Howells Sheetmetal, How was your experience? UPDATE!!!

Anybody buying patch panels and stuff from Howells Sheetmetal? I ordered some stuff last week over the phone, asked to have a receipt emailed to me and was told my parts would arrive by last Friday.
I didn't get any emailed receipt, the stuff didn't show up yet and every time I call there is a busy signal.

I'm not posting this to bash because it is obviously too early to get all fired up about it, but just wanted to know what fellow HAMBers experiences have been with this company.

 

Seriously? Not one response yet. You guys must be busy at work today.

 

Did you even do a search on "Howell's" on the HAMB? Everybody should do a search on all vendors before buying. Do the search now.

 

one good, one bad....I tryed to get a custom set of panels was told time after time they just shipped out, but i never got them. So i ordered what they stocked got them with a week and a half and modified them to work.

 

I've ordered from them twice, both times took about a week, maybe a couple days more, for the stuff to show up. No issues, though.

 

No I didn't. And to be honest I really should have known better than to make a purchase for anything from any company without searching them on here first.

Like I said earlier, it's not a bad thing yet. Just knocking around for any feedback from the people who know best here on the HAMB.

Thanks,

Chop

 

Man, Howell's is always catching hell

 

installed some pannels for richardD.. I thought they where pretty nice...

however he went there and picked them up.

 

chased them at swap meets to get a refund for two or three years!

 

Coming from you! That is kind of scary....

 

I called Howell to get info on extending the corner panels for a 28-29 truck cab. Got a price and called Steve Becker at Bert's Model A in Denver. Steve quoted me the same price. I ordered them from Bert's figuring that Howell might shine on an individual, but he wouldn't screw with a vendor. Got all of the parts within two weeks.

 

what bout model T fenders from Howells? i Need some for my c-cab

 

If you want the patch panels or parts to fit, then don't buy from howell's!!

 

I was just talking to a gentleman last night who knows the original owner of Howell's, who has since retired. I was told the business was passed on to a relative who seems to be incompetent, incapable, ot just not all that interested in living up to the quality or service which Howell's once had. Sad.

 

Funny you say that. I heard good things from some older guys and thats why I didn't do a search on here prior to my order. But the impression I got from the guy on the phone was exactly like you said. Not really interested in customer service.
I actually got them on the phone today and when I asked for a tracking number for my order the guy told me he would look it up and call me back.

Well that was hours ago and I am feeling like the parts haven't even shipped yet.....

 

It took 9 months to get door bottoms for my 29 CC PkUp. Don't know what the real problem was but I finally got a fellow HAMBer in to go to there shop (3 visits) and I finally got them. I lived in the Islands at the time, and feel that was a problem in its self. They finally sent them to my daughter and she sent them to me. But there on and painted and look good, but for a while it was a real bust. There communication skills need some major updating, also. Iceman

 

I ordered 32 ford truck cab: lower door skins, door bottoms, and cab corners in November, got them in about 8 days....and they fit great....then ordered for a 40 ford pickup cab the same stuff, just installed last week, same deal. Great fit, good guy on the phone...reasonable price and delivery time. I don't know, maybe they are better on just trucks or something.....just my 2 cents..

 

I ordered through their website. They comunicated fast, shipped fast. I haven't used the roof top yet but they do seem to be getting bashed on here frequently.

 

About two years ago I ordered '29-'29 A cowl patch panels, about two weeks from ordering I said I havent got them yet they said they must have got lost in shipping and sent out another pair out and ended up getting both sets about a week after that and they said just keep them both. The panels fit good with a little bit of tweeking witch I expected, overall happy with them. But as was said earlier if they changed hands this was a while ago so no telling now.

 

Always, always, always go with Bert's Model A in Denver.

 

Bought mant times with nop problems.Last year they lost a lot of there operation when Ike hit.took them a few months to get it back together....Keep that in mind when you here bad things

 

i orderd from them twice
burned the first time shame on you
burned the second time shame on me
took months to get the stuff
i guess if you buy the stuff off of ebay it comes faster so they don't get slammed on their rating
also i just spent 6 hrs trying to get a back seat rest for a 29 pheaton to fit
my dad bought it without my knowledge
tk

 

During the past five years I've bought several patch panels and window frames for a 34 ford pick-up at the Pate Swap meet from them so no delivery problems, for the price I thought the panels were good but I knew I was going to have to trim them. Did look at their fenders and wasn't impressed.

 

couple years back, no with no problems.
i would use them again.

 

That could be why it was all good for me, everybody else with good stories buy off Ebay?

 

Does Howell's actually MAKE the parts?

Or do they distribute?

 

I've had good luck with '27 T parts from them, so far. I need a couple more things though. We'll see. pigpen

 

Wow there sure are a lot of mixed reviews on these guys. Thanks for all of the input. I'll let you guys know what happens with the order.

Chop

 

Holy Crap!

I got the guys on the phone today and they gave me a UPS tracking number that didn't show up in the system! HAHAHA Looks like I'm gonna have to pull teeth to get my parts ladies and gentlemen. The dude even threw the "maybe the shipper came off the package." line!

 

Years ago I got a '27 roadster deck lid from them. It was crap, should have made it myself.