Thread: PAW Gone

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Just heard that PAW has closed it's doors. The web site seems to be up but blank.

. I always had pretty good dealing with them and bought a lot of engine parts from them over the years. It's a changing world I guess.

I was on the web the other day looking for a stroker kit for a friend and discovered that they're gone.

Dang it , i just pulled out there catalog yesterday.

I can't say I'm surprised. I did a lot of business with them years ago and they had some great deals and good service. But when I was putting together the stroker Ford for my 27 I tried to do some more business with them and they were not the same PAW I knew from before. They didn't seem to have any of the parts I was looking for and the sales tech was very disinterested in trying to help me at all. I finally gave up and went with Summit and Jegs for all my stuff.

Seems like another case of a business that forgot how to cater to their customers, at least in my experience.

Don

A fair amount of talk about this on the HAMB,it seems some members lived close by and they are closed up,however the owner is a big Hemi fan and had parts cast just for PAW only,word is they will be available in the future.They said they were no longer able to compete with Summit and Jeg's according to ex-employees just what California needed more unemployment.

Another 'bastion' of the performance world has disappeared I did a lot of business in the distant past - that is until they got slower then cold molasses with shipping parts orders. Then off to others like Summit. Too bad they couldn't keep up/catch up with the others.

Years ago I got stuff from them with good results. Sometimes I'd have stuff shipped to me & sometimes I drive down to get stuff {about 1 1/4 hours away, WITHOUT traffic}.... THEN, the last time I dealt with them I called ahead to see if they had a part. The guy {& I got his name} told me they had it in stock & that he put the part in his desk drawer to save for me. Well, you guessed it! I drove all the way down to get the part AND he didn't put it in his desk, in fact they didn't even have the part in stock [not sure if it had sold since I called or they never had it} AND of course, it was his day off!!! Anyway, that was my last experience with them. 2 1/2 hour drive plus an hour there dealing with them... Since then I've just dealt with Jegs..... I think { or rather know} that there employee's attitudes changed....

During that last conversation I had with them it was like I was imposing on the guy and keeping him awake, or something. All I got were very short NO answers, and it was apparent he wasn't too interested in checking further for me.

Shame really, because my experiences dating back probably 20 years with them were just the opposite. I bought their private label cams (Crane Cams in a plain box......but still had the Crane timing card inside ) cam and lifters were about $ 89 a set. Also bought timing chain sets, which I returned because they were sloppy, but got a credit immediately. Pistons, and lots of other stuff that was fine and priced very low.

There are certain signs that start showing up before a company folds, and they exhibited some of those..........no stock, bad attitude, etc.

Don

Based on the comments here sounds like a lethal combination: declining customer care/service, and the perils of trying to operate a competitive business in the generally hostile business environment of California. A business that only has to compete, economically, with similar businesses within a constained market (such as a local community) is on somewhat equal footing expense wise and resultant pricing. But once they have to pass on the extra costs of doing business in a Cali location, and compete with those in "friendlier" environs (the Summit/Jegs example) then the marketplace isn't willing (nor compelled) to pay that premium. I would note that Summit (don't know about Jegs) serves it's western customers from a NV. based warehouse where the business cost environment is much friendlier.

LOL, I like what Don said; "it was like I was keeping him awake"!!! I bought a sm. block Chev engine 'package' from them in the early 90's. Plus all the accessories to go with it. Something was wrong with the block & they replaced it no problem. I asked for the same guy every time I called/went down & every time I got a call from them it was from this same guy. Treated me like gold! Personal service!
Yes, Jegs has a warehouse out west here somewhere, think it's Nevada but not sure.... I always deal with Jegs unless there out of stock {which isn't often}. I seem to get stuff a little quicker from them... Also had good luck with Summit, Wescott's, Speedway.....

I'm not sure if its still the case but PAW was started by a guy called Keith Harvie from England, Anyone know if he is/was still the owner ???

The had the coolest catalog by far; about 4" thick. I bought several of their SSI cams ovet the years with good results. What a drag to lose them.