The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Chevy Duty no more

Was told by a highly trusted source in KC that CD was sued by GM for stealing the name and lost the case. Will be interesting to see if the sign has been removed tomorrow when I drive by.

Sued for using the word Chevy in their name, or sued for using the chevrolet emblem in their logo, or both?

I can see how using the bowtie emblem AND the word chevy all in the same spot might spark the interest of the GM lawyers.. in fact, i've often thought in the past, "I wonder how they get away with that?" but I just assumed they had some sort of agreement or licence to use it.

Lets here from (santacruz)is this your place of employment. How about some insider info.

-RT1

So, are they just gonna have to change their name & logo or are they going under??? I hope not, i need those guys!

Even if Chevy Duty were to loose the case and the court were to award GM some catastrophic (to CD) award, they wouldn't have to pay it right away untill all their appeals were heard.

I'm not sure how far back AC-DELCO parts go back, but it seems to me that GM really relies on some of these outfits to keep churning out and/or selling aftermarket parts.. especially those "officially licenced" GM aftermarket parts.

My gut tells me this lawsuit was probably inspired by Chevy Duty not selling mostly "GM Licenced" parts, compounded by the model ranges they cover overlapping the AC-DELCO parts in the late 70's and 80's vehicles.

I say that, just because there are plenty of other outfits that have some variation of the bowtie emblem in their logo or the word Chevy and they don't get sued.

Maybe those other outfits aren't that big.. or maybe they're bigger, but play ball and smart enough to know not to $hit where they eat.

sc_trucker, There are many many suppliers out there. The only one I know of who is not better than Chevy Duty is Bowtie Bits.

Fumblin said "I just assumed they had some sort of agreement or licence to use it". I think that assumption is the only reason they got popular to start with. That is the reason I find this alleged lawsuit over the name to be so interesting.

I believe both of the words in the name Chevy Duty were previously used by GM to advertise product. I swear I've seen that in many past commercials. Don't know about the bowtie. All I have heard is that they will have to change the name.

I don't wish bad luck to anyone but as I've said many times I think the CD service and catalog suck. The name is fancy and the pictures in the book are pretty but there is no substance to that, just bells and whistles. If you really like bells and whistles you need an LMC catalog. It is worth getting on their mailing list just for the cover shots and exploded parts diagrams. However, if your priority is good service and parts that work as described for a fair price, you need Jim Carter's catalog. If you are the sheep who follows the rest in single file to blindly jump off a cliff, you need another Chevy Duty Catalog.

The moral to my story is simple. Inconsiderate, impatient, rude, misleading, or greedy people do not deserve our business.

Maybe, Some people are [censored] off because they were being under sold.There are only a hand full of companys making these parts.They all buy form these manufactures.I've had good luck with Chevy Duty and will buy from them even if there name is changed.There price for parts is fair.Only in America!The land of the sue happy people.I guess CD took a big bite out of there profits.After 10 years GM stops suppling parts for your car or truck.Problem???????

Excuse me for speaking up, I know I'm a newbie here, but I've dealt with Chevy Duty for close to
20 years now. Always very professional, willing to help, and besides, who else will give you free shipping! Golden State used to charge me 15% for shipping. On a $300 order, that's $45.
I've restored three different trucks over the last 20 years, using many different vendors. Chevy Duty has always provided me great service.
Let's hope they and all the other vendors continued sucess...I still remember when you had to search the junkyards trying to find usable parts...

Thanks for the info GM. I'm a newbie to old trucks period and CD looked the best of all that ive seen (which isnt much). I was hoping to find a similar place nearby where i live in SoCal, so i wouldnt have to pay for shipping, but no one else ive found has the selection & quality looking merchandise cd does. If any has any ideas I'd appreciate them.

Well, Im waiting for a reply.Ya just can't beat Chevy Duty.Who the hell started this bull shi** anyway???I've brought thousands in parts from these people and never had a problem.Just one time on fenders and it was the shipper fault.They made it right .Lets go fishing,maybe there biting ,but not here.Have a nice day Dan-Pa .Sorry if they broke your bubble.Life is short,take a break,nobody is perfect.

dan-pa,
I second your post...also, Jeff at Bowtie Bits is very helpful and they have a big selection of used parts for big bolts that are not listed in their catalog.


Stuart.

as for Bowtie bits - I've called them asking about weird obscure parts, and if they didnt' haev it they woudl give me the name/number of someone else to call.

I don't know that I myself have ever bought anything from chevy duty - my dad buys a lot of stuff from them. They seem to have more stuff for the AD trucks tho'.

I recall now why I never bought anything from chevy duty. Early one morning I went to their site and picked through a bunch of parts I wanted to buy.. on a dial up - this takes awhile with their site since they are so graphic happy - then I go to order and I get an error message and all this stuff. I email them and say 'hey at such and such time I got this error - I was trying to place an order' - I got an email back that had no hello, goodbye, only 'server maitnenace' etc..

So, after wasting all that time I decided that I should not use their site anymore as no telling when it would do it again.

-W

A google news search for 'chevy duty trademark' did not come up with anything. I would expect something like this to at least make the KC papers.

I LIKE CD!

Somestimes, It all depends, on who answers the telephone, at these places.

If it comes to a name change maybe they will consider "Chebby Duty".

Woog, what are AD trucks???

I tried to find something about it using various search engines as well and couldn't find anything about it.

ScTrucker, the trucks from 47-53 were called "Advance Design" trucks. A name/slogan used by chevy to advertise these trucks. Likewise, the next series of trucks were the "TF" trucks. Which stand for "Task Force", it was used to serve the same purpose as the first slogan. I'm sure someone will explain in more detail or correct me if I'm wrong.

Cool Arctic, thanks for the info.

"Chevy" is just slang for "Chevrolet". Can GM even sue over that and why would they want to? They don't need the negative publicity right now.
Scott

I'm fairly sure that GM has trademarked "Chevy."

GMCpanel - looks like - seems they've also trademarked the term "crew cab", so don't be usin that for yer Fords and Dodges!

Bill

Locals at the show confirmed the rumor, but Chevy Duty was still using the name. I suppose there will be a grace period to change their name over. Sounds like some of you guys were lucky in your dealings, and if I didn't have multiple negative experiences my opinion would certainly be different.

Although the lady who answered the phone and relied to email at Bowtie Bits was great, Jeff is no less than rude and belligerant. I bought wiper blades from him, they are worthless and just flop around on the new arms I bought from him at the same time. It made him mad when I reported the issue. I inquired to buy one of his $1000 rechromed 54/55 grilles but they were out of stock when I asked. I politely requested to have my name tied to the next grille and to be called. He told me to get screwed and find my grille elsewhere! I have no idea where that came from. Maybe one of his dogs had just died when I reported the defective product and another one died right before I asked to purchase the $1000 item from him? Very very unprofessional.

Wow, this is interesting. We had contacted GM to see about using the bow-tie outline in some of our Hoo-ya stuff in the store. After we were referred to a string of ten different people / offices, we finally got an answer -- if we wanted anything with Chevrolet on it, we had to get it from their "authorized" store. I was really disappointed. I thought it would be cool to go with the words "Stovebolt" printed over it. We'd even put in a royalty (after all, what's ten percent of $20 a month - if we are lucky).

But ... not to be.

But talk about a generous person -- you can't beat American Classic Truck parts. They have always comes to our rescue when the site's been flopping around. Without a "catch" even. The owner just likes what we are doing here. Really nice guy.

Peg

I all..Just a morning thought..I bought a Grant steering wheel from CD, and it came with a center cap with the Bowtie emblem, correct color and all..Wonder if Grant is paying Chevrolet for using their bowtie emblem on their wheels?
Maybe have a can of worms here?
I love doing business with American Classic Truck Parts, besides their quality and courtesy, they are here when we need them!..That counts big time in my book..Steve

I had an issue with Bowtie Bits...but I got the last laugh. He said he wasn't sure if he had an item, and if he did, that it would cost a certain amount each. A few weeks after I found them from a different source, he listed a pair on eBay at a starting bid equal to the price he quoted me each - and that's all he got. Had he just said "yes, I have them," I would have been happy to pay the price mentioned...

Chevy Duty has always been a good company to deal with, in my experience - good prices and good service. I haven't tried American Classic, but I will if the situation warrants it - the good reports I've heard puts them on my vendor list.

Well, golly. I sure wish you would try American Classic. They have been the life-saver for this site. It's quite the Stovebolt Collective (with many contributors) but American Classic has been the vendor to keep us swinging.

We would probably all be here but in a much diminished size ... mainly because we wouldn't have been able to afford all the costs.

So, yeah. Fer sure. Give them a try. And especially give them a thanks!

... thanks!!

Peg

The big three are hurting, and stockholders might be saying, "Hey! If you'd tighten the noose around these aftermarket and parts competitors you might fatten up the bottom line some!"

How long has Chevy Duty been in buisness? I mean, funny how GM is just now getting around to being upset about them using the name.

well, here's my 2 cents...i ordered a rear end gear kit in July, and after a few weeks of waiting I called, and they told me it was on back order. two weeks. thanks for the call, guys. then after nothing I make another call. mid October. from July to October. the guy on the line (brad) says that they get shipments from the supplier every two weeks. when i asked why, then, is it taking two months to get my parts, he scratches his head and mumbles something about this supplier. i was hoping to drive my truck from san fran to tucson in Oct/Nov, but now i'm getting nervous, as I'm not making that drive at 50 mph! i figgered July was leaving me plenty of time to get her hummin just right for a roadie in Nov! oh well.
I have ordered stuff from them in the past, and other than some crappy foreign made ignition switch, i have been pleased w/ CD. but man, that switch didnt even fit the dash, and it looked like hell. i ended up rebuilding the GM switch, thereby keeping the bezel and nice look of the original. a little more expensive, but worth it. now i have a crappy back up in the back of the tool box. i just want that rear end...

Good used headlight and ignition switches are easy to come by, and could care less if you run them on 6v or 12v systems. I would never mess with repop for something like that.

Well, GM certainly doesn't want to fill in the gap there. It would be insanely easy for them to come up with front disc brake kits using there already existing parts inventories for the 60's era trucks.... they coudl sell 'em through their GM performance dealers and have their dealers install 'em with a warranty... now, they would be making stupid money doing this but it would be one of those 'halo' things they like to talk about.

Heck, they even came up with a new engine for the '82-'85 s-10.

'shrug'.

I don't think anyone is running the store at GM anymore. I mean... look at what they are building... 'ugh'.


As for Chevy Duty - if yer gonna use 'em, I suggest callin' them on the phone.

I did hafta call 'em once when my Dad and I were werkin' on his '53 for some 'tech support'. Dad was rebuilding the wheel cylinders and all the brake stuff inside(the truck was last tagged for on road use in '77 or so) - so we get too looking at the parts and the diameters for the kits was different, so we buzzed CD right quick(this was during their business hours) and asked 'em - hey yo? which ones front, which ones rear? They were pretty polite about it...


-W

p.s. my dad retired from GM earlier this year... hence my Chevrolet madness was taught/inerited/brainwashed...

Yes, Chevy Duty is currently in discussions with General Motors about the use of the Chevy Duty name and logo. I will try to clear up some of the misconceptions.

Chevy Duty did not steal the name, nor have we lost our rights in any litigation. We have had a great relationship with GM throughout the 22 year history of Chevy Duty. GM's Trademark Council has been aware of Chevy Duty since we started the company in 1984. We have and continue to buy parts from GM, have been included in their GM Restoration Guides, have worked with their Licensing Programs for Restoration Parts, etc...etc...

Most of you know that GM manufactures and markets, throughout the world,automobiles, parts, accessories, and services under the names and trademarks Chevrolet, Chevy, the Chevrolet Bowtie Symbol, and GMC (collectively the "GM Trademarks"). GM contacted us in 2004 and told us that they were working on cleaning up their trademarks. They "asked" us to discontinue using the Chevy Duty name and logo.

GM is not trying to put Chevy Duty out of business. On the contrary...they want us to continue being an outlet for GM restoration parts, they just want us, and others, to do it without using any of the GM trademarks. They are doing this industry wide.

Chevy Duty, is not going out of business. At most, we may be operating under a new name. We would use this transition as an opportunity to provide a better experience for our Customers. We will have a larger selection of parts, less back-orders, and a higher level of customer service. We have taken our customers comments to heart, both good and bad, and are excited about the opportunities ahead.

We are currently implementing a new Order Entry/Warehouse/Shipping system (should be in place by the end of 2005) that will help us to improve our company workflow. This means that our customers will deal with less parts being on backorder, faster shipping times, and better order accuracy. We will also be launching a new e-store that is going to put you, the customer, in charge of your shopping experience. Our goal is to put our customers first!

Robert Mata
General Manager
Chevy Duty, Inc

I still can't find them by road. Two times I've talked the wife in to "just stopping by" when in K.C. I don't think the address will pop in mapquest or such. I like them. Nice people. Most Missourian's are.

Robert, thanks for setting the record straight, things are not always what they seem. Hope to do more business with CD in the near future.

Bessie,

Try this link:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=1+Chevy+Duty+Dr+kansas+city+mo+64150&spn=0.012264,0.019834&hl=en

Robert Mata
General Manager
Chevy Duty, Inc.

Robert ,Also thanks Twice for setting the record straight.Some people really went over board on this problem????.I guess nothing better to do than set on there fat ..Ho Ho

santacruz,

Thanks. I plan on bringing the kids to kc soon. I have a source for free Royals tickets if you can believe it. I'm shooting for the day game next week to visit.

Tim

Bessie,

Please come see us...We have some nice trucks in our show room that I'm sure you would like. We have a 1987 with 89 original miles. Still has the dealer plastic on the seats and door panels. We also have a restored 72 Blazer and are just finishing up a 52 Chevy that we restored in-house.

Here are a couple of links that show our showroom floor....

http://www.chevyduty.com/showroom1.jpg
http://www.chevyduty.com/showroom2.jpg
http://www.chevyduty.com/showroom3.jpg
http://www.chevyduty.com/showroom4.jpg
http://www.chevyduty.com/showroom5.jpg
http://www.chevyduty.com/showroom6.jpg

Robert Mata
General Manager
Chevy Duty, Inc.

Over board?? Look who's talking......pot calling the kettle black.

well, have fun.

J.

ps. my brand new Chevy Duty gas tank I just recieved a few days ago leaks like a siv! cool huh?