Anyone purchased interior parts from Starlight recently?

[voxnut]

I just wanted to check to see if anyone has been successful in the last few months purchasing interior pieces from Starlight Studebaker. I sent a request over almost a year ago to the day, and Will initially contacted me and we sent a few emails back and forth but I haven't heard back from him in over 6 months and his voicemail is full.

I completely understand that it's a part time business and they've had a backlog since their move, but I'm just wondering if they've just pulled the plug and I should just look into having an upholstery shop make door panels for me with vinyl from SMS.

Thanks,
Dean

[swvalcon]

By the time you add in shipping you may find your money ahead to do it local. Plus if somehow they where to get lost in shipping now you really have fun.

[StudeRich]

Maybe it will become a July 1, to Aug. 30, Business when they are both out of School.

[abkco]

Will isn't teaching this semester. He lost a family member. Hang in there, he will get to you

[2moredoors]

I have purchased a number of items from Will. He is easy to talk to and extremely helpful. Sometimes he is hard to reach but if you are persistent I am sure that you will win out.

[Milaca]

I have been attempting to purchase a tan & white bucket seat interior (for a 1963 Daytona hardtop) from him, but he has apparently been busy. Will, if you read this, I am still interested!

[Scott]

I talked to Will about a potential order over a year ago and he was really nice. I tried to follow up later and never heard back. I had already been trying for two years before that point, too. I'm afraid Starlight is history to me. I won't live long enough (and I'm not even 60) to actually get an order placed at this rate. Nice guy or not, it's just not a real business in my opinion. You're better off not getting your hopes up and just move on.

[DieselJim]

I talked to Will about a potential order over a year ago and he was really nice. I tried to follow up later and never heard back. I had already been trying for two years before that point, too. I'm afraid Starlight is history to me. I won't live long enough (and I'm not even 60) to actually get an order placed at this rate. Nice guy or not, it's just not a real business in my opinion. You're better off not getting your hopes up and just move on.

A while back Will did offer this business. There were no takers.

[unclemiltie]

I got a very nice extra interior from Will and the transaction went very smoothly. This was last summer.

[57pack]

I purchased a complete Wagonaire interior from Will about a year ago. Took some gentle reminders to complete the deal but eventually everything was shipped.
I knew Will's mom was ill and taking care of her was also keeping him busy.
Hang in there.

[rkapteyn]

Does anybody know what happened to the large inventory from Phil Brown,
I bought several interior pieces from him years ago.
He also worked on salvaging a huge stack of interior seat material that Dennis left behind in the old building back in 1999 and these went to the museum and was later auctioned off.
I also have a rack full of interior pieces that need to be sorted out.
Not many complete interiors but likely pieces that could complete some of Will's interiors.
I am 80 years old now and do no longer have the energy to sort these out.
I will have bypass surgery on February 21 and hope to get back to working on this again.
My doctor thought I was too old for traditional surgery and arranged robotic minimal invasive surgery at the University of Chicago hospital.
I may be in better shape and hopefully can attend the International meet in May.

Robert Kapteyn

[4jc8z]

I consider Will a good friend of mine. So I speak with first hand knowledge.

A) Will or Lori have never advertised in Turning wheels or have indicated they are full time Stude business vendor. They do not use it for their main source of income: hence expect it run hobbyist style.

B) As mentioned above, Will and family have been through ALOT in the past 2 years. I don't feel it needed for me to elaborate.

C) Don't expect miracles. He has almost no pre-59/60 and minimal pre-61. Also if one is looking for a red bucket Hawk seat and door panel set for your 62....well that was probably sold years ago by N-A before Will saved the inventory.

In conclusion, Yes, they might not be run as a 24/7 Amazon fulfillment center. But remember they are relatively young people with lives [not retired], family situations, and other sources of incomes [work]. Will has been one of the most helpful people to my hobby, a co-enabler of all things Studebaker, but he is not SI, he is a hobbyist that sells inventory in-between life.

[rkapteyn]

I consider Will a good friend of mine. So I speak with first hand knowledge.

A) Will or Lori have never advertised in Turning wheels or have indicated they are full time Stude business vendor. They do not use it for their main source of income: hence expect it run hobbyist style.

B) As mentioned above, Will and family have been through ALOT in the past 2 years. I don't feel it needed for me to elaborate.

C) Don't expect miracles. He has almost no pre-59/60 and minimal pre-61. Also if one is looking for a red bucket Hawk seat and door panel set for your 62....well that was probably sold years ago by N-A before Will saved the inventory.

In conclusion, Yes, they might not be run as a 24/7 Amazon fulfillment center. But remember they are relatively young people with lives [not retired], family situations, and other sources of incomes [work]. Will has been one of the most helpful people to my hobby, a co-enabler of all things Studebaker, but he is not SI, he is a hobbyist that sells inventory in-between life.

Well said and I hope everyone will respect that.
If Will would not have saved these interiors they would have been destroyed and we would have nothing available.

[Buzzard]

Bob, Great news regarding your surgery scheduled for later this month. Sonja & I wish you well and thoroughly enjoyed our visit this past June.
Cheers,
Bill

[voxnut]

I consider Will a good friend of mine. So I speak with first hand knowledge.

A) Will or Lori have never advertised in Turning wheels or have indicated they are full time Stude business vendor. They do not use it for their main source of income: hence expect it run hobbyist style.

B) As mentioned above, Will and family have been through ALOT in the past 2 years. I don't feel it needed for me to elaborate.

C) Don't expect miracles. He has almost no pre-59/60 and minimal pre-61. Also if one is looking for a red bucket Hawk seat and door panel set for your 62....well that was probably sold years ago by N-A before Will saved the inventory.

In conclusion, Yes, they might not be run as a 24/7 Amazon fulfillment center. But remember they are relatively young people with lives [not retired], family situations, and other sources of incomes [work]. Will has been one of the most helpful people to my hobby, a co-enabler of all things Studebaker, but he is not SI, he is a hobbyist that sells inventory in-between life.

I hope my initial inquiry underlined the fact that I knew this was a part time endeavor for them. I was just genuinely curious, because I'd been working on trying to get door panels for my '61 Lark wagon for a year now- I don't think that time frame alluded to me expecting the Amazon fulfillment center. Was simply curious to know if they were still doing business, or if they'd changed plans. I wasn't impugning Will or Lori's character.

Thanks to all who took the time to answer. While it is pricey, SMS can do the door panels. I've gotten the vinyl samples from them and they are spot-on, and it looks like they can make them factory looking, whereas a local upholster can probably do a really good job, but will still look like a reupholstery job.

All the best,
Dean