Complaint and Warning about Howell's Sheet Metal in TX!!

I'll bet these guys figure, "Hell, the fuckin' car has been around 70 or 80 years, what's a few more months." I always kinda liked those people who are the best at doing something and are a little different. It doesn't mean they can be butt-munches to their customers... Well on second thought, they can do whatever they want. If you don't want to put up with their bullshit, don't order from them. If your not prepared to wait, don't order them...It sounds like they have more than enough to do. It's not like you can hire someone from McDonald's to do this work.

Take the time to figure out how to make them yourself.

 

Wonder if he has a brother in Colorado named Norby????

 

I waited 8 months for door bottoms for my 29 Pk Up. I'm to far away to go to them so a fellow HAMBer living in Beaumont, Tx went to there shop 3 times. I finally got the stuff. He said that my zip code was no good. Finally sent them to my daughter and she shipped them to my zip with no problem. Luckly I could run with out door here, and he got paid with the order. Iceman

 

I ordered some 34 Ford cowl patch panels on Oct 30. Was informed by UPS of the tracking number on Nov. 2. Just checked the tracking # at UPS and the parts are on time and scheduled to be delivered on Nov. 9.

 

I'd fly down there and whip his Texas ass, I am in the outside sales world, and I call on fab shops and I see that attitude from those guys all the time, when times are good, they don't care, can't figure how they are still in business?

 

Just think over 2 years and they are still getting their name passed around!

 

I was on that site for a bit...sorry, not my kinda joint. I left shortly after the whole Gas Monkey insident and after a bunch of the guys jumped me for no reason.

1shot

 

Man if I ran my buisness liek that I wouldnt be IN buisness at all.
Customer Satisfaction is key. If you fuck up, you do something to make up for it. Sometimes I get backed up and can't get stuff shipped out right away, you toss in a little something extra to make the customer happy. Now sometimes they still aint happy, but hell atleast I made an effort to give them the best experience possible??

1shot

 

Hell, you could have took a sheetmetal class and made them yourself by now.

 

i hate stupid assholes like this....

i would have lost my fucking mind on that guy if i were you. i was seeing red just reading the post

"sell your car for all i care" ?

eat a fucking dick dude. first, give me my shit, then eat a fucking dick.

 

Shit,I just spat food all over the computer.
A truer word was never spoken.

Anyway,thanks for the heads up guys.I need patches for the 32 tudor and was hesitant to order from Howells due to the bad press.
Now I,ll look elsewhere,I don,t need the aggravation.

 

Regarding Howells - I have ordered several times from them. If you place the order on eBay (if the parts are listed) those orders get shipped faster. (they don't want to ruin their eBay rating)
It once took them 9 months to send me a part - but they are the only ones that make them and at such decent low prices. It is true that Howells does supply Brookeville with some Model A parts - so they are busy, but they do good work. Be patient, you can't beat their prices.

Why can't anyone be thankful that Howell's is even re-popping these much needed parts.????

 

anyone ever buy any T fenders from them?

 

Sure, why not look on the 'brighter side' of things! Its not about what he makes, its about the timely manner of getting them. It takes both to create 'GOOD SERVICE'

I order corner patches for my Model A...I cut off over 1/2 the metal and fixed the belt line molding because it wasnt right; not even close. I called to get replacements, it would have taken me weeks. I ate the parts and MADE them work.

 

I spoke to Ryan today and received my tracking number for a total of 12 parts (hood, floorboards, 32 grill shell, on and on). It was shipped yesterday afternoon. ... And the tracking number is good.

Like I said, I believe in the positive.
Will update as things progress.

 

Like i said before ,these guys build great products ,me and my buddies have bought numorous panels from these good people.Sure ALL aftermarket patch and replacement panels require a little tweaking and cutting,youll deal with that from any company.As for the service its not my place to say much but with a 2 or 3 man operation,somtimes its hard to answer the phone and be polite while making your quaility replacement panel.so quit buggin them.Im kinda tired of hearing all the crying and moaning about howells.would everybody just shut up and build your cars!

 

I got a set of lower door patch panels from them over a year ago. No complaints on my part. They came in as timley a fashion as any other specialty parts, and the quality was about as I expected. Not perfect, but very usable.

 

i went through mikes A ford able out of georgia, but just ordered about 300 bucks from howells an hour before i read this, damn that sucks

 

Nothing but great service from Howells

 

Place an order with Santa Claus. Maybe he can get his elves to make a one off part for you by next month. That way it will be made and delivered for free, just what every whiny customer dreams of.

 

Waited 4 months for the lower panel on the rear of my 27... same deal as others, lots of promises, long on results...

 

I know I've heard that "I'm the only guy in the World making these" comment on here before and Im fairly certain it was about that shop.

 

I live in the Beaumont area and know the Howell's crew all personally. I walk in and get items straight from the shop so I can't say anything for the deliver times. I do know that they are a three man sometimes four man operation turning out replacement and custom sheet metal for hundreds of customers. I'm a friend to them and I've been waiting many many weeks to get my car in the shop to build a custom hood. That's ok because I know itll be worth the wait. They do alot for the local rodders and the local area sponsering shows, and benefit and such. If Ryan promised a delivery time and didn't meet it, then that's not good...but the guy "LEE" making your sheet metal ya'll are ordering does awesome work. Yes maybe Ryan should find another guy to speed up the process but a VERY GOOD sheet metal guy isn't easy to come by so they are doing the best they can with the staff they have. I've heard complaints about long deliver times, but I don't believe I've ever heard a complaint about the quality..."TOP NOTCH" I'm sure this guy isnt the only one thats had a problem with incorrect promise times but I see how much inventory these guys put out and I'm not making excusses for them but I'm sure Howell's satified customers far far exceed the guys who have had a bad experience....Just my two cents

 

It's easy to get caught up in an instant gratification world where old rare parts are pumped out like shit and sold for peanuts ( $8.00 for a pair of 50 pontiac taillights... $30.00 for 38 ford teardrops ( I guess that's why everyone gotta have em)). Finding a North American manufacturer who can still stamp out a piece of metal and compete in that gimme gimme world is uncommon and worth supporting.

I dont know how many here can say they always meet deadlines, hell I know I cant but I bust my butt trying. When you look at their catalog and take into account the number of guys in that shop, I cant complain when a part ordered monday doesnt ship until Thursday.

I've got a customer looking at buying a 32 brookie and I'm leaning towards directing him to Howells. Companies change and in lean times try harder to satisfy customers. We'll have to watch and see what happens.

Rather than hearing from guys who bought a part a couple years ago and their good or bad experiences, I'd like to hear from more from recent customers like me... lets hear your experience.

 

Very similiar experience with Howell's Sheet Metal. Ryan just sucks!

On a good note, I recently purchased a cowl panel from Bratton's Sheet metal, Maryland. I ordered the part on Wednesday and received the part on Saturday here in Atlanta, GA. Bratton,s did not require me to buy both cowl panels. The price was approximately half of the price the other companies were asking for both panels. But I didn't get stuck with a part I did not need.

Do business with companies that care and provide good, honest service. Howell's does not fit this mode.

 

Ryan is the owner of Howell's Sheet Metal and he is a total asshole and a lier. My experience with Howell's is within the last six months. Ryan gave me an erroneous shipping number and indicated that the part was shipped. After waiting several days I followed up with UPS and they indicated that the shipping number was not a valid shipping number. I finally got in touch with another person at Howell's and he indicated that the part was not ordered and would not be shipped until the following week.

I gave them second chance and the same thing happened with running boards and aprons.

When a company indicates that the part is in inventory and it takes almost two months to receive, so much for your instant gratification world.

Howell's business model just plain sucks!!!!!

 

Sure, I can appreciate a shop, that produces a "good product" for a "good price". But, when does the good price "warm and fuzzies" wear off?-before or after the piece of shit berates you! This lying asshole simply does not deserve your business!..plain and simple! We, as consumers are the reason he is in business!..but apparently the imbicle is too stupid to realize that! For the people, who condon this practice, justifying it by saying it is a "custom order piece"...so the fuck what?...It doesn't change the fact the piece of shit is, and has been continously lying to you! If this neanderthal man is doing that kind of volume-you would think he could afford to hire someone, who has more patience than a pissed off pitbull to answer the phone, and provide "Customer Service".

 

finally put metal floors in my modelA
my email ???'s answered
ordered several items all fit perfect even in a old twisted A
they even shipped one part to another address as a suprise for son

 

I just followed up on the tracking number Ryan gave me. The number was in their system when I first checked, now its a valid UPS shipment to my address.

I for one give him credit for processing my order promptly and following through with my request for an emailed invoice.
Do I expect to have to cut and grind to fit? Sure, I always do no matter who I buy from.

Will I return for more parts? Yes.

 

Same kind of luck here in September, I ordered 1928 inner fenderwells for my sedan, they told me they had them and placed the order, came two weeks later and were the 4 door model, turns out they were out of stock, and shipped the 4dr ones hoping I wouldnt notice, guy told me they were the same, I told him they werent even close to the picture. He agreed to take them back, so sucks they purposely sent the wrong ones, but knew their error and UPS picked them up, so half good half bad.

Les