I hate to go public but has anyone had any dealings with HPH lately? I've been emailing Rich since late January trying to get some rear fender flares. I've had a couple replies months ago but lately nothing at all. I just want to give the guy some money for a pair of FG flares, is that too much to ask?

At first I wanted the street weight versions but at this point either will do. If anyone has a set they want to sell please send me an IM or reply, I'm ready to buy!

Thanks...

Call him, he is better on the phone than with email.

i was just there last weekend ... he's not the email kinda guy, if you know what i mean ...

Andy

Yep, he always sends me the parts I need very quickly
650-364-6234

KT

Thanks, I'm so used to doing everything by email these days I forget the phone even works. Gracias mi amigos...

I think my grandma had a phone...

Talked to him yesterday, phones still work.

IMHO, if you're not going to answer email, take your email address off your site. Certainly don't have two addresses, one for "info" and one for "sales", since that really implies someone will answer at least one of them.

FYI for the other 2-3 guys waiting on fenders, his fiberglass guy is slow or backed up and Rich is waiting to get a few sets from him to ship out. He has my email saved and will let me know when they are available. Thanks all! I'm itchen for some FG flares!!!!!

ditto... I tried emailing him when I needed parts and it took a little bit, I call... 5 minutes later it's taken care of... great guy to do business with

i agree, but i'm also pretty sure he hasn't looked at his own website in years ...

maybe someone should point the email thing out to him ...
Andy

Still there, alive and kicking. Bought some shims from him on Monday afternoon.

E mail is a poor form of communication. (imho). I would much rather talk to a real person on the phone than to that persons computer.
Cheers, Elliot

True its nice to hear the voice if the person you are dealing with but for record keeping its nice to have that digital version of what was discussed and when. I would think in sales it would be invaluable to have written records of what people are asking for. Anyway, I spoke to Rich and he is on top of it. Thanks!

That is a good point. That's why I always document important phone calls. Date, time, name of person I spoke with and reason for the conversation. Especially when talking to anyone at my employer.

Cheers, Elliot

Yeah, Rich is a phone guy. Good thing too, he's almost always willing to chat for a few minutes. A veritable fountain of knowledge and all around good guy.

Nearly 10 years later since moving away from the SF Bay Area, I still have that phone number memorized...

-Josh2

Why would you wait 4 months for something you can get from several vendors? Pelican, Performance, A.I.R....there are probably several others...

MikeD, there's only one place that sells HPH flares. We're not talking GT flares that everyone sells. It wasn't clearly stated in this thread.

They dont sell his SCCA legal production flares.

Rich has been trying for several years to locate another fiberglass guy that can do lay up with his moulds. Trying to locate a fiberglass guy in NorCal is not easy. I offered to have the stuff done in Mexico (same place we are having Boxster hardtops done) We will see what happens. I want a race set also for a autox car that I will get too sooner or later.

I created the second email account when I was there. The first account was being bombarded with SPAM because the original web guy used the actual email address on the front page and th spiders picked it up.


B

HPH *probably* wont be around another year from now. Business is slow and the cost of doing business in the state of CA is really high.

It is hard to sell parts when nobody know's you have them.


B

Pretty childish.


B

FWIW, I had a set of the HPH flairs on my 914-6 and they were cool. Light and aero all the way. They could fit cantilever slicks under there as well as 22x10x16 slicks on 16x10 rims. I don't know what size Dot-r's you could get under there, but I'm sure some pretty wide ones.

I acutally ended up getting the street version that were slightly thicker than the race version. I figured I would abuse them by leaning up against them and I didn't want them to crack.

Seems like selling on the internet would work as a business model.

Bill P.

Who would Rich sell out to? GPR? Parts Heaven? EASY? I can't imagine too many places trying to absorb that huge pile of parts.

It will get thrown away. The used 914 parts market is for home users.

Selling on the web:

He does pretty well with Ebay, but the flow isnt there.

The hardest part: inventory everything/document it all.


B

Rich needs an open house, and a metal detector. We all walk in empty handed except for a MagLite, go shopping for 914 parts, and pay on our way out. Maybe the day after thanksgiving, when all the wives are out shopping as well. Best day to justify an automotive related purchase, if you ask me.

Hmmm... I suppose all those parts will have to be priced somehow.

Jen

I have told him several times: Clean the place up. Get rid of the piece of shit 944's and come to reality when it comes to used parts pricing. The 914 "heyday" is gone. Get in line with the rest of the USA on used parts pricing. Scott Yeaman has told him the same thing.. Larry has told him the same thing.. his brothers.. his ex wife... anyone who gives a shit about Rich has told him the same things.

It is VERY hard to tell someone how to change when they have been extremely successful in the past with their strategies. Today's business' operate completely differently than they did 10 years ago. You have to change with the times.


B

Brad you talking about Adrain in Mexico about the Glass work? does great stuff

Yep. I also have a carbon fiber guy that I was going to have take a look at Rich's flares. I would like a set in CF.

B

If it's throw away time, someone needs to talk to the people at EASY and Parts Heaven about making an offer for the pile. If Rich won't go to them, they need to go to him. If they're not interested (I'd be surprised, esp. if the price is "come get it"), then a local firesale is indeed in order. I'd certainly rent a pickup and haul away everything I could carry. If all of the Bay Area 914 people did that, we'd probably get a good fraction of it all.

Small word aint it

He wont give anything away. He would sell the whole building/contents in one swoop. The new owners would probably throw everything away.

Think about it:

PartsH has a moving inventory of parts. Why would they want 914 and 944 parts?


B

Besides....Rich is well....he's just Rich...old school...if that doesn't work for you...I guess there's always AA...

I'd rent Uhaul & trailer & go up & cart as much as they could hold.

I have also tried several times to help me move some inventory. The biggest problem is that no matter how much you try to help him, he does very little to pay you back. He has lots of parts and lots of cool stuff sitting around, problem is he wants WAY TOO MUCH for most of the shit.

-Britain

Here are some pictures...
HPH Inventory...Outside.

HPH Inventory...Inside

Rims anyone...



Hood?



Headlights...



Targa Tops.

Yup..

He needs to be able to do his buisness online. and I will buy from ONLY him..

Currently its SO much easyer to click "buy" from pelican...

Ah, so this is one of the 'lost warehouses'!

but we know exactly where it is...

It was not my intent to "unleash the hounds" on Rich. He obviously has a following and has made many friends over the years. It would be a shame to see someone like this have to go out of buisness for whatever reason. Hopefully the ideas here are taken as creative suggestions and will prove to help him continue the good fight. With a parts stash like that and sooo many teeners in need out there we need Rich around for a while longer....