biggest online supplier of VW parts here in Australia does not take phone calls or answer emails - how good is that?

Tread carefully.
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1954 Beetle. 1972 Statesman Deville. 1978 Suzuki GT750.

[sunroof]

I can not agree that restorationpanels are top notch. I used several of them in my build and they all required hours of modification to fit. Especially disappointing was the drivers side A pillar. The lower hinge mount was in the wrong place and required many hours and much cutting and welding to get it so I could mount the door.

In order to make the right rear quarter fit I had to pie cut the bottom and weld in a strip to widen it. Also I had to relocate the fender bolt.

Once I got it fitted in place I discovered that the crease was in the wrong place and I had to hammer and dolly it over a bit to get the fender to bolt up correctly.

The only panels I bought that fit up consistently without issue were Wolfparts. This large piece fit like a glove:

Wow.

If only others cared as much as Wolf!

Don
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Better and better mistakes!

[Matts Bug Parts]

I have been selling here on the Samba for well over 20 years with a specialty in oval and split parts and especially semaphores and oval grill clocks.

While the Feedback forum offers some insight into sellers it can also be quite skewed. One of the largest advertisers in the split and oval parts classifieds has very good feedback yet most of my customers relate very big issues with the quality of many of the parts mirroring my own experience with them.

They are reluctant to provide feedback in case, in the future, they need to get an otherwise unavailable part from them. It is also the case that some customers may not know how to assess the quality of parts. Lastly, there seems to be some reluctance to provide negative or constructive feedback on public forums.

Feel free to contact me directly for frank feedback about this.

Matt

[painters]

anyone know where to get the heater pipes that come through from the engine bay into the passenger compartment under the rear seat?

Does anyone reproduce these? They look like a small catalytic coverter.

[scotty timmerman]

[sunroof]

[painters]

Thanks Don, got them ordered. See how long they take to get here to the US from Sweden!

[D. Haviland]

As far as axle boots go, if you can put the seamless type on, that's the way to go. The split type (not split window) only last 2 years on my '57. My zwitter has the seamless ones and they've been on there for over 10 years with no issue.

[sunroof]