Off-Road fab parts retail store?

[Peacefrog53]

SoCal Chapter-

I'm trying to gauge the interest in having a retail type store that would specialize in having fabrication parts on-hand. Basically anything needed to repair, modify, or otherwise custom alter your vehicle, with the satisfaction of having the parts in-hand the same day. Dont have to pay shipping, don't have to wait for most parts, and will have expert advice in-store.

Not so much lift kits, and wheels/tires like 4WP, but more tabs, links, trusses, brackets....Stuff like Ballistic Fab sells online. Industrial Metal Supply has tabs, but brackets and Off-Road specific fab parts are hard to find. For myself anyways.

Would anyone be interested in having a store like that around. Somewhere between Tustin, and Lake Forest? Or is there already a store that has these parts in-stock that you know of?

Please post up your opinions/suggestions/comments. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

Thank you SoCal.

 

[GrimmJeeper]

kartek stocks a lot of that stuff but they're not in that area, if you could get the word out enough it could really take off. a lot of times people dont plan everything all the way out and say shit i need a different tab right in the middle of a project.

i like it :thumbup:

 

[Vanimal]

kartek stocks a lot of that stuff but they're not in that area, if you could get the word out enough it could really take off. a lot of times people dont plan everything all the way out and say shit i need a different tab right in the middle of a project.

i like it :thumbup:

kartek and ORW, at least the orw here carrys most tabs and a decent amount of brackets. but i always wish they had more.

 

[xcm]

SoCal Chapter-

I'm trying to gauge the interest in having a retail type store that would specialize in having fabrication parts on-hand. Basically anything needed to repair, modify, or otherwise custom alter your vehicle, with the satisfaction of having the parts in-hand the same day. Dont have to pay shipping, don't have to wait for most parts, and will have expert advice in-store.

Not so much lift kits, and wheels/tires like 4WP, but more tabs, links, trusses, brackets....Stuff like Ballistic Fab sells online. Industrial Metal Supply has tabs, but brackets and Off-Road specific fab parts are hard to find. For myself anyways.

Would anyone be interested in having a store like that around. Somewhere between Tustin, and Lake Forest? Or is there already a store that has these parts in-stock that you know of?

Please post up your opinions/suggestions/comments. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

Thank you SoCal.

That'd be cool, but I can't imagine you making any money with this without taking ballistic/ruff stuff products and marking up the price 200%, at which point people will buy online...

I just don't see it as being feasible.... Too niche of a market, offroad is small enough, once you figure in that less than a third of those people fab their own stuff... Etc etc

 

[Peacefrog53]

McKenzies is in Anaheim, Kartek in Corona, and ORW has all four stores down near San Diego. It seems as if there is a void in between SD, and Anaheim.

XCM is correct though. Not too many people fabricate their own stuff. But why is that? Lack of tools? Experience? Parts? All of the above? lol

Would the availability of said obstructions possibly entice one to WANT to build something themselves? Possibly a demonstration or maybe a little help?

 

[eflosd]

also theres fiber-tech in santee

 

[Original_MudButt]

Schorr Metals, Glasell and 91 Fwy. in Anaheim carries a fair amount of what one might need, plus all the metal a gearhead could ever use. And they also sell fab equipment and supplies.

 

[mako my day]

Hell yeah!

 

[xcm]

There's more to prefabricated builder parts than the 10kinds of shock tabs... Something i think a majority of posters in this thread forget. companies like ruff stuff of ballistic offer 10 different trusses for 10difgerant rear ends, I doubt you'll be able to stock every combination/size.

It would be nice to be able to drive 20 minutes to buy builder parts, but I just don't see the rush.... Ruffstuff is quick already...


What I would love to see is a shop with a plasma/laser/water jet and brake capabilities that offers kinda like the build a bear or fedex kinkos treatment, ie helping you get your part drawn out,cut, and bent exactly how you want it....


As for why people don't fab their own stuff... Many adults these days can't change their own oil... Why would they pickup the metal glue gun? That's why there's smittybilt, and warrior products, etc

 

[Original_MudButt]

What I would love to see is a shop with a plasma/laser/water jet and brake capabilities ....

Schorr in Anaheim.

Though I've never used there services for anything other than shearing a large alum panel, I imagine they aren't cheap.

I think I paid $2.00 a cut back in '99... But it was worth it. All I had at the time was a sabre saw and it was 4' x 8' 1/4" material 4 cuts. It would have taken me a couple of hours.

 

[Vanimal]

you'd never make money making individual tabs on a per order basis unless you charged a premium.
Take a look at what ORW sells. that about covers what you'd need to carry. Heims, misalignments, hardware, and bushings would be a good call, but you're looking at a lot of overhead. We change heims just about every race on the class 10 car, so you'd need to stock a lot of them for race guys to have you as a regular supplier. We about clean out ORW for 3/4" heims every race. Also, there's going to be more money in fab parts for go-fast than there will be for crawling. But i'd definitely carry lower control arm brackets in 0 degree and 10 degree for 3" tube axles (they can be modded easy enough to fit other tubes sizes). Stock a few bars of DOM too, in various sizes. ORW sells it for a fortune and it still sells.

 

[xcm]

Schorr in Anaheim.

Though I've never used there services for anything other than shearing a large alum panel, I imagine they aren't cheap.

I think I paid $2.00 a cut back in '99... But it was worth it. All I had at the time was a sabre saw and it was 4' x 8' 1/4" material 4 cuts. It would have taken me a couple of hours.

I hear ya on the shear fee's being worth it, I have them cut a wide variety of strips whenever I buy 16g, so like 2@2", [email protected]", 2@3", [email protected]" and on and on, saves a crapload of time, and makes fabbing easier when you have a shelf load of sheet metal strips.

IMS does the whole water jet thing too, but it's just too expensive unless your building 10 trucks.... Too much overhead....

 

[souske]

We about clean out ORW for 3/4" heims every race.

Why not just have Dan @ ruffstuff send you a case?

 

[Vanimal]

Why not just have Dan @ ruffstuff send you a case?

those heims are crap compared to the ones on the race cars.

 

[Peacefrog53]

The store would have all of the materials required to make what you would need, PLUS have the capabilities to put those parts together for the customer. HOWEVER, we would not install the parts. Much like Build a Bear, one could pick the exact part that they need/want, have those parts put together while they wait, or have lunch, (<more realistic) then pick up the parts, and install them in their driveway. Same day turn-around for most parts.

(This would be an offered service for an added cost obviously, but it would allow for customization beyond just paint.)

This in turn would require most parts to be in-stock, and available for purchase by anyone individually.


As for the go-fast guys. I would need to acquire those accounts before looking into supplying my store to accommodate one or more teams. Team discounts/race discounts would be applied for those registered, and parts would be set aside for those accts as well, however, there would need to be a definitive number or clients with a required volume to make this happen. Definitely feasible, and definitely a must have, but not my main focus ATM.


So to summarize, it would be a walk-in retail store stocked with builder parts on the shelves for the mass public, that offers an assembly service to make your custom kit a bolt on kit. A glorified builder supply store in the heart of OC.

Not just metal supply, but off road focused builder supply.

 

[Vanimal]

you're setting yourself up for a major headache with small ticket made to order parts. I know from experience. Either make the stuff in bulk, or stick to higher priced items where you can get paid for your setup time.

 

[Peacefrog53]

you're setting yourself up for a major headache with small ticket made to order parts. I know from experience. Either make the stuff in bulk, or stick to higher priced items where you can get paid for your setup time.

Thanks everyone for the input. This is why I want opinions and comments. Would anyone around here benefit from having builder parts available off the shelf without having to drive far or order online. Just spit balling.

I have the opportunity to make this happen is why I'm asking.

 

[xDUMPTRUCKx]

The internet will always have something better or cheaper, to your door. also, "being lazy and poor like majority of cherokee owners...-Geoff Armstrong 6/29/13, I could save a dollar or two.

 

[cheapcherokee93]

if i can order it online from ruffstuff for cheaper then i will, even if i have to wait a few days. 99% of the time i dont need parts right then and there anyways. plus the location you describe isnt THAT close to me, i'd rather have the stuff shipped direct to my house anyways. now if you were cheaper then ruff stuff then it might be worth it to drive down and pick up some stuff one saturday.

 

[Peacefrog53]

The retail store could possibly be cheaper. POSSIBLY. Wouldn't have to pay shipping. Lol