Luggage rack, front driving lights

OK, little on ebay. Does anyone have a luggage rack and/or driving lights they don't want anymore? I am going for the classic reproduction rather than the high powered outlaws. The color on this one was done by Vintage in Aquamarine Metallic and I verified it WAS a color that they used on 1958's. It needs some dressing up though and I figured the rack and the lights were needed when I find the right deal. I scrounged for the 914 and for the MGB and found parts I could clean up.

Thanks,

Fred Adler
San Diego

have new vintage luggage rack never used less than i year old. but i live in michigan, if instered. bill

Did you find a Speedster yet? The Vintage (from VS) racks ($175 new)don't easily fit CMC/FF "Habachi" engine grills. Old Leitz/Lietz racks go for big bucks on ebay and often have that rusty patina (which guess you pay extra for). There is a guy in Idaho who advertises on the SAMBA a Lietz replica rack that is rust proof stainless steel. It goes for $300 plus shipping. Same one is on ebay out of Calif for $100 more. I tried to get a group buy together a year or so ago but Al S. was only serious taker and needed 3 to get discount). NOTE - it is a bigger rack than the VS one.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=442460

it's very likely made in china if you buy it from him

It is a 2001 Vintage. It is on a truck from Michigan at this point. I am a bargain hunter. If the guy selling one wants to sell it, email me at fadler@genbio.com. If the group wanting to buy them needs one more, let me know how much. Thanks guys. I posted the ebay listing on Marchals on the board to ask opinions. The cheapest I have found them.

Fred Adler
San Diego

Fred, I bought a set of the Ebay fog lights that you pointed out. If they ever arrive I will post a quality report. I am thinking about a Lietz rack that is advertised on the samba. $299 plus shipping of $45. This is the same guy that Wolfgang has talked to about a group buy. We are on the West coast so a group buy delivered to Wolfgang won't do us much good. The rack guy said he would give $10 off on a purchase of 2 racks. I am getting ready to buy, so if you want to get one also, let's talk. IMHO the Lietz rack is nicer than a VS rack. There is a lot of rack discussion on the forum. I think that Vince posts the best "Rack" pictures.

Sorry Will........by the way "hi neighbor", but I got a guy with a new VS one that sold it to me for $100 plus shipping. I just got Marchals in the mail and they look like the real deal to me. They are probably just less expensive because the guy is a "british" car parts guy and I found with my MGB the parts are cheap compared to Deutschland. Both still come from China probably but so does about everything in the house now. I think (without installing yet and looking at them a year from now) that they are really a great value for the money. We will see how good the VS rack is. The other VS chrome seems OK but not great since the Michigan car I am getting was garaged in the winter but the moisture still rusted the chrome really badly. You may be better off with the better rack. These lights might rust like that IF they were in Michigan, but they will be in Sun Diego instead. By the way, my phone is 619-987-4368 and I am in Scripps Ranch.

OK guys, I'm in for the Leitz rack as well. I've also been shopping for fog lights and am looking at the repro Marchals via NLA. I'd really like the original Hella's w/grills, but can't find 'em anywhere.

Just got the Marchall lights today. They look great! I opened them and there is a sticker inside in French talking about Marchall, model etc. I don't know about quality long term, but they look great. Fred, the bad news is that all the headlight rims, license light, mirrors etc. seem to corrode / rust even in So Cal. The rims especially must be cleaned and waxed to prevent problems.

Dennis, are you headed to any of the events this weekend. If I see you, probably at Dana Point Concours, we can talk about the rack. If not, call me 561 301 7885 or 760 637 5036. If you are going to the Concours, I'll pack my lights so you can see them in person.

Check PTC Factory Outlet - a distributor of quality Hella products including Hella Supertone Horn Kits and Hella Vision 7" H4 Headlamps. Visit us at www.ptcfactoryoutlet.com for more information.

I haven't used them, but it looks like decent stuff & price right

Will: I was hoping to make the breakfast and run tomorrow, but found out that "we've" invited some folks over for drinks and lunch, so I'll be a no-show.

Hoping to do it soon. Best, Dennis

PS...should be heading down to see the kids in Carlsbad in the next couple of weeks. Maybe we can hook up somewhere there?

Why can't anyone make decent chrome if they all rust? Is it another of those fine government programs (CALOSHA) preventing decent plating anymore?

In a word - YES!

Keeping a good coat of quality wax on the chrome will keep this problem in check.

A quality chrome job requires some really harsh chemicals (chromic, sufuric and nitric acids - not to mention chromium dust) and many steps. EPA/OSHA has driven all that out of our country or resulted in less effective methods. Ha, so now its done in Nosgales and the smoke still drifts over to US! Some of the old German 30 year old chrome (like head light trim rings) is better than Taiwan repro stuff.

Powder coating and electroplating are alternatives. I'd like to give Eastwoods powder coating and electroplating products a try - anyone use them?

Used to live near a GM plating plant in Trenton NJ - was declared a Superfund site and tons of soil was hauled out for EPA processing. I used to play in rail cars hauling the chromium nuggets there - explains alot (but I never inhaled)!

In a few years, maybe just two even, a LOT of quality parts will be beck on the market thanks to the government mandates throughout China. Their government has decided that China is to become the largest automobile and parts manufacturer and consumer in the world and the companies have the full support to do just that, regardless of the present costs to the environment. Once they have the operations running as they should, they'll address the problems that were caused in the beginning. In the same all-out fashion that they caused them initially. It's China, it always has been China.

Once they get the machine up and running correctly, everything will be available again and the quality will be top notch. It will have to be since it will represent the nation that produced it.

Give them a little time, parts will get better and better until they're perfect.