Repop Map Light? Who do we talk to?

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Graham Man

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 18, 2011
Messages
81
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11
Location
Midwest
My Car
1972 351Q Mach
1971 302 Fastback
I have been trying to find a map light for my 72. One just sold on ebay....wait for it...$355!!!! Who do we talk to looks like there is a market.

ebay map light

 
I have been trying to find a map light for my 72. One just sold on ebay....wait for it...$355!!!! Who do we talk to looks like there is a market.

ebay map light
Crazy isn't it. The block off plates are expensive also.

I am retired automotive tooling engineer. I have a friend with shop will ask him if he is interested in making the molds. I have 4 cars with the light. I did not know they were so difficult to find until saw several posts here about them.

 
And

You are bidding on MAP LAMP FOR ABOVE THE MAP storage area center of dash. For 19971 to 1973 Mustang,,,,, the switch will not move, so it will need some attention or carefully taken apart and cleaned,,, not hard to do, just time consuming. Hard part to find,,,,, not in reproduction.

Really, the switch does not move?

mustang7173

 
I had one with a stuck switch and I threw it away :atomic::atomic::atomic:

I bet their will be a whole bunch of them on ebay in the next few days.

Paul of MO

 
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I had one with a stuck switch and I threw it away :atomic::atomic::atomic:

I bet their will be a whole bunch of them on ebay in the next few days.

Paul of MO
Me too, switch won't move = BROKEN

 
Hate to play that song again. If I only knew then what I know now. I threw out several of 'em. Some had bad switches or loose wires, but most I just didn't need. People would bring so much Mustang/Torino stuff to me I just couldn't store it all. I was paying $13.35 for new map lights from Ford so I really didn't need any. Seeing the E Bay auction close at $355.00 for one with a bad switch...Ouch!! :-/

 
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Sorry to sound like a cracked record,

but reading this post demonstrates what i have been saying and winging about all along since i joined this Forum back in 2012. '71 TO '73 Mustang owners pay the burden and price of not having as many, and i say many, spare parts for their cars as their '65 to '70 counterparts do. Parts companies are reluctant to tool up and start production runs these days, because of the expenses involved versus the perceived money returns for limited sales volumes - even using cheap Asian labor to produce them.

The map light story is one of many. To some, owning a map light is no big deal, but to others, it's important, and they have to have it. GREEDY people like the Ebay seller that was just mentioned, know this, and see a golden opportunity to cash in and make some big decent profit for themselves. Their mantra is - if you really want it or need it, then buddy, you're gonna pay big time for it. They can sleep OK at night - it doesn't worry them. They walk away licking their lips with glee. Jesus help me, i've just payed out a total of $500.00 Au to buy two 1973 front bumper bar collapsible extensions for my Vert front bar setup. I had a small accident the other day when i nudged the Vert into a light pole doing 5 miles per hour, and pushed in the driver's side of the front bar a little. You can't get or buy these parts anywhere, repro or second hand.(good on you if you can find them), and so, i got whacked, and had to pay a big price for them. That's big money you're sinking into your Mustang that you won't get back when you sell it. Did i just hear someone say, Money pit? Best of luck to you Graham, and i hope you find a decent one in good working order for a fair price - you might just get lucky. Maybe a brother on the Forum could help you out?

And so, on it goes - profiteerers cashing in on a market where certain spare parts are rare or can't be gotten hold of. Thank God there are many dealers out their who sell their 123 Mustang parts at a fair and decent price. Praise to them.::thumb:: But how long will it ultimately take for time to catch up for 123 Mustang owners to enjoy similar parts benefits like the '65 to '70 brigade do is anyone's guess. Until then it's suck it through a straw and tough tit for us.:mad::mad::mad:

Greg.:-/

 
Austin Vert,

To continue on, if you are going to make reproduction parts for the 71-73 mustangs, please, NO Crap! For example, the RE-Pop door and quarter belt weather strips did not make it 4 years. I mean , dried out and breaking off. I have 40 year old outside weather strips that are more pliable than the new stuff.

Just my 2 cents-

mustang7173

 
The seller's opening bid was $25 so blame the final price on bidder frenzy. I've actually got a frozen switch to work fine by applying WD-40 through the knob and waiting a week...

 
Austin Vert,

To continue on, if you are going to make reproduction parts for the 71-73 mustangs, please, NO Crap! For example, the RE-Pop door and quarter belt weather strips did not make it 4 years. I mean , dried out and breaking off. I have 40 year old outside weather strips that are more pliable than the new stuff.

Just my 2 cents-

mustang7173
Hi,

I wasn't going to go there, but since you raised it, yes, that's another problem we've had to put up with, with a lot of the repro parts that have been made - their quality leaves a lot to be desired for many reasons. I think it's tragic that these parts were never made in the good ol' USA. Hell let's face it, the quality would have been a lot better, instead of the cheap labor, Asian rubbish that comes our way. But sadly, when you look at all the Western countries around the world today, most of the things people consume are made in Asia anyway. Where in God's name that leaves you, i really don't know, or don't want to know.

 
The seller's opening bid was $25 so blame the final price on bidder frenzy. I've actually got a frozen switch to work fine by applying WD-40 through the knob and waiting a week...
OK, you've got me there ib,

I confess i didn't see the particular add myself, however, asking crazy high prices for certain parts is very common on places like Ebay, as i'm sure most folks would be aware of.

Buyer bidding frenzy is another sad example of the price to pay for owners who really want these parts, and they are not available to them. So when you look at it, the seller more than likely knows how rare the part or parts are, and figures he or she will stand a better chance of getting even more money for the goods when the bidding war dust settles than he/she would have gotten from a "buy it now" type of sale. It pretty much adds up to the same thing when you look at it. GREED!!

Now, where's my medication! I think i need to have a nice lie down now.:p

Greg.:-/

 
I've actually got a frozen switch to work fine by applying WD-40 through the knob and waiting a week...
Mine was seized up tight as well, and I did pretty much the same thing along with cleaning the contacts with some fine emery boards (as in, swiped 'em from my wife when she wasn't looking) and it's working like a champ now. I'm not using the 'map light' feature as much as the 'extra interior lamp when the door opens' part, so the switch could even be seized up again for all I know. ;)

 
Some of the repo parts are made in U.S.A. Dennis Carpenter in Charlotte has equipment that he makes metal stampings, plastic injection molding, roll formed aluminum and stainless and extruded and molded rubber parts. If you are ever in the area they will take you on a tour through the maze. Even some of their parts are not up to speed though. I bought their 1973 stainless grill clips, plastic. They were too small had to deform the stainless to get them to work. Their A post seals fit perfect with no issue at all. Their heater box foam sets suck. So good old U.S.A. doesn't get it right all the time either. I guess Daniel Carpenter is his son.

I am seriously looking at making the window guides that go around the rod in the door and the map light. Most everything else is out there that is small. The A-post covers are a complicated mold that is why nobody has made them.

Not enough time in a day when you retire.

 
I've been searching for one of these lights also.. They just don't seem to be out there. I have two fastbacks.. one is a Mach 1 Q code with no map light and the other is a plain Jane 302 fastback WITH a map light.. Go figure..

For some reason, almost no one here in the U.S. wants to manufacture any type of aftermarket Mustang parts. I believe the quality would be superb and prices slightly higher, but worth it.. Thanks to Nixon, everything (and I mean almost everything) now is made in China. Poor quality, poor materials and poor engineering. Do we have ourselves to blame or was it a big political movement to suck our country dry of it's inherent manufacturing talent.. ?

That said, I'm hoping some entrepreneur here in our country gets the bug and creates a start-up for manufacturing aftermarket parts. There is definitely a market out there for them..

 
I've been searching for one of these lights also.. They just don't seem to be out there. I have two fastbacks.. one is a Mach 1 Q code with no map light and the other is a plain Jane 302 fastback WITH a map light.. Go figure..

For some reason, almost no one here in the U.S. wants to manufacture any type of aftermarket Mustang parts. I believe the quality would be superb and prices slightly higher, but worth it.. Thanks to Nixon, everything (and I mean almost everything) now is made in China. Poor quality, poor materials and poor engineering. Do we have ourselves to blame or was it a big political movement to suck our country dry of it's inherent manufacturing talent.. ?

That said, I'm hoping some entrepreneur here in our country gets the bug and creates a start-up for manufacturing aftermarket parts. There is definitely a market out there for them..
+ one brother.::thumb::

Greg.

 
Well I think that most off those part's Are Hard to find! But sadly it's Not always the part's that Are made in the us finish problem's.. That I belive is Because off they dont Wonder spent mony on making nye forms... Because off those Are expensiv to make. Well and ofcurs if it's a Mexcican worker. Which docent care if it's perfekt. Price on Them is what All is Looking at the part's store! Now a day's 😕 That is then forceing us Manifactures to stop making top dollars part's. But as i can see hear ind Denmark. Those Company Who went to Cina. They Are returning back to Denmark [GRINNING FACE WITH SMILING EYES] Because off it's Hard to control there workers. That they docent Care of what they Are working on! Which is at the end Not making enoff mony! Because off the crap they do make! And it's more expensiv to make the good stuff over there. Then back ind Denmark[bEATING HEART]😎[TONGUE][THUMBS UP SIGN] Regards Lars

Sendt fra min E2303 med Tapatalk

 
I was at the scrap yard on Friday and OMG there was an Arburg 500 ton injection mold press complete. They had rolled it around and screwed it up. I went inside the office and asked if they would call me if another came in and they said no they did not have time. You just had to keep watch on your own. Said they had several but had already gone the the steel yard for melt. Could have purchased what looked like a great machine for $.17 / lb. That could have started me a little side business like I need something to do.

You all probably know that If the switch was made you have to amortize the tool cost into the price. If you market through others like any of the Mustang suppliers they want you to give them the parts for 50% of the selling price so they can make a profit. It is a tough business to get going in with all the people already doing it.

Remember the entire body for a new Mustang today probably does not cost Ford more than $800 - $900 for what goes to the paint tank.

 
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