I'll be in and out of Houston occasionally, about once a month, whilst crew changing on my ship in the Gulf of Mexico, so I'm thinking I may be able to swing by and buy some parts for my Model A RPU project while I'm in town. Does anybody know a place I can walk in and buy stuff, front beam axle, heim joints, Chevy parts, etc? I have no transport other than a taxi, very little time, so a store 75 miles outside town is no use. My other possibility is to order from Speedway or Summit, or similar, and have it delivered to the hotel we use, and hope they send the right stuff. Any help is appreciated, as I come from the UK but live in the Philippines and it is a real bitch getting parts. My project, coming along nicely, but I have NO front end at all Four bar rear, with temporary square links.... Engine plate: Chassis going together..
Sorry man I can't think of any places in Houston that stocks parts that you could buy and walk out with. Bruce's Rod Shop may have something but it would be a long taxi ride for you. They are in Spring Texas north of Houston
You could maybe give alamo hot rod a shot,they stock alot of stuff,the only bad it's here in san antonio,but maybe you can get it shipped to were you at,anyhow project looks good and good luck,
Thanks guys. I've been crawling the interweb looking for places, but nothing comes up. I'll check out Alamo Hot Rod. I need a front end to make much more real progress. I thought about putting something together myself, out of whatever local metric junk is available, but that can be a real pain, and steering and brakes is something I don't really want to take a chance on.
Maybe there's a hamber in Houston that you can have the stuff shipped to.... then when you're in town pick up a case of cold beer and go hang out!!
I can get stuff shipped direct to the hotel but it'd be nice to browse around a well-stocked parts store and spend far more money than I can really afford, you know what it's like. I just found San Antonio is about 200 miles from Houston.
I haven't found one and live just south of Houston. I do have a stock model A front end though and some other parts that you may need?
I live near Kathy and have some stuff too, like a juice brake setup. My office is right on the ship channel. Where does your ship dock, what hotel are you staying in, etc.? Houston is a BIG city!
We crew change by chopper, at sea, into Brazoria, then take a bus up to Houston airport. Our hotel is near the airport. Time is limited, as is transport, so I'm kinda stuffed with getting much anywhere that is not right near the airport. Then I have the fun of boxing stuff up to stick on the plane. If we could only have a dry dock or long port call, in Galveston or somewhere near......
Houston has never been much of a hotrod/custom town, not that there aren't lots of hotrods and customs here, but that those "in the business" just never seem to have been businessmen and a few criminals to boot. The car scene really seems to survive by sheer determination and will of the participants rather than with any real help in the areas of parts and fab work done right, well and affordably. That lack of readily available buyable retail readymade has been a plus, not a minus, in Houston as there are many great home-builders with style and talent who are ready and willing to share their ideas to help a guy along with a project. All the best.
I too am in that class: I love to make stuff from scratch, but making a whole front end is a pain, when you have nothing to even start from. I plan to build a blower system up for my project as well, though it would be far easier to simply buy the bits from Summit.
TEXAS PERFORMANCE DISTRIBUTORS, 8302 JET PILOT,713-991-7990, IS CLOSE TO HOBBY AIRPORT. WWW.TEXPERFORMANCE.COM. IF THEY DON'T HAVE IT THEY CAN GET IT. COMPETITION SALES, 8902 NORTH FREEWAW,I-45 IS FAIRLY CLOSE TO INTERCONTINENTAL AIRPORT 281-820-2970, WWW.COMPETITIONSALES.COM. A LOT OF THE GOOD PARTS PLACES HAVE GONE LIKE CAL CUSTOM A GREAT PLACE TO BUY ROD PARTS IS SACHSE ROD SHOP,3904 MILES ROAD, SACHSE,TEXAS(DALLAS AREA) 75048.1-800-495-3904, WWW.SACHSERODSHOP.COM THEY HAVE A GREAT CATALOG AND CAN SEND ANYWHERE. HOPE THIS HELPS, DEUCEMANAB
I don't know what airport you are talking about but I live 15 min from George Bush intercontinental airport if that's the one you are staying at. You are more than welcome to use my address to ship your stuff to and I have plenty of room to keep it for you if you need. And i could bring it to your hotel if you needed. If you would like my help let me know. Brian
Thanks for the links, but the first two seem to be having trouble. Sachse seems a cool place. That's the one, George Bush. We usually use the Doubletree hotel, five minutes from the airport on JFK Blvd. I'll see how things go and I might avail of your kind offer sir. Thanks.
Texas Perf. and Comp. sales won't have the early Ford stuff you need; and Sachse Rod Shop is hours away. Send me a P.M, we'll work it out.
I'm normally a forwarding address for my friends back home. They ship stuff to me mainly from the auction site and then I ship it to them. I too can be a receiving address.
I missed this post earlier. Thanks for the offer, I'll remember the details in case I need them some time. Cheers.
If you are staying by the airport, Bruces Rod shop is not that far. and he does have stocks of parts in the showroom http://www.brucesrodshop.com/ edit: hell, I'll take you there. any excuse for a trip. PM if interested.
Damn, I'm short of time now. Some good Hamb people are sorting me a front end out, so I have to get that packed/wrapped etc and then beat feet as I've got to go do some work stuff, have a vaccination and then I have a fight out the following lunchtime. I'll be back in town in a month or two, so I may take you up on your kind offer then sir. Thanks.