Have bought parts for thousands of $$ from Ames, YearOne, CI and Rick´s First Generation over the last 10 years, noticing a dramatic decline in quality over the years. Except for Classic Industries who is producing (mostly subpar) new parts through OER every other partsupplier - YearOne, Ames, Performance Years - reduced their stock for FirstGenFirebirds over these years (often in favor for the SecondGenCars).

Then I noticed ThePartsPlace. For a few years now they´ve been the only one to produce new quality repro parts for FirstGenFirebirds -- all other vendors cut their stock for these cars (our cars are 40+, getting rare so less profit for the partsuppliers because of less interest and smaller quanities that have been sold) or they sell the same (often wrong - see CI) parts over and over for years with no new products.

Of course, also at ThePartsPlace all that glitters is not gold... Nevertheless, at least they try to keep up the quality: they are producing the best repro hood tach available (Ames is selling their´s, too. Ames even doesn´t erase ThePartsPlace´s name on their boxes) and the only correct chromed 400 aircleaner lid. They are the only ones to sell (and produce) the correct 5-blade flex fan or the correct looking wiper pump with white head. The PartsPlace is the only manufacturer producing the correct high and low note horns with DELCO stamping... They are producing the 68 park lamp housings every other partsupplier is selling now...

I´m aware that ThePartsPlace is a problem for Terry and FirebirdBill because they are re-producing even the smaller parts no other partsupplier cares for but which are so essentiell for the true restorer. It´s a safe bet that Classic Industries is selling more fenders than Terry every will do. But Terry or FirebirdBill surely are selling more small and rare parts because Classic Industries simply doesn´t offer them.

ThePartsPlace is trying to get this business, too, bursting into Terry´s and Bill´s niche and that hurts... They re-produce these small parts that are so difficult to get your hands on like emergency cable retainer clips and parking brake switch paddle clips (I learned it the hard way how difficult it is to find these parts -- FirebirdBill helped me out with used parts but these used parts won´t multiply...).
The PartsPlace also is re-producing the correct GM air cleaner vacuum diaphragm and bracket with correct stamping.

Now - if I´m in search for a rare part - it´s first ThePartsPlace where I´m looking for, then guys like Terry or Bill who both have a large stock of used parts in good condition.

In my opinion ThePartsPlace is real gain for our hobbyhorse - all the more that Rick´s First Gen now is owned by Ecklers and showed a horrific loss in quality and service - though at the cost of smaller partsuppliers like Terry or Bill

My 0.2 cents...

BTW - you don´t need to order from ThePartsPlace through ebay, you can log in on their website and make a tour through their "new parts"-section (best type in 67 resp. 68 or 69 Firebird) from time to time to see what´s new: http://www.thepartsplaceinc.com/newproducts.asp?curpage=1