Mustangs Unlimited

[mustmore]

I have a different view of the reason for the closings.  Most of these businesses have been around
for 30 or more years.  The owners have reached retirement age.  The smaller shops either close
or are bought by larger shops.  The really large shops have to look for people who can afford to
buy out the multi-million dollar inventory.  Not too many folks with the money and enthusiasm for
retail businesses these days.  The folks in a position to buy are also looking at retirement and
say to themselves, boy if I were younger I would get into the business, but why tie up my
money now.  Retail is so cutthroat today with the internet, it takes a lot of internal fortitude
to jump into the fray.

As to the statement concerning purchasing of NOS parts, I recently spoke with many of the
vendors who only deal in NOS and they all said business was slow.

Just my view from 35 years of experience in the business.

[pmustang]

I am a Mustang trader in the UK, a few observations

I buy ALOT of parts. Not unusual for my orders to be $5-$10k. I sell dozens of Mustangs a year

1) the quality of reproduction parts is nothing like the original stuff and I regularly am replacing non Ford Parts for new. Items such a interior door handles, exterior door handles, bumpers, bumper guards, turn signal switches and arms, steering wheels......I am taking off perished and rusted items. This leads me to believe the market is getting a quicker turn on returning customers as the parts folks are buying are not lasting and thus needing to be replaced

2) even though lots of cars have been restored, they are needing to be re-restored. I buy plenty of cars (just one yesterday actually) with a huge receipt file of parts previously bought and you can easily see the car needs another 5k worth of parts. So demand is not dropping due to all the cars being restored, If nothing else the need for replacement bits is growing due to a quality issues on the parts put on restored cars already. I try my hardest to convince the customers that want "all new chrome" that leaving on the original tidy but not show chrome appearing stuff is a much better decision.

3) I have 4 projects on the way and sold my previously purchased project a few weeks ago. It seems like there are more and more cars coming out of the woodwork. I only see prices increasing rather than a lack of cars to buy. Although there is a lack of cars for me to buy at the prices that make sense for me but I am easily paying 20-30 percent more for cars than just a few years ago

Just a guy at the coal face (of non Shelby/hipo) Mustangs giving his opinion

[427heaven]

I buy, sell, trade, many Mustangs myself. Today we live in a world where you need the tri- fecta to be competitive. Most require good parts, good price, knowledgeable people helping accomplish your car goals. The big boys are able to help most of the time, mom and pop shops I have tried to support over the last 40 years but they cant compete with those goals. We can call Brandas- CJ - NPD and get what we need , no fuss no muss. The little guy doesn't stock the parts, or doesn't know what your talking about, bends you over on shipping and a multitude of other problems that don't help you obtain your goals in a timely manor. What I do miss with the little guy vendor, is having a cup of coffee or having a beer over hows life in the Mustang world, then the topic always returns to I don't know how I can keep my doors open competing with the major parts suppliers.

[Brant]

I hope Virginia Classic Mustang survives.   

Thanks! I'll be here!

[Brant]

Brant rocks!!!!!!!!

Thanks!

[Brant]

I was asked to weigh in on the subject, but I'm certainly not going to talk about Mustangs Unlimited's closing.

My dad and I started our business in the late 1970s. It was a different time. There was no Internet. The hobby was very young. I like to say we were fortunate to "grow with the hobby". There were not as many parts available, and there were not as many people selling parts.

Like a lot of things, the hobby grew over the years. Ford no longer supplied parts, and more parts were reproduced. As technology progressed, businesses got "bigger" (like a lot of other type of businesses...banks, for example).

I'll add that more parts being reproduced certainly isn't a bad thing. Actually, it's a great thing. The key is to know which parts are good, and which parts are not so good...like everything else. That's where a good company that you can trust is important. That's super important to some customers, and not others.

I'll also note that there are so many more parts available for these cars and available at a reasonable price.

For me personally, our philosophy here at Virginia Classic Mustang is just to treat people right by offering great customer service. First, we have to figure out the direction a particular customer wants to go in. Not everyone is interested in the exact details that most folks who are reading this want. Others, of course, are very interested. We feel it is our job, based on the customer's goal, is to direct them towards the "right" parts for their project. That said, there are many parts that I absolutely will not handle due to their inferior quality. There are other reproduction parts available now that are as nice or nicer that an NOS Ford parts. Some parts also sometimes change. It's a lot to keep up with. It's also quite a bit of a task to keep a ton of parts in stock like we do. If someone wanted to start a Mustang parts business today, it would be difficult to do.

I can't even touch the surface in a little post of a few sentences about my thoughts on the business and hobby. I could say a lot more. Heck, I've been doing this over 40 years. I think the hobby is certainly still strong, and I'm just going to keep doing it the way I have described above.

[69mach351w]

That's why I have been doing business with Brant and VCM since 1985

[David Hillman]

Darn.   Out a year's worth of remaining subscription on Mustang Monthly and now there goes my store credit at Mustang Unlimited.  Sigh ....

[Bigfoot]

"7 years of college down the drain...."

[corbins]

I hope Virginia Classic Mustang survives.   

Thanks! I'll be here!

Brant can last at least another 5 years on just what Ive spent last year   And he has good people working there.. Michelle and Robert do good work !

[Shelby_r_b]

+++++1, regarding Brant and Virginia Classic Mustang.  Their customer service is phenomenal!  In fact, I just received an email today about a return...it's Sunday!  I'm certain this person is not on the clock.  That speaks volumes to me (not that I expect that!).

And, what's most important to me is when a supplier can create a relationship of trust (as Brant mentioned); which VCM has done in spades.

It's funny - when I purchased my Carryover in April of last year, I got a folder FULL of restoration / parts receipts.  Many of the receipts are from people who are still in the business, and VCM is no exception.  In fact, I texted Brant pictures of some of the receipts, and he even recognized his own hand writing from the mid 80s!!

There's a reason why some companies stay and some companies go - it's the same with any industry.  Customer Service (to me) trumps everything else.  Period.

Thanks, Brant!

[Shelby_r_b]

One last thing...there is a HUGE difference between those who just sell parts for a living and those who are passionate about these cars.  To me, that separates the wheat form the chaff. 

[rhjanes]

Darn.   Out a year's worth of remaining subscription on Mustang Monthly and now there goes my store credit at Mustang Unlimited.  Sigh ....

Why out a year?  I emailed them (Email is in the front few pages of the mag), gave them a full copy of my mailing label.  they refunded my remaining years.  Since I'd used a credit card, they put the credit back to the card.  I'd emailed over the weekend.  Money was back on my card the next Wednesday.

[shelbymann1970]

I first started dealing with the T-bird parts store in Livonia Mi  4 decades ago that was then bought out by NPD. I have been fortunate that NPD is LOCAL to me and I can drive and see the parts that I am buying. Because of my long German name I just give them my Customer number which is a very low 3 digit number(4 decades almost) and is the same as a Chevy RAT engine. I have went from very knowledgeable friends working there to some that do not know what I am talking about so when that would happen I would talk to my old friend Scott who does their 65-73 Mustang catalog to get the low down on parts and such. I have used mail order on other Mustang stores over the decades  also. Branda and Shelby Parts(Jim) also. With dynacorn bodies and seeing so many projects on my Facebook Mustang groups i'd say there are still a lot of people with projects and restorations going on. A lot of young people also. Where this hobby goes is anyone's guess. Gary

[cboss70]

Chris at Mustangs Unlimited has a facebook posting selling the remainder of their inventory for 80K. Last time I looked it there wasn't much worth having.