Rare Spares

[HK1837]

This is mainly for the guys here doing resto stuff and work for Sandmans, including (but not limited to) Absinth, Stickthis, Ozbox etc. Probably Rod and Jennie too as you've just finished a resto.

I'm flying down to Melbourne on wednesday for a special event at Rare Spares. They've invited a small group of forum admins down for a day, not 100% sure what it is all about. I have a feeling it will be about image, future products etc (I may be 100% wrong). From Fastlane myself, Dr Terry and Warren T are going as far as I know. So before tuesday night can you guys give me a small list of ideas, bitches, nice to haves, complaints, basically feedback of any kind particular to Sandmans? It doesn't have to be with respct to Rare Spares products, you could wish to tell them you can't get sump bolt washers anymore and want them reproed! Absinth I saw your post on Fastlane about HJ console bits so basically that sort of stuff. I have a feeling that this might be an opportunity not to be missed. I'm asking you guys as although I understand the Sandman very well, I haven't actually been involved in restoring a HQ-WB for many years so i'm not current in what bits you guys are having trouble finding. Last time I restored one you could find one owner cars still in every wrecking yard! My recent experience in these has been in maintaining my Overlander and HJ Premier, which is very different to the restoration process (by restoration I mean not just a vehicle, but of parts themselves eg what Sean does with dash facias). Plus i've always had sheds full of HK-WB bits so often stuff I see as common too (as I have heaps) is hard to find for others.

I'll pass it over to you guys for comment. If the day has nothing to do with this, i'll compile it all into a list anyway and i'll pass it on to Rares later. At least they might listen to me if they think enough of me to invite me to this event!

Byron

[GTS]

Where do I start......I bought about $3000.00 in RS stuff over the past 12 months for my HJ Sandman van. There was a time when I was eager to open up the box full of goodies but lately I've had to lower my expectations....and still been disappointed.

I ordered a HJ engine bay wiring clip set......the parts in the kit are not even in the HJ parts book and ones they reckon are correct dont even look like the original.

I ordered a set of ext mirrors. The heads are a different shape and you can see the machine marks on the stems from whatever they used to make the die for them.

The 1/4 repeater lights have a slightly different radius and you can see day light through the opening when they are fitted up.

The spark plug lead retainers that are supposed to clip onto the rocker covers dont lock on and fall off at the drop of a hat.

The RS right hand cowl vent drain tube is not flared like the left hand one and does not fit.

On the bright side,( if there is one out of $3000.00 worth), their door rubbers seem to be pretty good and fitted up OK.
Their instrument lens kit and wiper switch cover are OK.

I haven't fitted everything up as yet but it's getting to the point where I say a little prayer every time I open a new RS part.

If they want to get serious about what they do then they need some real changes in the quality assurance dept.

[HK1837]

This is the sort of stuff that I will pass on, regardless of what Wednesday is about. I'll put it all together and see what comes of it.

[jennie285]

Hi
We have found the tailgate we purchased from Rares to be so thin we have already dented it all over, and that was being careful, it is a shame because we will have to put a board over it so we can get in and out of the back...the bonnet rubber which we may have got from rares, I cannot for the life of me remember where it came from, but I think it was an agent for rares, anyway it didn't fit and held the bonnet up too high, it was too thick....the dress rims for the GTS wheels have a severe sharp edge on them, and we will have to grind them or loose our fingers when we wipe them. Other than that most of the other stuff has been quite good....the tyre placard was not as good as the one stickthis supplied so we will return it....if they let us, it wasn't much so not a drama...I will check about other stuff when Rodney gets home, and update this thread. We ordered some armrests 8 months ago, and they are still on backorder, maybe they are trying to make them a better way, am not sure of that one.

Okay Rodney home now, there was some problem with the side rear blinker inserts, I had to grind a lug off one, so it could be turned over because they didn't make a right left one, also therere was a hole in the red clearance light end of this insert so I had to cut a small piece of steel and glue it on so the lense didnt fill up with dust...the replacement guage classes, did fit perfectly and look good, but had to drill a hole through the speedo glass for the trip meter. I supppose this is not a big deal as they are made for a full range..I can't be 100% sure why but my window installer, had the choice of the original holden rubber for the rear window, and the new rares one and he chose the original rubber

Our GST hubs are okay the wheel nuts are okay even though they more closely resemble HQ wheel nuts..but I am dissapointed that I have probably got in and out of the van 20 times to date, and there are 12 dents on the rares tailgate....even though we are criticle of rares products at least they are doing them and we couldn't have got parts without them....

thanks for taking this all on board Byron enjoy Melbourne

[GTS]

Also, their rear beaver panel dosen't have the recess for the winch handle to go through but I've bought that to their attention and I believe they are fixing it.
Their full top cowl replacement panel was nothing short of a joke and I got my money back on that one. Again, I'm told they have stopped making them and were trying to find a new supplier for the corner section only.

As for their tailgate....yet another joke. You have to do modifcations to make it fit a van (like cut the top corners out and weld them up again)
Have you ever tried welding tissue paper?

[HK1837]

Just a note too, as well as problems, also looking for stuff that is actually good, and stuff you want them to do (so make, repro, refurbish etc). Basically the old physcological trick of providing as much positive feedback as negative.

[Scotty77]

Hi
....the dress rims for the GTS wheels have a severe sharp edge on them, and we will have to grind them or loose our fingers when we wipe them. Other than that most of the other stuff has been quite good....the tyre placard was not as good as the one stickthis supplied so we will return it....if they let us, it wasn't much so not a drama...I will check about other stuff when Rodney gets home, and update this thread. We ordered some armrests 8 months ago, and they are still on backorder, maybe they are trying to make them a better way, am not sure of that one.

Okay Rodney home now, there was some problem with the side rear blinker inserts, I had to grind a lug off one, so it could be turned over because they didn't make a right left one, also therere was a hole in the red clearance light end of this insert so I had to cut a small piece of steel and glue it on so the lense didnt fill up with dust...

Jennie,

I got my reproduction armrests from the dashboard doctor in Melbourne and think they are very good quality. As for the dress rims, I found out the hard way recently as I sliced through my chamois and fingers!!!:hurt:

[hq sandy]

whats going on with this cowl panel mate???

[mauser]

whats going on with this cowl panel mate???

From advice on here I have steered clear of the re-manufactured cowl panels that turn up on ebay to be re-sold. I went and found a HQ wreck with a reasonable cowl and chopped the entire firewall out and took it home to unpick. It might be useful to have the underlying well sections as well to fix any spots that look suspect underneath.

Mauser

[hq sandy]

so i take it rares arent going to make there cowl the full size then?