Jon Ison
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 posted on 4/5/02 at 10:14 PM |
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Good / Bad experience with suppliers ?
Having had both the above i wonder if we should post some of them on here ? see if the same names crop up ?
People power may just make a few change there ways, you know the ones, take your money, 3 weeks delivery, 8 weeks later still waiting ? then there are
the others, i can think of one who as bent over backwards to make sure i got what i need'd as soon as possible.
The ones who looked after me the best include, Ear's Motorsport, Custom Autotech, Veichle Wiring Products, Rally Design.
The ones who let me down or provided crap include.....Europa spares, Stuart Taylor Motorsport, Demon tweeks, and yes Halfords, they refused to take my
money off me and provide wheels as my car was not "listed" , now there's a new one for you.
Any more for any more ? 
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UncleFista
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| posted on 5/5/02 at 09:27 PM |
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Good idea 
Good ones
Bought brake fitting kits and caliper seals from Mr George, bits arrived quickly and were nice and cheap (and the m16 caliper seals were very
difficult to find).
http://www.gtscougar.freeserve.co.uk
Duncan Black, bought a set of suspension brackets from him. An absolute steal, the holes will need drilling out to the correct size though (he told me
beforehand and its no great hassle).
Obviously http://www.mkengineering.co.uk/ bought wishbones and bits from Mr Keenan, welding to die for. Difficult to pin him down and get him to take
cash from me though
http://www.ebay.co.uk deserve a mention, bought my propshaft already reconned and ready to fit in my locost from someone who'd lost interest in his
locost project. He had something else covered in a tarpaulin in the garage, would have asked what it was, but he was at work.
Bought a Weber and manifold for my crossflow and an engine stand through loot http://www.loot.com
http://www.screwfix.com and quick delivery and lots of tools and consumables.
Barratts Steel suppliers in Bradford, cheap and they have everything you'll ever need in stock.
Champion Motor Spares in Bradford, cheap and they'll try their very best to get what you want.
That strange bloke in Rastrick who fills my CO2 bottle
Bad ones;
B&Q mental prices and assistants who have absolutely no clue about anything they sell, but when you need a wire cup brush for an angle grinder late on
a Sunday afternoon....
BOC for charging so much deposit and bottle rental, just obtain a pub CO2 bottle
I've been lucky, I've not been messed about with or conned by anyone yet (touch wood)although I'm less than impressed with my axle brackets, the
trailing arm mounting holes on one side (of each) are 3mm out compared with the holes on the other side, meaning the trailing arms would have to be
mounted at an interesting angle ;(. But I'll not mention where I obtained 'em yet 'cos I've not been in touch yet and I'm sure its just a freak
occurance
Tony Bond / UncleFista
Love is like a snowmobile, speeding across the frozen tundra.
Which suddenly flips, pinning you underneath.
At night the ice-weasels come...
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stephen_gusterson
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| posted on 6/5/02 at 11:29 AM |
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In my experience, europa spares are tossers.
One order they shipped in 3 different parcels, a day or so apart. Obviously waiting a day or so to ship complete so i didnt have to go to collect em
from post office was too much.
They have sent wrong items before.
They sent a parcel that took a month to get here cos they addressed it wrong!
My last and final attempt to buy from em was six weeks ago. I emailed them an order for 100 quid of lighting. After a week i mailed asking where it
was. After another week I asked them where it was having had no reply.
I then found i hadnt ben billed on my credit card so assumed they had just lost it.
This was confirmed a couple weeks after when they emailed back saying 'what order?
As I say. TOSSERS.
Thats the reason im going to stoneleigh - to actually get some lights tosser free.
atb
steve
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Jasper
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| posted on 6/5/02 at 01:32 PM |
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Great idea, how about some contact details for the good ones, and what they specialise in, or just add them to the 'links' section?
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ChrisW
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 posted on 6/5/02 at 07:15 PM |
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LoLocost are complete wankers - especially the guy in charge (Richard). Sold me a crap product then refused to replace it saying I should have the
tools to finish the job myself (if I had the tool why would I buy the thing in the first place?)
Seem unfortunatly LoLocost should be LoLoQuality and LoLoCustomer service.
Chris
My gaff my rules
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Metal Hippy™
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| posted on 6/5/02 at 10:31 PM |
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I'm in the same boat as Chris.
Lolo threaded tube in nice wishbones made by merlin.... Shafted thread that won't take the ball joints.
Lolo and their Lolo (or not so lolo) prices can shove their biggest most weirdly shaped item up their arse.
Cheese. Hippy.
President of the Non-conformist Locost Builders Club. E-mail for details...
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bob
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| posted on 7/5/02 at 09:00 AM |
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Good suppliers i've found.
www.fastfix-direct.co.uk
fastfix solutions supply dzus fasteners,push turn fasteners,quick release pins,clevis pins,R clips etc etc.
Martini car spares
allways at the kit shows,got most of my lighting and switches here and allways great deals on radiators and master cylinders.
got a MK2 escort rad (new in box)£18.
screwfix.com
loot
findit.co.uk
all been good for bits.
As for lolocost,i hav'nt had a problem.
I have looked at the parts before buying though,as mail order of something that looks cheap often looks even cheaper when you get it.
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 7/5/02 at 10:26 AM |
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quote:
As for lolocost,i hav'nt had a problem.
I have looked at the parts before buying though,as mail order of something that looks cheap often looks even cheaper when you get it.
I know what you mean - although it worked out the opposite at the show! I saw Lolocost's mirrors in their catalogue and thought they looked cheap
and nasty... when I saw them in real life they were solid alloy cast items that were more than suitable for my car - bought 2!
David
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stephen_gusterson
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| posted on 7/5/02 at 08:13 PM |
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Lolocost is robin hood.
And richard is the god of robin hood.
I have been on yahoo groups 2b site for a while and thought what an easy life they had building a 2b instead of a locost from scratch.
I thought the kit 2b that RH had laid out on the floor was GARBAGE. The steel was burnt where it had been cut and everything looked like you had a
shyte load of work to do.
Then I went across the floor to MK engineering. Recognised MArtin, but left him eating his sandwitch. Looked instead at the chassis he had and was
seriously impressed. The wishbones at the front - flat F1 looking things - were really neat.
Opposite was the (gtm??) stand with a lovely looking GRP monocoque bodied sports saloon. Looked great, but dont know if id be happy with all my
suspension just bolted onto grp tho!
atb
Steve.
My first kit car show, and overall I want that impressed.........
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 8/5/02 at 07:30 AM |
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quote:
My first kit car show, and overall I want that impressed.........
Try Newark in June (just to the right of Nottingham on the map).
On paper it's an identical event - kit exhibitors, trade stands, auto-jumble - but it's in a smaller showground. Just as busy but it's a friendlier
environment... no idea why!
David
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bob
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| posted on 8/5/02 at 10:34 AM |
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Newark has more Auto-Jumble as well,this is probably because they have a few good jumbles there during the year anyway.
Stoneleigh must have put the prices up for space,as there were less trade stands than before.
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Dick Axtell
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 posted on 11/5/02 at 12:30 PM |
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Rated suppliers near south Brum:
Redditch Shotblasting Co. Ltd. (they do the Grinnall Scorpion chassis) - 01527 529659 (or info@redditchshotblasting.co.uk)
Car Spares Distribution Ltd. - 0121 778 1366
Brown Bros. (aka Partco Ltd.)
2 Bracebridge St.,Aston B6 4NE-0121 333 6664 (good for next day service).
Ford (bless 'em) via Bristol St. Motors, for new bits to replace thos which resisted my disastrous attempts in removal from the donor.
Suppliers further afield:
J.E.M. Vintage & Classic Car Consultants, Ashcroft House, Druid St., Hinckley, Leics. LE10 1QH - 01455 230626. For those older parts unobtainable
anywhere else. Good service, but pricey (ouch).
Car Parts Direct/Fittapart (www.partsforoldercars.co.uk) - 01623 658041.
Martin Keenan - ace chassis welder/producer; you all know where his website is.
Dick Axtell
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jmbillings
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| posted on 13/5/02 at 07:16 PM |
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On the subject of lolocost- we wanted some stainless steel for rear arch chip protectors, and a few other bits. They sell it in a certain size, so we
drew it out to get all the bits we wanted from a single length of sheet, and asked them to cut it. They charged us a tenner for guillotining but
hey-ho... anyway, we get home and peel off the protective stuff, and half is mirror finish, the other half in brushed! They had chopped our shapes out
of scrap, not the sheet we paid for!
To their credit, they sent a replacements for the brushed bits, but still a pain. And a cutting charge? MK let us use his guillotine itself so we
could get the ali' in the car!
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merlin
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 posted on 13/5/02 at 10:03 PM |
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Just so that i don't appear on the 'tosser' list, Hippy - your wishbones are ready and will be with ChrisW this week!
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stephen_gusterson
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| posted on 13/5/02 at 10:03 PM |
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quote:
On the subject of lolocost- we wanted some stainless steel for rear arch chip protectors, and a few other bits. They sell it in a certain size,
so we drew it out to get all the bits we wanted from a single length of sheet, and asked them to cut it. They charged us a tenner for guillotining but
hey-ho... anyway, we get home and peel off the protective stuff, and half is mirror finish, the other half in brushed! They had chopped our shapes out
of scrap, not the sheet we paid for!
To their credit, they sent a replacements for the brushed bits, but still a pain. And a cutting charge? MK let us use his guillotine itself so we
could get the ali' in the car!
But as RH is probably making 3 quid a week profit, they most likely need to get cash any way they can. My local steel supplier wants 2 weeks notice if
you want anything cut!
atb
steve
never been banned from anywhere!
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Bob da builder
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| posted on 14/5/02 at 08:05 AM |
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On the subject of lolocost..
i bourght there nice looking stainless steel x-flow manifold and exhaust and was told that it would fit my MK 'by the book' escort chassis..... well
i fitted but the exhaust came out of the car so dam high that the passanger can use the back box as a heated arm rest!!!!
so its gona cost me to get it rewelded once i have cut and played around with it!!
lolocost told me to drop the engine down another few inches, to get it to sit right the wheels would be off the road!! i feel that the handling would
be comprimised and as for my freshley painted sump!!!!
rob 
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Bob da builder
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| posted on 14/5/02 at 08:10 AM |
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PS.
As for the ports into the manifold... its gona take me a week to grind out the weld and undersized port out to prevent the gas flow been
restricted!!
But on a good note the 4 into 1 does look rather nice!
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ChrisW
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| posted on 14/5/02 at 08:19 PM |
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quote:
On the subject of lolocost..
Did you ask for it to be changed and get told to f*** off by that Richard prick? That's what happened to me! He basically admitted that his product
was completely useless and his excuse "no one buys them anyway". Hello? What's this I have in my hand?
Won't be going back to them thats for sure and I wouldn't recommend anyone else does either.
Chris
My gaff my rules
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stephen_gusterson
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| posted on 14/5/02 at 08:40 PM |
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quote:
quote:
On the subject of lolocost..
Did you ask for it to be changed and get told to f*** off by that Richard prick? That's what happened to me! He basically admitted that his product
was completely useless and his excuse "no one buys them anyway". Hello? What's this I have in my hand?
Won't be going back to them thats for sure and I wouldn't recommend anyone else does either.
Chris
Richard Prick is the owner of RH AFAIK.
atb
Steve.
Work for a company like mine. They make money outs stuff that they sell that goes wrong - theres more people in aftermarket than in sales!!!!!
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stephen_gusterson
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| posted on 14/5/02 at 08:43 PM |
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quote:
quote:
On the subject of lolocost..
Did you ask for it to be changed and get told to f*** off by that Richard prick? That's what happened to me! He basically admitted that his product
was completely useless and his excuse "no one buys them anyway". Hello? What's this I have in my hand?
Won't be going back to them thats for sure and I wouldn't recommend anyone else does either.
Chris
If ever you get in that situation, try the small claims court. Its fun.
You can claim up to a grand in the county court. You only have to prove 51% guilt to win, you get expenses and your 60 quid or so to file the case
back. You present your own case and they HAVE to attned or they automatically lose.
I got 500 quid off an asshole neighbour who cut wires from the side of my house - the phone and tv cables. Nice people.
atb
steve
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Liam
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| posted on 14/5/02 at 08:52 PM |
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That's odd - although I've only dealt with Europa once, I was suitably impressed. I bought my seats from them (roadster sevens). I emailed them
asking them to take some measurements for me first - reply the next day. They were very patient on the phone while I spent ages deciding what colour
piping to get (decided in the end to get no piping ), then my seats arrived earlier than they said it takes Cobra to make them.
Other good suppliers:
I got more suspension brackets than I know what to do with from Dunc, and they're lovely.
MK are great. They sold me some of their nice oval wishbone tube (so my wishbones ought to look cool too), and cut it up into lengths for free so I
could get it into the car. Martin also said he'd happily do one off inserts for me for my 4x4 uprights (although I'm probably gonna make my own now
I have a lathe).
Halfords have been good at honouring their lifetime gaurantee. I bought their largest breaker bar to assist in undoing my XR4x4 hub nuts. Got three
off and was having trouble with the last one. Got long extension pole and broke bar. Returned to Halfords and got new bar - no questions asked.
Broke new bar. Returned to Halfords and got new bar - no questions asked, not even "what the f**k are you doing with them". Realised I was
actually tightening the nut (why did they have opposite threads on the back wheels and not on the front wheels?). I still love my bar to this day.
Er, screwfix are nice.
Bad suppliers...
Well the nosecone I bought second hand was originally Locost limited, apparently. Well it has a twist in it.
Er, the crook I bought my donor XR4x4 off gave me a forged tax disc with it which I was hoping to cash in for about 100 quid. Wasn't such a great
bargain after all.
Other than that, I've been lucky.
Liam
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stephen_gusterson
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| posted on 14/5/02 at 09:18 PM |
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quote:
Other than that, I've been lucky.
Liam
yeah, but what WE really wanna know is where you get the locostbuilders shirt and umbrella uniform from!
ATB
Steve
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Simon Mc
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| posted on 14/5/02 at 09:44 PM |
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is that now official dress uniform then?
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stephen_gusterson
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| posted on 14/5/02 at 09:51 PM |
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quote:
is that now official dress uniform then?
Well, I recon it should be. Simon is a nice guy and i'd like to help him out with some kinda excuse.
Unless of course, they are standard issue with every Honda V6 2.7L.
atb
Steve
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Dunc
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| posted on 14/5/02 at 10:27 PM |
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Steve,
would you wear the shirt over you're tank or just paint your tank to suit?
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