AMD's response to discontinuing some MoPar product

-
Seems a lot of people defending AMD's decision. I get that they need to be profitable, but maybe if they didn't charge Mopar people way more than other makes, we could buy more. I paid $500 for a 69Dart fender. I saw 67 F100 fender for $180. My 64 Sport Fury quarters were $650 each. How much does a quarter for a Chevelle cost?
 
You can please some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time.
 
Seems a lot of people defending AMD's decision. I get that they need to be profitable, but maybe if they didn't charge Mopar people way more than other makes, we could buy more. I paid $500 for a 69Dart fender. I saw 67 F100 fender for $180. My 64 Sport Fury quarters were $650 each. How much does a quarter for a Chevelle cost?

Right! Plus, their parts are often poor fitting at best. I mean, I know body panels can never be perfect, simply because no two cars are the same, but some of the panels I've seen were pretty bad.
 
I just read a post on fakebook from AMD. They said they are dropping the slow moves to make room. However they stated they are keeping all the tooling just in case the demand picks up and they can do another run of parts that they previously discontinued
 
Seems a lot of people defending AMD's decision. I get that they need to be profitable, but maybe if they didn't charge Mopar people way more than other makes, we could buy more. I paid $500 for a 69Dart fender. I saw 67 F100 fender for $180. My 64 Sport Fury quarters were $650 each. How much does a quarter for a Chevelle cost?
I hear ya
 
I just read a post on fakebook from AMD. They said they are dropping the slow moves to make room. However they stated they are keeping all the tooling just in case the demand picks up and they can do another run of parts that they previously discontinued
That's awesome, so what I posted (the interview with AMD) from the very beginning is approved by fakebook. I love it when the truth is revealed.
 
Do we know what parts they are discontinuing? The 70-74 a body cars sold like crazy. Now that the prices are finally coming up on these cars, it seems more people than ever may be restoring them. I would think with the shear number of a bodies out there, it would make good business sense to keep producing quarters and fenders etc.
 
Back in Missouri I had rust free cheap projects, drivers, some even with all body/paint work done, not perfect show cars but plenty decent cars, etc... it always amazed me how people in the rust belt, in general, refused to buy and pay shipping for these cars. They were be priced at the local going price, which was always cheap enough.
Car guys are funny. Mopar car guys are funnier yet! Yep, I am one of the funny one!! lol
 
Just to be straight up with you, I have nothing against you or your opinions, as a matter of fact, I like your posts and the discussions they create!

Oh, I know what you are saying, and I agree with it.............to a point.
I work at a plant that produces products (mainly Canola oil, shortening, and margarine) and we have runs of 10,000 units per week to 300 per month.
The volume ones are the most profitable for sure, but the low volume ones are still deemed necessary to keep the customers happy.
To my employer, it is all about keeping the wheels turning and producing something instead of the machines sitting idle, and to keep people moving.
My point is, that sometimes companies need to cater to the low volume stuff to keep their name out there even if the profit margin isn't that high, and that is what keeps the consumers happy............to a point.
Also, by having a wider variety of products for sale, there is potential for future growth to the low volume buyers if they decide to expand their product line and grow their business, and then they are the first ones to approach the company that provided the short runs with their increased needs. I've seen it happen several times in the 18 years that I have worked there.

Sure, supply and demand shapes companies and their profits, but if a company like AMD sells (for example) Nova fenders like hotcakes, then why produce the slower moving parts for the same car (or other cars) at all?
There wouldn't be as much profit in them as the fenders.
They do produce the other parts as well to support the fender sales, and to keep the consumer happy buying their brand exclusively.
It needs to be more rounded to keep the customers happy and buying their products and only their products.

So, it follows in my opinion that if AMD takes a small hit in profits on quarter panels, then the floor pans etc. will still sell because people are more apt to save cars and fix them if you can get reasonably common rust out or damaged panels for them.
I'm sure you remember the days of when there was NOTHING available for Mopars in general when it came to body panels, and your only option was to go to a junk yard (or 20) and scrounge for parts.
This of course was way before the internet!
Just think of all the cars parted out and crushed because it's all that there was to choose from.
(Again, supply and demand)
Now, we are blessed with a lot of reproduction parts for our cars, and that's awesome because the older cars in junk yards have all but dried up now...........

You won't have the demand if you don't have the supply, it's a vicious circle...........

A good example of my point is with the new(ish) Trick Flow heads for Mopars.
I'm sure that they sell a lot more heads to Chevrolet and Ford guys, but they tapped into the Chrysler market i'm sure to take away business from Edelbrock and others, and continue their name and to build their market share.
They have arguably the best product out there at this time for the money.
Why did they do this?
My speculation is it's the same as what AMD did, they were willing to take a chance on tapping into a market hoping that a lot of people wanted better quality parts for their builds, and were willing to pay more for them.
Brand name marketing at it's best!

Who knows what the future of cars and parts will bring with us baby boomers getting too old to restore cars or dying off?
I guess time will tell............
Good discussions and if I can poke a couple holes in your discussion respectfully then let me add a couple of my opinions on what you're saying...
I too have worked in production like you we're talking about the canola oil or margarine. I worked as a lab technician at a bottling plant that made Rockstar and those kind of energy drinks. we would have long big runs that would last days on end or something that would last only a half-day or less. Changing the tooling in canning machines and stuff like that could sometimes take up to 2 hours to a half-day themselves which would all have to be taken into consideration or passed on to the consumer.. I have a feeling that changing tooling isn't quite that simple when you're talking body panels..
And when you talk about keeping customers happy just like that's pointed out I mean how many of us have actually order a fender for a Duster??.. I've been working on a 65 GTO where we've changed both the rear fenders the trunk and the rear tail light panel and these fenders are nothing like what came off the car. Don't touch them or they'll get a dent! They're not the same measurements and they don't have the same hardlines as the factory ones did.. For me personally I have a whole field full of factory a-bodys less than 50 miles away at a wrecking yard... And after having this car I think I have extra doors and extra right fender three hoods and extra trunk lids LOL...
Kind of my point is with the production we were talking about canola oil and Rockstar, people who don't drive cars people who drive Ford Chevy Priuses and everything use those products... When we're talking body parts we're getting down to the specifics.. I would think more of the bigger e bodies and b bodies were crushed back in the gas crunch days..
And here's another scenario of it being worth the money. My 65 GTO customer his last car was a El Camino. by the time he had 20K into the El Camino it was worth 20K. Now if you put 20K into this GTO it's going to be worth double that. if we put 20K into a duster we'd be lucky to get 15. If we put 20K into a challenger well you know the numbers on that...
Even though our a bodies are getting harder to find they're still not bringing any kind of good money.. and most of the people are who are asking for it, are still asking for it and are dreamers..
 
Seems a lot of people defending AMD's decision. I get that they need to be profitable, but maybe if they didn't charge Mopar people way more than other makes, we could buy more. I paid $500 for a 69Dart fender. I saw 67 F100 fender for $180. My 64 Sport Fury quarters were $650 each. How much does a quarter for a Chevelle cost?
My 65 GTO customer I believe paid near 800 for his fender but I do believe that included shipping... Which has to happen..
 
I'm defending them, but I'm not defending them LOL. After working with their product I would not hesitate to pay a couple hundred dollars more than they're asking for a factory fender in great condition...
 
Take your pic... (Excuse the pun)
Screenshot_20200308-085233.png
 
j par heres the thing with the A body stuff, and I am sure I am not the only one, I do this for the love of the vehicle, not how much $$$s i can wring out of it when it's done. I dont intend to sell my 67. And the one my son and I are building for him are about making memories. Neither one is particularly valuable. One was a slant sux, one was a 318. Will be nice cars when done. The only A body cars that are worth any real money are the M code 440 car . Or the 383 cars, or to a lesser extent the 340 cars, however theres still a lot of people out there building slant cars and 318 cars and turning them into clones, or customs or whatever.

My sons car was a stripped out ex drag car shell on wheels. I am glad AMD is around to provide what we had to purchase to reverse the damage from aluminum tubs, and the typical floor rust. We ended up buying from AMD a main floor, trunk floor, outer wheel houses, trunk drops, rear valance, dutchman, front valance, front and rear bumpers, and stainless rain gutter trim. Quarter skins and a battery tray from goodmark. A transition pan and inner wheel houses I got used from a scamp. We also got a bunch of other used pieces to replace missing or hacked up stuff we got from fabo members.

By all rights this car should have been junked. But a $300 buy in for it with papers was cheap enough. Then little by little the parts just kinda fell into place at the right time. Barracuda stuff isnt cheap, nor plentiful. A lot of work we are doing on a 318 notchback for sure, but it's fun, and I'm not in it for the money. You never make money restoring a car. If you are wanting to do that, find another line of work. If you do it as a hobbiest, then great, you dont count the dollars or time that goes into it then.
 
Last edited:
I say 90% of the Mopar people are hobbiest, no matter what model,A,B,E,F,C,R whatever. Sure the 70 383 Cuda guy spends $$ more freely than the slant Duster guy. The more desirable a car, the faster the owner will spend $ but he can spend to the amount the car is worth too real quick. We spend the $ and do the work because we enjoy it. But NO ONE enjoys putting all such in a classic car and if the time comes for what ever reason, sell it at a loss.
Since the 80'many s Mopars have come and gone for me . One day whatever cars are still here, my heirs will cash in for whatever $. I have always pretty much bought projects, builders, and I was always darn sure I bought it for what I thought such was worth, I do all the work so I work for free, but IF I get to a point where I think I am about to go upside down on a car, I stop!!!! So far I have always been able to at least get me $ back, out even those totally done. But I usually worked for free! Many $2 an hour, maybe.
But I buy pretty solid cars, and I fab what I can and never have had to buy very few repop qtrs. and never a repop fender etc. Frugale. Example: I rebuild old OEM carbs, never buy the newest and best because no one wants to pay for it if you sell. It all adds up! and.... They want it for free! lol
 
At the end of the day, you get what you pay for, I put off shore quarter panels on the 70 Dart Custom that I had, left side was a good fit and strong lines, but still not the same gauge as original, but the right side had a very weak body line in the center, that always kind of bugged me. That was all that was available when I did that car in the 1990's, so I learned to live with it, at least I didn't have to see it every time I got in the driver's seat.
By comparison, my brother paid huge $$$ for NOS quarters and fenders for a 1965 Mustang GT he did in the 1980's, and another guy I knew paid close to $1000.00 for an NOS fender for a 1968 Shelby GT500 around the same time I paid $275.00 each for the quarter panels for my Dart.
 
j par heres the thing with the A body stuff, and I am sure I am not the only one, I do this for the love of the vehicle, not how much $$$s i can wring out of it when it's done. I dont intend to sell my 67. And the one my son and I are building for him are about making memories. Neither one is particularly valuable. One was a slant sux, one was a 318. Will be nice cars when done. The only A body cars that are worth any real money are the M code 440 car . Or the 383 cars, or to a lesser extent the 340 cars, however theres still a lot of people out there building slant cars and 318 cars and turning them into clones, or customs or whatever.

My sons car was a stripped out ex drag car shell on wheels. I am glad AMD is around to provide what we had to purchase to reverse the damage from aluminum tubs, and the typical floor rust. We ended up buying from AMD a main floor, trunk floor, outer wheel houses, trunk drops, rear valance, dutchman, front valance, front and rear bumpers, and stainless rain gutter trim. Quarter skins and a battery tray from goodmark. A transition pan and inner wheel houses I got used from a scamp. We also got a bunch of other used pieces to replace missing or hacked up stuff we got from fabo members.

By all rights this car should have been junked. But a $300 buy in for it with papers was cheap enough. Then little by little the parts just kinda fell into place at the right time. Barracuda stuff isnt cheap, nor plentiful. A lot of work we are doing on a 318 notchback for sure, but it's fun, and I'm not in it for the money. You never make money restoring a car. If you are wanting to do that, find another line of work. If you do it as a hobbiest, then great, you dont count the dollars or time that goes into it then.
I wasn't intending to make this into a for-profit kind of discussion. But when you're running a business making parts that is probably the only discussion. Even if you're making some lesser parts to make customers happy in the end it's all to make the profit. I'm well aware that these cars don't make money. Your time is always lost and not appreciated. I have plenty of my own stories and a truck for sale as well.... you've got to understand the vast majority are not like you and are willing to put any amount of money into a car just for the Love of it. I help people restore their cars and not very many of them understand that in order to have the car the way they want it they're going to have to put more into it then it's worth and throw their time in the garbage. The most just can't see through that....
 
That's at Wildcat auto wreckers in Sandy, Oregon I assume?
I was told that they had a lot of good stuff still............
They're not "in" Sandy, but about a eight to ten mile drive through country roads up into the mountains away from there...
The people are nice and the parts are plentiful but when you get a price quote hold on to your shorts! LOL...
 
Good discussions and if I can poke a couple holes in your discussion respectfully then let me add a couple of my opinions on what you're saying...
I too have worked in production like you we're talking about the canola oil or margarine. I worked as a lab technician at a bottling plant that made Rockstar and those kind of energy drinks. we would have long big runs that would last days on end or something that would last only a half-day or less. Changing the tooling in canning machines and stuff like that could sometimes take up to 2 hours to a half-day themselves which would all have to be taken into consideration or passed on to the consumer.. I have a feeling that changing tooling isn't quite that simple when you're talking body panels..
And when you talk about keeping customers happy just like that's pointed out I mean how many of us have actually order a fender for a Duster??.. I've been working on a 65 GTO where we've changed both the rear fenders the trunk and the rear tail light panel and these fenders are nothing like what came off the car. Don't touch them or they'll get a dent! They're not the same measurements and they don't have the same hardlines as the factory ones did.. For me personally I have a whole field full of factory a-bodys less than 50 miles away at a wrecking yard... And after having this car I think I have extra doors and extra right fender three hoods and extra trunk lids LOL...
Kind of my point is with the production we were talking about canola oil and Rockstar, people who don't drive cars people who drive Ford Chevy Priuses and everything use those products... When we're talking body parts we're getting down to the specifics.. I would think more of the bigger e bodies and b bodies were crushed back in the gas crunch days..
And here's another scenario of it being worth the money. My 65 GTO customer his last car was a El Camino. by the time he had 20K into the El Camino it was worth 20K. Now if you put 20K into this GTO it's going to be worth double that. if we put 20K into a duster we'd be lucky to get 15. If we put 20K into a challenger well you know the numbers on that...
Even though our a bodies are getting harder to find they're still not bringing any kind of good money.. and most of the people are who are asking for it, are still asking for it and are dreamers..
Great response.
Where I work, the change overs can take up to 4 hours depending on the product and size of the container.
That includes the parts, flushing the tanks, test runs, and minor adjustments.
That is with 4 to 6 people involved, but usually it takes 2 to 3 hours and up to the 4 hours if it is a specialty oil or an export order.
The company I work for just bought the Wesson plant in Memphis in late 2018 to expand their market share in the U.S.
That being said, I don't know for sure what it would take time wise for AMD to set up the tooling to produce a panel, but I doubt that it would take more than the 4 hour window to set up and test run the product.
And you also have to take in consideration that the labor and other plant costs are much lower than in North America to produce these panels including shipping the finished items to Atlanta from China.
That being said, profits are profits, and I don't blame AMD for discontinuing some of the panels that weren't moving at all or were moving very slowly.
And I get it that with volume production it makes sense to focus on manufacturing more of what sells the most and not bother so much with slow moving products.
Were the GTO fenders and quarter panels you used made by AMD?
I have read up on the same problems you encountered with non crisp lines and flimsy metal even warped or wavy panels out of the box (especially fenders) from Goodmark, not AMD.
Sure, AMD panels aren't always perfect for sure, but they tend to be thicker and pretty close to the factory stuff.

And as for dreamers, you are right about that.
A lot of people want say '67 to '69 Barracuda fenders reproduced, but how many would AMD really sell in a year?
Then over the next 5 years following that?
And resale value of A-Bodies in general is not good versus the money and time spent to ''properly'' restore one unless it's a big block or Hemi car.
You people better be in it like me for the love of the hobby, not the money or you are in for a rude awakening.

Sometimes, reality stings like a ***** when it comes to the car hobby............
 
They're not "in" Sandy, but about a eight to ten mile drive through country roads up into the mountains away from there...
The people are nice and the parts are plentiful but when you get a price quote hold on to your shorts! LOL...
Well, on the web site it says Sandy, but I getcha.
And as for the parts prices, most places are like that!
It seems that their project cars aren't priced too badly though, but a lot of them are newer 4 doors or mostly cars that are deemed ''not very desirable'' by most people...........
 
Well, on the web site it says Sandy, but I getcha.
And as for the parts prices, most places are like that!
It seems that their project cars aren't priced too badly though, but a lot of them are newer 4 doors or mostly cars that are deemed ''not very desirable'' by most people...........
I've been there several times but it's been a few years. It's a sight to see for sure. A row of about five or six Dusters up on the nose with the rear end sticking up out of the ground LOL.. the likely see the owner and part of this crew at the swap meet here at the beginning of April and also in July they usually have something at the drag strip at the Mopar Nationals....(Woodburn dragstrip).. if I don't know what to sell a part for or what to buy a part for I will call them and then offer or ask half of what they want.. good rule of thumb...
 
-
Back
Top