# Preffered Parts Distributor



## JohnnyGTO67 (Apr 16, 2021)

Hello All,

I am slowly accumulating all the necessary parts for my 67 GTO restoration. 

The three big parts companies are Ames, OPGI and Year One. Out of these three which would you guys recommend to use if I wanted to buy ALL the chrome, interior, lights, wiring harnesses, screws/bolts/nuts, etc. in one order.

I have noticed that OPGI currently has 20% off for select parts for July 4th. Ames seems to have 3% off for orders over $500. Any suggestions before I abuse my credit card?

John


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## armyadarkness (Dec 7, 2020)

It's really based on the parts themselves. Ames and Year One have long been serving the resto crowd, and OPGI has served me well, too. Beware of sales. IME, nothing that you want is ever included in the sale items.


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## Lemans guy (Oct 14, 2014)

Ames usually has the best selection overall. But I use them and year one, OPGI, NPD Summit, JEGS, who has the best part at the best deal? In-line tube also and The Right stuff on Brakes, American Auto wire on harnesses and everything that RobbMC sells, starters etc is great.


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## michaelfind (Dec 14, 2018)

I trust Ames the most to be fully honest about quality and originality of the parts they offer. They even refuse to sell some parts that are very poorly made. I don't know if the other vendors are that selective.


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## armyadarkness (Dec 7, 2020)

Worst part about Ames is their archaic website... Otherwise theyre great. Inline tube serves me well, as well.


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## NOS Only (Nov 14, 2017)

Ames 100%

Year One has gone bellyup so many times over the years I lost count and OPG is relatively new to the scene compared to the other two.


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## Jim K (Nov 17, 2020)

I trust Ames and have ordered from them numerous times.. In line tube is also a good co. to order from in my opinion. I tried to order from OPGI once. A rally sport remote control mirror. The inner control part was made for a Chevy (even though advertised to fit Pontiac) and did not have the threaded connection so hence it wouldn't work. But they were perfectly fine with the return. I have used NPD and they were excellent to work with. Even did a return/swap when I messed up and order the wrong part.


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## O52 (Jan 27, 2019)

Latest news from Ames is their new website is undergoing final testing. 

Ames, NPD and Inline Tube are my go to vendors. On occasion I use Parts Place and rarely OPG. 
I've been buying from Ames since 1981 or 82. 
Ames sells Parts Place items as well as their own and other quality vendors.
OPG sales prices are everyone else's regular price, or so it seems. And everything you buy from OPG is a "perfect fit" lol.


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## NOS Only (Nov 14, 2017)

The main thing to keep in mind is that there are only a handful of outfits actually making the repop parts available. So what you see at OPG most likely is the identical piece at Ames, Year One, Inline, etc. Therefore it is best to deal with a vendor that has continuously been around and has good customer service.

I LOL when I hear people say that parts from XYZ fit better than parts from ABC when both are actually made by the same company.


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## nick rice (Nov 10, 2014)

Check out NPD and Inline Tube as well.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk


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## michaelfind (Dec 14, 2018)

armyadarkness said:


> Worst part about Ames is their archaic website... Otherwise theyre great. Inline tube serves me well, as well.


True, the website is less than ideal. I love their catalogs. If you don't have one, you should request or download one. They are helpful in many ways, and free. Mine are full of post it notes and highlighter marks for my "wish list." My best experiences with Ames have been calling and talking to them about what I need and what they have to offer. I have talked to a few people there who have "reading it off the screen" answers, but most of the time I talk to a person who tells me how good the part is or is not and how close it is to original. A few times they transfer me to someone else that knows more detail about the things I am considering. You will not get the, "so do you want to place an order or not" attitude. They are generally very honest and helpful. Plus, I have great respect for their dedication to the Pontiac restoration hobby. I fear that if Ames were gone, we would see even further decline of quality in the parts we can find.

To the OP. If you call Ames and pose your question that you initially posted here, I think they will give you a frank and honest answer.


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## NOS Only (Nov 14, 2017)

Catalog and phone

No problem here with getting what I need.

The 'ol skool way never fails.


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## Autie1969GTO (Mar 5, 2019)

armyadarkness said:


> Worst part about Ames is their archaic website... Otherwise theyre great. Inline tube serves me well, as well.


Inline Tube gets some of their parts from Ames. In some cases, you are "paying the middle man"


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## Autie1969GTO (Mar 5, 2019)

"Caveat Emptor" with "The Parts Place". Years ago I purchased a set of repop Hust wheels. One had a 1" scratch/gouge on the face of one of the spokes. I called and talked to one of their representatives and received a "what do you want us to do about it"? attitude. They finally advised me to send the one wheel back, costing ME $50 to return it. Once they received it, they then advised me that they were NOT going to replace it and it would cost me ANOTHER $50 to have it shipped back to me. They had me over a barrel and I paid to have it shipped back.....BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!!!! When I received the damaged wheel back, there was a "new and improved" second LONGER scratch right next to the original scratch! My head exploded. Got on the phone to them and they advised there was nothing they were going to do about it. Soooo, needless to say, that was the last time I ever did business with them. "Buyer beware"


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## Rlamarche1 (Nov 22, 2016)

I have also bought numerous parts from Summit Racing. Mostly for the engine, such as points, plugs, condenser, distributor cap, rotor, coil, plugs, plug wires, fuel pump, voltage regulator. I also purchased Coker redline radials and Cragar SS wheels from them. The tires were the same price as Coker, but Summit didn't charge tax. Also, I ordered the wrong Cragar SS wheels , they wouldn't fit my lug pattern. I called them and told them it was my mistake. They said no problem. There was no charge for shipping them back. I then ordered the correct wheels.


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## CDub67 (Jun 20, 2019)

While I’ve used several vendors, usually for the best cost. But I have an affinity for Ames for all the reasons previously mentioned plus one - I live about 2 hours from them and have saved a bundle on shipping. They’re a smaller operation where everyone knows each other and they’re passionate about Pontiacs. Their catalog is great but the current website leaves a lot to be desired. A new one has been in the works for quite some time and I’m glad to hear it’s close to arrival.


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## PontiacJim (Dec 29, 2012)

You are never really "restoring" your car, period. If you were, you would be hunting down factory or factory GM NOS parts. Price a few of those and then see if you'll be ok with the aftermarket available part.

What you are doing is rebuilding your car to as close as factory. How many people care, or would even know, that the replacement parts was 1/4" off, had a little different shape, wasn't as thick of material as the original, or the pattern was just a little off? You gotta be honest, these are reproduced parts that may or may not fit as factory, but they are not NOS priced and they are the only pieces available and you need them. So if you just need that 1 piece and go aftermarket/repop and insert it next to or with the factory piece, it may stick out like a sore thumb and you are disappointed. BUT, if you bought the complete set, or replaced the "other" side with a matching repop part, you would not notice it. The repop hoods that won't accept the factory scoop inserts comes to mind. But buy the repop hood inserts and they fit well - and who at a car show, gas station, or just driving around is going to know that you have a repop hood with repop scoops?

I use a number of different vendors and I like a deal - cost is what drives my purchase in a lot of instances. These cars are not inexpensive to rebuild or purchase parts for, so I look for a "deal" and that includes the shipping costs. Shipping is a killer and as has been pointed out, if you have to send it back, the vendor will in most cases gladly take it back or exchange it, but you have to pay to ship it back and then re-ship the replacement item back. I have myself ordered a part said to work/fit like original only to find it wasn't even close. But, when I emailed them, they were more than willing to take it back and refund me. The part price was not worth the shipping costs. So how could they have screwed up? My guess is that they don't sell a lot of the parts and so many parts do fit a GM A-body, that this was a part that fell into the "fits Chevelle, GTO, Buick,Olds" and in reality it was for a Chevy. This happens when the vendor offers parts and catalogs for all these A-body and B-body cars. They don't always know 100% that the part will not work unless they sell one and get feedback that it was not correct and would not work.

As pointed out, one supplier may be the only supplier for all the vendors, so it doesn't matter who you purchase from. Other times a specific part is made for and supplied by the selling company and there is no other source as it is part of their product offering and business.

I think for each good experience/recommendation on who to source from, I can find on the internet a bad experience/recommendation as who not to source from. Just do your research and make your best selection based on price/shipping costs and others recommendations or actual photos of the item/part in use. So if you invest 40K in non-GM factory replacement parts and 5 years from now those parts begin to fail, check, fade, crack, break, or wear out, then so be it - you chose not to source factory GM/NOS replacement parts and you did not get the quality/fit that you may have with the GM/NOS parts.

Another source is rock Rock Auto for mechanical/electrical parts. Never got anything bad from them yet and fast shipping. Speedway Motors is another supplier when you are looking for something you may need to fabricate or use a work-around. They focus on hot rod items and hot rodders are fabricators who make things work. Nuts/Bolts/Washer - Tractor Supply sells Grade 8 and Grade 5 items by weight, not "5 to a pack" crap that rapes you. I like to go in there and just fill up with assorted sizes so I have them on-hand. Plus they have many other type fasteners, tools, pieces of sheet metal, etc. if you walk the store. Same goes for Home Depot/Lowes. They have "things" than can sometimes be used or adapted.

Just do the research, get your best bang for the buck, and just because you get 1 bad part does not mean the vendor sucks, it may have been just the 1 part that sucked - again, you didn't want to go NOS or pay a Pontiac junk yard vendors price, so deal with it.


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## NOS Only (Nov 14, 2017)

Or you can ask yourself.....

Are you building a "Pontiac" GTO or a "Chiwanese" GTO


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## GTOTIGR (May 3, 2020)

Autie1969GTO said:


> "Caveat Emptor" with "The Parts Place". Years ago I purchased a set of repop Hust wheels. One had a 1" scratch/gouge on the face of one of the spokes. I called and talked to one of their representatives and received a "what do you want us to do about it"? attitude. They finally advised me to send the one wheel back, costing ME $50 to return it. Once they received it, they then advised me that they were NOT going to replace it and it would cost me ANOTHER $50 to have it shipped back to me. They had me over a barrel and I paid to have it shipped back.....BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!!!! When I received the damaged wheel back, there was a "new and improved" second LONGER scratch right next to the original scratch! My head exploded. Got on the phone to them and they advised there was nothing they were going to do about it. Soooo, needless to say, that was the last time I ever did business with them. "Buyer beware"
> [/QUOTE
> 
> Good advice Autie1969GTO! I will not buy from “The Parts Place” for the same reasons you’ve shared.
> ...


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## Autie1969GTO (Mar 5, 2019)

I just wish I had known about The Parts Place before I purchased $2,500 wheels. I am sure whoever put the second scratch on the wheel got a good chuckle because it was 100% deliberate. The wheels are still in the boxes for apprx 15-20 years(? or whenever they first came into re-production) with two big scratches on the one, that cannot be fully sanded/buffed out w/o indenting/deforming the face of the spoke. It looks so bad, I never mounted them and stuck with Cragar SS. That is why every opportunity I get, whether it was through my old car club, car shows, forums, random conversations with muscle car enthusiasts, I tell my experience so someone else doesn't get burned by them.


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## 67ventwindow (Mar 3, 2020)

I saw a LeMans deck lid on Ebay out in California. I read they were parting it out So I called they and they sent me pictures. I cherry picked parts I need and they cut off and sent them. So I picked up custom patch panels cheap. I try to stay with dealer with good return policies, Purchased a electronic turn signal sequencer to replace the manual original. Ordered a 67 sequencer and received a 67 unfortunately my 67 cougar has 68 sequencer which has all different connectors.May have been a dealer repair back in the day. I dont know. They asked if I wanted and refund but gave me the option of splicing it in. Emailed me the shipping label and back it went. Ordered a VW steering damper. It showed up broke, Good thing cause it was cracked during manufacture the crack was old 3/4 the way through the rod. I find the same stuff ordering for my 2000 something Nissan or toyota. Still I cant fathom paying a premium for 50 yr old parts that may or may not be good.I already did that. Hey but my tractor has been restored. I know some one is repopping parts. LOL so II get the best available part and go with it.


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## RMTZ67 (Mar 12, 2011)

15 years ago when I redid my Gto I bought eighty percent all at once from OPGI because of the deal and ship. Can't say nothing bad about what I recieved. All upholstery still going strong other parts as well. When I buy single parts I go to ebay which includes parts place and others with free shipping.


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## JohnnyGTO67 (Apr 16, 2021)

armyadarkness said:


> Worst part about Ames is their archaic website... Otherwise theyre great. Inline tube serves me well, as well.


Agreed completely,

Any Web Developers willing to lend a hand to update the rather outdated HTML?!

Ames is remarkable--dont get me wrong, but OPGI's website is far superior.


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## O52 (Jan 27, 2019)

I'd rather put up with an old website than pay outrageous prices. 
New website is coming, just be patient.


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## [email protected] (Oct 5, 2015)

NOS Only said:


> The main thing to keep in mind is that there are only a handful of outfits actually making the repop parts available. So what you see at OPG most likely is the identical piece at Ames, Year One, Inline, etc. Therefore it is best to deal with a vendor that has continuously been around and has good customer service.
> 
> I LOL when I hear people say that parts from XYZ fit better than parts from ABC when both are actually made by the same company.


I'm late to this thread (just happened to be passing-thru), and I'm going to try and avoid gratuitous self-promotion, but I WILL point out that the whole "only a handful of outfits actually making the repop parts available" thing is far more complicated than you'd imagine.

Certainly, especially for GTO (which isn't necessarily as high-volume and hence competitive as say Chevelle), there are many instances where only one company is reproducing, or effecting the reproduction of, a specific item. Yes this is the case sometimes.

But we're talking about thousands of different parts here, and a myriad of different categories where choices and best-quality-sourcing really does make a difference, and really does separate one supplier from the other from the other. Upholstery, power top repair/restoration, brakes, suspension, steering, cooling, fuel system, exhaust, tranny/axle, wiring/electrical, heat/AC, in certain cases sheet metal, weatherstripping, a good number of moldings/trim.... All of those categories are absolutely rife with various manufactures and qualities and sources and crap/good/better/best options available on the market.

We (NPD) have over a dozen different catalogs, so we're not just GTO. But still, just consider this fact. We currently buy from over *1,200* different manufacturers and distributors. Just let that sink in. Just for restoration parts and accessories. That's a far cry from just a handful.

So yeah, there's some stuff that Steve Ames did, and to this day no one's developed a competing piece. Same for Parts Place. Same for Trim Parts. But that's just "some stuff", it's a serious minority when considering the totality of our GTO catalog.

That's all I had to say!! I'm just happy to see us included here and there in the discussion! And yeah, "sales".... 30%-off a part priced at $100 at one place, and 0%-off the same part priced at $70 elsewhere, is all the same price.


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## Kelly Rowe (Feb 10, 2021)

JohnnyGTO67 said:


> Hello All,
> 
> I am slowly accumulating all the necessary parts for my 67 GTO restoration.
> 
> ...


I would stay away from OPGI. Many times I’ve received parts that are Not what the online catalog showed or they were defective and I had to ship them back at my cost. Like many others here, Ames is the go to, with NPD, Chicago Muscle Cars, Summit and Inline Tube being great options.


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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

JohnnyGTO67 said:


> Hello All,
> 
> I am slowly accumulating all the necessary parts for my 67 GTO restoration.
> 
> ...


AMES! The best.


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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

JohnnyGTO67 said:


> Agreed completely,
> 
> Any Web Developers willing to lend a hand to update the rather outdated HTML?!
> 
> Ames is remarkable--dont get me wrong, but OPGI's website is far superior.


Send for their printed catalog....AMES is a top notch company.


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## gtomike455 (May 24, 2020)

JohnnyGTO67 said:


> Hello All,
> 
> I am slowly accumulating all the necessary parts for my 67 GTO restoration.
> 
> ...


most of these parts come from the same manufacturer. not all body parts fit perfect, buy used original parts if possible. here's another part supplier call classic2current. www.c2cfabrication.com. good luck.


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## SLSTEVE (Dec 8, 2020)

JohnnyGTO67 said:


> Hello All,
> 
> I am slowly accumulating all the necessary parts for my 67 GTO restoration.
> 
> ...


I was in your exact same position last November. Although I have been a GM lover for years, this was my first Pontiac, and I knew nothing about the preferred vendors. So I procured all of the appropriate catalogs and started comparing. OPGI had a big sale going on so I bought a gas tank and a bunch of other sale items that I knew I would be needing at some point in the build. Noticed right off the bay that a bunch of the stuff didn’t seem to be quality parts. I dealt with it but was getting exasperated. Took me all day to get the rag joint onto the steering box, the windshield washer bracket wouldn’t work, the motor mounts were all rusty, etc. sSo I sent a bunch of stuff back to OPGI on my dime. Then I came to the gas tank installation. Sorry to the guys that have already endured this story before, but, since I had bought the gas tank because it was on sale 5 months prior to the actual installation, it was ineligible for a return. Never mind the fact that it wasn’t the correct tank for a 65 GTO. Don’t know what it was for but I know it wasn’t going to fit in my car. Pleaded my case to the customer service lady and she said they would make an exception in my case. But I had to pay shipping AND a 20% restocking fee! For the incorrect part! So I would have gotten less than half of what I paid for it. Refuse to buy from OPGI again.


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## Gtowally (Jan 19, 2019)

NOS Only said:


> Ames 100%
> 
> Year One has gone bellyup so many times over the years I lost count and OPG is relatively new to the scene compared to the other two.


Ames was bought by Year One when Steve sold it, as far as I know they still own it. Correct me if someone knows different.
I use Ames because I live in NH 45 miles from the store and will usually drive over and pick up my parts if it’s a hefty order, my days of hefty orders are about done but it was convenient when I was buying quarter skins and hoods


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## O52 (Jan 27, 2019)

My understanding is that Steve sold the retail side of the business to an employee, Kevin Beal in 2004. Ames then bought/merged with Performance Years a few years ago.


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## NOS Only (Nov 14, 2017)

Gtowally said:


> Ames was bought by Year One when Steve sold it, as far as I know they still own it. Correct me if someone knows different.
> I use Ames because I live in NH 45 miles from the store and will usually drive over and pick up my parts if it’s a hefty order, my days of hefty orders are about done but it was convenient when I was buying quarter skins and hoods


Steve (RIP) was a personal friend since about 1980. He did not sell out to Year One



O52 said:


> My understanding is that Steve sold the retail side of the business to an employee, Kevin Beal in 2004. Ames then bought/merged with Performance Years a few years ago.


You are 100% correct. Although I don't know about it being 2004. I seem to recall later than that. But then, time flies when you get past 50. Kevin was a longtime employee of Steve's.


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## Gtowally (Jan 19, 2019)

O52 said:


> My understanding is that Steve sold the retail side of the business to an employee, Kevin Beal in 2004. Ames then bought/merged with Performance Years a few years ago.


You are right, it was performance years I mis spoke, for some reason I get the 2 confused. 72 next month….it’s getting worse. Gotta tell ya, the 60’s were a lot of fun but I think I’m paying for them now


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## michaelfind (Dec 14, 2018)

Gtowally said:


> You are right, it was performance years I mis spoke, for some reason I get the 2 confused. 72 next month….it’s getting worse. Gotta tell ya, the 60’s were a lot of fun but I think I’m paying for them now


You make me laugh and remember that scene in the animated Cars movie. The old army jeep says to the hippie VW bus, "the sixties weren't good to you, were they?"


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## Baaad65 (Aug 29, 2019)

The Parts Place is 20 minutes from me, one time I got good help from the owner on four speed linkage but other than that they are kind of jerks who don't want to give the time of day, they gave me the wrong GTO name plate under the grab handle and argued with me even when I showed them a picture, he goes and checks and someone put them in the wrong box! Also tried to get some parts during covid that would fit in an envelope and they wouldn't let me do curbside pickup wanted 10.00 to ship it 20 miles! They have a lot of used parts there too but when I offered him my complete '65 rally gauge dash in good condition he snubbed his nose and said we sell new ones...ya you mean Chinese reproduction's, funny thing is I bought a reproduction dash from OPGI and it was stamped Parts Place but I got it cheaper than the Parts Place !


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## O52 (Jan 27, 2019)

I'm just a few years behind you Wally. And you're right. Twenty-five years of 'sucking it up' in the military, I'm paying now for all the abuse I put my body through in those days. 
Ah, but we were invincible then, right? LOL


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## Baaad65 (Aug 29, 2019)

Does anyone remember Bob's Pontiac Parts, that's who I used in the '80's


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## NOS Only (Nov 14, 2017)

Baaad65 said:


> Does anyone remember Bob's Pontiac Parts, that's who I used in the '80's


Absolutely!

How about Reddin's Relics?


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## Baaad65 (Aug 29, 2019)

Nope, but I bought stuff like a whole quarter plus part of the roof from my dad's Hemmings Motor News catalogs for my '67...man that printing was small 😆


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## Baaad65 (Aug 29, 2019)

Ram Air Restorations has some nice stuff but just can't compete with the big dogs like Summit and Jegs, saw my new seats in OPGI for 1300.00 plus shipping and handling Car ID had them for about the same then I plugged the part number into Summit and they were 960.00 free shipping no handling, I had to call and ask if that was for one seat they said nope so that's what I did. A lot of companies have their stuff on Ebay and I buy a lot on there but make sure it's apples to apples or the people selling have a real good rating and I only buy if it's in the states, bought my complete rear end, my motor, the intake, and carb and a lot more on Ebay and they all worked out well...hell I bought my car on Ebay sight unseen, probably won't do that again but I couldn't get out to Jersey and the bid was up in two days when I saw it so I talked to the guys a few times and studied the many pictures but didn't help as they lied through their teeth and there was so much wrong with the car I had to call in Ebay and threaten a lawsuit before I got 5000.00 back on the car then trashed them in my feedback, they weren't to happy with me after that but I've been able to fix and customize everything the right way and my way so maybe it was a blessing and it had everything I wanted...the ext color the interior color, 4 spd, power steering so I guess if everything was perfect on it I wouldn't have a hobby By the way the dealer was King of Kars in Woodward NJ...stay away !!!


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## NOS Only (Nov 14, 2017)

Baaad65 said:


> Nope, but I bought stuff like a whole quarter plus part of the roof from my dad's Hemmings Motor News catalogs for my '67...man that printing was small 😆


Ahhhhhh…… Hemmings Motor News

Major source for parts prior to the interweb. I signed up for Hemmings around 1980, even went to their place in Bennington, VT. I would still be a subscriber if one of their sales idiots wasn't a dick at Carlisle one year.


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