Thanks for the information on sources of GMC parts. It is sure good to know
that there are numerous sources for many of the parts that we will all need to
sustain us in our hobby.
We bought our '76 Palm Beach off the lawn at Cinnabar in Michigan. Cinnabar
allows GMC owners to park their coaches there at no charge for the purpose of
displaying "used coaches for sale". We originally went Cinnabar to consult
with Ivan Henderson on upgrade possibilities of a couple of other GMCs that we
had our eyes on. During our visit asked us if we had bought one yet and when we
said we had not, he showed us the one we bought. We liked it from the
beginning as ended up getting it for a good price.
We became interested in getting a GMC because our next door neighbor is the
original owner of a '73 23' Canyon Lands. We have been looking at and riding
in it for the past 20 years.
By the way, it sounds like we bought ours for some of the same reasons that you
bought yours for. That is to have a mobile office (I visited your web site)
for my business.
Thanks again,
Richard W.
- -------
> >I'm a new owner of a 1976 Palm Beach. I live pretty close to Sandusky,
> >MI (home of Cinnabar and Buskirk).
> >
> >I've been reading the GMC Net posting for a few days now. Cinnabar is
> >mentioned from time to time, but I get a sense that they are not the
> >preferred source for parts. Too expensive?
>
> Cinnabar is the sole licensee from GMC (at least as far as I can tell) for
> GMC motorhome replacement parts and technical support. They have among
> other things, the right to reprint the GMC MH manuals and appear to have a
> huge amount of GMC's technical and design information available so that
> they can qualify new suppliers of replacement parts.
>
> I think that most folks consider CInnabar to be an excellent supplier of
> GMC OEM replacement parts providing that price is not a major factor. For
> some parts you can get "the same" replacements from another supplier for a
> lower cost. Sometimes "the same" means identical parts from the same
> manufacturer, sometimes it means parts that will work, and occassionally it
> means parts that look the same but are inferior in some fashion.
>
> Providing he's in town, Wes is a terrific source of technical information
> and a strong GMC MH advocate. He's always taken his time with me when I've
> called - even when he wasn't going to make a sale that day. (BTW, Wes
> doesn't take orders for parts, you have to call Michigan for that).
>
> The major beef with Cinnabar from some folks is their position on upgrades
> to the GMC. To be fair, when I've talked to Wes he's been pretty upfront
> about whether or not his company offers upgrades in the same category as an
> alternate
supplier.So, I've personally found him to be ethical in that
> area. Wes is adamant about changes to the GMC's suspension, brakes, and a
> few other topics - no retrofits to disk brakes, no offset front wheels to
> match the rear track, and some others. As a GMC licensee I don't think that
> he has an option. Cinnabar has made a significant effort in qualifying new
> components in my opinion. The safest thing for GMC to do is say no to
> anything that in any way changes the suspension geometry. Cinnabar did go
> through enough engineering analysis to say that the Alcoa wheel with its
> greater offset (not much) was acceptable for the MH. This makes the part an
> officially sanctioned replacement (for what it's worth) and legal for
> several DOT regulations (according to Cinnabar).
>
> I think that Cinnabar is mostly criticized in three areas: their negative
> position on suspension upgrades, a feeling by some that Cinnabar advocates
> some products that they sell by less-than-objective articles in the
> Cinnabar newsletter, and price. I am NOT commenting on whether or not the
> articles are fair - decide for yourself.
>
> I think that if you understand Wes' position on supension upgrades then the
> negative commentary on upgrades is more easily understood. The best way to
> read and understand Wes' articles etc is to read them and substitute
> General Motors for Cinnabar. Cinnabar speaks for GMC on the motor home. I
> believe that Cinnabar has legal reastrictions as a result. In many ways
> this is like asking a new car dealer for their comments on modifying your
> car with aftermarket suspension parts. Some will give you engineering
> information, but most just say "no" due to the liability in case something
> goes wrong. It's up to you to determine for yourself if a technical article
> in fact specifically and objectively assesses the acceptability of an
> upgrade or alternate replacement part. Most people don't know that Cinnabar
> in Michigan will put upgrades on your GMC even if Wes doesn't believe that
> the upgrades don't do any good. I haven't asked about disk brakes.
>
> A number of folks have criticized Cinnabar for their pricing: sometimes you
> can find exactly the same part for less than 50% of Cinnabar's price. I
> consider this complaint to be one of perspective. Some folks will gladly
> pay the extra for the convenience of "one stop shopping." Others will shop
> around. To me it's just like buying a part from GM or from NAPA. Generally
> the OEM parts are pricey compared to aftermarket alternatives.
>
> Cinnabar doesn't have a lock on GMC replacement parts. There are high
> quality companies that supply a wide range of parts for your GMC. If you
> need original fiberglass parts, the molds are owned by another company.
> Other companies focus on specific parts of the GMC - curtains, rebuilt
> steering box, transmission, engines, wheels, etc.
>
> You need to make your own decisions about suppliers. People on the GMCnet
> can provide you with feedback and opinions - and facts - about the
> suppliers and their parts/service. I have purchased parts from about a half
> a dozen companies including Cinnabar. I try to give Cinnabar some business
> regardless of price because I want them to be around for a long time. I
> also buy from others.
>
> You will also find great deals through people here on GMCnet. There's also
> a variety of parts research projects going on - for example, Scott Nehoda
> came up with a very low cost way to replace rusted rails, there was a
> recent posting about getting Ramco mirrors at wholesale, engine rebuilders
> and transmission exchanges have also been topics.
>
> Henry
> Henry Davis Consulting, Inc / new product consulting
> PO Box 1270 / product readiness reviews
> Soquel, Ca 95073 / IP reviews
> ph: (408) 462-5199 / full service marketing
> fax: (408) 462-5198
>
http://www.henry-davis.com/ http://www.henry-davis.com
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