JDM-TOY Posted February 15, 2018 Share Posted February 15, 2018 If there has ever been a person who can waste your time its Warren at All Z Parts. Over promises and under delivers and never gives you a straightforward answer. I ordered parts and still waiting 4 weeks and told to pick them up a week ago. Calling and no answer, who knows whats going on in this guys head. Whats your experience?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aircobra Posted February 15, 2018 Share Posted February 15, 2018 never know what's going with the guy sometimes he's been brilliant, sometimes awful sometimes doesn;t even answer for days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PB260Z Posted February 15, 2018 Moderators Share Posted February 15, 2018 Hi The All Z Parts business is a secindary focus for Warren, he also has full time gig doing hydraulic repairs, this combined with some health issues results in him not being around the warehouse much. I have got a few parts off him, but it has often taken two or three visits to find a time when he is actually at the warehouse. I am lucky that his warehouse is only 5 mins from home, so dropping past a few times is not all that inconvient. Please don't think I am defending him, I am mearly adding some background information on his circumstances. Cheers PB gav240z and JDM-TOY 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simestime Posted February 15, 2018 Share Posted February 15, 2018 Iv had a few things posted up to me over the past couple of years by warren and they have all been good outcomes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilltech Posted February 15, 2018 Share Posted February 15, 2018 So is this the same guy who has Z parts on eBay under nissandatsunparts? Or is that someone else? Whoever it is I have bought at least a half dozen items in the past year and delivery has in each case been fairly prompt, so no grizzles at my end. gav240z 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PB260Z Posted February 15, 2018 Moderators Share Posted February 15, 2018 So is this the same guy who has Z parts on eBay under nissandatsunparts? Or is that someone else? Whoever it is I have bought at least a half dozen items in the past year and delivery has in each case been fairly prompt, so no grizzles at my end. Yes it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators gav240z Posted February 16, 2018 Administrators Share Posted February 16, 2018 Yes Warren is fine if you buy via eBay (so far no issues for me) but I think Peter's post above helps give some context as to why he can be hard to get proper commitment from. I've heard many complain about the same. The real problem as I see it is that a lot of blokes who have been in this game (S30Z repairs and parts supply) have often been doing it for 30+ years and they have been ground down by low ballers and cheap skate Datsun owners over many years. This means their businesses have often lost money over many years. Things are changing as these cars increase in value again and people are willing to spend the money, but given how few cars remain here now it's difficult to feed the family on profits from Z-supplies. For example just to package up a bunch of gear knob buttons - receive payment, go to post office etc.. really if this was a full time gig for me (supplying S30Z stuff) I'd need to charge a lot more than $10 a button. And those buttons are often more profitable to sell than larger items etc..! I feel there has to be a market here for a local supplier of S30Z parts, but you have to use a lot of capital up front to purchase parts, have somewhere to store them and then worry about currency fluctuations destroying your profit margin on an item. Often folks think they can beat your price, but don't factor in cost of shipping etc.. So bottom line is, folks like Warren is all we have and if you're in a rush perhaps look elsewhere, but I can almost sympathise with why he is the way he is. The only reason someone would get into supplying S30Z parts is because they are passionate about these cars, not money! JDM-TOY, hmd, gilltech and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
260DET Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 Gavin is right about the cheap axe Datsun market which fortunately has been changing now for a while in that Z parts are becoming valued similarly to those of other desirable cars. We can still see the remnants of this cheap attitude, cars abandoned out in the open with no care now coming up for sale as 'restorers', old rough and bogged repairs and so on. What has always annoyed me is that very few people saw the real value of these cars, they couldn't see past the $ prices and so valued them and others in accordance with how much certain 'prestige' cars and their parts cost. Unfortunately this attitude seems to have existed to some degree with the race cars, little value being placed on a car once it was finished as a racer. I always knew that S30's would see their day and am pleased to see this happening now. Keep it going boys, you can't lose. gav240z and gilltech 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilltech Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 as these cars increase in value again and people are willing to spend the money Are they? Every week there are inquiries on here and on FB from people wanting to buy a Zed and clearly having champagne tastes on a beer budget. Absolutely no idea. One points them in the direction of Carsales and Gumtree where there are a steady number of ads for both project cars and driving cars and they get all offended by the asking prices. But as long as current owners hold out for their prices so those prices will keep pushing up. There will always be the cheap skates. Actually I think Gav has summed it all up very well. You couldn't make a living out of Z parts, far too small a market. And too many stingy owners who would drive you up the wall with all sorts of unrealistic expectations. When I hear owners whinge about the price of new and used car parts and the people who have set themselves up to supply those parts, I think it's time for the latter to tell them to f**k off and go find the parts themselves then they might start to understand what's involved and change their attitudes, but then maybe not. TOO60Z 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PB260Z Posted February 16, 2018 Moderators Share Posted February 16, 2018 too many stingy owners who would drive you up the wall with all sorts of unrealistic expectations. Hi I was having a social chat with Warren some time ago, and he made pretty much exactly the same comment. He also added that plenty of people contact him and just want to take advantage of his knowledge then don't actually buy anything. I would understand if he told a few to F off, or just started ignoring them. Cheers PB 260DET and gilltech 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
260DET Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 Y'know if this involved, say, a Porsche dealer the conversation would be terminated immediately unless the caller was a established customer. And really this is the way it should be because in business there is no free advice, someone is paying for it in one way or another. gilltech and PB260Z 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilltech Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 When I lived overseas I sometimes gave a good friend a hand with his auto parts and repair business when I had some free time, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. But it's not an easy market to be in, and having even a small involvement with it really opened my eyes. The good customers are a pleasure to assist with parts for their projects, win-win for all. But it's amazing how many dick-head car enthusiasts there are. A lot of tight-arsed people just turn up and all they want to do is talk and talk and glean knowledge but never actually buy anything; they are major time wasters when trying to operate a business and time is money and at the end of the week one has to have done enough throughput to put bread on the table. So I have a lot of respect for people like Warren who have hung in there over many years, they must have extraordinary patience with people. JDM-TOY and gav240z 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDM-TOY Posted February 16, 2018 Author Share Posted February 16, 2018 Hey guys I totally agree with all of the above but I just find it frustrating when Im restoring my car and get dicked around when I need the parts. Its the attitude and brush off that is a head doer. I already told Warren I know it could cost me up to a grand or more for him to get the parts from his suppliers. I also said I was willing to put a deposit down but he was ok with just ordering the parts. So off to Tabco and other suppliers I go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zed74 Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 Just to add my 2 cents... bought many parts from All Z Parts since early 1990's. My "beef" is that eBay for NissanDatsunParts is claimed to be used to clear all his old stock...reality is they are Motorsport Auto (MSA in the US) biggest account customer in Australia Wait for exchange rate to be right and you can buy without the middle man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1600dave Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 Hey guys I totally agree with all of the above I'm afraid I don't. I bought a new bonnet release cable off the ebay account, paid within minutes of buying it, took 3 months to arrive. Sorry, but if Datsun owners are too much hassle to deal with, sell all your stock as a job lot and get out of the business so you don't have to deal with them anymore. Happy to take my money, then live up to your end of the deal and get my purchase to me in a reasonable timeframe. gav240z and nizm0zed 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators gav240z Posted February 16, 2018 Administrators Share Posted February 16, 2018 I believe Warren was floating the idea of selling up a while back.. certain numbers were thrown around. I was briefly thinking about it. JDM-TOY 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDM-TOY Posted February 16, 2018 Author Share Posted February 16, 2018 I believe Warren was floating the idea of selling up a while back.. certain numbers were thrown around. I was briefly thinking about it. A few people who I have spoken to said that he was made a few offers but Warren refused. I have been to his warehouse and its a mess inside. You would need to stock control and see whats worth keeping and basing the price on that. But that on its own will be a mission... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilltech Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 you would need to stock control and see whats worth keeping and basing the price on that Very true. You would also need to buy the whole lot at a very much base wholesale price, otherwise there's nothing in it. gav240z 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators gav240z Posted February 16, 2018 Administrators Share Posted February 16, 2018 A few people who I have spoken to said that he was made a few offers but Warren refused. I have been to his warehouse and its a mess inside. You would need to stock control and see whats worth keeping and basing the price on that. But that on its own will be a mission...The way I see it that's just 1 facet. The amount of time involved with listing items on say eBay etc.. it's a full time job. To package items, run to post office etc.. it all takes time and time is money. Then you need space to put all that stuff, renting warehouses in Sydney is far too expensive. You'd need to go to somewhere like Goulburn and rent a cheap space there. Or somewhere like it, or already own said space. JDM-TOY 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmd Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 It's a mug game, even with a warehouse Banarby Joyce rent free style. You be spending your day answering queries for $30 parts. gav240z 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOO60Z Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 No such thing as a $30 z part anymore. Let’s not forget he has been in the game a long long time and built up a fairly expansive contact base to acquire parts from around the globe be they NOS or repro. He wouldn’t be giving this away for free you can be sure of that. Warren is actually a really nice guy and from dealing with him over the years you learn not to push him to hard when in need of something. gilltech and gav240z 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aircobra Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 its hard to see from melbourne what he does. someone from this forum who is sydney based could do the forum a favour and have a look at what's in the warehouse if he's just a reseller for msa ans zcardepot, then we would know exactly what he has Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geos260 Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 we all know what warren is like but we all know what zed owners are like tooo, i had parts for sale and i still have them reason being is z owners and some i mean wanna laugh at you in your face and offer you $50 for a dash and $5 for original emblems that don't exist anymore, specially when i spent hrs pulling all the parts out and wasted hours and they don't buy anything, ill be exactly like warren "f**ck of" excuse the language. i bought from warren and had no issues over the years, the secret just pay the full price and stop being a tight ass, restoring a car is not with left over pocket money. its an expensive hobby...other then that just buy from the states simple as that gilltech and gav240z 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EJ101 Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 (edited) problem is there are many people that have some kind of business or another but have no business sense or skill and really shouldn't be in business. As for cheap arse car owners. Unfortunately, most of us don't have unlimited funds to just buy everything and anything we need, so you try and find the cheapest or alternative way to do things. Often that involves asking questions and wasting peoples time..........that's life. But I do have a fond memory of Stewart Wilkins back when he had SSS at Girraween. If you've ever met him, he is a man of few words, not the chatty type. I'd only go there on Saturday mornings but that's when everyone else would go and Stewart would be bombarded by "I wanna put a blahh blahh blahh into my blahh blahh blahh and get 600 hp" I'd be listening to Stewart's responses, which were only ever a few words, as he stood there with his arms folded. Then i'd finally get to the front and the look on his face would be "You better not waste my farking time". Luckily, I only ever went there when I actually needed something. Edited February 18, 2018 by EJ101 gav240z 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1600dave Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 (edited) Where's that Sean Connery meme ? I don't always run a business. But when I do, I target Z owners because apparently if my service is crap I can just say they deserve it. Edited February 18, 2018 by 1600dave gav240z 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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