VOLUME 9, NUMBER 4 MAY 2006

Transcription

1 VOLUME 9, NUMBER 4

2 Cooling-Off Period By Lori Lovely A lot of the old rods don t have a/c, says Eaton Corporation s Mike Manos, but they re adding it. Today s hot rod owners grew up with air conditioning, and they expect it on all their vehicles, from their daily driver to their weekend cruiser. Manos believes that s why sales have increased every year for the Whitehouse, Ohio, company. Aeroquip our wholly owned brand name has been a very successful line. Clint Millican, in sales and marketing for Old Air Products in Fort Worth, Texas, wouldn t argue. Business certainly hasn t slowed down for street rods! We re seeing an increase for factory replacement parts for classic cars equipped with air. You ll 52 even see guys adding a/c to cars that didn t originally have it! That s right, according to Eric Daehn, vice president of Yogi s Inc. in Calamus, Iowa, who says percent of the cars with a/c and heating today didn t have it 10 years ago. You can buy a unit that fits into any vehicle and makes it look like it came from the factory that way. Companies like Hot Rod Air and Vintage Air even have controls that make your controls work with the heating and a/c. These days, it s easier for the customer to install, and it looks more factory. David Stutts, owner of Hot Rod Air in Selma, Texas, explains, The factoryadapt for controls is the biggest, hottest trend. People want a factory dash appearance, but the firewall is a problem. They send us their factory controls. We smooth off the firewall. There s nothing hanging on the engine no clutter in the engine department. Our units provide more capacity and more features in a more compact package. They mix air like 2006 models. Yogi s recently began the practice of retrofitting customer controls to air systems. Daehn says that even if a 1967 or newer car came equipped with air, it s a good idea to replace the system. The original probably didn t work that well, and it was big, bulky and stuck under the hood, taking up space. Today s replacements go under the dash, have a nice cover over the firewall, work better, are HOTROD & RESTORATION

3 cars, the package allows choices of dash mounts, condenser size and bracketry. Other popular items include custom kits for Chevy trucks, the tri-five Chevys, mid-year Corvettes and Mustangs. Air Quality Stutts says this niche industry is hitting its stride as car owners age and their priorities change. Ten years ago, 40 percent of owners wanted air; now, 75 percent want it. We do a ton of roadsters; a/c knocks off the humidity and keeps heat down even in an open roadster. From basic, non-polished kits to polished aluminum compressors for high-dollar pre-1948 hot rods, Stutts has seen the cyclical nature of air conditioning. Not everyone views it the same way. Harold Gentry, of Air-tique in Cleburne, Texas, says, As far as I m concerned, a/c and heating are still rolling on a square wheel. I don t know that any new earth-shaking advances are on the horizon in this field without major changes in the way our industry thinks about a/c and heating systems. The advances to make these systems more like OEM systems which is what most people want are not yet ready to be accepted, and I don t know if they ever will be fully accepted. In the real world of air conditioning, systems engineers aren t held to a mere looks-only standard like in this market. Their overall goal is a system that performs. In my opinion, most folks in this industry consider what looks best over what works best, even if that idea is wrought with flaws for example, the under-car condenser concept. The holy grail of the hot rod industry, the smooth firewall, is not a design criteria to OEM engineers. Telling some guy that to perform like an OEM system, his 57 Chevy, Camaro or Chevelle will have to have a firewall-mounted unit would send most hot rodders to the hospital. Nobody made a system to fit factoryair cars, explains Al Sedita, owner of Old Air Products keeps customers happy by offering customization each unit is custom to a certain degree. Shown here is their popular Hurrican Series unit with some vent and control options. more efficient and are set up for the new R134a refrigerant. If you re adding a/c to a non-a/c vehicle, send us the factory heater control. We ll integrate your controls to run our system, advertises Millican. We ll adapt our harness. You don t have to add underdash stuff. Although, as the name would imply, Old Air concentrates on heating and air conditioning systems and replacement parts for classic and antique autos, the company also offers their Hurricane Series, a street rod line. It fits anything, as long as you have nine inches from dash to firewall. Old Air s street rod series features a modular design. Available for 1928 through late-model 53

4 Cooling-Off Period As the A/C Market Heats Up, Hot Rods Take a Chill Classic Auto Air Manufacturers in Tampa, Florida. You had to hand-fabricate. Labor time skyrocketed. Until now. Classic Auto Air s new Perfect Fit Series heat/cool/defrost climate control system replaces the old heater/defrost box with a factory appearance. The factory air adapter kits, which retail for between $59 and $159, address the four major issues facing builders: control panel, dash ouvers, defrost ducts and the hole in the firewall and adds only 30 minutes to the installation time. It s a major deal. Our Perfect Fit Series raised the bar in the industry. You can replace the big, old compressor with a little round aluminum compressor. It s efficient and it looks good. You can update your factory air system with modern components, get rid of that bulky box and have a flat firewall. With 60 model-specific systems designed for Ford, GM and Chrysler models from 1970 and older, Sedita claims Classic Auto Air sells more systems than all his competitors combined. The model-specific condenser is made of pre-formed aluminum tubes for every application. Our competitors have a 54 universal condenser. We have dedicated bracketry for a better fit and clean look. It won t look like an after-thought. He adds that, two part numbers exclusively from us, namely for a Sanden compressor conversion kit and a Perfect Fit Series condenser kit, provide an easy fix to a multi-headed problem. That s a plan Gordon Marks Jr., owner of Marks Air Inc. (also in Tampa, Florida), is on board with. He s seen a/c units go from a conglomeration of parts adapted from all kinds of stuff to specific packages. A wider variety of mounts are now available, plus all the bells and whistles like billet stuff and braided steel hose makes it easier for parts guys to look up the application and get the right parts. Ten years ago, it was hard for non-car guys. Although street rods represent only 1 percent of Marks sales and the service side of their business has slowed, Marks says a/c is still in demand. Nine times out of 10, it s the wives. Guys will update the suspension and all that stuff, but the wives want air. He says that today everything is better, with more choices for more vehicles. Looking Cool Having choices is always good, and when it comes to air conditioning, many builders are choosing stainless steel braided hoses. Doc s Blocks specializes in hoses and a/c fittings. The Russelville, Arkansas, company carries all fittings, hoses, crimpers and aluminum braising kits to build any kind of a/c system. We have a lot of business, says This revolutionary Ford Front Runner TM drive system from Vintage Air mounts all engine accessories from its unique one-piece forged and machined aluminum timing cover. No other brackets are required. Designed specifically for a/c component applications, this hose from Eaton Aeroquip has a stainless steel outerbraid with a nylon inner tube for superior refrigerant performance. Custom designed nickel plated steel fittings are an attractive complement. Mike Hurlbut. It s amazing. Maybe it s because the systems are less complicated these days. Maybe it s because a lot of the street rodders are older, have disposable income and can work on the cars themselves. Maybe he s right: the stainless braided hose with stainless steel fittings costs more than the standard barrier hose. Both work equally well, Hurlbut says. It just depends on how much you want to spend. Despite the fact that it costs 7-8 times more, Yogi s is selling more braided stainless than ever. It s not just for show cars, Daehn says, explaining that they used to sell it only for trailered cars. People just want something different. What the market wants, says Manos, is an attractive alternative. That s why Eaton offers a stainless steel braided hose with a nylon inner liner. He explains that previously, an industrial Teflon hose, impervious to chemicals, was adapted from brake lines for a/c use. It did ok. The problem was the Teflon inner liner isn t as good with refrigerants. There s a permeation factor with refrigerants: over time, they leak. The nylon tube is a better barrier against leakage. They added nickel-plated steel fittings that thread together, specifically made for their hose. The reusable ends are cost-effective. It s state-of-the-art in the resto market, and in high demand. A hose is no good HOTROD & RESTORATION

5 INTRODUCING HIGH PERFORMANCE FLUID TRANSFER PRODUCTS DIRECT FROM THE SOURCE DOC S BLOCKS! without end fittings. As the only performance supplier of hoses that also designs and develops their own, Eaton produces hoses and fittings for all kinds of vehicles, which sometimes leads to definitive cross-over advantages. However, Manos admits that Detroit OEMs and other niches in the automotive industry are less concerned with looks, opting for the less expensive black rubber hose. Stainless braided hoses vs. black rubber hoses can be a $300 upgrade, estimates Shane Thomas, sales manager for Southern Rods & Parts, but it looks better on show cars. You can go with a standard plastic control box or spend $100 on a billet upgrade, or even more on an illuminated control, but it becomes a focal point. Adding a/c to 1960s and earlier cars that never had it is big business for Southern Rods. A/c has become a priority for all hot rod owners. It s the comfort factor mostly, but it also enhances fuel mileage and aerodynamics. You can skimp on upgrades, but be sure you get a quality unit with good output. Even an $800 a/c kit can double or triple the value of your car. The Greer, South Carolina-based company offers two direct-fit kits for Chevys and six universal models that adapt to almost any car. Three Maxi Kooler units are popular among Southern s DIY customer base. Fitting everything from pickups to full-size station wagons, these air and defrost units are all electric, with no vacuum. Thomas says converting units from vacuum-operated to electric solenoid is common. With an electric motor, there s an instant switch from defrost to a/c. They re simple to install it s great for DIYers: just plug n play. Another plug n play system comes from Classic Auto Air. Our competitors use electric vacuum pumps with a nest of hoses, wiring harnesses and micro switches, Sedita begins. We ll never produce a vacuum-operated system. Bigger-than-stock cam shafts don t produce enough vacuum and the vents default to defrost out of the dash and Here s the direct source for a full line of true high-performance fittings and stainless braided hose that will instantly put you in the custom plumbing business. Everything you need to professionally plumb fuel, brake, water and oil lines, High Performance Fittings & Hoses High Performance Brake Lines & Hoses Made to Order plus no-leak A/C systems as well. There s so much, we can t show it all here; but it s all on our web site and in our new free catalog. It s all genuine doc s quality and low priced so you can afford to plumb competitively with the best! High Performance A/C Fittings, Compressor Pads & Compressors Available in rubber & stainless steel braided hoses in red, blue, smoke or silver - please call for details. Any Brake or Clutch Hose made to suit any type of vehicle - in some cases a sample will be required. Hard lines are made on our custom CNC equipment for perfect bends and fit every time. FREE Comprehensive New Catalog Over 5,000 Part Numbers! doc s blocks is your trusted source for a complete range of automotive products that allow you to repair brake and A/C systems from single components to complete assemblies. Rod photos courtesy Bilstein Shocks Custom Made & Replacement A/C Lines & Hoses Call toll free today to order. Visit our web site docsblocks.com to order parts or to get your FREE catalog. Circle 35 on Reader Action Card Circle 36 on Reader Action Card 55

6 Cooling-Off Period As the A/C Market Heats Up, Hot Rods Take a Chill A/C compressor adapter fittings from Doc s Blocks allow you to attach standard hose fittings to factory compressors. Examples shown include GM LS-1, Chrysler Hemi, Ford FS10 and others. heat out of the floor. We keep it simple with either a mechanical cable or an electronic servo. It s a fly-by-wire totally controllable system with a separate circuit board in the dash, pre-wired harness and smart-switch technology. Another hot seller for Southern is the SuperFrost a/c and heat. There s no provision for defrost; that s the only detractor. But it s not a big deal for hot rods because they only run in good weather. Hot Flash But there are days when a little heat is welcome. Millican says the after-market heater business predominantly consists of replacing blower motors and rebuilding the heater core. You can rebuild thermostatic heater valves on cars of the 40s, 50s and 60s. He says most builders are replacing the entire system with heater cores and defrost. Daehn says it s fairly common for heater cores to go bad, but that it costs more to replace a 30-year-old core than to buy a new one. Besides, he says, new ones are smaller, they look better and they function better. Heaters start at $149, and complete packages (core, blower motor, wiring, switches) can run as high as $1700. It s a big price range, he admits. Yogi s price range for a/c systems is similar: $850-$1800. The difference is that two-thirds of Yogi s a/c customers select individual pieces rather than a package. It allows more individuality, Daehn speculates. For instance, you can have a painted compressor bracket with a stainless compressor. No matter what their predominantly end-user customer base orders or how Yogi s talks to 95 percent of their customers before an 56 Circle 37 on Reader Action Card Circle 38 on Reader Action Card

7 order is placed to make sure they re getting the right thing. Even if they order off the website, we call and ask questions. Although he says a/c is very easy for anyone with average mechanical ability, sometimes it helps to talk to someone with first-hand experience. In business for 25 years, Yogi s still builds project cars, testing the products it sells. It lets us demonstrate installation for customers, even if we have to photos. Rick Love, executive vice president of Vintage Air Inc., says customers are more demanding, so his employees do a lot of trouble-shooting when they attend shows, often escorting customers to the parking lot to show the product on their own cars as they answer questions. Celebrating its 30 th anniversary, the San Antonio, Texas-based business was the first to manufacture climate control systems for street rods, but it s still introducing new products. Its exclusive 4-Knob Stremline Panel features internally lighted rotary knobs, a clean design and a compact machined and polished aluminum face with fly-by-wire control functions. Also new is the Real- Steel Mark IV, an old-style underdash system that fits on anything. Love says they revised the tooling from the mid- 60s original, incorporating today s coil technology. Made of sheet metal with a chrome bezel, it s a good choice for traditional, nostalgic cars. It s unique to us, Love adds. A third new product is the Front Runner for small block Fords. The drive system mounts all engine accessories from its one-piece forged and machined aluminum timing cover. There s no external bracketry, explains Love. It has a built-in cradle to bolt on to. It s compact and strong. The systems are already available for small and big block Chevys. Circle 39 on Reader Action Card Cool Competition There s a lot of competition in this market, reflects Thomas. There are a lot of good units out there. As tough as the competition is, Thomas says it s nice to be compared to Vintage Air. We have to Circle 40 on Reader Action Card 57

8 Cooling-Off Period As the A/C Market Heats Up, Hot Rods Take a Chill keep ahead of the field to protect our status. As he knows, staying out front requires being recognized. Southern does that through magazine ads, 26 shows per year and Internet advertising, which he says they re just starting to focus on. Our Web store has steadily progressed; it adds to our sales force. We still pick up the phone to answer questions and double check orders, but that s a five-minute call to confirm, as opposed to a 10-minute call to collect billing information. Millican knows how hard it is to sell via the Internet. We have to follow up by phone to make sure customers are getting the right thing. They don t specify underdash or indash, small block or big block we have to get the details right. He says many customers think they have factory-original systems, but by talking to them, Old Air employees can determine that for sure. Because Vintage Air s customer base is older and not into the Net, Love says they rely on print advertising and stocking dealers. Nonetheless, he recognizes that the Internet s huge influence has changed how things are done. It plays a big role in our business. The build-toorder manufacturer doesn t sell online to retail customers, but offering downloadable wiring diagrams on its website is a form of 24/7 customer support, both for its 700 worldwide dealers and their end users. Time is our most valuable commodity now. Time is indeed important for everyone. I can sell a complete system on the phone to a dealer in 2 minutes. I can sell a complete system to a customer in 8 minutes. The dealer is where you want to be, analyzes Stutts. A toll-free dealer fax number means there s no cost for a dealer to do business with us. Nor does he compete with his dealers. If I sell a product against them at a show on Sunday, on Monday, they don t care if they sell my product. But if I support them at a show, I ll get 4-5 orders on Monday. He may not compete with them, but he does expect them to have the product in stock and to have knowledge about it. Dealer training is very important. There s more competition out there. You have to keep your name out there and you have to keep your dealers informed. It s the reason he does seminars at dealer locations and why he invites dealers to the seminar he conducts during the Hotrod & Restoration Show s education day. It s one of the two most important shows to educate and demonstrate. Daehn says Yogi s often takes employees to training seminars at trade shows. It s a big advantage to learn how to sell. 58 Circle 41 on Reader Action Card Circle 42 on Reader Action Card

9 Although the successful retailer with 120 continually updated product lines has a small dealer network, Daehn says they want to enlarge and improve it. However, it s difficult to support dealers without competing against them. Often, we re marketing the same area. There s a very limited profit margin in this industry most is about 30 percent markup. If you give away enough to set up a dealer, how do you make money? Gentry agrees that the key to product sales is knowledge. Too many retailers today are competing by trying to carry more product lines than anyone else, and they don t know a thing about the product they re selling. I would rather sell 10 products I know like the back of my hand than have 100 lines I barely know anything about. Air-tique sells just about anything you need for a complete air conditioning and heating system for Large, separate heat and a/c coils are one of the many very-important features exclusive to Classic Auto Air s Perfect Fit Series. The robust heat, cool and defrost system fits in the dash and replaces the stock heater/defrost box for a factory air look. Circle 43 on Reader Action Card 59

10 Cooling-Off Period As the A/C Market Heats Up, Hot Rods Take a Chill street rods, trucks, classic cars, customs and specialty cars from 1900 to 1972, advertising exclusively through the Internet. Today s customers are looking for two things: information and service. Customers in this market can tell when you re winging it. He says that not knowing and not stocking the product are guaranteed ways to lose business. Sedita prefers dealers who have prior experience with his competitors lines because he says they re aware of the holes. He tells them to consider all competitors as street rod air conditioning companies except one. Our only big competitor is Vintage Air. They have an excellent marketing company. But he s not worried; instead, he s going after the marketing side of the business aggressively this year. We re the world s largest supplier of factory heating and air conditioning parts. It s rare that we can t help a Hot Rod Air says they do a ton of roadsters like this Underdash Louver and Controller for 34 Fords because a/c knocks off the humidity and keeps the heat down even in an open roadster. customer, from resto to custom and everyone in between. He credits Classic Auto Air s success to having a top design engineer on staff; direct customer service that eliminates the dealer as go-between after the sale; competitive prices; detailed instructions with photos, not just drawings; and an extensive line of high-quality parts. There are compelling, dramatic differences between us and our competitors. We offer more exclusive features. We re the only company that builds the units with a heating coil separate from the a/c coil, like a factory system. Everyone else uses a small coil because it cuts the cost in half. But it makes for a marginal heater. We re paying attention to what the customer wants. We re revolutionizing the industry. Eaton is dedicated to marketing products through an existing distributor network, which then moves product through dealers to end users. They rely on 60 Circle 44 on Reader Action Card Circle 45 on Reader Action Card

11 distributors, as full partners, to do shows. It was successful for Vintage Air, Southern Rod and RB s. They targeted hot rods; it made a big difference. You can have a good product, but you also have to have a good distributor. We ve had tremendous response; our product is doing well. Doc s Blocks targets repair shops and the guys building kits. We sell them hose sets to put in their kits, according to Hurlbut. A free catalog, a few shows and a lot of advertising help spread the word, but as the only company that makes adapters to connect to standard lines, business is almost assured. The factory compressors on engines need adapters. We make billet aluminum block-type fittings an OEM-connection with a threaded nut so the after-market guys can install them. We re never gonna be the cheapest, Love states, but we re a good value. The cheapest isn t always the best, and there are certain areas where you just don t cut corners. We provide service after the sale. Talk to our customers; see if they re happy. We don t sell a single I need product; we have to keep our customers happy. One way Old Air keeps its customers happy is by customization. Each unit is custom to a certain degree, Millican elaborates. It sets us apart from the competition. They also keep dealers happy by fielding all end-user questions, upholding retail prices so dealers can bargain, referring end users to local dealers, and drop-shipping units. In the summertime, when it s hot, people want replacement parts now. Our units take only 3 to 10 days to ship. He knows that if a customer is happy, other people will hear about it. There s nothing better than word-of-mouth advertising. With TV shows inspiring people to finish project cars, Thomas sees a growing market that isn t dependent on the stock market. People are investing in their cars and enjoying them. They watch TV, get ideas and decide to install the air kit they bought 4-5 years ago. A car sells better with air; it s not complicated. BOB S SPEEDOMETER Est WORKING WITH RESTORATION SHOPS NATIONWIDE Clusters: Speedometers Tachometers Clocks Gauges Gas tank sending unit Cables and Casings Ratio boxes Complete Repair, Restoration & Custom Bergin Rd., Howell, MI (810) / FAX: (810) Circle 46 on Reader Action Card Circle 47 on Reader Action Card 61