<VV> Steele rubber

Tue May 10 12:50:12 EDT 2011

Harry
Just read the article.

It went down as described to the best of my knowledge.
Steele is known as a manufacturer and wholesaler/retailer of high 
quality rubber weatherstripping products for Antique, muscle and 
collector cars.

As the article stated, all of our parts were designed from originals 
from cars we bought or sent to us by owners. We make our drawings from 
the originals, GM does not give that stuff up if indeed they still have 
it. We also make parts for MOPAR, PACKARD, and some of our Ford/Lincoln 
line in addition to all the GM divisions and some pre-war independent 
manufactured cars.

Rubber Compounds have changed drastically even from what was used in the 
80's. The synthetic rubber we use now is a 21st Century compound. 
Durometers can and do make a difference in how things fit and finish.

I don't think we ever take the attitude that we know everything. And 
manufacturing errors will take place, as long as the work is done by 
members of the human race. We live and die by our quality. And when a 
customer calls with a quality issue, it's taken seriously. Whether it is 
the one man show in the garage, or a restorer of high profile, the issue 
is treated the same way. Matt Agosta's office is less than 4 feet from 
my seat, and he does take an active part in quality resolutions as well 
as new part design. While Lynn Steele was still living, Matt worked in 
our design department as well as all the other things Lynn expected from 
his son-in-law being in the business.

About 6 years ago when I first started here there was a big flap on the 
EM Corvair Windshield gasket.  Clark's doesn't carry our gasket, and 
people were trimming their chrome to make it fit.  Our first Corvair 
gasket was put together using the same 50's extrusions mentioned in the 
article.  In the early 90's, Denver NC's own Corvair Man, Eric Jolly of 
Corvair Specialties, lent the company his EM Coupe to copy the gaskets 
and have the car at the plant for testing of the prototypes. The 
problems with the original gasket were solved with the new design.

Lon Wall, LS Corvair, CA Corvair and other vendors do offer the Steele 
Gasket.

End of the day, if you don't work out issues like this with your 
customers, your brand suffers, and you're going to lose customers that 
nobody can afford to lose in our industry.

Hank

On Tue, May 10, 2011 at 11:59 AM, Harry Yarnell wrote:

> I have just read an article in the Self Starter (Cadillac newsletter) 
> of the
> wonderful efforts of the employees of Steele rubber to satisfy a 
> customer
> with an issue with a '53 Caddy windshield gasket. This kind of 
> positive
> relationship with the old car hobby is a pleasant thing to see.
>
>
> Now, Hank, how did it REALLY go down?
>
>
>
> Harry Yarnell
>
> Perryman Garage and Orphanage
>
> hyarnell1 at earthlink.net
>
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