Gennie shifter going out of buisiness?

I would be impressed if this thread died!

 

Good point - this one has gone on FAR too long, with no real value to anybody.

 

Bump

 

Aggravation for the sake of aggravation.....brilliant.

 

I spoke with a guy from Gennie a few days ago, wanted to order a shifter. He told me that they have lost several parts suppliers and have been selling inventory lately. I asked about buying a C6 shifter, he said he'll get back to me and tell me if he has the parts I need as they have used up most of the inventory. That was Friday, havn't heard anything yet, but he may call with what I needed. If that doesn't work it looks like a Lokar in my DD instead of the Gennie.

 

Not to burst your bubble, but the "lost suppliers" line is bullshit. When Tom Phipps owned Gennie, I machined all the machine parts for the Gennie line. I knew the shops doing the stamping, welding, bending, and plating. Tom was loyal to the vendors who helped him build the company. When Todd Gold bought the line, he systematically cut out every one of Tom's vendors, and took the manufacturing completely in house. So, if they don't have parts to build shifters, it's an internal problem. What goes around, comes around!

 

I have been trying to get information from gennie the last few weeks. I am having a custom knob made for my dad with our picture in it and wanted to use a gennie because of the no button issue. Out of the 20 times I called the number I spoke to them 3 times. The first time I spoke to a woman who did seem to know what was going on. She did say the same thing about loosing vendors to make thier parts. She said they were in the process of finalizing a few more vendors and should be making shifters again shortly but have many backorders to fill. She also said the claims they were going out of bussiness were made up by a disgruntled former employee. The second time someone answered the phone it was a guy who had no idea of what was going on, he said he was filling in for someone.
I finally gave up and ordered a lokar with knob adapter last night.

 

I will help beat this dead horse. I bought a trans dipstick from Gennie. It leaked badly. I called them and they told me to take it apart and fix it. They would not fix or replace it.

I bought a polished 30/31 headlight bar from them. It did not come close to fitting. Gennie customer service told me to cut it and reweld it. No thanks, it went back immediately.

This wasn't a recent thing, but the memory of bad customer service lives a very long time.

I have bought a metric shit-ton of products from Lokar. Everything has been perfect.

 

Thanks guys, Im definately going with a Lokar and the adapter too. Lokar stands behind their stuff.

 

Out of business or not, Quality or not, The way a company conducts itself is a big indicater of how it will support it's customers. After seeing all this drama I am most definately glad I chose Lokar which is everywhere and is always ready and willing to help should an issue arise...oh yeah and they pay their employees too.

 

I have read the posts on this thread and have one word to say: CHINA!!!

Bail!!!!
E

 

I've used both Lokar & Gennie. Lokar is great- can't beat their customer service. Been that way from day one. Gennie used to be great but not so in past several years. Their customer service sucks the last few years. I don't see what the big deal is w/ the button on the Lokar. Put the adaptor on if you want to run some ugly bleeding resin skull knob.
They have the midnight series now- all black. Pretty cool looking IMO- especially if you have a black interior.

 

I just called them to find out why the shifter we ordered almost 4 months ago still hasn't shipped. Ring ring ring ring ring ring ring, click, ring ring ring ring ring, company directory, with two choices, some woman and the general mail box.

Looks like they've lost their telephone sales staff too.

Crap. Now I have MOST of a Gennie shifter to build a really tall handled shifter for a '49 Caddy, EXCEPT THE SHIFTER ITSELF. I think they new that when I ordered the other stuff and they just shipped what they had to take my F*cking money. Asshats.

 

i havent purchased any lokar products in a long time, but the last time i tried to purchase seperate parts for an E BRAKE system i have of theres,,they would not sell parts seperately, if you did not have the orignal reciept,they told me they had a lot of people trying to copy there products,,, i just laughed,, a lokar shifter is a copy of a gennie,except they added a button,,

but when you see them at an event at there verdor booth they seem great and very knowlegable

ide perfer a gennie shifter

 

Lokar is not a copy of a Gennie, to me it's a better design. Yes they are both sticks that change gears in your automatic but that is where it ends.

Usually Lokar won't sell anything direct to the customer, choosing instead to support their dealer network.

 

So do you know something or are you just speculating to stir up drama?

 

Id use a old mustang shifter before Id use a Gennie anymore............to bad they used to be the best.......

 

just a quick one for this thread......
I received a heap of Gennie Shifter stuff today, I have waited 9 months and watched this thread with my heart in my mouth thinking I had lost $3k.
But I now only have a couple of small items on backorder.
At last I can sell some Gennie Shifters!!

I have emailed them to see if all the problems are now resolved

 

I'm glad you got your stuff, but if I were your customer, I wouldn't buy one. What if I needed a part or something was awry-how would i ever get that resolved? I've got enough parts that aren't made anymore and don't quite fit to work into my build. Plus, I really don't like the way these folks have jerked around everyone else who has posted on the HAMB. But, best of luck.

 

Wow 9 months?...having customers sit around, or a project stalled for 9 months can really put a hurtin' on the end guy, and make a ton of shows go on by

 

At least Rare32 got his stuff. I'm STILL waiting. I have half of what I need to do a job here in the shop, and we ordered a Lokar to get the project completed. Standard transmissions my friend. One word would be HURST.

 

My experience over the years of a company in trouble is they tend to stay in trouble. It's a long road back from lost customers and negative goodwill. In the reverse, good companies have to go out of their way to get into trouble.
After almost being burned a number of years back, I now use a credit card. If the goodies don't show up--but the charge does and I am suspicious--I reverse the charges and get my account credited. I'm not here for the social goodwill of loaning my dollars in hopes of getting my stuff.
No tickee; no laundry. Either act like a responsible bussinessman or let me out and find some other turkey. Honestly, would anyone ever ship parts to you first in hopes of payment later? I didn't think so.

 

Not to beat a dead horse........but, my pop's just called me today to "discuss" how difficult it is to find a Gennie Shifter and he said that he called 9 different places after calling Gennie and FINALLY found a place back east called http://nostalgic-products.com/ that had "1 left" for him to order. Wow!

The thing that is crazy is I just received an email from "S-line" talking about how they have all kinds of stuff on sale with the items........it looks like they are into the T-shirt biz now.

Chris

 

I have used both Gennie shifters and lokar, My 37 has a Lokar because I traded a customer against his bill. I'm Not impressed! the button is hard to depress in the cold Ohio climate!! Screw anyone who calls my car a Soft Rod!!! I DRIVE MY CAR!!! I have a 4 speed with a t+f shifter in my 35 pickup project. The whole idea of building a streetrod is having what you want, don't criticize what people use in their build, Build what you like!!!

 

What's a "Soft Rod"? Streetrod? I'm not sure what that is either.

 

It sounds like a slap from a "streetrod snob" that can't appreciate any other streetrod than his/her personal car/favorite, that we all don't build highboy 4 speed cars or duces, or have cars that dont rattle and overheat all day, I get soo full of this crap! I run a part time shop out of my home, and have built cool cars from duces to jeepsters, and the owners all were real proud of their cars! this degrading of someones car because it isn't what you would build is childish!

 

Race has not worked there for almost a year now. He now has a cushy government job

 

I'm (maybe everyone in this thread) not sure where you're going with your comments streetrodderbn. What and whom are you referring to?

I'm also not too sure you are aware that the HAMB is a Traditional Hot Rod & Custom message board. But if you aren't that's what the board is about. Judging from how many times you keep saying "streetrod", I'm guessing that's the case. Just a little FYI, thousands of the cars on this board don't "rattle and overheat all day." And for the few that still do, more than likely they arrived at this board seeking ways to improve their rides, as well as meet nice folks that are willing to help.

It could be taken that you are slamming the very cars and culture this board is built around. Traditional hot rods. 3 and 4 speed Deuces, are just as much at home here as early 60's Show Rods. There are several great boards out there I'm sure for street rodders, and if that's what you're into, then perhaps one of those would be a better fit for you. In the past, others have brought down the wrath of the less cooth tongued HAMBers by blasting deuces and Traditional Hot Rods. I would advise against it.

Oh, and "duce" is spelled "Deuce."

Viv-la-HAMB!

 

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