Autonomy_Lost
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So I bought some of the fiberglass doors that West Kentucky Surplus makes. I've been looking at these for awhile, because in my opinion they are the only reproduction X-doors worth buying. They appear to be an exact (or close to exact) reproduction of the original X-door, even having interchangeable hardware.
Original x-doors in theory may be better, except they are currently impossible to find, and will likely have worn out seals, cracks, missing parts, peeling paint, etc. The idea of a factory new door with all new parts is really appealing.
So I found a guy on ebay selling a complete set of the West Kentucky Surplus doors, brand new and still in the original packaging. I worked out a deal with him and just received the doors a few days ago.
Three of the four doors are excellent. They are faithful reproductions and have the same feel and heft as an OEM X-door. They have a smooth finish, similar to what you would see on a new fiberglass boat. I do have a few small criticisms, but overall I'm impressed, and happy with the purchase.
The 4th door, however, has some issues. It was clearly made in a different batch, and has some real issues with the gelcoat. There are cracks all over it (spidering out from where rivets were installed), and the finish has sags and ripples in several spots. It looks almost like someone sprayed the gelcoat way too thick or applied it too late after mixing it (I'm not a fiberglass expert so just guessing).
On a whim, I decided to contact West Kentucky Surplus. Keep in mind, I didn't even buy the doors directly from them, but I figured it was worth a shot to see if they could do anything.
One phone call, and within a half hour I had a tracking number for a new door. What can I say besides WOW! That level of customer service is extremely rare these days.
I am sending the defective door back, but they didn't wait to receive it before sending the new one. Also, they guy I talked to (Adam) was very helpful and offered to walk me through the door installation process if I end up needing help with it.
Anyway, I dont post a lot but I really felt compelled to give them credit for providing a great product and even better customer service.
Original x-doors in theory may be better, except they are currently impossible to find, and will likely have worn out seals, cracks, missing parts, peeling paint, etc. The idea of a factory new door with all new parts is really appealing.
So I found a guy on ebay selling a complete set of the West Kentucky Surplus doors, brand new and still in the original packaging. I worked out a deal with him and just received the doors a few days ago.
Three of the four doors are excellent. They are faithful reproductions and have the same feel and heft as an OEM X-door. They have a smooth finish, similar to what you would see on a new fiberglass boat. I do have a few small criticisms, but overall I'm impressed, and happy with the purchase.
The 4th door, however, has some issues. It was clearly made in a different batch, and has some real issues with the gelcoat. There are cracks all over it (spidering out from where rivets were installed), and the finish has sags and ripples in several spots. It looks almost like someone sprayed the gelcoat way too thick or applied it too late after mixing it (I'm not a fiberglass expert so just guessing).
On a whim, I decided to contact West Kentucky Surplus. Keep in mind, I didn't even buy the doors directly from them, but I figured it was worth a shot to see if they could do anything.
One phone call, and within a half hour I had a tracking number for a new door. What can I say besides WOW! That level of customer service is extremely rare these days.
I am sending the defective door back, but they didn't wait to receive it before sending the new one. Also, they guy I talked to (Adam) was very helpful and offered to walk me through the door installation process if I end up needing help with it.
Anyway, I dont post a lot but I really felt compelled to give them credit for providing a great product and even better customer service.