FYI - Fishmouth grille bonnet finisher : MGB & GT Forum : MG Experience Forums : The MG Experience

FYI - Fishmouth grille bonnet finisher #1
kwinzee Ron Weber Hamilton, Ontario, Canada 1972 MG MGB GT "Struggles" 1976 MG MGB "Knute" 2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer "Gray Whale"	Posted: March 29, 2012 07:51AM Registered: 3 years ago Posts: 5,536

I just got my new Moss Europe catalogue and found that the finisher is in it without the dreaded NLA. I went to the web site and, there it was:

http://www.moss-europe.co.uk/Shop/ViewProducts.aspx?PlateIndexID=215#28

So, anyone looking for one of these finishers, you can (I'm assuming) get it from them. Quite reasonable, too.

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Re: FYI - Fishmouth grille bonnet finisher #2
mowog70 michael long lima, west central ohio, USA 1970 MG MGB	Posted: March 29, 2012 08:11AM Registered: 6 years ago Posts: 366

Ron, this is indeed a cause for celebration.... a major breakthrough, almost too good to be true after all this time being NLA. although it does somewhat deminish the value of my NOS original hood finisher i suppose.

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Re: FYI - Fishmouth grille bonnet finisher #3
mgbanthony Anthony Henderson Gananoque, Ontario, Canada 1962 MG MGB 1962 MG MGB 1970 MG MGB GT 1974 MG MGB 1991 GMC Sierra 1500 → more	Posted: March 29, 2012 08:12AM Registered: 7 years ago Posts: 2,857

Ron: Try emailing them or ordering one. The truth will come out then. They did not have any as recently as a couple of weeks ago.

Anthony

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Re: FYI - Fishmouth grille bonnet finisher #4
kawtoy Shane Nudds Henrietta, NY, USA 1970 MG MGB GT	Posted: March 29, 2012 08:17AM Registered: 3 years ago Posts: 855

Just placed an order. Lets see if this one goes through. Last time I tried they said they were all out. This time it says it ships directly from vendor so maybe they found someone new to make them. I will let you guys know what happens.

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Re: FYI - Fishmouth grille bonnet finisher #5
Davew70mgb Dave Windisch Iowa, USA 1970 MG MGB 1972 MG MGB	Posted: March 29, 2012 08:44AM Registered: 7 years ago Posts: 85

Good to see this. Mine is in need of replacement. I wonder if Moss U.S. will soon be listing it. Be worth their while since it is an item with some demand.

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Re: FYI - Fishmouth grille bonnet finisher #6
mitchelld996 Mitch D Los Angeles, California, USA 1972 MG MGB GT	Posted: March 29, 2012 09:55AM Registered: 2 years ago Posts: 1,469

I will bet that you'll hear back that the part is NOT AVAILABLE. Every month it seems someone brings up the fact that they see this no-longer-produced finisher in one catalog or another. The story is always the same - the catalog is incorrect.

I did email Moss Europe in Aug 2011 when someone brought up the exact same thing and the reply from Moss was "the aluminum bonnet strip is NOT available." Here's the thread from last summer http://www.mgexperience.net/phorum/read.php?1,1819096,page=2

Demand for the part is NOT high - it literally took years for the various parts vendors to sell the handful of remaining stock. The demand appears high only because some poor soul on this board starts lamenting about the fact that he can't call a supplier and order one as simply as he can order most other parts.

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Re: FYI - Fishmouth grille bonnet finisher #7
DB Wood Daniel Wood Bend, OR, USA 1969 MG MGB GT "Clyde" 1970 MG MGB GT	Posted: March 29, 2012 10:02AM Registered: 7 years ago Posts: 3,319

I would buy one if it was available. I have a good grill that I have been saving.

Dan Wood
70BGT driver, OD, Pertronix, HS4's, Peco, .060 over, Elgin cam, Superlite wheels, poly bushings, panhard rod, rear tube shocks, 1" lowered front end, HD shock valves, etc, etc.
69BGT project (V-6?)
88 Saab SPG Turbo
86 Vanagon Westy (South African conversion engine 2.0 OHC 135HP)

Lucas= Loose
Unsoldered
Connections
And
Splices

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Re: FYI - Fishmouth grille bonnet finisher #8
ingoldsb Terry Ingoldsby Calgary, Alberta, Canada 1971 MG MGB	Posted: March 29, 2012 10:12AM Registered: 9 years ago Posts: 9,752

I keep hearing the demand is not high - but there sure seem to be a lot of people who want them. When they were available I used to replace them every number of years simply to clean up rock damage. I currently have one stashed away for an emergency (and I paid quite a bit more than the original list price for it - not that I'm complaining).

I had heard that Moss Europe was looking into sourcing them, but that it wasn't a high priority item. It would be great if things had moved ahead more rapidly than expected.

Terry Ingoldsby
terry.ingoldsby@DCExperts.com

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Re: FYI - Fishmouth grille bonnet finisher #9
mitchelld996 Mitch D Los Angeles, California, USA 1972 MG MGB GT	Posted: March 29, 2012 11:10AM Registered: 2 years ago Posts: 1,469

In reply to # 2025625 by ingoldsb I keep hearing the demand is not high - but there sure seem to be a lot of people who want them. When they were available I used to replace them every number of years simply to clean up rock damage. I currently have one stashed away for an emergency (and I paid quite a bit more than the original list price for it - not that I'm complaining).

I had heard that Moss Europe was looking into sourcing them, but that it wasn't a high priority item. It would be great if things had moved ahead more rapidly than expected.

The problem is this, Terry: It's a low dollar part hence low margin. The demand is low because fitment is to a small slice of MGB's (70-72). Call some of the big vendors and ask to talk to someone in sales and ask how many they sold per year. Apparently the original vendor is no longer setup to simply pop them out so restart costs are probably the biggest barrier to re-manufacture the item.

Worse, just look above in this thread. You have a guy in the US who presumably wants one but apparently he's unwilling to spend the few extra dollars to have it shipped from UK? (today's currency exchange is 1.59 USD = 1 GBP so we're talking about a $21 USD part and even if shipping doubled that price it's still only $42).

A handful of guys on an MG forum, even ten or twenty hardly constitutes high demand. There are probably as many guys hoarding one or more in their private stash as there are guys actively seeking to buy one for immediate use. When one pops up on ebay then you get someone on this forum posting the link and that starts a frenzy and soon after that someone will drag up the old song about one selling for $200 USD. There may have been such a sale, but it was likely a bidding battle between two guys who really wanted one that day and you had a market anomaly.

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Re: FYI - Fishmouth grille bonnet finisher #10
ingoldsb Terry Ingoldsby Calgary, Alberta, Canada 1971 MG MGB	Posted: March 29, 2012 06:01PM Registered: 9 years ago Posts: 9,752

Quote: The problem is this, Terry: It's a low dollar part hence low margin. The demand is low because fitment is to a small slice of MGB's (70-72).

I guess that is the part I disagree with - that it is a low cost part. I recently spent well over $100 to have a spare on hand - just in case. If it cost $100, then would it be worthwhile for someone to produce?

But this particular item is an exception. The tooling existed. Somehow, it vanished - no one knows where. And I agree that it is likely not profitable to create a new die, but it would have continued to be profitable to use the existing tooling (perhaps at a price of $40/strip).

It is my constant rant that MG people seem to think parts should be half the price of the comparable part for a new car. In what universe can that be true? If we keep up this attitude then soon there won't be any parts because the price won't justify the production.

Try pricing an oil filter for a new car (the cartridge type). They are often well over $20. And yet people use off the shelf Fram filters on their MGB because they are cheap. Or price out an ignition coil for a Miata - well over $400! And don't even think about looking at the cost of tail lamp lenses!

Terry Ingoldsby
terry.ingoldsby@DCExperts.com

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Re: FYI - Fishmouth grille bonnet finisher #11
mowog1 Rick Ingram Saint Joseph, Illinois, USA	Posted: March 29, 2012 10:05PM Registered: 8 years ago Posts: 20,369

The tooling can cost thousands to produce a part such as this.

That's why supply and demand comes into play.

1968 MGC - 1969 MGC - 1972 MGB - 1974&1/2 MGB/GT V8 conversion - 1978 MGB

mowog1@aol.com

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Re: FYI - Fishmouth grille bonnet finisher #12
Be Coming Kelvin Dodd So. Calif., USA 1957 MG MGA 1957 MG MGA Coupe 1958 MG Magnette 1959 MG MGA 1962 Morgan 4 Seater → more	Posted: March 29, 2012 11:36PM Registered: 6 years ago Posts: 4,654

I'll check again tomorrow and see if anything is really happening.

If there is an expectation the part will be made and pricing will not change radically, then the part will still show on web sites until such time as the purchasers give up on it.

It's not a con, it's just that killing the part by showing it as NLS is a death nell. Few parts come back from the NLS jungle, so the suppliers don't want to assign that listing unless there is no way the part will come back.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

K

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Re: FYI - Fishmouth grille bonnet finisher #13
curtis7420 Curtis Wright Univerisity City, MO, USA 1975 MG MGB "The "B"" 2000 Chrysler Town & Country 2003 Toyota Highlander 4WD	Posted: March 29, 2012 11:51PM Registered: 2 years ago Posts: 1,898

here is my posting about it earlier this month:

http://www.mgexperience.net/phorum/read.php?1,2003317,2003317#msg-2003317

and i was just trying to be nice...

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Re: FYI - Fishmouth grille bonnet finisher #14
Be Coming Kelvin Dodd So. Calif., USA 1957 MG MGA 1957 MG MGA Coupe 1958 MG Magnette 1959 MG MGA 1962 Morgan 4 Seater → more	Posted: March 29, 2012 11:57PM Registered: 6 years ago Posts: 4,654

Curtis. You were nice.

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Re: FYI - Fishmouth grille bonnet finisher #15
kwinzee Ron Weber Hamilton, Ontario, Canada 1972 MG MGB GT "Struggles" 1976 MG MGB "Knute" 2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer "Gray Whale"	Posted: March 30, 2012 07:48AM Registered: 3 years ago Posts: 5,536

In reply to # 2026284 by mowog1 The tooling can cost thousands to produce a part such as this.

That's why supply and demand comes into play.

Rick, tooling may not cost as much as most people believe, as with modern CAD programs and CNC machinery, the tooling could be made cheaper ..... or at least should be. But, whether that would facilitate the manufacturing of a niche part, that's another matter.

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Re: FYI - Fishmouth grille bonnet finisher #16
mowog1 Rick Ingram Saint Joseph, Illinois, USA	Posted: March 30, 2012 07:54AM Registered: 8 years ago Posts: 20,369

In reply to # 2026527 by kwinzee

In reply to # 2026284 by mowog1 The tooling can cost thousands to produce a part such as this.

That's why supply and demand comes into play.

Rick, tooling may not cost as much as most people believe, as with modern CAD programs and CNC machinery, the tooling could be made cheaper ..... or at least should be. But, whether that would facilitate the manufacturing of a niche part, that's another matter.

I suggest giving Robert Clark a call at Clark & Clark. He's into "niche parts" so to say...and he knows what the setup costs may run.

1968 MGC - 1969 MGC - 1972 MGB - 1974&1/2 MGB/GT V8 conversion - 1978 MGB

mowog1@aol.com

How to advertise on this website

Pieces Of Eight: Struts For Your MG Pieces of Eight! has provided gas-charged strut kits for the MGB bonnet, MGB and MGC bootlid, and MGB/GT or MGC/GT hatch since 1996. Contact Rick at: mowog1@aol.com

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Re: FYI - Fishmouth grille bonnet finisher #17
kwinzee Ron Weber Hamilton, Ontario, Canada 1972 MG MGB GT "Struggles" 1976 MG MGB "Knute" 2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer "Gray Whale"	Posted: March 30, 2012 08:34AM Registered: 3 years ago Posts: 5,536

Rick, I'm not suggesting that the tooling would be cheap to make, just saying that it would be cheaper than it used to be. It may very well be that the cost is still prohibitive enough not to persue.

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Re: FYI - Fishmouth grille bonnet finisher #18
ClayJ Clay Johnston Mt. Olive, MS, USA 1972 MG MGB	Posted: March 30, 2012 03:25PM Registered: 7 years ago Posts: 7,351

Kelvin (or others),
How many stampings would be involved to make that part? (looks like several)

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Re: FYI - Fishmouth grille bonnet finisher #19
mainelymgb Rich Sugalski New England, USA	Posted: September 25, 2012 09:41AM Registered: 3 years ago Posts: 190

Perhaps Moss (or Moss UK) should consider the overall margin mix issue. I wonder what would happen to Moss' overall revenue and profitability if collectors started shunning the '70-'72 models because of a significant black eye part that was not available to do a decent restoration... Sometimes businesses have to balance line item profitability with overall customer satisfaction... I can truthfully say that I would reconsider what year I buy again as a result of this problem.

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