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Steele vs. Rubber the right way

Started by Bob Kielar, February 09, 2016, 06:25:37 PM

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Bob Kielar

I what to order new gaskets for my 55 Fleetwood door handles. Why is there such a price difference between the two Steele $34.00 Rubber the right way $17.00 shipping included? I know the old saying you get what you pay for. I have ordered from Rubber the right way and sometimes it comes in Steele packaging.
Any Ideas?

Regards,
Bob Kielar 
Keep Cruzin
1955 Cadillac Fleetwood

Walter Youshock

Not really but those type of gaskets you could make yourself.  I did.
CLC #11959 (Life)
1957 Coupe deVille
1991 Brougham

J. Gomez

Bob,

They are a reseller for Steele, some of the items they sell are a few dollars cheaper while others are the same as Steele.

HTH
J. Gomez
CLC #23082

55 cadi

Rubber the right way sells Steele rubber seals.

Rubber the right way is cheaper I found because they order in large amounts and they also don't even touch some products, when you order some parts they come to you straight from Steele rubber.

Steele rubber costs more because they are more into selling to distributors and resellers than to the public, more work on there end, but there customer service is great.

Jason
1955 Cadillac sedan series 62
1966 mustang convertible w/pony PAC, now in Sweden
2005 Cadillac deville

Bobby B

Ditto the Above… Same product only cheaper. Clayton is good people and super helpful.
                                                                                                                    Bobby
1947 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible Coupe
1968 Mustang Convertible
1973 Mustang Convertible
1969 Jaguar E-Type Roadster
1971 Datsun 240Z
1979 H-D FLH

Brad Ipsen CLC #737

What I still don't understand about Steele is why do they give these discounts to resellers and not to on line buyers.  If you order on line and if they have a good system the order would not be touched by human hands except to pick the order.  How could that cost more than working with resellers. 
Brad Ipsen
1940 Cadillac 60S
1938 Cadillac 9039
1940 Cadillac 6267
1940 LaSalle 5227
1949 Cadillac 6237X
1940 Cadillac 60S Limo

chrisntam

Quote from: Brad Ipsen CLC #737 on February 09, 2016, 09:33:43 PM
What I still don't understand about Steele is why do they give these discounts to resellers and not to on line buyers.  If you order on line and if they have a good system the order would not be touched by human hands except to pick the order.  How could that cost more than working with resellers.

They are protecting their resellers.  If they sold at the same price on line, resellers wouldn't make any money and wouldn't distribute their products.
1970 Deville Convertible 
Dallas, Texas

Bobby B

Quote from: chrisntam on February 09, 2016, 10:30:38 PM
They are protecting their resellers.  If they sold at the same price on line, resellers wouldn't make any money and wouldn't distribute their products.

Exactly... I can by AMK fastener kits and parts cheaper from someone who distributes them. He usually gives me 10-15% off the top of what they sell it for, and there's still enough meat on the bone for him. Lots of mark-up.  Hey, I'll take the discount and would rather deal with a single owner/ small company, than the manufacturer anyway. Everybody"s entitled to make a living.
                         Bobby

1947 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible Coupe
1968 Mustang Convertible
1973 Mustang Convertible
1969 Jaguar E-Type Roadster
1971 Datsun 240Z
1979 H-D FLH

66 Eldo

Not all of Rubber the Right Way's rubber is Steele. Some is Metro and some simpler non-molded items they make like door handle gaskets. If they make the Cadillac door handle gaskets they should be fine because they are flat but I would ask first about fit. 

For example, I purchased some door handle gaskets for a 64 Lincoln a few years back. I remember Clayton saying they made them in house. Unfortunately, they were not close. The original gasket was a molded part and had a beveled edge that was raised and surrounded the edge of the handle. Their repros were flat soft rubber and were too large.  I'm in San Diego and have been to their store. Clayton is great as mentioned and very helpful. This is the ONLY issue I have had with their products. Definitely my next source to buy rubber products.   

blugg

Love both vendors RTRW and Steele (an Metro)......quality rubber products an fitment for anything I have purchased has been correct.

Great selection an thankfully both offer some of the detail rubber pieces that probably are small volume movers (ash tray bumpers).   50-60 year old rubber just cant flex and move like that of a fresh piece.

Where would so many classic cars be without them?   Thats right---up the creek.

TJ Hopland

Has metro's product got better?   10-15 years ago much of their stuff seemed to be close but not quite right. 
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason

66 Eldo

I haven't purchased any for a Cadillac lately but I installed a pair of vent window seals on a 64 Lincoln. They were excellent.

Evan Wojtkiewicz

I've heard people saying that some replacement rubber (possibly Steele?) isn't as thick as the originals. Can anybody confirm/refute this?
CLC 29623

1967 DeVille convertible

David Greenburg

I've heard that about about certain convertible roof rails, but not as a general complaint.
David Greenburg
'60 Eldorado Seville
'61 Fleetwood Sixty Special

jwjohnson86

The 4 underhood bumpers I ordered from RTRW fit perfectly and were just as thick as the dried up originals. No problem at all.
1970 DeVille Convertible 472 cid

http://bit.ly/1NhHpdt

55 cadi

I recently have been replacing the rubber on my 55 sedan.
They are from RTRW, most made by Steele rubber but a couple made by RTRW.

Rear tail light rubber...........good, had to trim a couple bent spots, no big deal. Steele product
Hood to cowl rubber............good, fit well, had to make holes, don't know maker
Door locks.......................looks good, haven't installed yet, Steele product
Trunk bumpers.............good, think its RTRW
Door bumpers...............good, if my existing is original then one is a little different, believe RTRW
Door to cowl rubber........both good 1 seams a little short but maybe it's right.
Door rubber......................good, only you have to pay attention to which one, they gave 2 or 3 for those doors, 1 has too large of clips already thatched to rubber, 1 has no clips and very close to other but not identical, 1 universal kind. Steele product.
1955 Cadillac sedan series 62
1966 mustang convertible w/pony PAC, now in Sweden
2005 Cadillac deville

CadillacMac

I guess I'll count myself as the only one here who thinks Steele is not so great, but basically the only choice we've got.  I replaced several beltline weatherstrips on my doors, and there were no holes where holes were needed, they weren't as long as the original, and the rubber wasn't as smoothly formed as the same Steele strip I had replaced ten years ago on another door.  I get it, no big deal, drill the holes, bend to fit close as you can to the original, and who notices the rubber's texture looks a little rougher than it used to be?  I installed them and they'll work, better than the cracked 50-year-old stuff...

But I notice. 
“Ambition is a dream with a V8 engine. Ain't nowhere else in the world where you can go from driving a truck to a Cadillac overnight.”
― Elvis Presley

Bobby B

Quote from: CadillacMac on February 21, 2016, 06:53:04 AM
I guess I'll count myself as the only one here who thinks Steele is not so great, but basically the only choice we've got.  I replaced several beltline weatherstrips on my doors, and there were no holes where holes were needed, they weren't as long as the original, and the rubber wasn't as smoothly formed as the same Steele strip I had replaced ten years ago on another door.  I get it, no big deal, drill the holes, bend to fit close as you can to the original, and who notices the rubber's texture looks a little rougher than it used to be?  I installed them and they'll work, better than the cracked 50-year-old stuff...

But I notice. 

I agree….. And some of their stuff is REAL pricey.
                                                         Bobby
1947 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible Coupe
1968 Mustang Convertible
1973 Mustang Convertible
1969 Jaguar E-Type Roadster
1971 Datsun 240Z
1979 H-D FLH

55 cadi

I will ad this about the product I got.

It is expensive, too expensive, I made a couple of my own on the easy flat rubber gasket ones.

And I ran into an issue with there rear tail light rubber, it is a bunch of rubber for both, 5 pieces each, issue was that the gasket for the driver side which lifts up.......they are the same, but you actually need one that is not as thick as the passenger because of the latching.

Some fit well and others not as great.

But at least someone makes them.
1955 Cadillac sedan series 62
1966 mustang convertible w/pony PAC, now in Sweden
2005 Cadillac deville