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The only thing "GM stamped" is NOS, and as you probably saw,
the going rate seems to be about $1000 if you can find them. Like Gene said the
parts coming out of Michigan are more expensive, not anodized, and are reputed
to not fit as well. The story I heard about DII & Goodmark (of course this is all
hearsay) is that DII got mad about Goodmark selling DII panels and marking them
GM Authorized simply because they agreed to pay GM, even though it was the same
panel being sold elsewhere. Supposedly DII applied several times for the same
GM licensing and requests for an agreement were ignored. Then apparently the
people at Goodmark whispered something in the ear of their GM birdy and
suddenly GM came after DII wanting a commission on not only future sales but
also to collect retroactively on past sales. The story goes that DII was able
to prove that they had requested a licensing agreement many times in the past
and were ignored, so they got out of having to pay retroactively (which I'm
sure would have been a huge blow to the company), but basically had to join the
GM licensing program for any future sales. I am told that GM gets 10% of the
wholesale price. Of course that gets passed on to the customer ultimately.
Anyway, the story is that the people at DII feel that the people at Goodmark
stirred up quite a lot of trouble for them, and that is what the bad blood
is/was about. Needless to say I only know what I've heard and I'm sure there is
more to the real story. As far as GM or anybody else wanting to keep those jobs entirely in
America, the tradeoff is that the same parts would cost much more and I don’t know
if the market would sustain the business when less expensive options are
already readily available. You also have to consider that these companies do
create jobs here in America even if they do farm out their manufacturing. There's
a lot that goes into the equation but the bottom line is that these companies
were started by individuals without any support from GM, and they had to come
up with the most profitable solution for their business. John Nasta -----Original
Message----- John
what guys are you talking about. I am restoring a 67 Chevelle and I
need quarters. I all so need a fender,and hood. I am trying to find GM
stamped products. -----
Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, August 22, 2005
4:22 PM Subject: RE:
[Chevelle-list] NOS part question The only place
I have heard about stamping their own sheet metal in the US are those guys up
in Michigan. Maybe that's who Goodmark is buying from now that they have
stopped buying from DII. John Nasta -----Original Message----- Hi, While 99% of what they sell is imported, the Goodmark 70 71
72 Chevelle hard top and convertible 1/4's are US made on original dies. The dies wear over time and need worked on from time to
time. They just did the hard top and convertible 1/4' dies. They are also getting some import hard top 1/4's ready and they
will be a bit cheaper than the domestic parts. Gene |
