Gents,
Having been at Caliber Motors last year, I can tell you that it is a massive operation, with what looks like an indoor football arena sized service area with untold number of lifts. There are many buildings, and they have a "fleet" of golf carts (maybe they'll use SMART cars when that project goes down the tubes
) to transport the salespeople and what have you around the property. There is a state of the art robotic parts "fetcher" for lack of a better term. The mail order parts department (as opposed to "over the counter") is its own good sized room with about half a dozen professionals (like Al Trevino or Tom Hanson when he worked there)all sitting at a computer with telephone headsets on.
For the time I was there, everyone was on the telephone constantly.So, if you want a quick answer from Caliber, or anyone for that matter, my suggestion is to
call. If you don't get Al, leave him a voice mail. Operations like this tend to answer email when they can (i.e. when they are not on the telephone), and from what I saw this doesn't happen often. When I dealt with Tom, and it was often, email requests took a day or two. When I needed it in a hurry, I always called. Yeah it was a pain sometimes what with the time zone difference, but that's what it took.
I won't malign anyone here, but for what its worth, some of the better known suppliers out there--ones that many of you swear by--NEVER ONCE responded to emails or faxes I sent--
not once. Most of
my parts business, and trust me on this, it was substantial, went to those who took me seriously. It's not every day that someone compiles and faxes or emails a long list of parts--then turns around and orders them, but that's precisely what I did on more then one occasion. Those that were there, offered good pricing and service, got the business.
What you might find--as I did--is that some 3rd party parts came with the Caliber label still on them. It is when I saw this that I decided to go straight to them.
Another great source of mechanical parts at the lowest price is ALL EURO in Royal Oak, Michigan. They are regular advertisers in The Star.
Michael Salemi
1969 280SL
Signal Red w/Black Leather
Restored
