Bob Drake

I can honestly say I have been satisfied with all the parts I have purchased from Bob Drake in the last 5-10 years. Most of these items have been for '35-'36 Fords. I can also say the same thing for Dennis Carpenter. I did have problems with an order from MAC's Antique Auto Parts and have not made a purchase from them since then. I said it here before and I'll say it again....I am very happy that Bob Drake, Dennis Carpenter, and others are in the business of making reproduction parts for the cars I own.

Forgot to mention that I don't call or use email to place orders with Drake. I use his on-line catalog to place an order. The last order I placed was confirmed the same day. Parts were shipped in about three working days. Parts arrived in about one week. On one large order there were one or two items that were not in stock. They sent me a message wanting to know if they should hold sending the order until those parts were available or send those parts later. I opted to split the order and get what was available. Those BO parts arrived a couple weeks later. This was an order that came with free shipping.
 
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G & G for me for supply. Stock both DC and BD made stuff. Just received a windshield seal from them, it took 8 days to arrive down here from the US....that's quick. It is a DC made one and made in the USA at that.....I'm a happy camper.

GB
 
Every Reproduction parts vendor has their "issues". I personally don't car for Bob Drake stuff not because the products but more because the way his business is run. He has had stuff in his catalogs that were never even made in the first place (i.e 1932-36 "brown" fan belt) You never know when there is a part made by three different sources, which is best. I try and stick with all NOS or good used stuff, except rubber which then I opt. for Dennis Carpenter. I feel as though Dick Spadaro is the way to go! Big enough company to get the job done, yet small enough that it is run by one person who really knows his stuff and has hands on experience as to what repop parts are junk and what are good. Just my 2 cents.
 
I got the wrong parts, called 4 times on different days, waited on hold for 16 minutes the last. Never got throjgh to anybody. I then emailed 3 times, last email was very strong. Email reply promised a phone call.......still no response. I have over 100 dollars worth of the wrong parts.
 
Drake has been going down hill for a while now. I remember a few years ago he started this scam with his new catalog. You paid $25 and he sent a nice loose leaf type binder and every month you were SUPPOSED to receive a new section. Well after a year everybody realized we were scammed. Saw Bob at hershey and got nowhere. That being said I think that our hobby is changing. Most of the guys like us just aren't building antique cars like in the 70s and 80s. Kids today want Hondas and VWs and they don't have the money. Hopefully our kids will inherit our cars and start the cycle over again. Over the past few years some of the stuff I purchased from Drake was junk but if the supply and demand isn't there he is not going to invest any money back into his business and he might be getting ready to retire , who knows?
 
Well put, but you would be suprised how many younger "kids" are into this stuff. I have met several people my age (I'm 26) that are into this stuff. With the prices a younger person cant afford a 32 to restore to show quality, but I have met many that have nice original cars that they keep running and enjoy. The rat rod craze really killed some good cars here in the area where I live.
 
well guys earlier in the thread I TOLD YOU I HAD OPRDERED HEADERS FROM B DRAKE THEY TOLD ME THEY IN STOCK AND WOULD BE THERE IN 2 DAYS WELL THEY ATRRIVED A 4 PM TODAY SO WHAT CAN I SAY???? THANKS BOB DRAKE TREV NZ
 
And Bob Drake, bless his soul, isn't the only peddler like that out there. But, there often other options, they just take some work to find them. For example a local vintage suppliersell NOS or NORS parts like the original Johnson adjustable lifters. I have posted all their names and contact info before on this site.
 
phartman said:
I have been placed on hold numerous times for 15 minutes or more. They frequently are just very slow to answer. Whoever does finally pick up will tell me they need more people answering the phone. Agreed.

My running boards were promised for April. Now, too, I am being told July, but they haven't even arrived in the U.S. yet if I understand correctly.

All around, not a great customer experience.
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I did just get the running boards- a little late- but nevertheless, very nice pieces. Excellent packing, arrived in fine shape. And I notice from their flier that they are now producing a couple pieces that nobody else offers.

Glad they are around. They can frustrate me, but glad they are around.
 
Ken Bull said:
No matter what Im thankful for all the vendors or my Cabriolet wouldnt be my ride.
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EXACTLY!!!

I bought my 1940 Coupe back in 1974 for $225.00, when I was just 15 years old. Dad and I went scrounging around swap meets for parts... all that was available were worn out original, and N.O.S. parts! VERY EXPENSIVE!!! 1940 Deluxe grille centers were going for over $1,500.00!!! I started to collect dash knobs by digging through boxes of parts and wound up with several different shades of brown! Guys were telling me that N.O.S. rubber parts could be softened and used by soaking them in brake fluid?!? N.O.S. wiring was dried out, stiff and not usable! Luckily, due to my very limited funds, I had to let my car set until 1985. By then Bob Drake, Dennis Carpenter, and a host of others were reproducing parts... brand new affordable parts! This is a great time to be building such cars, in fact, if your pockets are deep enough, you can build a totally brand new 1940 Ford Deluxe Coupe (street rod) and not use a single original part! Sure we've all had frustrating experiences, but I am thankful for the reproduction parts industry.
 
Guys that care enough to restore / repair their cars correctly will, or have already, sorted out the bad dealers from the good.[/QUOTE]

Kube, some of us are still in the process, of sifting the sh-t from the sugar.
When a company gets a piece of bad press, we tend to give that company the benefit of the doubt. (sometimes the single customer is the real dick)
When there is a string of bad press, that's a different story.
Thanks Kube and others for your input. It's probably worse than it looks, in as much as, for every person that posts, there are probably 20 lurkers that have a problem, that don't post.(good or bad)
36 Flathead, I am looking for some good light adjustable lifters, Who are H&H?
Thanks.
 
All this talk about the crappy repoe stuff would make you think that good used origanal parts or NOS stuff would be worth something? But it is so hard to sell this old stuff for even a couple dollars . Just two weeks ago I hauled an early 20s model T frame with the four fender, running boards, headlights, and all the forged brackets to the scrap dealer after advertising it for free pickup for weeks. Got $14.00 for it. And the good cars are going overseas to europe Go figure?????????
 
Well I live in AUSTRALIA and when you have the incorrect sway bar sent to you and then try for an email response from Drake a number of times to address the problem, and eventually give up on it. Drakes were good a few years ago but not so now. I have had excellent service from C&G, MACS, BRATTONS, JOBLOT, etc and would leave Drakes as a last resort these days. Just my two cents worth.
 
I just received my new running boards for my '40 convertible from Bob Drake, and they are beautiful and fit perfectly. I also previously ordered and received other parts from Drake that were just fine (side view mirrors, bumper guards, headlight bezels). The running boards were on order for several months, and when they came in, Drake's called me to see if I still wanted them and shipped promptly. I have no problem with Bob Drake's.

Years ago, there were few vendors selling any repro stuff and we had to search junk yards and buy parts from individuals all over the U.S. It is nice to be able to find the current stock of new repro parts that are lower in cost than having our old parts replated. Not all repro parts from any of the vendors are perfect, and some may need reworked a bit, but most are acceptable. Bob Drake supplies his parts to other Ford vendors. I am glad that the company exists.

Fritz
 
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