Avoid IN-Line Tube

chippers65300

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What has happened to In-Tube?? I restored a 66 300 20 years ago. Everything I got from them was very close if not perfect match to originals. The past 3 years I have taken on another C Body...65 300L. Alot of identical lines to the 66 of 20 years ago.
Everything I have ordered from them for this car is wrong..bends 180 degrees out...too short...too long...not even close.
My guess is sometime in last 20 years they have outsourced manufacturing to China..hence all the problems.
To make matters worse, their return policy is terrible. They want pics of all the lines..want new lines as well as originals sent to them. Then they offer to duplicate the originals. 2 month process last time I allowed that. Impossible to get a RMD, needed to return the lines. 20% restocking fee if you can get that far. Avoid!!! I hear All The Right Stuff is much better.
 
Right stuff is,dead wrong also. Proceed with caution.

looks like they are tying to get us to send original lines so they can make them correctly. Doing their homework for them, but it helps the hobby doing it.
 
I'd consider it if they would admit "We're sorry, we don't have your lines due to a lack of templates/examples to build from. If you can source your used lines to us, we'll make them and offer you both your old lines back and a 50% discount on the new lines.", well, Yeah!
 
Right stuff is,dead wrong also. Proceed with caution.

looks like they are tying to get us to send original lines so they can make them correctly. Doing their homework for them, but it helps the hobby doing it.
I agree..just hope they're documenting/blueprinting and keeping the specs.
 
I agree..happy to help the hobby. Just hope they're documenting our originals and preserving that info. instead of just making a duplicate of ours and being done. I'm really shocked about the difference in accuracy between 20+ years ago and today. What happened to the blueprints they had then?
 
I agree..happy to help the hobby. Just hope they're documenting our originals and preserving that info. instead of just making a duplicate of ours and being done. I'm really shocked about the difference in accuracy between 20+ years ago and today. What happened to the blueprints they had then?
 
I just purchased a set from them...that's what this post is all about. The loop before the radiator left side is nowhere near the factory line and is 180 degrees out...right into the oil filter instead of the u shape facing the right. Are you joking around?
 
One big question is "What happened to their orig blueprints which worked so well back then?"

Not to be flaky, but the ONLY way I'd let them duplicate MY lines would be if I transported them myself to them. Period. And watched as they duplicated them on-site. Then take the new and old sets back home with me. That way, I know they got there intact and I got to see how they did things. I know that might not be possible in all cases, but just the way I'd look at things.

Just some thoughts,
CBODY67
 
None of these suppliers has a clue of what to produce. I went through all of this a couple years ago now even with Right Stuff. Some of the brake lines they had right but two of them were not even close. So I sent them the original lines from one of my 71 Chrysler 300s and they successfully duplicated them correctly. I made it clear to the woman that ran the place that I had about 10 of those cars in my collection and that every one of them had the same brake lines just like what I sent them. She was certainly nice enough and went through the trouble to make them "my" way but why she didn't change to what I assured her was correct baffles and frustrates me!

But she must have thought I was nuts to have so many cars and didn't believe me (she might have a good case though :rofl:). A friend of mine ordered the same lines but got the original ones that were wrong. So nothing was corrected from what I originally got. So I told him my order number for the corrected lines and then he got ones that worked correctly. I don't know how these folks stay in business putting out incorrect stuff even after they have been sent what to make correctly.

Since I have a lot of 1971 C bodies, not just 300s, that I would like to replace the brake lines on, I decided to just order 10 sets of the correct version using my original order number. Now I don't have to deal with them any more.
 
None of these suppliers has a clue of what to produce. I went through all of this a couple years ago now even with Right Stuff. Some of the brake lines they had right but two of them were not even close. So I sent them the original lines from one of my 71 Chrysler 300s and they successfully duplicated them correctly. I made it clear to the woman that ran the place that I had about 10 of those cars in my collection and that every one of them had the same brake lines just like what I sent them. She was certainly nice enough and went through the trouble to make them "my" way but why she didn't change to what I assured her was correct baffles and frustrates me!

But she must have thought I was nuts to have so many cars and didn't believe me (she might have a good case though :rofl:). A friend of mine ordered the same lines but got the original ones that were wrong. So nothing was corrected from what I originally got. So I told him my order number for the corrected lines and then he got ones that worked correctly. I don't know how these folks stay in business putting out incorrect stuff even after they have been sent what to make correctly.

Since I have a lot of 1971 C bodies, not just 300s, that I would like to replace the brake lines on, I decided to just order 10 sets of the correct version using my original order number. Now I don't have to deal with them any more.
Customer service is all but dead... I suspect that the problem boils down to lack of interest in learning obscure information about low volume part numbers, and I'm sure they'd produce whatever common chevy line better...

I find it hard to listen or take someone too seriously once I hear syllables that sound like L S
 
Considering that it's now been close to 30 years since "their learning" happened, probably been MANY people through that organization and newer items they need to produce. FWIW Still, what happened to their original blueprints?

In any event, unless they might "see otherwise" (i.e., supplied samples), they have to go on their own research which THEY know to be accurate (or reasonably accurate). They probably have little experience with what interchanges with what or which might need a particular addition to an existing line to be accurate. Plus, they are just trusting THEIR information rather than what "somebody else" might claim . . . been through that in the swap meet arena several times. NOT making excuses for them, just what I've observed over the years.

A good thing @saforwardlook saved that pattern number!

In some respects, this deal is no different than what I've seen/heard of in other areas of dealing with vendors. Need body mounts for a '68 Buick? The OEM items have a Chevrolet part number cast into them, which means "interchange". Ask a Chevy vendor with those mounts if they'll also fit a Buick and you'll most probably get a "No" for an answer. They are going by what's in their catalog to ensure they sell the correct item. No more, no less. Unless they are shown the items which came off the car and they say "That's a Chevy part", but it came off of a Buick (maybe even Olds and Pontiacs, too?). In our electronic world, we expect instant changes, but in the print catalog world, things take time to change. Just as working through THEIR inventory of items and such.

Just some things I've seen when trying to work with vendors over the years, whether OEM or otherwise. I also quickly learned that an uninformed swap meet seller will trust "his buddy that knows more than he/she does" over somebody who just walks up at the swap meet saying things which don't agree with what his source has told him. Like that a '63 Impala had a grille that was the same as a '62 Impala grille. He had a '62 grille that his buddy took off of an car the buddy claimed was a '63. I walked on and found a guy who was cleaning out his garage that had a nicer '62 grille for less money, which I bought from him for a customer of mine.

Just some thoughts and expriences,
CBODY67
 
None of them are interested in selling parts people want to buy, just parts they want to sell and that equals A, B and E bodies.

I was at Carlisle looking for the single to dual master conversion line kit that they have in their catalog and was told yeah we have them but we didn't bring any. Why not??? Because we never sell any... Well that's too bad says I. If you had of brought one, you wouldn't be able to say that anymore. Fkn morons. It's not like they take up a 100 sq ft in the trailer, 6 isn't even a handful.

Kevin
 
I have a simple solution...fabricate the lines.
Buy a pipe bender and flaring kit.
A roll of steel line and reuse old fittings or get new.
You have the old lines so use them as your blueprint.
When I restored my 68 Newport there were no repop lines so I had no choice but fabricate my own.
I fabricated and installed quicker than the time wasted on your supplier in this thread.
BTW trans lines for B and C with 727 are all the same.

This is a hobby and C bodies have little support from the aftermarket.
Yet that itself makes the challenge fun!
So instead of getting bent out of shape-- start bending!! LOL!
 
I just purchased a set from them...that's what this post is all about. The loop before the radiator left side is nowhere near the factory line and is 180 degrees out...right into the oil filter instead of the u shape facing the right. Are you joking around?

Nag, nag, nag! Have you talked to In-line about it instead of bitchin about it? Doubtful as hell!!!!!!!!
 
I got complete set of lines for 66 polara from inline 3 years ago. Brakes, fuel and trans cooler. Also got 2 line master cylinder. And adjustable proportion valve.
Ordered on the phone. The guy talked me into going with stainless. And insisted that everything would fit perfect.
The fuel line was not even close. It's hanging on wall in a storage shed.
The lines to the front cylinders were also a joke but at 3/16 stainless I was able to crudely bend them and make them fit. Very ugly but I went with it and when people comment I quickly give a plug for inline tube.
The trans cooler lines fit rather well.
The brake line to rear axle fit rather well.
The proportioning valve was a joke.
I tried every trick I had but couldn't keep it from leaking. I removed it and run without one. No problems.
I bent a fuel line myself.
I'm guilty of nagging and not phoning online tube.
One more little nag is that I feel inline tube needs to pop their heads out of thier asses. But I guess C body is a tiny part of their revenue.
I bend my own lines now. It takes a little patience but is quite rewarding.
 
I bend my own lines now. It takes a little patience but is quite rewarding.
I agree, it's really not that hard with the simple low cost tools available, just take you time, do a lot of eyeballing, (it does take a good eye) but I mean what the heck most here ain't doing a concourse restoration going to be judged at Amelia Island or Camel. On that big B/E body restoration show even the long fuel and brake frame lines are bent in half to be shipped from whatever famous line company he promotes. Even if you get frustrated and screw one up, heck tubing ain't that expensive.

But the did it yourself rewards are.... priceless!

.
 
I bend my own lines now. It takes a little patience but is quite rewarding.
But the did it yourself rewards are.... priceless!
.
I truly have never seen another reason to pay the price, other than fear or laziness.

IF you felt that you ABSOLUTELY had to have stainless... maybe there's a case for you having them made.

Anyone should be able to master a decent double flare wasting maybe a foot or so of 3/16 line for practice. All of the tools you might need could be had for maybe $100. Bigger lines may require a more expensive bending tool, but bulk line is cheap.
 
I did all of my own lines. For the brakes I used Ni-Cop. That stuff is wonderful to work with. I just used plain steel for the fuel line since she stays in doors when the weather is bad. I don't have any fancy tools. Got creative and took my time.
 
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