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OPGI

Started by tc76ldovert, December 16, 2017, 06:49:03 PM

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tc76ldovert

I am new to Cadillacs with my 76 Eldo vert but have come to realize OPGI never has everything in stock needed to compete a project.

The Tassie Devil(le)

I don't think you will find anyone with everything in stock.   It is a fact of life.   Even the car makers don't have everything, and have to rely on providers to deliver parts in time for production demands.

Bruce. >:D
'72 Eldorado Convertible (LHD)
'70 Ranchero Squire (RHD)
'74 Chris Craft Gull Wing (SH)
'02 VX Series II Holden Commodore SS Sedan
(Past President Modified Chapter)

Past Cars of significance - to me
1935 Ford 3 Window Coupe
1936 Ford 5 Window Coupe
1937 Chevrolet Sports Coupe
1955 Chevrolet Convertible
1959 Ford Fairlane Ranch Wagon
1960 Cadillac CDV
1972 Cadillac Eldorado Coupe

tc76ldovert

I am not restoring it I just washed to repair the quarter windows tracks and rollers. They don't have the parts to do two windows. While going through the website looking at Cadillac specific parts they typically are not stock items.

Barry M Wheeler #2189

One thing you have to realize is that Cadillacs are few and far between compared to Chevrolets, or even Buicks. You can't got to Amazon.com and expect to get everything you need "just like that." Just because you "want" the parts doesn't mean that there is enough need for someone to reproduce them and make money in the process. So, you're going to have to hunt around for this and that. In any case, welcome. You have a fine car to enjoy.
Barry M. Wheeler #2189


1981 Cadillac Seville
1991 Cadillac Seville

chrisntam

1970 Deville Convertible 
Dallas, Texas

cadillacmike68

^^ They won't have everything either, but keep looking. fleabay works in many cases. You should also get a copy of hemmings from the newsstand / bookstore. I get it about twice a year.
Regards,
"Cadillac" Mike

David Greenburg

More than some other vendors, it does seem like a lot of OPGI’s catalog is on backorder. But I have found that if you ask, they are pretty upfront about how long you can expect to wait.
David Greenburg
'60 Eldorado Seville
'61 Fleetwood Sixty Special

D.Smith

#7
Quote from: chrisntam on December 16, 2017, 10:41:14 PM
Try USA Parts.

http://www.usapartssupply.com/cadillac.php

I would ask club members about experiences with them before using them.   Hint hint.

D.Smith

You may also try to see if some parts cross fit other GM car lines.   Like Olds and Buick.

Some parts are shared.     Fusick in East Windsor, CT has been helpful. 

https://www.fusickautomotiveproducts.com/


tc76ldovert

I am not looking to complain or give them a bad name but I think it ticked me of because I went through my order over the phone with a helpful guy but didn't realize half my order was on back order till I received the email order acknowledgement. It makes sense that the lower production Cadillac has less demand but it now I have half of what I need for an unknown length of time.

Lesson learned and will know if its listed online as low stock alert that means they don't have it.

Jeff Wilk

Ive found out by trial and error that most of the online sellers are just that SELLERS. And I’m not complaining at all as this is a perfectly good business model particularly for our hobby. The problem, however, is that as SELLERS they dont control the remanufacturing process and need to order their inventory from the very very very few people/businesses who have the deep pockets and risk personality to actually make the products that a dwindling few of us need. Example.....anybidea what just the molds could cost to make alone for a set of Cadillac huncaps from the ‘50’s???  How about north of $20,000!  Now you need to sell lots and lots of repro hubcaps to just make that back let alone turn a profit.

So my point is the same as others have said......patience and thoroughness is key when sourcing parts for our old beauties..... and occasionally being quick on the draw when you do locate one in stock since it may be gone the next time you look

Jeff
"Impossible Only Describes The Degree Of Difficulty" 

Southern New Jersey

1959 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Special
1975 Eldorado Convertible (#12 made)
1933 Phaeton Chevrolet - "Baby Cadillac"
1933 Master Sedan Chevrolet - "Baby Cadillac"

SOLD
1976 Cadillac Mirage (factory authorized Pick-Up)
1958 Cadillac Sixty-Special
1958 Cadillac Sixty-Special
1958 Cadillac Sedan
1958 Cadillac Coupe Deville

59-in-pieces

OPGI is in Seal Beach Cali.
I've been there to get the lay of the land, and found that if you are after Cad parts, you're in for a surprise, kinda sparse.
Looking for Chevy, Olds, Buick, Pontiac - 60's on up, you stand a much better chance of getting them over the counter, then and there.
The demographic associated with those marques and years, as you might sense, is allot younger and more of them - so supply the need = good business.

Apart from finding a part, ready to come your way, you may want to consider where it was made.
The maybe not so politically correct admonition is BUY AMERICAN - NOT FROM OVER SEAS MANUFACTURERS.
It has been expressed over and over on the forum, you will be happier in the short, and long run - fit, finish, longevity.

Have fun,
Steve B.
S. Butcher

gkhashem

The biggest issue I have had with some of these parts dealers is that they try to pawn off parts that are supposedly reproductions but are not.

Then they charge big bucks. I had one on eBay with their own website showing a picture of the part which was correct and sending another part that was not in the picture while charging top dollar.

Then when you point it out they insult your intelligence. I basically said I was willing to pay for the correct part and get hosed but not for a part I could pick up at the local auto parts store. Then they get smart then I just return the junk and reverse the credit card charge and I do not pay for shipping when they pull this stuff.
1959 Oldsmobile 98 Holiday Sports Sedan
1960 Cadillac Coupe Deville (CLC Sr #72)
1964 Oldsmobile 98 Town Sedan (OCA 1st)
1970 GMC C1500
1977 Oldsmobile 98 Regency Coupe
1978 Cadillac Coupe Deville (CLC Sr Crown #959)*
1992 Oldsmobile 98 (OCA 1st)
1996 Oldsmobile 98
*CLC Past President's Preservation

Past Cadillacs
1959 Coupe Deville
1966 Coupe Deville (Sr #861)*
1991 Eldorado Biarritz (Sr #838)

cadillacmike68

ALWAYS pay via a credit card, Especially when using fleabay. Make SURE your paypal payment funding is via a CC, and NOT a bank acct.
Regards,
"Cadillac" Mike

64\/54Cadillacking

I’ve had issues with OPGI when I needed a fuel sending into for my 64. It was on back order at first for 4 months, i patiently waited and when i finally received the sending unit, it was the wrong one!

What happened was the manufacture shipped a certain amount of sending units in wrong boxes that weren’t labeled correctly. After OPGI apologized for the mix up, they said the replacement will take another 2 weeks to come in, to my frustration I was pissed! After waiting almost 5 months to receive the unit, only to find out that the part is wrong, I let them have it. >:(

Well, the replacement unit didn’t take another 2 weeks to come in, it took 2 more months! Needless to say, it was utterly ridiculous and extremely poor customer service on their part because I was the one that had to call and ask WTF is going on. They didn’t even give me a discount for the major inconvenience of it all.

I also think many of their Cadillac parts are way overpriced, especially their emblems and scripts. I will only go through them if I have no other choice, other than that, it’s always EBay for me.
Currently Rides:
1964 Sedan Deville
1954 Cadillac Fleetwood 60 Special
1979 Lincoln Mark V Cartier Designer Series
2007 Lexus LS 460L (extended wheelbase edition)

Previous Rides:
1987 Brougham D' Elegance
1994 Fleetwood Bro
1972 Sedan Deville
1968 Coupe Deville
1961 Lincoln Continental
1993 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series
1978 Lincoln Continental ( R.I.P.) 1978-2024 😞

P. Manoogian

I find that most of the "big advertisers" and big "drop shippers." I always start with Rock Auto. Last winter I did some work on a 74 Eldorado that needed lower front fender sections. They were 1/3 the price of OPGI and although they are a drop shipper, you can see "quantity available" and where it will be shipped from.


One note of caution with them is I avoid their rubber bushings for Cadillac, or any Mexican/Chinese bushings. They never fit. Get the part number from Rock Auto and then go on E Bay and find someone selling USA Made "old stock."
1961 Eldorado - Shell Pearl/Mauve
1962 Corvette 327 - 250 HP Automatic Triple Black
1963 Impala SS Convertible - 283 Automatic Black Red Gut White Top
1965 Impala SS Coupe  - 502 Turbo 400 - Crocus Yellow
1974 Corvette L84 4spd Coupe - White / Black Leather

TC

If you just need to have the rollers replaced, I had an auto glass shop replace one for me. If I remember right it required a special tool to press the nylon roller on  i

cadillac ken

Quote from: TC76LDOVERT on December 18, 2017, 09:19:57 AM
I am not looking to complain or give them a bad name but I think it ticked me of because I went through my order over the phone with a helpful guy but didn't realize half my order was on back order till I received the email order acknowledgement. It makes sense that the lower production Cadillac has less demand but it now I have half of what I need for an unknown length of time.

Lesson learned and will know if its listed online as low stock alert that means they don't have it.

This happens with many suppliers.  As a shop I once received a "partial order" with important items to complete the job not sent but tabbed as "back ordered"--- never telling me this at the time of the order.  So now I waited a week for parts to complete a job with essential parts missing with no time of expected delivery.

You noticed I said I "once" had this happen.  I don't deal with them anymore. 
It may take more effort than you thought but you can find parts,  you just have to be patient and invest some time looking.